As we reflect on the tangled history of liberty and faith, especially in the context of America’s journey, several profound spiritual lessons emerge, lessons that remain deeply relevant as the nation celebrates the Fourth of July, our nation’s Independence Day.
As America approaches its 250th birthday in 2026, the words of Thomas Jefferson, immortalized in Randall Thompson’s stirring choral work, The Testament of Freedom, rings with renewed power and hope: “The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy but cannot disjoin them.” I recommend this piece to your hearing this Fourth of July.
Composed in 1943 for the bicentennial of Jefferson’s birth, The Testament of Freedom was born during global conflict. Yet, its message transcends war and hardship, speaking directly to the heart of what it means to be an American. I first sang this piece in college in the early 1970s in Albany, Georgia, and at least twice, here in Augusta, with the Augusta Choral Society in the late 1990s and 2000s. I am always moved by Thomas Jefferson’s words. Jefferson, a slave owner, who understood what it meant to be subjugated to another, even though he owned enslaved human beings, penned a declaration that would be the guarantee for the descendants of the enslaved to taste freedom. Thompson’s music, set to Jefferson’s own words, is both a hymn and a call, a reminder that liberty and life are inseparable gifts, bestowed not by any government, but by the Creator Himself.
I invite you to think with me about the Testament of Freedom, both in Jefferson’s commanding words and Thompson’s stirring musical interpretation of them. Jefferson’s assertion, “The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time,” is more than rhetoric. It is a foundational belief that shaped the American experiment. In the first movement of Thompson’s work, this phrase becomes a proud invocation, echoing through generations as a reminder that freedom is not merely a privilege, but a God given birthright, one that no hand of force can truly take away.
The foundation of all enduring liberty is spiritual liberty. Christianity teaches that Jesus brought freedom from the bondage of sin and death, and this spiritual liberty has historically led to greater religious and civil freedoms. Without the inner transformation that faith brings, outward liberty is fragile and incomplete. America’s Christian history demonstrates that spiritual liberty is the root from which religious and civil liberty grow and flourish.
Throughout The Testament of Freedom, Jefferson’s writings remind us that the fight for liberty is ongoing. In the second movement, he warns of the dangers of “voluntary slavery” and insists that honor, justice, and humanity demand the preservation of freedom for future generations. The third movement rejects the pursuit of war for glory, emphasizing instead the defense of “the freedom that is our birthright.” And in the final movement, Jefferson’s hope shines through. Each time I sing or listen to this piece, it gives me hope, as I sing with tears welling in my eyes: “I shall not die without a hope that light and liberty are on steady advance.” The flames kindled on the 4th of July 1776 have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism”.
The right to religious liberty is rooted in the obligation to seek the truth about God and to practice faith freely. True faith cannot be forced; it must be a free response to God’s grace. This means respecting the freedom of others, even when we disagree, and recognizing that only God can judge the heart. The parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30) illustrates that believers and non-believers must coexist, leaving ultimate judgment to God.
Our liberty is not just for ourselves, but is given so we can serve, love, and uplift those around us. The way we use our freedom can either build up or harm others, so we are called to exercise our liberty with wisdom, humility, and care for the weak and vulnerable.
As we celebrate Independence Day in 2025, on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, these words call us to gratitude and resolve. Our nation’s story is not without flaws or struggles, but the ideals of life and liberty endure. They are not relics of the past, but living promises, gifts to be cherished, protected, and extended to every American, and no hand or force can destroy them!
Let this Independence Day be a moment to remember that the same God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time! So, as we gather in celebration and reflection on this Independence Day, may we renew our commitment to the ideals that have carried this nation through centuries: that freedom is indivisible to our humanity, and that hope, like the music of Randall Thompson’s Testament of Freedom, liberty will always rise above the noise of discord.
As the nation begins the countdown to our 250th anniversary, may we carry forward the testament of freedom, confident that “light and liberty are on steady advance”, not just for ourselves, but for all who seek them.
Happy Independence Day to you!
