Why Is Culture Important? Lessons from the Life of Hugh Whelchel
Jacqueline Isaacs
As we celebrate the 249th anniversary of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, it’s vital that we remember not only that moment of our founding, but also the spiritual movement that preceded it. Long before July 4, 1776, there was a stirring of hearts and a revival of faith. The Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s swept across the American colonies, laying the spiritual groundwork for the principled pursuit of liberty that would follow.
Contrary to modern revisionist claims, Christianity did not suppress liberty; it birthed it. The liberty our founders envisioned was deeply rooted in biblical truth. The Declaration of Independence appeals to the “Supreme Judge of the world” and declares that our rights come from “Nature’s God.”
Today, however, we are witnessing an erosion of these foundational truths. Secularism has crept into the heart of American life, cutting liberty from its moral roots. The result is a culture adrift: rights without responsibilities, freedom without virtue, and prosperity without purpose. If we are to flourish for another semiquincentennial, we must reclaim the truths that shaped our founding.
It is no coincidence that the American Revolution came in the wake of the Great Awakening. Preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield ignited a spiritual revival. They preached the whole counsel of God and applied the Lordship of Christ to all of life. As thousands of American colonists came to faith, they began to see themselves not as mere subjects of the crown but as moral agents created in the image of God.
This revival produced more than emotional fervor; it produced social transformation. It democratized religion, expanded literacy (so people could read the Bible), and cultivated the idea that no earthly ruler has the final say over conscience. The Great Awakening’s emphasis on personal responsibility and moral self-government directly influenced the political thought of the Founding Fathers. As Alexis de Tocqueville would later observe, “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.”
As we celebrate the 249th anniversary of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, it’s vital that we remember not only that moment of our founding, but also the spiritual movement that preceded it.
The Declaration of Independence is often read as a political document. But in truth, it is a theological one. It speaks of “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” asserts that “all men are created equal,” and affirms that our rights are endowed by a Creator. These are not secular statements. They reflect a distinctly Christian worldview in which God is the source of truth, justice, and liberty.
The colonists were not demanding license or rebellion for its own sake, but they were appealing to a higher moral law. They believed, with “a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence”, that the government existed to protect God-given rights, not to grant them.
This understanding gave rise to a system of checks and balances, separation of powers, and constitutional protections because they knew man’s sinful nature. Only a biblical understanding of human nature can sustain a system of liberty without tyranny.
This is where secularism fails. It borrows the fruit of Christianity but rejects the root. And like a branch severed from the vine, it withers. Secular ideologies promise liberation but often lead to bondage and bloodshed. This happens through authoritarianism, moral relativism, or social chaos.
You cannot have ordered liberty without moral law, and you cannot have moral law without God. A nation that denies God as Lord will eventually deny man’s dignity as well. History has shown this time and again: from the horrors of the French Revolution to the gulags of the Soviet Union. When man becomes the measure of all things, justice dies, and freedom soon follows.
If we want America to flourish for another 250 years, it will not be through politics alone. It will be through repentance and revival. We need another Great Awakening and a movement of God that re-centers our national conscience on biblical truth. The church must lead the way by proclaiming the gospel with boldness, discipling believers in the truth, and calling our culture back to righteousness.
As Proverbs 14:34 reminds us, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” This verse is not merely a moral truism; it is a promise to nations. This blessing is not for Israel alone. The word for “nation” in the original Hebrew is goy, which is a term often used for Gentile nations. The promise is not ethnically exclusive; it is spiritually inclusive. Any nation, ancient or modern, can know this blessing. America’s greatest hope is not found in her wealth or weapons, but in her worship. A righteous people, humbled under the lordship of Christ, will be a blessed people.
Let us recall that before there was a Declaration of Independence, there was a declaration of dependence on Almighty God.
As we raise our flags and light our fireworks this Independence Day, let us remember the source of our freedom. Let us teach our children not only about the battles fought on the battlefield but also about the prayers uttered in colonial churches. Let us recall that before there was a Declaration of Independence, there was a declaration of dependence on Almighty God.
Liberty is not self-sustaining. It must be grounded in truth, guided by virtue, and guarded by faith. May we be a generation that remembers, repents, and returns to the Lord so that our children and our children’s children may know what it means to be truly free.
May God, in his mercy, send another Great Awakening so that righteousness may exalt America once again.
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