Recapture the Spirit of ’76

The following list of characteristics of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence must characterize us if we are to meet the challenges we face in our day to preserve the liberty they bequeathed to us.

The article in which this list first appeared is available here.

1. 1. The signers of the Declaration of Independence believed wholeheartedly in the principles of liberty the Declaration upheld.
  2. They regarded liberty as worth more than security.
  3. They willingly pledged their lives for the cause of ordered freedom.
  4. They pledged their material resources as well.
  5. They were men of integrity who meant what they said and said what they meant. To them, honor was priceless.
  6. They stood together—shoulder to shoulder against tyranny and oppression.
  7. Holding to a biblical worldview, they trusted God to bless their efforts and the outcome of the conflicts in which they had to engage.
  8. The signers were willing to take risks—even huge ones—to advance their cause.
  9. Underlying the signers’ willingness to take risks was their courage and their acting as men.
  10. They were unashamed of their beliefs and their efforts to promote them.
  11. They were grateful men.
  12. The signers had, and exercised, godly discernment.