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Douglas A. Blackmon, in his book, Slavery By Another Name, documents how after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, new forms of slavery emerged in the south. It kept thousands of African Americans in bondage from 1865 until 1945. Some think another form of slavery may still exist. “Slavery by another name” can also describe the bondage to sinful practices we all have until we are set free by faith in God’s Son. In Romans chapter 8, Paul the Apostle describes God’s plan to set people free from our slavery to sin. In verse 1, he writes, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” That is an exciting truth. When we embrace Jesus Christ as our Savior, God accepts his sacrifice as the full payment for sin. Furthermore, God sends His Holy Spirit to live inside of us. God’s Spirit in us breaks our bondage to sin so that we are no longer obligated to satisfy the strong urges of our sinful nature. As we lean on and entrust ourselves to Him by faith, God’s Spirit in us enables us to say no to sin and yes to doing the things that please Him. This not only honors God, it brings us great joy and fulfillment. God wants chattel slavery to end, and we must do all we can to bring it about. Still, we rejoice that God can also set us free from spiritual bondage, and that freedom lasts forever.
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