John 8:34-36 Emancipation Free Indeed
On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln used his executive power and made slavery illegal in the United States of America, his Emancipation Proclamation. Galveston, Texas, set aside June 19, 1866, as a day to remember when slavery was made illegal anywhere inside America and recently June 19 was made a federal holiday and is called Juneteenth, as a way to celebrate freedom. Slavery still exists, in many forms and in many countries even inside the United States of American. Children and adults are forced into all kinds of labor against their will, and none of it is pleasant. Forced slave labor is very harsh cause those who force others to do it have no mercy for the slave rights, it constantly works until that person’s body and labor anymore, then they die. Scripture says the wages of sin is death, (Romans 6:23), but Jesus gives the gift of eternal life. All people will die, but belief in Jesus as the Son of God will give everlasting life, but shouldn’t a Christain have lively spiritual life in Jesus, not really feeling or looking like they living a gloom and doom life, is that evidence someone is either a slave of sin or servant of Jesus. Years ago I was reading a book that was written by Pastor Doug Batchelor and it was the title, “ the gospel according to Mary Magdalene At Jesus’ Feet”. The book starts in John chapter 8 when a woman, Mary Magdalene but there was a small true story in the book that caught my attention and I still remember. A Christian woman named Sarah had a brother named George and he was just drunk but she still loves her brother. Because of his alcohol addiction, his body was suffering from the unhealthy poison in beer, wine, whiskey, or champagne. George’s kidneys were failing and the doctor told George’s family he was going to die unless he got a transplant. On top of that, the doctor says that he was less likely to receive any kidney from anyone because of George’s drinking habit. Sarah is Christian and loves her brother regardless of his bad habits and God’s word tells her that love covers all sins,(Proverbs 10:12, 1 Peter 4:8), and she tells the doctor she will donate her kidney to help her brother can live. When Sarah goes to have her kidney removed and given to her brother, the operation left her paralyzed from the waist down the cause of body reaction to the anesthetic, so she will never walk again. Sarah was still happy that she heard her brother’s body was doing better and healing, and said, “ “Thank God,” she said. “If I am able to buy my brother a few more years of life in which to find the Saviour, then it was still worth it, even if I can never walk again.” But George when he was released walk by the hospital went to a bar to celebrate and was drinking his poison again. Sarah is a slave or servant of Jesus, she wants to share the love of Jesus and teach of His love and how life is full of joy in the Lord’s spiritual freedom. George on the other hand is a slave to life-destroying sin and without God’s spirit, he goes to the temporary spirit that is booze or alcoholic drinks. Sarah was and is truly emancipate from sin, her brother wasn’t and may be dead now and will just refuse the grace that is Jesus’ Emancipation Proclamation, that is Jesus death on the cross, payment of all human sin’s. Are you and I a slave to sin or righteous, are we doing the thing God’s word calls sinful. Do that chains of sin drag your life down and you need worldly pleasure to lift your spirits? Do you use God’s grace to say this sin or that sin is acceptable but still question if sin is your master or is Jesus your master? Ask yourself this are you or am I truly free in Jesus, or trip in the slavery of sin. God bless you all, the Lord Jesus loves you and so do I, Samuel J H.
