Emancipate, verb; eman·ci·pate; i-ˈman(t)-sə-ˌpāt; 1: to free from restraint, control, or the power of another; especially : to free from bondage … 3: to free from any controlling influence.1
The start of every year is Emancipation Day, the day in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. “Emancipation would redefine the Civil War, turning it from a struggle to preserve the Union to one focused on ending slavery, and set a decisive course for how the nation would be reshaped after that historic conflict.”2
“Lincoln admitted on that New Year’s Day in 1863 that he never “felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper. If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.” Although he waffled on the subject of slavery in the early years of his presidency, he would thereafter be remembered as “The Great Emancipator.”3, 4 This action would lead to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution being ratified on December 6, 1865, abolishing slavery in the United States.
This change of heart presented by Lincoln would factor heavily into his assassination.
Freedom. What an awesome way to start a new year. Free of chains. Free of enslavement. Free from being bound. Do you need to be emancipated?
John 8:32, 36 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free… (36) If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” This spiritual freedom is available only through Jesus, the One who made this Emancipation Proclamation. Making such a proclamation ultimately resulted in the execution of Jesus. Though planned from the beginning of the world (1 Peter 1:20), the earthly scene was of a mob of people who turned on Jesus, demanding that He be tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. The Roman government was happy to oblige.
Once we are saved, this freedom purchased in the blood of Jesus has lasting ramifications. We read these freeing words in Romans 6:14, 18, 20, and 22. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace… (18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness… (20) For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness… (22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”
Let that soak in for a moment. A slave prior to 1863 was owned by another individual and had to do whatever their master said. Failure to comply resulted in severe punishment or even death. When the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, slaves were freed.
Prior to salvation, we were bound by sin. Sin was our master, directing our lives, and leading us down the road to eternal Hell. But when we were made free, Romans says we were made free from sin and all the hold it had on us. That liberating thought ought to captivate us! Sin no longer drags me to Hell. Sin no longer mandates my life. Sin is no longer irresistible.
As Christians, the natural question is, “Then why do I still sin?!?” And the answer is simple. I choose to. I’m still in the flesh. When I sin, it’s not because I’ve been forced or had no other choice. I did have another choice – to live pure, holy, and righteous. I chose to let the flesh rule over the spirt – and the indwelling Spirit who was telling me NOT to sin. I chose to return to a place of bondage. Thankfully, we have a loving Father who promises to forgive if we confess our sin to Him, forsaking it and repenting of it. (1 John 1:9)
If you are not free in Christ, this is a perfect day to get free. Call upon Jesus today.
1https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emancipating
2https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation
3https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-signs-emancipation-proclamation
4https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-emancipation-proclamation
