“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Romans 6:6-7
When the Emancipation Proclamation was made by President Lincoln, there were no tangible things to prove that the slaves were really free. The slave owners and plantations still existed. There were no new houses built for the blacks. They still wore meager clothing. There were no new jobs for them. There were no ships commissioned to bring them back to their place of origin. It was just one person that simply declared that they were free.
Some slaves didn’t believe it and continued to be subject to their masters. Some slaves wanted to believe it, but still remained on the plantations. But some jumped at the opportunity and left their life of slavery.
The ex-slave owners of course would not just freely let them go. They would try to use force to keep them or say that it was all just a lie.
They had to take the word by faith that they were free even though there were no direct evidences that they were free. And if they had the faith, they demonstrated that faith by picking up their belongings and walking out of the plantations.
In our lives, Jesus Christ has declared us free by his death on the cross. The enemy doesn’t want us to believe this. He’ll try all of his lies, deception, temptations, and trials to keep us under his rule. But we are to walk in God’s promise by faith. It is not the president of the US that has declared us free, it is the God of the universe that has declared us free from sin. The word is not backed by the power of the US government, it is backed up by the omnipotent power of God.
We are not to walk by sight. We are not to listen to the lies of the devil. We are to walk by faith. And God has said that we are dead to sin and alive with Christ. We are no longer to live the life of slavery. We can now live in freedom in Christ.
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36