Steve McQueen’s film Twelve Years a Slave is based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup, born free in New York state but kidnapped in Washington DC in 1841, sold into slavery and kept in bondage for twelve years in Louisiana. He describes at length the horrors of slavery on the cotton and sugar plantations.
Eventually, in 1853, he was rescued from slavery and reunited with his family. He wrote,
‘They embraced me, and with tears flowing down their cheeks, hung upon my neck.
But I draw a veil over a scene that can better be imagined than described...
I have been restored to happiness and liberty.’
Slavery is horrific. Freedom is wonderful.
Moses is the liberator of God’s people in the Old Testament. He was called by GOD to deliver Israel(God's people) from bondage in Egypt.
Exodus 3:7-10
7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.
8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
He foreshadows Jesus – THE SUPREME LIBERATOR. As Moses set God’s people free from slavery, so Jesus sets you free from slavery to sin.
‘Freedom’ is probably the best contemporary word to define what the Bible means by ‘salvation’. The whole Bible could be summed up as the ‘history of salvation’. It is the story of God’s desire and purpose to free his people. NO doubt, you can be set free from the bondage of sin not by yourself but through CHRIST.
Roman 7:14-25
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Paul could not do what he wanted or willed. He knew the good thing he would have done but because of the “chains” of sin that bound him, he could not do those things. At last he cried out; oh wretched man that I am. He realized his helpless situation and decided to cry out to Jesus.
Perhaps you have felt like that - like you have sin in your life that you cannot stop doing. You are right. The truth is, in your own power you cannot stop. Paul reveals an important truth here. We think of “sins” as bad things we do against God’s commands. Paul is explaining that it is more than that…”sin” (singular) lives in us. This is also called the “sinful nature.” Each human being was born into slavery to sin. We cannot control it by ourselves. It is master over us. Society passes laws against stealing, murder, rape and such to restrict us from the worst of our sinful nature, but we still covet, hate, and lust.
THE BIG QUESTION NOW IS HOW DO I OVERCOME SIN?
Freedom from sin comes when you become saved. As we all know, a slave cannot free himself neither can a prisoner release himself even if he breaks out of prison he isn't free. It takes a greater power to set him free.
Jesus came to the world, died in our place and became a ransom for all our sins. He has the power to deliver us from the bondage of sin. On the cross, Jesus paid the prize for our redemption. He declared, “It is finished”.
Today and right now you can become a beneficiary of this freedom just like the following people from the Bible got there freedom in Christ
• The thief on the cross – a robber, who has stolen from many people, robbed houses and would have killed, also, got a declaration of freedom from Christ (Luke 23:43).
• Zacchaeus – A pen robber, thief and cheat received freedom from Christ (Luke 19:9).
• The adulterous woman got the pardon of Christ and was pronounced free (John 8:11).
• The sick of the palsy was forgiven and freed by Christ (Mark 2:5).
• A public sinner (known by everyone to be very bad) got her own forgiveness from Christ (Luke 7:47).
All these people and many more received forgiveness and freedom from the bondage of sin. You too can and will be free.
All you need do is:
- Accept that you are a sinner, in bondage (Psalm 51:3).
- Believe in the finished work of Christ on the cross (Romans 10:9-11).
- Confess your sins to the Lord now (1 John 1:9 Romans 10:9 -10).
- Forsake all your sins, evil companion (friends) and association (Isaiah 55:7, 8).
- Decide to live for Christ from today and forever.
- After you are saved, you must remain in the liberty (freedom) wherewith Christ hath made you free (Galatians 5:1).
You can be free right now (Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 11:28).
