In an era long before truth was shaped by polls or politics, Abraham Lincoln made decisions grounded in principle. His most significant act was the Emancipation Proclamation, announced on New Year’s Day, 1863. Though the proclamation declared freedom for enslaved people, it would be nearly two years later—after Lincoln’s death—that his convictions were permanently codified in the Constitution.

Lincoln’s stand nearly tore the nation apart and caused immense bloodshed. Yet he knew some things—like personal freedom for all—were worth the fight, no matter the cost.

Yet even after the war and constitutional amendments, many formerly enslaved people remained trapped in bondage. Historian Shelby Foote records a striking quote from one Alabama slave in 1864: “I don’t know nothing ‘bout Abraham Lincoln ‘cep they say he set us free. And I don’t know nothing ‘bout that neither.”

Tragically, some preferred the known security of slavery over the uncertain freedom.

Spiritually, a similar tragedy occurs when believers fail to embrace the freedom Christ has won for them. Jesus is the ultimate Emancipator who paid the price to free us from the bondage of sin.

True freedom is more than the absence of chains—it is the power to live a new life, fully liberated in Christ’s love and truth. It calls us to stand firm, rejecting anything that would enslave us again, and to walk boldly in the liberty that only Jesus can provide.

Reflection Question:

Are there any areas in your life where you are still living under a yoke of slavery instead of walking in the freedom Christ offers?

Prayer Focus:

Pray that our church will be discerning and bold in claiming the freedom Jesus has won for us. Ask God to help us stand firm and live as people truly free in Christ.