Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Abraham Lincoln was always opposed to slavery and wanted to set all slaves free. But as President he had to abide by the political system that constituted the government. He himself was not "free." Therefore his Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, left much to be desired; it applied only to the slaves held within the Confederate States.
Still, the historical reality of that "proclamation" illustrated Leviticus 25:10, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants."
Christ's purpose in His sacrifice on His cross was to set free allthe slaves of sin in the earth. Thus Lincoln's "proclamation" illustrated what Christ had done:
(1) The slaves of sin in the earth did not know they had been set free--they had to hear the good news of the gospel to inform them.
(2) They had to believe the news, otherwise their slavery would be permanent.
(3) They could continue in servitude only through unbelief.
(4) They had to act on the news and walk out into liberty, demanding it as their right and assert it (Psalm 116:16).
Ephesians one is a statement of Christ's "emancipation proclamation" to us all:
(1) The Father "has blessed us [all] with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (vs. 3). That includes liberty from the cruel bondage of Satan.
(2) The Father has "predestined us [all] to adoption as [children]" (vs. 5; cf. 1 Tim. 2:4).
(3) He "chose us [all] in [Christ] ... that we should be holy and without blame" (vs. 4).
(4) He has "made us accepted in the Beloved" (vs. 6).
When He acknowledged Jesus at His baptism in the Jordan ("This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," Matt. 3:17), He was throwing His arms around the entire human race "in Christ." As He loved His only Son, so He has loved us.
When He "gave" Him (John 3:16), the Father placed His Son's value to Himself on a par with our value to Himself. !!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: October 12, 2005.
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