In 1807, the British Parliament abolished the slave trade.

Since 1772, it had been legally recognized that individuals in Britain could not be slaves. However, that did not prevent the British from participating—and leading—the international trade in slaves. British ships loaded with cheap goods such as firearms, gunpowder, alcohol, and beads, would sail to Africa and return with slaves. At the height of the slave trade, British ships were said to carry about 50,000 slaves a year.

In the late 1700s, men like William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson worked tirelessly to stir public opinion against this practice. Then in 1807, as the acting spokesman in parliament against slavery, Wilberforce was successful in getting the slave trade abolished throughout the British Empire. But that was only the beginning. Wilberforce spent the remaining years of his life working for the abolition of slavery itself. In 1833, as Wilberforce lay dying, he was informed that the Abolition of Slavery Act was passed. It took a bloody civil war until the United States freed all its slaves and abolished slavery some thirty years later.

It’s hard for us to understand the concept of slavery today. We live in a country where we are free to speak our minds, to worship as we please, and to go where we want. We consider ourselves free people. But the Bible tells us that there is another type of slavery. If we are without Jesus we are slaves to our selfish desires and our sinful nature.

Slavery to sin is bad news. The good news is that Jesus died on the cross to set us free from sin. That doesn’t mean we are free to do whatever we want. No, that would lead us right back into slavery. Jesus has set us free to live unselfishly for him and for others. Celebrate your freedom today!

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you (Galatians 5:1, The Message).

To Do

Finish this sentence: “Thank you God that I am free to do _____________________ today.”

Also on this day . . .

Today is National Pecan Day.

421—The city of Venice was founded.

1668—The first horse race in America took place.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.