Anchored in Christ

I just finished On the Grace of God (Re:Lit: A Book You’ll Actually Read) by Justin Holcomb, which is a short but powerful book walking through the biblical theology of the grace of God. I will likely read this helpful book again at some point in the future.

Included in the book is a good illustration (could make a great sermon illustration!) explaining God’s grace involving Abraham Lincoln and a slave, which was so good I thought I would share:

Abraham Lincoln went to a slave auction one day and was appalled at what he saw. He was drawn to a young woman on the auction block.

The bidding began, and Lincoln bid until he purchased  her—no matter the cost. After he paid the auctioneer, he walked over to the woman and said “You’re free.”

“Free? What is that supposed to mean?” she asked. “It means you are free,” Lincoln answered, “completely free!” “Does it mean I can do whatever I want to do?” “Yes,” he said, “free to do whatever you want to do.” “Free to say whatever I want to say?” “Yes, free to say whatever you want to say.” “Does freedom mean,” asking with hope and hesitation, “that I can go wherever I want to go?”

“It means exactly that you can go wherever you want to go.” With tears of joy and gratitude welling up in her eyes, she said, “Then, I think I’ll go with you.”

This story illustrates what God did for us. We are bought with a price and it was costly—the life of God’s own Son. Once our new master paid the price for us, he set us free.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36