Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:34 NIV
Slaves to Sin
According to the 2023 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 1.8 in every thousand people were in modern slavery in Canada at any point in 2021. In other words, 69,000 people experienced forced labour or forced marriage in Canada in 2021. In terms of prevalence of modern slavery, Canada ranks 144th globally and 25th within the Americas. The government of Canada scored 60 out of 100 in their response to modern slavery. The government has taken some action on addressing risk factors of modern slavery.
***
We often think that slavery doesn’t exist in Canada anymore, but sadly it does, and for those who are forced to live with it, life can’t get more difficult. While history tells us that it was often Christians who fought against slavery, the Bible uses it to describe what our lives were like before we came into a transformational relationship with Jesus Christ. We read this in John 8:34: “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.’” Sin is a hard taskmaster. Ask anyone who tries to break free from it on their own power. We have all done so, and we know how difficult it is to live a life free from its grip. Only Jesus can truly make a sinner a saint. I have a friend who spent more than 25 years in prison for a serious crime. He testifies to the fact that he was set free long before he got out of jail. The moment he trusted Jesus the chains of sin fell off and he was truly free for the first time in his life. That is how it is for all who trust Christ – we walk in liberty.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley