Being Made Freed Illustrated: Frederick Douglass

. . . a continuation of the previous blog, "The Difference Between Begin Set Free and Being Made Free."

Frederick Douglass born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born into slavery.  When has eight or nine years old, his master's wife began to teach him to read.  She was ultimately forcibly halted by her husband presumably while Douglass was still a child.

He had halted Douglass' education but apparently not his determination as he continued to study in secret.  It is documented that he studied literature and arithmetic on his own.  He also read abolitionists freedom papers, a burden he would eventually take on himself with his own published newspaper, The North Star. 

Before long, his slave quarters became too small for him.  He began to think outside of slavery.  He was becoming mentally free even though he was still working in the field everyday.  In time Douglass began to visualize his escape, and at age 20, Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery and was never returned.

Many slaves successfully escaped slavery making it to free country in the north.  Not near as many were well-spoken or even out-spoken enough to become the ambassador for freed Afro-American he would ultimately become.  

His newspaper was only his platform as he would liaise with numerous heads of state to include Governor John A. Andrews.  He was Governor Andrews' advisor in the formation of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, its ranks comprised solely of Afro-American men including Douglass' own sons.

He also parleyed with a sitting president convincing this president that freed Afro-Americans would make viable contributions to an American society.  Needless to say, the race has made a prophet of Douglass in this regard.  That president's name:  Abraham Lincoln.

In his life, Frederick Douglass went from the cruel and unusual punishment of the slave fields as a child to consulting politians and diplomats as adult.  His study, his revelation of truth, liberated his mind far above his oppresive circumstances, and he ultimately removed his body from those circumstances because of said revelation. 

Frederick Douglass personifies John 8:32.  He had been made free; his mind had been liberated.  When this occurred, his days in slavery were over.  But the principle of "know the truth, and the truth will make you free" is not a reality specific to any person.  Your life can be as Frederick Douglass' was--making a universal and timeless impact.  I implore you to liberate your mind with the truth of God's Word.  And see your own shackles fall off.