In 1780 William Wilberforce was elected to the British Parliament.  In 1785 he became a Christian.  Shortly after that — partly through the influence of his friend, the converted former slave trader John Newton — Wilberforce began his long campaign to abolish all slavery in the British Empire.

In 1788, he introduced the first parliamentary bill to “discuss” the abolition of the British slave trade.  But, as you can imagine, there were many rich and powerful people who were remaining rich and powerful specifically because of slavery (or because they were willing to support slavery).

So, naturally, Wilberforce’s bill was hotly opposed.  Of course, the opposition was careful to make their point of view sound principled.  They espoused principles like these:

“Humanity is a private feeling, not a public principle to act upon.” 
—The Earl of Abingdon

“Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade public life.” 
—Lord Melborne

That was 1788.  The bill was defeated.  But Wilberforce maintained his campaign.  In fact, defeat after defeat, year after year, Wilberforce kept contending for justice and truth until 1807, when his document to abolish the slave trade finally passed.

It took nineteen long years.  Men had grown old fighting for this cause.

But nineteen years into the battle, when word of the abolition of the slave trade finally reached Wilberforce, he turned to his old friend Henry Thorton and said, “Well, Henry, what shall we abolish next?”

And, in fact, this faithful follower of Christ did go on to abolish other evil things.  He worked for another eighteen years to emancipate those who were already slaves!  And then he continued to work for reform in prisons, reform in dangerous workplaces, reform in the laws affecting the poor, and on and on.

Here we have another hole in the fence that allows us to take a peek at the story of the church.  The church is called by God to maintain his cause, even if we must do so in the face of constant discouragement, disappointment, and defeat.

What is his cause?  Well, Jesus, in his first sermon, said this:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 
—Luke 4:18,19

The church has been established to continue the merciful mission of Christ.  We’re called to spend ourselves for the sake of Christ’s Kingdom, making known to this poor, enslaved, blind, oppressed world exactly what Christ accomplished when he walked out of his tomb.

This means that the poverty and slavery and blindness and oppression of sin will have to be opposed.  Such things ruin people, and they must be abolished.  And the scary thing is that these things will need to be abolished in our own hearts first.

But it’s only really scary to those who fear freedom because they’ve grown accustomed to the chains of sin.  Fear not.  Jesus came to break those chains… for you, for your neighbor, and for this world.

So, look upon your life.  What needs to be abolished next?  And then consider how you might proclaim the Lord’s favor to those who are still oppressed.