The Thirteenth Amendment

01/03/2014 Human Observations

There is a difference between “just trade” and “sinful business”.

Micah 6:8

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

God anticipates trade amongst mankind, so he gives us the fundamental principle to guide that trade: equal for equal.

However, greed has laid a different foundation, one that now sits as an offence to God:

Revelation 18

² And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. ³ For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. ⁹ And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, ¹¹ And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: ¹² The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and … chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

Deuteronomy 24:7

If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.

2 Peter 2

2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. ²And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  ³ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

 

Revelation 17

⁶ And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. ⁷ And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman … ¹⁸ And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

So, there is “just trade”, and then there is the business of “that great city”.

That is the biblical basis for my attempt to garner Congressional action enforcing the words of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the American Constitution.  As I see it, we as believers are here to demonstrate the behavior of a people bought and paid for by God Himself, who is the giver of all life.  We should act like we know that previously we were worthless; being dead in our transgressions against the Creator of all things, until He gave us value by buying us.  Therefore we teach, by example, how to treat those others around us who cohabitate our nation; and our planet. 

 

Romans 14

¹² So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³ Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

 

In a free and equal society, there is no preference given because of a person’s position, status, degree of wealth, or level of authority.  Since the entire population born on earth is equally bought and paid for by The Savior of the world, then believers are in the best position to demonstrate equality by living the understanding of mercy, which is not receiving the punishment we deserve; and also the understanding of grace, which is receiving the good favor that we do not deserve. 

¹⁹ Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

 

I conclude, therefore, that in order to maintain a condition of peace, and to build up others in the faith, it is wiser to live according to the principles of equality, as indicated in the Thirteenth Amendment.  In this manner we avoid the detour that leads to unseemly business practices, involuntary servitude, and offenses against each other and to The Creator of our ability to think and produce.