Joseph Mekael Page

📖 Proverbs 7:3 (KJV)

“Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.”

Frederick Douglass was not only an abolitionist, writer, and orator but also a man of deep Christian faith. His belief in God’s righteousness, justice, and deliverance played a major role in shaping his views on slavery and freedom.

Frederick Douglass and His Faith in Christ

Douglass was born into slavery in 1818. He escaped to freedom in 1838 and became one of the most powerful voices in the abolitionist movement. While he fiercely condemned the hypocrisy of slaveholding “Christianity,” he openly professed faith in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Was Frederick Douglass a Preacher?

While not an official pastor, Douglass often preached and spoke about God’s justice.

• He believed true Christianity opposed slavery and rejected the “slaveholding religion” of the South, which twisted scripture to justify oppression.
• Douglass publicly declared his belief in Christ, writing:“I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ. I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land.”
  – Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845)

How Did He Stick to the Word of God?

• He Read and Meditated on Scripture – As an enslaved boy, Douglass secretly read the Bible, despite it being forbidden. He believed that scripture held the truth that God intended all men to be free.
• He Used the Word to Fight Against Oppression – Douglass often quoted Exodus to argue against slavery. He also used the teachings of Christ. He reminded people that God is a deliverer—the same God who freed the Israelites would free the oppressed.
• He Preached the Power of Christ to Change Hearts. Douglass criticized false Christianity. However, he believed in the transforming power of the Gospel. He called on the nation to repent and truly follow Christ’s teachings of justice and love.

Connection to Proverbs 7:3

Frederick Douglass lived by this verse. He bound the truth of scripture to his heart, never letting the corruptions of men redefine the Word of God. Like many enslaved ancestors, he trusted that God’s righteousness would prevail, and indeed, it did!