Mary Slessor and the Gospel That Broke Fear
- Ottawa Gospel Hall
- Oct 25
- 2 min read
What does it take to stand up to deadly superstition and bring hope? This message tells the true story of Scottish missionary Mary Slessor, who walked into 19th-century villages in Nigeria where fear ruled daily life. What could one woman do? And what does her courage have to do with us and the good news of Jesus today?
The world Mary stepped into and the hope she carried
Mary Slessor left the mills of Dundee, Scotland, for Calabar (present-day Nigeria) with a simple confidence: Jesus changes people from the inside out. In communities bound by fear and harmful customs, she came not with weapons but with the gospel—the good news that God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from our sin.
She believed the Bible’s diagnosis of the human heart: we are “by nature children of wrath,” yet God, “rich in mercy,” has made a way to life through Christ (Ephesians 2:3–5, NKJV). That message moved her to protect vulnerable children, sit with the sick, and point people to the Saviour who sets captives free spiritually and practically.
“The gospel doesn’t just inform; it transforms. Where fear once ruled, Jesus brings life and peace.”
Jesus, stronger than fear
Mary confronted cruel practices that flowed from deep superstition. She loved, protected, taught, and prayed. Why? Because Jesus is Lord over spirits, sickness, rulers, and our own sin. He entered our world, died for sinners, and rose again. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NKJV).
Repentance means turning from sin to God, and when it is joined with faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again, it brings us into God’s forgiveness and a brand-new life. When we belong to the living Saviour, old fears lose their grip as He changes us from the inside out. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV).
What this means for us
Mary’s story isn’t mainly about heroics. It’s about grace, God’s undeserved kindness. Jesus didn’t come to polish up good people; He came to save lost people like us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” so that everyone who believes “should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV).
Mary risked her life because she trusted that promise. You may not cross an ocean, but you can take the same step of trust today. Bring Jesus your fears, your sin, and your questions. He is gentle and strong. If you want to explore more, watch the message above.