“If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
Most human beings desire freedom—freedom to make our own decisions, be independent, maybe to not be overburdened by rules or restrictions. It's a completely natural thing to want.
The most important freedom we can experience in our lives is the freedom we experience in Christ, which truly lasts forever. Unfortunately, this freedom has been misunderstood, mistaken, and diminished by others since way back when the gospel was being preached to the early churches. So let's make sure we've got our definition aligned with what the Bible says.
What am I gaining freedom from?
“Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.'”
The Bible describes our condition as being "slaves to sin," which means that sin is something we're involuntarily held to. Slavery is a strong word for sure. But "slave to sin" isn't describing someone who commits a particular sin habitually or someone who commits the "worst" sins. No, the Bible says that this applies to all people who commit sin of any kind (John 8:34).
All of humanity are slaves to sin. We like to think of ourselves as generally "good" or "moral" people, but we still always fall short and do that which we already know is wrong or goes against our values (Romans 3:23). Just take one look at the world, and it makes total sense.
This state is caused by our sin nature—something we can't help because it's our natural response (1 John 1:8). At times, we realize we don't really want to sin, yet we still find ourselves doing it anyway (Romans 7:15).
How can I experience freedom?
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”
Trying to experience true freedom on our own, while choosing to ignore our enslavement to sin, will get us no freer than we were before (Romans 6:16). We're only truly free when we surrender to Jesus Christ. When we place our faith in Jesus' atoning work on the cross, our innermost desires begin to shift. We start to hunger for sin less and, in turn, begin to thirst for the things of God more.
We become completely new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)—made to be more like Him. This is a supernatural soul transformation in which the Holy Spirit personally indwells us (1 Corinthians 6:19). Jesus frees us from the slavery of sin, and, as we mature in our faith, sinful temptations will be easier to overcome, and will later become less and less appealing.
Once we're new creations, God will always be there to guide us toward obedience to Him and away from our old, sinful selves (1 Corinthians 10:13). But wait—obedience to God? Isn't that just another kind of slavery?
True Freedom = Bondage to Christ
“Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.”
We all surrender to something—whether we realize it or not. Maybe it's our own urges, maybe it's an authority figure, maybe it's our dreams of success. The point is, there's no such thing as 100% true freedom in the "independent" sense (Romans 6:16).
Freedom in Christ isn't about freeing yourself from any influence; it's about submitting yourself to the right influence. When we accept that Jesus sets us free from sin, we're essentially choosing to change "masters." We choose to be guided and commanded by God—rather than by our sinful impulses (Ephesians 6:6-7; 1 Peter 2:16).
Now, I admit that saying we're a "slave" to anything sounds like a genuinely bad time. And, to be fair, usually it is. However, who better to be bonded to than the God of the universe (John 10:30)—who loves us enough to die for us (John 3:16-17), has no sin (Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5), is fully just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and always treats us right (Nahum 1:7)?
Jesus is a Good Shepherd
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.”
When we submit to Jesus, we become like sheep in His flock (John 10:1-18; Isaiah 53:6), and He is like our good and loving shepherd. He cares for us, protects us, and runs after us when we wander off (Matthew 18:12-14). He'll never oppress us or force us to do His will (Matthew 11:28-30).
When we're liberated from the oppression of our sinful nature, we can confidently state that we're truly free! Even if we're in circumstances where we certainly aren't physically free, we can be assured that we're free where it counts most—spiritually. Our souls are free, and we can have a relationship with God that lasts for eternity.
Freedom's Responsibility
“For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.”
With our newfound freedom comes a responsibility to choose following Christ over chasing our sin (Galatians 5:1; Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 Peter 2:16). Walking closely with Jesus means connecting with our Creator, spending time with Him in prayer, reading His Word, and praising Him for everything He has done and will do. It also means loving other people, learning with other believers, taking care of ourselves, and creating good in the world (John 13:34; Hebrews 10:24-25; Ephesians 2:10).
While we'll still mess up and sin even after finding freedom (because nobody's perfect), we can always be certain that we'll remain forgiven through Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). God will help us walk more in line with our freedom as we grow in relationship with Him.