Freedom—a word that causes Americans to sit straighter and stand taller. We belong to no man and bow to no king—unless we are followers of Jesus Christ. Then we belong to Adonai, the sovereign Lord, Master, and King of all creation. So does being a follower of Christ mean we have relinquished our freedom?

The Revolutionary War established our nation’s freedom from colonial rule. The Civil War was fought in part to provide freedom to slaves. The towering Statue of Liberty proclaimed freedom to multitudes of immigrants as they arrived in the United States to start a new life. However, freedom is not limited to our national heritage.

Christians are also free spiritually because of the cross. It was on the cross that Jesus Christ died to purchase our freedom from sin. Jesus said, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36). His victory over sin, death, and the devil is a once-for-all victory for every believer (Hebrews 9:12).

Yet the apostle Paul also cautioned us, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). If Christ provided us with a once-for-all victory, why would Paul warn against the possibility of losing our spiritual freedom and again becoming slaves to sin?

Slavery is an ugly word. No one likes to admit to being a slave. It invokes images of being held against our will, of being forced to do things we do not want to do. Paul may have had this in mind when he wrote, "When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body . . . making me a prisoner of the law of sin" (Romans 7:21-23). Then he went on to say that Jesus Christ had rescued him and rescues us (v. 24).

Salvation is a gift of freedom from the penalty of sin. Christians no longer have to fear eternal separation from God because of sin. Salvation will also provide freedom from the presence of sin. Someday, when followers of Christ are in Heaven, we will not experience even the slightest hint of sin or temptation.

Until that day, we all struggle with the power of sin in our lives. Many of us know what it’s like to battle against thought patterns or habits that continually return, no matter how we try to resist them.

Living a life free from the power of sin involves more than merely resisting the influence of sin. The power of sin is broken in our lives when we submit to the one who has achieved the victory for us. Paul said in Romans 6:16, "You are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness."

Our response to sin and temptation is affected by the way we live out our salvation relationship with the Lord on a daily basis. We can yield to our own inclinations or we can rely on the grace of God and obey the promptings of his Holy Spirit. Every day, through countless choices, we affirm the identity of our master: sin or the Creator and King of the universe.

Some say since believers are under grace, not law, we can do whatever we want, whenever we want. After all, Romans 7:6 tells us, "We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit." Paul also assures us in Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Because we have been released from the law and have no fear of condemnation, we are free to do whatever we please.

At the other extreme are those who set forth long, detailed lists of dos and don’ts for us to follow in order to be good Christians. Of course, everyone has his own catalog of approved and unapproved behaviors, from the type of clothing we wear to our entertainment choices. When we can’t locate a specific Bible verse that addresses our question, whose standard should we use?

The freedom to do what I want, when I want, and how I want sounds appealing. Then again, having someone tell me what I can or cannot do makes life easy. I don’t have to think about my choices—the list is already there.

What is the answer? Do we take advantage of the grace of God to pursue our own desires, or do we abide by a checklist that controls our behavior but may not touch our hearts? Are we free, or aren’t we?

The solution is found in God’s Word. Biblical principles always provide the direction we need. Perhaps we should begin by considering a different definition of freedom.

Freedom has traditionally been recognized as the independent ability to think, speak, and act without restriction. However, Abraham Lincoln offered an alternate definition of freedom when he said, "Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought."

God has done everything necessary to secure our salvation. As a result, he requires us to respond to him in humility, obedience, and dependence. The Bible says to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philippians 2:12, 13).

This does not mean we earn our salvation. Rather, Oswald Chambers described it as working out what God has worked in. God has freed us from the death-grip of sin. Now we must determine to live out that salvation in the everyday circumstances of life. We do this by living according to the principles of God’s Word, through complete dependence on the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer.

One clue to help us apply this truth is found in 1 Corinthians 6:12: "‘Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything."

Grace removes condemnation, but we should not presume everything we want is best for us. We must be careful not to trample on the grace of God to further our own desires. As we work this out in practical ways, a warning that we might be abusing God’s grace comes when we find ourselves asking, "What’s the harm in a particular activity?" Rather, the question we should ask is, "What’s the good in this activity?" We court trouble when we dwell on the edge of sin instead of running from it. The standard for every believer’s thoughts, words, and deeds should be whether they draw us closer to the Lord and glorify him.

Not only may a particular behavior be unprofitable for our own spiritual walk, it might also influence the spiritual walk of those around us. Paul warned that our liberty could become a stumbling block to others (1 Corinthians 8:9). He also said, "Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love" (Galatians 5:13).

The Lord clearly places a priority on the effect our behavior has on others. Hebrews 10:24 urges us to "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" rather than engage in behavior that becomes a liability to another Christian.

It’s not always easy to determine how to do this. The answer may vary depending on the individual. We need to search out the Scriptures, pray, yield to the Holy Spirit, and seek godly counsel as we consider the impact of our behavior on others and ourselves.

Ultimately, we are responsible for our own choices. So in those gray areas of life, if the Holy Spirit brings conviction about a certain behavior, we must obey him without obsessing about what others might be doing and without being a stumbling block to them.

Oswald Chambers put it this way: "There are things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. . . . At first Jesus Christ through his Spirit has to restrain you from doing a great many things that may be perfectly right for everyone else but not right for you."

Our heavenly Father gives his children liberty to do what we ought as we surrender to his Holy Spirit. He gives us this freedom so that we might grow in our intimacy with him and encourage others in their relationship with him.

Most of all, he gives us this liberty, not because living for Jesus make us superior to the next person, but because Jesus is living through us to glorify his name.