The word “liberty” is a wonderful word. It comes from the Greek word “eleutheria,” which means “the state of being free.” The word liberty is important to our western world and American culture. Men and women in America love the idea that we are free. We have freedom of speech, freedom press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly. We cherish the fact that we can make our own decisions. However, in the spiritual realm humans are not free. Jesus teaches us that we have sinful and corrupt natures that keep us in moral bondage (John 8:34). Unbelievers prefer their own autonomy and their own glory above the sovereignty and glory of God. Unbelievers are morally blind to the glory of Christ and Satan is committed to keeping them in that blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4). Without Christ unbelievers are imprisoned to their own sin and can never escape their situation.
How can a person experience liberty in the spiritual realm? It begins with salvation in Christ. We cannot have liberty without first being saved from our sins. It is only when we come to Christ, by the grace of God, in sheer humility before His bloody cross receiving by faith what He did in our place, that we become free. Liberty comes through Christ’s death on the cross, blood atonement and bodily resurrection. In other words, He makes us free through the Gospel. Jesus said in John 8:32, And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. It is the truth of God’s Word, when believed from the heart that releases us from our own prison. When a person repents from their sins and receives Christ’s pardon for them and victory for them they are released from the bonds of eternal judgment in hell. This is a vivid way to remind us that without Christ we would have to face this punishment. But Christ came to tells us we can have liberty. He said in Luke 4:18, He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.
With this new found liberty, believers are also freed from any legalistic constraints put on them from others. 2 Corinthians 3:17 states, Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. In context, this tells us that where the Spirit is there is liberation from the bondage of the law (Romans 8:2). When it says “where the Spirit of the Lord is,” that is talking about in the hearts of believers. Where is the Spirit? He is inside the heart of believers and giving them liberty. Therefore we stand fast in this liberty (Galatians 5:1). We now live in the Spirit to walk in newness of life to please God (Romans 7:6; 2 Corinthians 5:8). We do not use our liberty as a license to sin (1 Peter 2:16). That would be utter foolishness. Rather we live the abundant life Jesus promised us. We live with this charter of freedom we have to honor God in all we do and tell others of the good news.
Scripture Reference
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
