PERFECT FREEDOM—A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
By David Tucker
Around December or January, I was struggling to sleep. I often woke up around 1 or 2 AM. Work was slow—it usually is around the holidays—so I started watching a documentary called Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War. It made me think deeply about freedom, especially the kind we have in America.
One thing that stood out was how people in communist countries believed they were free, even though they are not, and how similar communism is to what is happening today in America. People use their level of comfort: food, shelter, clothing, maybe a phone, electricity, transportation, vacation, possessions, and comfort as a gauge of freedom. If these things are available, the general population seems to think they have freedom. These things have nothing to do with freedom. As a matter of fact, if they are provided through the government, someone has either had their freedom compromised or WILL have their freedom compromised.
I also learned that this counterfeit freedom is very unstable and easily compromised. If one is dependent on “the collective” for their existence, they are not free. In the Soviet Union the general population would keep their head down in support of the Motherland. When they finally realized their freedom was a façade it was too late; they were dragged off to prison, lost their farm, or their life. These people lacked independence and self-determination and now we can see signs that our nation is beginning to show similarities to the communism of 50 years ago.
The current state of drug-like dependence is starting to be realized as the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team tries to break the world, businesses, and citizens of America of their addiction to the government and its massive debt pile. They are not free and do not even realize it.
Another definition of freedom that is also a lie is that you are not free unless you can do whatever you want. This is very common. It is almost an anarchy mentality and is often espoused by the same people who preach about how we need to have a “law & order” government.
You should be free to do whatever you want including:
· Be a woman even if you are a man,
· Use drugs,
· Commit adultery,
· Homosexuality.
There should be no judgment (except by those who judge). All things must be tolerated, except intolerance.
But the Bible teaches us that freedom is not about being comfortable—it is about who or what you serve.
Counterfeit Freedoms
There are two types of counterfeit freedoms in today’s world:
1) The Communist Freedom: This is when people give up independence in exchange for comfort. For example, in the Soviet Union in 1986, 200,000 people died from the Chernobyl disaster because of government lies and forced obedience (they died to clean up the mess). They had lost self-determination. People stayed silent to avoid punishment but, eventually, the lies caught up with them.
2) The Anarchy Freedom: A form of society without rulers or governing bodies. This type of so-called freedom says you should be free to do anything you want. This mindset rejects moral law and tolerates everything except those who stand for truth. Even some churches now believe this, embracing antinomianism—the belief that we do not need to follow God’s laws. It is a view that rejects laws and legalism and argues against moral, religious, or social norms. It asserts that salvation and righteousness are gifts freely given by God independent of any adherence to moral codes of legalistic frameworks.
TRUE FREEDOM
But true freedom only comes from God. One of the big lessons of the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread is that GOD gives us true freedom, not freedom to do as one pleases, but to live in complete harmony with God and His laws for the good of everyone.
ROMANS 6:20, 22 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. … 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
To obey the Law of God because you must is insufficient. It is still slavery; it is treating God as your taskmaster instead of your FATHER. We follow our Father because we DESIRE to do what He commands. Some might argue that being a servant of God is a burden and a sacrifice of one’s freedom. However, I would submit that freedom goes hand-in-hand with the Law.
MATTHEW 6:24 “No one can serve two masters … You cannot serve God and mammon.
You cannot have freedom without some kind of natural and moral law that has consequences for objectionable behavior and is enforced.
There are 3 things I want you to take away from this message.
1) Absolute freedom is NOT the perfect freedom God offers.
2) Perfect freedom requires willing submission to God above all others.
3) Without law, there is NO freedom.
CARNAL FREEDOM VS. SPIRITUAL FREEDOM
First, look at some examples of carnal freedom and then spiritual freedom.
One of the characters in the television reality show, Mountain Men, follows individuals living off-the-grid in the rugged wilderness of North America, practicing skills like hunting and trapping. One of the characters, a fur trapper in Alaska, found himself in a life-threatening situation when he partially fell through river ice and his snowmobile tracks froze in place. It was -30 degrees and nearing sunset. Without transportation, he was committed to spending the night in what would be fatal conditions for most. He approached the situation calmly, knowing that the wrong decision could lead to death. First, he focused on building a fire to thaw the ice and prepare for a long, cold night. He explained that true freedom is a man’s right to live or die—succeed or fail—based on his OWN decisions and his own ability. His perspective highlights the deep connection between freedom, self-determination, and personal responsibility.
The key take-away here is that the individual is dependent on himself even though freedom does not always afford a good outcome. It is also a reminder that, when you are truly free, you are not free from consequences of your actions!
Atheist Ayn Rand author of the book Atlas Shrugged, preached the virtues of freedom in her writings:
“Freedom, in a political context, means freedom from government coercion. It does not mean freedom from the landlord, or freedom from the employer, or freedom from the laws of nature, which do not provide men with automatic prosperity.
“What is the basic, the essential, the crucial principle that differentiates freedom from slavery? It is the principle of voluntary action versus physical coercion or compulsion.”
Two important ideas that come from Ayn Rand: 1) freedom is not freedom from financial responsibilities and freedom from the need to work and, 2) freedom is not freedom from LAWS. She understood that freedom is not the absence of rules, but the ability to choose your own path. The key is voluntary action. As an atheist, Rand recognized that we should be free to make choices and act without force or compulsion.
When we as Christians achieve freedom from sin, we become servants of God by CHOICE—we are not forced into servitude. We choose this, just as one chooses to follow the instruction of an employer or a parent. We choose to be servants of God because we first recognize it to be in our best interest. But over time, we come to love God and our position as HIS servant. We come to realize we owe Him our very lives, not to mention our love and obedience to His commandments.
Freedom comes from no longer seeing the Law of God as a burden but as a gift. And there is an even greater, more incomprehensible freedom that will come from being a self-disciplined spirit being unable to be tempted by sin.
Think about that—freedom from sin, the complete separation from it, will come from the fully realized impenetrable character of spirit beings. That will truly bring liberation.
ROMANS 6:20-22 For when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. 21 Therefore, what fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end result of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been delivered from sin and have become servants of God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end result is eternal life.
We have two choices: 1) become servants of God or, 2) become servants of sin. Everyone has a master. The burden of sin is DEATH but the freedom of righteousness is life. Spiritual life is freedom.
MATTHEW 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
This is Christ’s take on being a servant. It does not mean we cannot have a physical master, boss, or supervisor. It means, intuitively, that we serve God above all others. While serving a physical master, we also obey God. God’s commandments supersede those of physical masters. Hopefully, the orders from our physical masters agree with God; if not God’s commandments take precedence. The more important take-away is that our actions should not be dictated purely by physical or material things. The Old Testament view of freedom is not bad, but it is physical—and therefore limited, deficient, or incomplete.
1 TIMOTHY 6:1-2 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. 2 And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
All must serve a master in this life; however, the choice is a matter of who or what we serve. Christians must serve their physical masters in ways that honor and serve Christ.
1 CORINTHIANS 7:21-23 Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. 22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
This passage in Corinthians addresses both physical and spiritual freedom. It is good to pursue both, but a physically enslaved individual can still attain spiritual freedom. What must be avoided is becoming slaves of men—becoming spiritual slaves to sin and to the flesh.
Lets look at one more example of carnal freedom; one that is a little closer to perfect freedom. John Locke is considered the father of liberalism because he helped establish key principles that continue to shape modern democratic societies.
He states in unequivocal language that human beings have “perfect freedom” to act and use their property “as they think fit”; that this right to freedom is equal for all “without subordination or subjection”; and that “all men” should be restrained from violating the rights of others and that every person has the right to defend their life and property from such invasion. By the same token, Locke also introduces a couple of ideas which are troubling to modern classical liberals, such as the idea that the law might be suspended by “the lord and master of them all” (presumably God) who has the right to “set one above another” and make him the sovereign power; that is, the right of self-governance of each person is limited by the “one omnipotent, and infinitely wise maker” who owns all mankind may prevent one from “quit[ting] his station willfully.”
John Locke had a good understanding of physical freedom dictated by God—the freedom of the Old Testament. The mountain man, Ayn Rand, and John Lock all had a view of freedom that was aligned with the Old Testament and one could argue closer to perfect freedom than people who were enslaved (the Israelites) could comprehend. Notice the ancient Israelites:
EXODUS 6:6 “Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
God brought them out of Egypt—out of sin—and redeemed them.
EXODUS 6:7 ‘I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Keep in mind that the view of freedom in the Old Testament was shaped by 400 years of slavery. An entire book of the bible was dedicated to the Israelites release from slavery, but even after Israel was freed they wanted the consistency of the meat pots of Egypt—it was free food. They could not accept perfect freedom because they did not understand the spirit of the law.
OLD TESTAMENT SLAVERY & FREEDOM FORESHADOW PERFECT FREEDOM
In the Old Testament, it was not preferred, but should a brother become indebted he could choose to sell himself as a hired servant. He could choose to enter a form of indentured servitude to avoid more severe consequences of his poverty—such as prison. Likewise, the ‘owner’ was to recognize and defer to God as Master.
LEVITICUS 25:39-42 ‘And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. 40 ‘As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the year of Jubilee. 41 ‘And then he shall depart from you–he and his children with him–and shall return to his own family. He shall return to the possession of his fathers. 42 ‘For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.
This is the process of obtaining freedom:
1) The individual chose to become a servant. The alternative was likely worse (prison). Symbolically, the alternative is slavery to sin.
2) Freedom was forfeited but the righteous master (Christ) treated the servant mercifully and afforded freedoms not given to a slave.
3) The person was freed in the year of Jubilee and debts were erased. This points to the Kingdom of perfect freedom from sins.
We are in debt to God our Master. Our debts are erased by the righteous Master when we choose to become servants of Him. He redeems (purchases) us and we become His servants until the time of Jubilee when Christ returns and frees us from death. That is when there will be perfect freedom. In Exodus 21 the individual has the right to choose to remain a servant after the year of release. He has his ear bored through as a mark of his servitude to his master who provided the servant with a wife, a family, food, shelter, and clothing as God does for us.
EXODUS 21:2-6 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing. 3 “If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 “If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. 5 “But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 “then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.
This is a statute of freedom through servitude. The master provides a family and the servant chooses to serve the master. Those whose master is Christ shall serve Him, not just to death, but forever.
In Deuteronomy, the connection between freedom from Egypt (sin), the necessity of the law, and specifically submitting oneself to God is apparent. It points to the freedom of the New Testament:
DEUTERONOMY 5:6 ‘I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
The ancient Israelites are freed and then comes the commandments—The Law
DEUTERONOMY 5:7 ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.
EXODUS 20:2-3 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
Although they were freed from bondage, that they must now submit to GOD—obey His commands and make Him their first priority. This is the law of perfect freedom.
PERFECT FREEDOM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Notice freedom in the New Testament:
JAMES 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
The perfect law of freedom is freedom from sin—breaking the bondage of sin. The perfect law of freedom is necessary to obtain PERFECT FREEDOM. Spiritual freedom—this is important—can only be obtained by willingly and joyfully choosing to be servants of the almighty God. Choosing to submit our lives to Christ we become free from sin and death. This alone is the gateway to true, perfect freedom. To be free of the slavery of sin and have the greatest liberty, we must submit to the Law of God.
Obtaining perfect-freedom is akin to a man, wealthy beyond imagination (God), purchasing us from the most wicked, abusive slave owner (Satan) after we agree to obey His Law and become His servants. God purchases us with the life of His Son and frees us from sin and death.
2 CORINTHIANS 3:15-16 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
GOD OFFERS PERFECT FREEDOM
JOHN 8:31-37 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
Christ is The Truth is what He taught. It is more than The Law and commandments, it is all knowledge that is perfect and pure. Satan, by contrast, teaches lies. He offers a counterfeit freedom—a freedom rooted in sin and death.
JOHN 14:5-6 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
There is no perfect freedom without Truth, and Truth cannot be known until we submit to God so that we can truly know GOD. Submission to God is the beginning of understanding the true freedom that is given to spirit beings: freedom from sin and death. This is God’s way.
We must submit to Him in faith, trust Him, and submit our lives to Him—allowing Him to own us—so that we may know Him, know the truth, and have perfect freedom.
1 PETER 2:16 as free, yet not using freedom as a cover for vice, but as bondservants of God.
Perfect freedom is not doing whatsoever I want (including murdering offspring), which is the counterfeit freedom invading religion.
1 PETER 2:17-18 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
We are to be servants of God and strive for freedom. We should avoid becoming servants of men. (This is a spiritual point of view. All have physical masters or bosses they must serve but God is our primary Master.)
1 PETER 2:19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
As servants of God in this physical life, we must serve with all our heart even though spiritually, Christ is our Master and we serve him first.
2 PETER 2:17-19 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
We must submit to God. This does not mean we cannot have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It means we have these through God’s Law. At any time, it can be taken away. If we serve God, we will receive perfect freedom as spirit beings who are free from the temptation of sin.
We need to be on guard for false prophets that preach counterfeit freedom. Our nation—our society—is delusional; most do not know what physical freedom is, let alone spiritual freedom. They have not seen what true sacrifice is and cannot know freedom. Frankly, NOTHING is free. Our freedom is precious; the freedom we pursue is invaluable.
2 PETER 2:17-21 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
The most important freedom is the freedom of thought. This cannot be forfeited. If we cannot think, according to God, we cannot fulfill our obligations as His servants. We can still live our religious beliefs without freedom of religion, as long as we have freedom of thought. With it, we remain spiritually free.
Stay focused on Perfect Freedom and serving God. Thank God for the physical freedoms while remembering that, as long as there is freedom of thought and choice, there is freedom to serve God.