The United States was built upon the foundation of freedom. Every fourth of July, the nation celebrates Independence Day. Freedom was the theme of the Declaration of Independence, the founding document that declared that all men are equal and possess the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those of us who live in the United States have enjoyed the blessing of freedom that many people throughout history could not even imagine.

However, this concept – that freedom is the preferred environment in which mankind should live – was not just the opinion of the nation’s founding fathers. This is rooted in God’s plan for the human race. Notice what Peter wrote:

“Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God” (1 Peter 2:16).

Man in his natural state is free – in speech, thought, action, association, and religion. God has given us free will to choose what we will do in life. This is why Joshua challenged the people of Israel: “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Yet this free will does not mean we are unaccountable. God will judge us for what we have done in this life (cf. Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5:10). In the passage above, Peter explained that our “freedom” was not to be used to do “evil,” but that we were to act “as bondslaves of God.”

From the beginning, Satan has worked diligently to bring man into bondage by taking away the freedom offered by the Lord. Why would he do this? A lack of freedom (being in a state of bondage or tyranny) hinders one from serving God and fully enjoying a relationship with Him.Continue Reading