Liberty is a Privilege

By: Dra. Diana Puente, Pastor’s wife and member of the Hispanic Baptist Network women’s team

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed in the United States by a group of men characterized by courage, sacrifice, and perseverance. They fought for this nation’s freedom, grounded in fundamental rights such as liberty, justice, the protection of the individual, the limitation of government power, and the pursuit of happiness. For the believer, this freedom extends beyond the political realm, as it has enabled the open practice of the Christian faith and the fearless sharing of the Gospel.

The historical documents of the United States reflect a nation built upon biblical values, demonstrating a strong foundation of faith and the pursuit of God’s glory.

Freedom can be applied to various areas of a person’s life, whether regarding actions taken individually of one’s own volition or when cooperating within an organized society with defined limits.

In a biblical context, freedom—beyond its common symbolic application as the liberty Christ grants to those held captive by Satan (John 8:36), which begins when the Lord says, “Your sins are forgiven”—can also refer to freedom from the Law. Regarding this, Paul said: “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.

Freedom has never come without a cost; someone must pay the price to provide it—like the soldiers who died to secure freedom for the United States (and continue to do so), or, for believers, the freedom God offers through Christ Jesus.

All Christians are free from sin—not to do their own will, but to do the will of the One who offers that freedom. Freedom is not a right, as many consider it to be; in reality, freedom is a privilege and a blessing.

From the beginning of creation, human beings were created free (Genesis 1–3), which seems to indicate that it was God’s intention for man to enjoy this privilege. The biblical account states that man, in his freedom, made a wrong decision, resulting in the loss of the original freedom provided by God.

The freedom a human being possesses without Christ is partial. Man and woman had a perfect relationship with God until they both sinned (Genesis 3) and lost the fellowship they had with God. That was the story of humanity until Christ came.

Woman, remember that spiritual freedom cost the Son of God His life. And many fought for our patriotic freedom; it is good to live with gratitude for this nation, but above all, we must thank God for the spiritual and physical freedom we enjoy right now (Galatians 5:13).