Whenever freedom is experienced, spiritually or culturally, its impact can never be reversed. At all costs and through any means available, freedom will be challenged by those desiring to remain in power because freedom in any form is the greatest threat to the lords of control. That is why in oppressively legalist communities of faith where an over-lording religious spirit rules the will of people or in nations where the populace is controlled by dictatorial measures, personal freedom is the greatest enemy to complete totalitarian control. Our freedom in Christ can topple the controlling effects of the most demanding religious spirit. That same freedom will eventually become a threat to civil governments that do not represent righteous governance.

Paul wrote about our freedom in Christ in his epistles. Freedom was a repeated theme. Paul was careful to define our ultimate freedom resided in the Person of Jesus Christ, not in how we worship, what version of the Bible we read, or who is temporarily occupying the seat of government. Knowing who we are in Christ is the most dangerous kind of freedom. It is a freedom that remains forever intact and unassailable seated on an eternal throne above even the most cherished of freedoms in a free society. It has an enduring quality that will remain in place even if free nations no longer remain free and succumb to tyranny.

If we want to know the way forward, we need to follow our freedom in Christ, not the temporary freedoms of even the most desired forms of civil government. We have not been given our freedom in Christ to live as quiet church mice either, nervously scurrying away from the noise of potential disagreement or the shaming labels used to silence our voice.

As believers, we are to follow the One who will never lead into any form of bondage. In that following, He may lead us into religious or cultural settings where we will have a choice to make – the choice of freedom over bondage.  If that choice is made with humility and honor, the freedom of our soul will remain intact no matter what transpires.