Just a few days from now, we celebrate the Fourth of July. This time of year tends to bring the subject of freedom to the forefront of our minds. In between backyard barbeques and fireworks, we reflect on the political and social freedoms we're blessed with in the United States. As Christians, however, we have another level freedom to celebrate--the spiritual freedom that comes from Christ alone. No matter where we live, we can experience what it means to live freely in Jesus. So what does the freedom of Christ look like in our daily lives?

1. Freedom from The Bondage of Sin

"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin." --Romans 6:6-7 (NIV)

"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." --Romans 6:17-18

When we come to know Christ and rest in His salvation, He delivers us from the bondage of sin. In dying on the cross, Jesus made a way for us to overcome sin's power over our hearts and minds. Each of us struggles with the desire for sin, yet in Jesus, that desire no longer rules over us. Through His Spirit, we can break off our old ways and walk in new life.

Part of walking in the newness Jesus gives us is submitting in obedience to Him. Jesus doesn't simply set us free from the destructive master of our flesh; He calls us to walk in the righteousness He offers. The Holy Spirit transforms our minds day by day, shifting our desires away from sin. Instead, He teaches us to know the Lord, until we grow to love Him and seek Him more and more. We learn to walk in obedience to God, not by our power, but in the strength of the Holy Spirit.

2. Freedom from The Weight of the Law

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." --Romans 8:1-4

"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

In the days of the Old Testament, many tried to earn salvation by following the law. Yet, as Jesus told His followers, there was no one righteous, not even one. No person, no matter how hard they try, can keep every part of the law without sinning. The law showed us where we went wrong, but it could not save anyone.

When Jesus came and lived a perfect life, He fulfilled the law of the Old Covenant. He brought us a new covenant of grace, becoming the perfect sacrifice for all time. In Him, the weight of the law was lifted from our shoulders and placed on His. We no longer have to live by all the traditions and customs of the Old Testament. We don't carry the burden of earning righteousness.

Instead, Jesus gives us the blessing of clothing us in His righteousness. We still have a responsibility to walk by the Spirit, but we obey His word as a result of grace rather than a means of earning it. With Jesus, we can live boldly, knowing that we have our hope in Him.

3. Freedom to Live by the Spirit

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. --Galatians 5:13-18

In freeing us from the bondage of sin and the law, Jesus saves us to Himself. When we were lost, we were incapable of following God's word because our flesh held us captive. Now in Christ, we are free to follow the Spirit against the desires of our flesh. We have the freedom to seek after the Lord and to walk in His ways. While we no longer bear the penalty of sin, the grace given to us isn't a license to live however we want. Instead, grace gives us the strength to chase after the Lord. Grace leads us into truth and produces fruit in our lives; it grows in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The freedom of Christ not only removes sin's power, but also replaces the darkness in our lives with light. If we want to truly live freely in the Lord, we need to learn to walk in that light. Instead of exercising our freedom to follow our plans, we need to use our freedom to glorify the Lord. We should seek to live in a manner that honors God in everything we do. When we aim to serve Him in our day to day activities, we find joy and peace that surpasses anything that comes from living for ourselves.

Paul writes in Romans 6:22 " But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." When we humble ourselves as servants of God, we find the benefits of being His children. He has already made the path for us to come to Him and to be heirs to His kingdom. All we have to do is walk in the way that He leads.

How are you walking in the freedom of Christ today?

Karley Conklin

Karley Conklin is a librarian by day, a writer by night, and a bookworm 24/7. For more of her writing, visit litwyrm.com.