This is a very good question as it deals with the freedom we have as believers on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let’s begin by reading Romans 6:17-18, “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”  Before knowing Christ, we were indeed ‘servants of sin.’  We were not free, rather we were indentured slaves to the very sin nature that dwelt within us.  While we may have been fooled into thinking we were free…we were actually captives.  When we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, He set us free.  “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36).

The Lord Jesus said of Himself in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to PREACH DELIVERANCE TO THE CAPTIVES, and recovering of sight to the blind, to SET AT LIBERTY them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”  Having been DELIVERED and SET AT LIBERTY, we are privileged to become ‘servants of righteousness.’  We were not made free so that we might serve the sinful lusts of the flesh, no, we were made free to serve the Lord…something the unrepentant sinner cannot do. 

Paul the Apostle exhorts us in Galatians 5:13-14, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”  In our service to the Lord, we can truly love and serve one another.  The word for liberty in this verse is literally the word ‘freedom’.  Having this freedom that comes from faith in Christ, we are free to “walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16).  Some might say, “I am saved; therefore, I can do anything I want.”  First of all, that is not the mindset of one who is truly saved.  The believer has the desire to serve the Lord.  However, it is possible for the believer to get away from the Lord and begin to trample upon this precious liberty and live selfishly, seeking only to satisfy himself.  The Lord graciously warns us against this!

Having been set free, we are also free from the constraints of the Old Testament Law.  Romans 8:2 tells us, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”  We also read in Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for YE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE.”  Realizing this precious liberty, we are warned in Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  We have been set free from the Law.  Let us be careful and not allow ourselves to be put under the Law.  We don’t belong there, and this will only greatly hinder our liberty to serve our Lord.

We are also warned against using our liberty in such a way that may cause a younger brother or sister in Christ to stumble in their walk with the Lord.  1 Corinthians 8:9 says, “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.”  We need to “take heed” not to tempt weak brethren to act against their younger/weaker consciences.  The Lord wants us to be sensitive when considering the influence we can have on others.  In the New Testament, there were those who would purchase meat that had been offered to idols because this meat was sold for a cheaper price.  Some felt they should not eat meat that had been offered to idols, so they refrained.  (Read 1 Corinthians 8:7-13.)  While there was absolutely nothing to forbid this practice, we are exhorted to consider those whose conscience is not as mature as our own.  This liberty of ours, if not used in a Godly thoughtful manner, could hurt a younger believer.  Romans 14:21 says, “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”  The blessed thing about this type of liberty is that while we are free to enjoy it, we are also free to refrain if it might hurt someone else. 

As we learn to live in the precious liberty the Lord has provided for us, may we constantly be reminded that we should not use this liberty to please ourselves, but to please our Lord.  Romans 15:2-3 tells us, “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself…”  (CC)  (582.6)