What Liberty Means To A Christian Woman

The word liberty will be throw around quite a bit this week as we prepare for our Independence Day celebrations. “I have liberty to do this.” “If we’re promised liberty, then...” Liberty is part of our Constitution.”

What an electrically charged word in light of today’s situations across the country. But the biblical use of the word liberty delves so much deeper than the right to do something because I can.

Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:12-17


Simply put, the definition of liberty is freedom. Believers receive this freedom at the moment of salvation. With Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, and with the gift of the Holy Spirit, our liberty and freedom is complete. But freedom from what exactly?

Liberty in the New Testament is freedom from the bondage of Old Testament ceremonial law. Take a look at the book of Leviticus and you’ll immediately see why this liberty is so freeing! 

Liberty is free access to God. No more going through a priest to speak to speak to the Lord or waiting until that one day a year the chief priest could enter the holy of holies. Now there is no one and nothing standing between us and our Heavenly Father.

Liberty is freedom from the bondage of sin. While we are human and have that sin nature, Christians are no longer bound helpless to the ravages of sin. We cannot be kept captive by the enemy or locked in sin without a way out. What an amazing and beautiful gift of liberty.

The Spirit of the Lord brings us the freedom to love, to live, to serve, to speak, to listen, to know, to understand, to be bold, to be hopeful and simply to be.

As we celebrate the 4th of July, may we always remember the blessings of liberty in our lives - those that come to us as a nation and those that come from God alone.

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