I was raised in the Bible belt culture of the Midwest, so I know what it means to be a good Christian — to say grace before taking a bite, to attend church rain or shine, to not drink or smoke or swear, and to avoid dancing and playing cards. On the other hand, I lived in LA for ten years, where the focus is less on being good and more on being “free in Christ, man,” which for many seemed to mean the freedom to get drunk, have premarital sex, get divorced, skip church, swear like sailors, and criticize the uptight, legalistic Christians who still think those things are wrong.
I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to say that both extremes are missing the point and that freedom is often misunderstood. Before Jesus came, believers were required to follow a bunch of rules in order to be in relationship with God. Post Jesus, we’re not. Yet I remain a perfectionist—a do-gooder—which is rooted in the belief that I must earn my worth, though Scripture teaches the opposite.
A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9
And that’s just scratching the by-grace-we’re-saved surface.
But while it’s true that salvation is by grace alone and that believers have been set free from sin as the result of that grace, we have not been set free. Let me say that again — we aren’t free. When we accept Christ’s gift of salvation, we’re set free from the tyranny of sin and death, but the Bible says we have a new master. 
And our master has rules.
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! . . . Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.Romans 6:14-18
In Jesus, I’m FREE FROM and FREE TO. Free from sin and death and a culture that enslaves, free from the law that indicts me, and free from having to earn my salvation. I’m also free to love God, to approach Him without fear, to serve wholeheartedly, and to be grown and changed by the Holy Spirit. But I’m not autonomous. I don’t get to be queen for even one day. And the two masters vying for my patronage are sin in all its forms and the God who loves me.
And the God who loves me is the obvious choice. When I see sin for what it is, choosing God and His brand of freedom (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, etc.) is a no-brainer. But since the temptation to sin remains, and I’m weak and easily led astray, I need to channel my inner Mel Gibson.
For more on that (and so you don't think I'm insane), tune in Friday.