What Is Liberty?
Liberty is not merely the ability to choose between good and evil; it is the ability to reject evil altogether, to be completely free from its pull. "The mere ability to choose between good and evil is the lowest limit of freedom, and the only thing that is free about it is the fact that we can still choose good." [1] In the truest sense, freedom exists when evil is no longer a part of the equation—when our wills are so aligned with God’s that we cannot desire anything that is not good. This complete rejection of evil is not a mark of repression, but of true liberty. It means that our desires are not conflicted; we are free to pursue only what is good, true, and life-giving. (James 1:13-15)
True freedom is not a matter of weighing good and evil, but of choosing the good without hesitation. "Freedom therefore does not consist in an equal balance between good and evil choices but in the perfect love and acceptance of what is really good and the perfect hatred and rejection of what is evil." [1] When our hearts are so in tune with God’s will, we have no space for evil desires. In fact, freedom is defined by the complete rejection of anything that would lead us away from the good. This radical alignment with God’s will makes us truly free—free to be who we were created to be, without the entanglements of sin and error. (Romans 6:18)
God, as the embodiment of perfect freedom, is our model. "God, in Whom there is absolutely no shadow or possibility of evil or of sin, is infinitely free. In fact, He is Freedom." [1] He is completely free because He is wholly good, and His will is untainted by evil. When we unite our will with God’s, we enter into that perfect freedom, where every action is in harmony with the divine and leads to ultimate peace and fulfillment. True freedom is not simply the absence of oppression or choice, but the presence of a will perfectly aligned with God's will. (John 8:36)
Happiness, true happiness, is found in perfect alignment with God’s will. "All good, all perfection, all happiness, are found in the infinitely good and perfect and blessed will of God." [1] Only when our desires reflect the goodness of God do we experience the fullness of joy and peace. To desire what is good is to experience the freedom that comes from knowing and living in God's love. True happiness is not about temporary pleasures or fleeting satisfactions but about desiring what is truly fulfilling and eternal. (Psalm 37:4)
Sin, in contrast, distorts our freedom. "In sin there is no true freedom." [1] Sin tempts us to choose what is not truly good, to seek fulfillment in things that are fleeting and ultimately unfulfilling. Our will, in choosing sin, becomes misdirected, and we lose the freedom to experience true happiness. What we think is freedom—pursuing our own desires apart from God—only leads us to greater bondage. When we reject sin and choose God’s will, we regain our true freedom, and our desires align with the deeper joy and fulfillment that only God can provide. (Romans 6:16-18)
Finally, liberty is a gift—a divine talent entrusted to us by God. "Liberty, then, is a talent given us by God, an instrument to work with." [1] This freedom is not to be taken lightly. It must be carefully cultivated and used in accordance with God’s will. If we misuse our liberty for selfish purposes or reject God’s guidance, we lose the freedom that is ours by divine grace. But when we choose to live in union with God’s will, we preserve our liberty and experience the life that is truly free, a life that reflects the divine image in which we were created. (1 Corinthians 6:12)
[1] Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation