The historic conclusion of Patrick Henry’s March 23, 1775 address at Richmond, Virginia rings today with familiarity:

“Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me — give me liberty or give me death!”

The reality of human existence is that those are indeed the only two choices for each of us — liberty or death — although in a sense infinitely more profound than the patriotic context of Mr. Henry’s speech.

All of us who have attained personal accountability stand condemned before God because of our sins: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “All” is an inclusive word — there are no exceptions to this rule. Those sins we have committed stand us worthy of an awesome penalty: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

The only relief from this death sentence is to be freed from that which condemns us to it — our sin. That freedom, ironically enough, requires a death of its own: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:3-7).

Christ, who was Himself without sin, died to liberate us from our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). To gain that liberty, we must die with Him, crucifying our former sin-condemned self through repentance, then burying that “old man” through baptism into the death of Jesus. Because our sinful self has died and been buried with Christ, we who have undergone this process stand freed — at liberty — from sin.

Liberty from sin, however, does not imply liberty to do whatever we please (Galatians 5:1, 13; 1 Peter 2:16; 1 Corinthians 8:9). Very much the opposite, in fact: “God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18). You see, by freeing us from our enslavement to sin, Christ has liberated us for the privilege of becoming enslaved to Him and to His commands. Some would complain that that’s not much of a trade — one slavery for another. But when the alternative is death, that’s actually an excellent exchange.

As the above Scripture demonstrates, our liberty is not passive. Becoming free requires action on our part — obedience from the heart of that to which we have been delivered by the instruction of God’s word. That obedient action entails what Paul described earlier in the chapter — being baptized into Christ Jesus, into His death, even as He said: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

It’s important that we understand that there is no in-between in God’s economy. We are either free from sin, through God’s grace in Christ, or we die. Period. “Liberty or death,” as Patrick Henry put it. And as Mr. Henry noted, the outcome depends on what course we choose to take. We can choose to die to sin and live in Christ, obeying His will, or we can turn a dead ear to the Lord’s commands, remain disobedient, and die in our sins (John 8:24; Luke 13:3; Mark 16:16). Have you made your choice?