On July 6th, 2025, Fr. Stephen Osburn preached a homily on the meaning of true freedom, reminding the faithful that freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want but the grace-filled strength to live according to God’s Will. His message drew deeply from Scripture and the living Tradition of the Church, showing how obedience to Christ sets us free from the tyranny of sin, selfish desires, and fleeting pleasures. Real freedom is not found in self-assertion but in surrender, where our will is united with God’s and we become truly alive.

False Ideas of Freedom
Fr. Stephen began by addressing the cultural confusion surrounding freedom. In the modern world, freedom is often defined as unlimited choice—the right to decide whatever one wants, whenever one wants, without restriction. This view assumes that the more options we have, the freer we are. Yet such a vision of freedom often leads not to joy but to exhaustion, addiction, and despair.

He pointed out that when freedom is reduced to doing whatever one pleases, it quickly becomes a new kind of slavery. People become slaves to their passions, to consumerism, to the endless pursuit of pleasure, and to the opinions of others. Instead of experiencing liberation, they find themselves trapped by restlessness, always searching for more but never satisfied.

Christ’s Teaching on Freedom
In contrast, the Gospel reveals a radically different understanding of freedom. Jesus says in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Freedom, then, is not about limitless options but about being set free from lies, illusions, and sin. True freedom comes from knowing Christ, who is the Truth, and from living in Him.

Fr. Stephen reminded the faithful that sin is not freedom but slavery. As St. Paul writes in Romans 6:16, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” To obey sin is to be bound by chains; to obey Christ is to walk in freedom.

Freedom Through Obedience
This paradox—that obedience leads to freedom—was at the heart of the homily. Obedience in the Christian sense is not blind submission but trustful surrender to the God who loves us. It is the alignment of our will with God’s Will, the yielding of our lives to the One who created us for communion with Him.

Fr. Stephen emphasized that Christ Himself shows us the way. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Not my will but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42). His obedience, even unto death, brought life to the world. By following His example, we discover that surrender to God is not a loss but the only path to true life.

Freedom from the Tyranny of Sin
Fr. Stephen described how sin enslaves us by narrowing our lives. Sin promises pleasure but delivers emptiness. It promises control but leaves us enslaved to impulses. It promises fulfillment but creates hunger for more. Christ alone can break these chains. When we confess our sins, repent, and turn back to Him, we experience the liberating grace that frees us from addiction, selfishness, and despair.

Freedom from sin is not merely negative—the absence of wrongdoing—but positive: the ability to love God and neighbor with joy. It is the strength to forgive when wronged, to show compassion when inconvenienced, to pray when distracted. These are not easy, but they are possible through the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The Illusion of Autonomy
Fr. Stephen also spoke about the illusion of autonomy—the idea that we can live independently, without God or others. This illusion lies at the root of much modern unhappiness. When people live as though they are self-sufficient, they cut themselves off from the source of life. They may appear free, but in reality they are bound by loneliness, fear, and despair.

In truth, human beings are made for communion. To be fully human is to live in relationship with God and with one another. Autonomy isolates, but obedience unites. To surrender to God is to enter into the freedom of love, where we are no longer bound by selfishness but are open to the joy of communion.

Freedom as Life in the Spirit
St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” True freedom, then, is the life of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The Spirit frees us from fear and gives us courage to live as children of God. The Spirit frees us from despair and fills us with hope. The Spirit frees us from selfishness and opens us to love.

Fr. Stephen reminded the faithful that this is not theory but lived reality. In baptism and chrismation, we receive the Spirit. In confession, we are restored by the Spirit. In the Eucharist, we are filled with the Spirit. The Christian life is not about self-improvement but about allowing the Spirit to make us truly free.

Examples of True Freedom
The saints are the clearest examples of true freedom. Far from being bound by worldly pleasures or ambitions, they lived in obedience to God’s Will and found joy, peace, and courage. Some endured persecution, others lived in poverty, and many embraced lives of service. Yet in their surrender, they discovered the fullness of life.

Fr. Stephen encouraged us to look to their example as proof that freedom does not mean escaping responsibility or avoiding sacrifice. It means having the strength to love even when it is costly, to remain faithful even when it is unpopular, and to rejoice even in suffering.

Living Freedom Today
Finally, Fr. Stephen gave practical counsel for living in true freedom.
– Prayer: Daily prayer roots us in God’s presence, freeing us from anxiety and distraction.
– Confession: Regular confession breaks the chains of sin and restores our freedom in Christ.
– Eucharist: Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ unites us to Him, the source of all true freedom.
– Service: Acts of love free us from self-centeredness and open us to the joy of communion.
– Obedience: Learning to obey Christ in small things—keeping His commandments, following the rhythm of the Church’s life—trains us for deeper freedom.

Conclusion
On July 6th, 2025, Fr. Stephen Osburn reminded us that true freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want but the grace-filled strength to live according to God’s Will. Obedience to Christ sets us free from the tyranny of sin, selfish desires, and fleeting pleasures. Real freedom is found in surrender—where our will is united with God’s, and we become truly alive.

The world may tell us that freedom means unlimited choice and independence, but the Gospel reveals a deeper truth: freedom means communion with God, life in the Spirit, and the joy of love. Let us, then, embrace the freedom of Christ, trusting that in obedience we will discover not limitation but life abundant.