Does being a servant of God constrain free will?

We exercise our freedom not out of necessity, but through love “from the heart” with all our will. Freedom in Christ means being a slave to righteousness (Rom. 6:18), although this is a slavery that comes from voluntary love, and not because we are forcefully coerced. Our slavery is maturity and obligation without negligence or carelessness. St. Augustine says,

1080 St. Jerome, Letters 133.6 (NPNF II/6:276) amended.

1081 St. Jerome, Letters 130.12 (NPNF II/6:267).

1082 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 2.3 (ANF 2:349).

1083 Cf. St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 2.6 (ANF 2:353–354).

1084 Origen of Alexandria, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Books 1–5 4.1.14 (FOTC 103:243).

1085 Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus 4.3 (ANF 4:498).

“Let not then the Christian say, I am free; I have been called unto liberty: I was a slave, but have been redeemed, and by my very redemption have been made free, I shall do what I please: no one may balk me of my will, if I am free. But if you commit sin with such a will, you are the servant of sin. Do not then abuse your liberty for freedom in sinning, but use it for the purpose of not sinning … For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another’ (Gal. 5:13).”¹⁰⁸⁶ And elsewhere he says, “Therefore the good man, although he is a slave, is free; but the bad man, even if he reigns, is a slave.”¹⁰⁸⁷