In the New Testament, this righteousness that we choose is often described as being concern for the needs of other people. Our text says that we are either slaves of sin or of Christ. We don't like to think of ourselves as slaves of anything or anyone. Some people want to think they stand on neutral ground, completely free and beholden to no one. Yet modern business has discovered that people, even those at a high management level, work best under supervision and with clear accountability.
Some freedoms are good, while other kinds produce harm.
Our freedom to get an education and use it for a successful career, or freedom to minister to the homeless are all good uses of freedom. They are good choices. On the other hand, widespread rejection of traditional moral standards has led to widespread teen pregnancy and an increased crime rate. They were bad choices on critical issues. Paul looks at the pagan world around him with its pride, its envy, its hate, its temptations, its refusal to believe in Christ.