Freedom – Galatians Part 9

Scripture: Galatians 5 (Link) 13 For you have been called to live in freedom—not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. (Galatians 5:13-15 NLT)

Friends, I just read the fifth chapter of Galatians over to myself four times (in three translations). I’m trying to get clear on what Paul is saying to us about Freedom. He says, So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. (Galatians 5:1 NLT) Paul’s writing this chapter about our Freedom from…the law! I’ve tended to quickly read Galatians and make it about our Freedom from Sin, or from Self, or from Satan. But what Paul says to me right now, is that my mystical union with Christ who lives in me by Grace through Faith has made me free from the law! His grace, in me, now gives me freedom to choose what I do and how I live. Before Christ in me, my sinful nature dictated an attitude of sin and many acts of sin, and I was helpless in my own strength to be free. Now, Freedom in Christ allows me choice! I’m, for the first time, free to choose! I can choose a new slavery to sin and self, or I can choose freedom in Christ to love and serve others. This is not a Freedom to practice sin and sinning, or to become selfish and self-serving. That’s only entering another kind of slavery after Christ has set me free from slavery to the law! This is a Freedom to love and to serve others in the love of Christ! Does this make any sense to you? Freedom is our calling and our choice. In love we choose Freedom to serve others, not satisfy ourselves. We choose freedom to love and not hate, to forgive and not seek revenge, to accept and not reject. It’s Freedom to choose to love unconditionally and serve unreservedly! Prayer: Father, Thank you for Freedom in Christ! Please help me learn and understand what true Freedom really is and how to choose daily to live in love and service. For Jesus’ sake, Amen!