CHRIST SET US FREE

Galatians 5:1-15 / Keywords 5:13

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

 

Freedom in Christ

5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Footnotes

a. Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.

b. Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18

1. Paul emphasized that Christ set us free to be free. Rather than be yoked again by the slavery of the law, instead, we should stand firm in the freedom purchased for us on the cross. Should we try to earn our own righteousness or become legalistic, we’d have to fall away from grace. Instead of striving to abide by the law, we can now live a life of faith that is expressed through loving God and others. This is the freedom Christ died for. As Paul also corrected the Galatians, we must be attentive to the words we hear and make sure we remain in the gospel faith.

 

2. Does being free in Christ mean we can do whatever we want? Absolutely not! We should not live to indulge our flesh as the world does, but live a life to love others, just as Christ did for us. He made us free so that we can love and serve God and others wholeheartedly. Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10).

 

Prayer Father, forgive me for legalism and not living by the realities of the gospel and what you did for me on the cross. Teach me how to love others, just as you have so loved me.

One Word Serve one another in love