For Freedom

Galatians 5:13 states, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another,” (ESV). Barnes, a theologian, author, and clergyman, (among other things), from the 1800’s writes in part, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty – Freedom from Jewish rites and ceremonies; true Christians had been called unto liberty, and the false teachers were abridging and destroying that liberty. They were not in subjection to the Law of Moses, or to anything else that savored of bondage. They were free; free from the servitude of sin, and free from subjection to expensive and burdensome rites and customs. They were to remember this as a great and settled principle; and so vital a truth was this, and so important that it should be maintained, and so great the evil of forgetting it, that Paul says he earnestly wishes that all who would reduce them to that state of servitude were cut off from the Christian church,” (Galatians 5:12).

We see the seriousness in which Paul addresses this problem. The Galatians were moving away from the glorious liberty of Christ and were therefore moving away from the Gospel. However, Paul also reminds them what freedom looks like. Galatians 5:13 again states in part, “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,” (ESV). Simply, “Our abundant life of freedom in Christ is not a freedom to do anything we want to do but to have the uninterrupted, Spirit-sustaining power to do what we know we ought to do as the Holy Spirit changes our wants and daily makes all of our God-given duties delightful as we rest in the finished work of Christ,” (Parsons). I would simply add, AMEN!

What does it mean to be free? Freedom in Christ is never a license to sin – rather it is freedom from guilt and sin. Freedom in Christ means we are free to serve the Lord in His Truth, in unwavering faithfulness, in the Spirit, and in a love for one another! Freedom in Christ means, as the old songs reads, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness,” (Mote, 1834).