Liberty- Christ Set You Free!

Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

Have you ever heard this verse, and maybe even others like it that also talk about our freedom in Christ, and heard it in a way that allows for sin and doing things that dishonor God, His Word and His way? Me too! Let’s take a look though at what it means biblically to stand in the liberty by which Christ has made us free.

Paul is talking here about the Judaizers that were teaching that certain Old Testament laws were still binding for Christians, like for example circumcision. In other words, they were teaching that you must be circumcised to be a Christ follower and that adherence to certain ceremonial laws are still required for salvation.

Paul is saying this simply isn’t so. He’s encouraging the Galatian Church to not put back on a yoke of bondage, which is heavy burdens of the law. He is not saying that they’ve been made free in Christ so now they can do whatever they want because they’re free.

When the scriptures say that we’re free in Christ we have to look at the full counsel of God’s Word to gain more understanding. Let’s look at the word liberty.

Liberty: from the Greek word eleutheria which means “freedom from slavery, independence, absence of external restraint, a negation of control or domination, freedom of access.”

Paul is saying “we are free to serve the Lord in all the ways that are consistent with His word, will, nature and holiness”.

Romans 6:18-19, 22-23 says “And having been set freefrom sin, you became slaves of righteousness…For just as you presented your members as slaves to uncleanness, and of lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness to holiness…But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The scripture tells us that Christ sets us free from being slaves to sin and unrighteousness which leads to death. Through Jesus and His empowering grace and by walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, we can walk free from sin and unrighteousness and can actually walk in purity and holiness before Him!

Thank you Jesus!

In addition to freedom from sin and unrighteousness, He also freed us from the burden of the ceremonial law. We no longer have to have a Priest offer sacrifices for our sin because Christ came as the final sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10). We can come before the Holy of Holies ourselves because He has made us Priests to our God (Revelation 1:6).

Salvation is based on what Christ accomplished on the cross and not on our own good works or our adherence to the ceremonial laws that He fulfilled, and that we are now free from the power of sin and unrighteousness because He has given us His grace and His Spirit.

Hebrews 10:1-18 “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ[a] came into the world, he said “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,“This is the covenantthat I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there isforgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

I pray this blessed you! Walk in the freedom for which Christ has set you free!

xo, Liz