Our Freedom in Christ
What Freedom Looks Like – Part I
Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:1-8
Key Verse: Galatians 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.
In the United States, we celebrate our freedom every July 4th. It was on this date that we truly became the country of America with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We celebrate with all kinds of events, parades, and fireworks. Many workers get a day off and most Americans enjoy some type of festive activity.
The subject of this month’s devotional addresses you and the freedom you can celebrate by being a Christ-follower. The problem we have these days is understanding what that freedom looks like.
Our Key Verse makes it clear that you have freedom in Christ; and never allow that to slip from your life.
When the Apostle Paul wrote this Key Verse to the Galatian Christ-followers, he obviously believed that this freedom could be lost. Look again at the last phrase in our Key Verse: “…and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery”.
Paul is not necessarily saying that the Galatians lost their freedom in Christ, but rather allowed themselves to feel burdened with the yoke of slavery. In other words, these Galatians were free, but they lost the joy of freedom because they thought they had to observe certain Old Testament laws to be right with God. There were some Jewish Christians that insisted a person could not be saved by faith alone; rather, they preached that a person had to observe as well some of the Jewish laws.
The New Testament makes it clear that faith saves us and faith alone:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The Apostle’s letter pleads the Galatians to cling to the true Gospel of salvation by faith and, thus, enjoy their freedom in Christ.
How are you doing in this area of enjoying your freedom in Christ? You may not be one who believes that there are Jewish laws that you need to follow, but there are other ways to destroy your enjoyment of freedom.
The most common one is trying to earn our salvation by being “good enough”. However, the Bible makes it clear that there is nothing we could say or do to be good enough before God. The Prophet Isaiah wrote:
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. (Isaiah 64:6 NLT)
In other words, your best days still look like “filthy rags” compared to God’s holiness. Put your faith in Jesus and what he did on the Cross for your salvation!
Father, help my faith to cling to the solid rock of Christ. In Jesus’s Name I pray, amen.