As we approach July 4th and celebrate the freedom of our country, it is also a good time to celebrate God’s gift to us of freedom from sin and death.
Today’s verse follows this theme of independence. Galatians 5:1 says:
So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Paul, is not saying that the law is bad or evil. In fact, the truth is completely opposite – all of the law was God-breathed and is still law of the Jewish people.
The problem was that people focused too closely on the “letter of the law” and not the spirit of the law. Many Jews forgot that their first duty was to love God but many tried to impress others with their knowledge of the law. For many, the law separated them from God instead of drawing them closer to Him.
God’s first priority is and always has been to draw us closer to Him. Since the covenant of the law was actually driving people away, His answer was to establish a new covenant, the covenant of the blood.
In order to do so, God came to Earth in human form as Jesus. He suffered unspeakable pain and humiliation which was followed by His death on the cross. This is how He bought our salvation and created the Covenant of the blood (His blood).
So now we’re free, right? Well, not necessarily. Even though our freedom has been won, we still have to accept it. Later in chapter 5, Paul talks about other things that could enslave us and separate us from God. If Paul was writing about this today, he might add social media, politics, certain websites, and materialism as modern-day enslavements.
Truly freedom of any kind isn’t free. Even our salvation, which is a gift freely offered by God, has to be accepted before we can actually achieve freedom.
- What is your definition of freedom?
- If freedom is so valuable, why do we sometimes seem to welcome slavery in various forms?
- What are some common “enslavements” that keep them from enjoying true freedom?
- What is something you and your family can do on July 4th to celebrate God’s gift of freedom from sin and death?
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