One of my favorite Scriptures is, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). It means a lot to me and the GLI staff because we were all previously enslaved to a law mentality and a fleshly mentality. We sometimes share this Scripture with those we teach and counsel. In fact, it is the central theme of The Freedom Conference we offer every other month. (Have you attended one?)
How many sermons/teachings have you heard that emphasized that Jesus’s mission was to free us so we could live a life of freedom? Most would answer “not many” or “none”. Here’s some great news! Understanding Galatians 5:1 can lighten the inner load many of us carry. The context of this verse is that Jesus has set Jews and Gentiles (all non-Jews) free from law-keeping for salvation. This freedom is so complete that Galatians 3:24-25 gives a joyful shout that we no longer need the law to show us how to live once we are in Christ. In fact, to add law-keeping in our relationship with God puts an unnecessary heavy yoke of slavery on our spiritual shoulders.
Guess what other freedoms we have as a result of us being in Christ? We are free from being an orphan; we are a child of God (Romans 8:15-16). We are free from being a sinner; we are a saint (1 Corinthians 1:2). We are free from trying hard to live the Christian life; we have Christ in us to do this for us, through us (Galatians 2:20). We are free from being defined by sins, past, failures, successes, financial status, job, or other’s opinions of us; we are defined by our identity in Christ alone (Galatians 5:25). We are free from shame; we are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). We are free from being out of fellowship with God; we are eternally in union with Him (Romans 6:4). We are free from guilt; we are at peace with God (Romans 5:1.) We are free from God’s anger; we are always loved by God (1 John 2:2). We are free from ever being unforgiven; we are forgiven past, present, and future (Colossians 2:13-14). We are free from sin as our master; we have righteousness as our master (Romans 6:18). We are free from being afraid of God’s punishment; we are confident of His love for us (1 John 4:18). We are free from having to live defeated by the sin of ________ (fill in the blank); we are under grace, not law (Romans 6:14). We are free from obeying God so He will love us more; we can obey Him because He always loves us (Romans 8:37-39). We are free from performance-based acceptance for Jesus; we can now live acceptance-based performance (1 John 4:19). We are free from people pleasing; God is pleased with who we are as His children (1 John 3:1).
Aren’t all of those New Covenant truths encouraging! Would you or someone else you know like to learn more about your freedom in Christ? You can at one of The Freedom Conferences we offer during a brief Friday night – Saturday morning. Many who have attended these have experienced such freedom that they have exclaimed, “Why haven’t I heard this before?” Register today on our website under Events or Calendar. You will be glad you did and if you bring/send someone, so will they!
