Independence Day

Today is July 4^th, Independence Day in the United States. Let’s talk freedom.

Scripture has much to say regarding Christians being both those who are free and those who are slaves. For a fuller discussion on this seeming contradiction, consider this August 2022 article by Coty, “Are We Christians Slaves? Or Are We Free?” Today, let’s simply consider two ways in which Christians are free.

In Galatians 5:1, Paul writes this

 

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

 

What does Paul have in mind here with the idea of freedom? Two things: freedom from the law and freedom from sin.

 

Freedom from Legalism
Freedom for the Christian means freedom from legalism. Paul’s first and primary concern with the Galatians is their freedom from the old covenant law. Paul very memorably begins his letter to the Galatians by addressing their abandonment of the true gospel (Galatians 1:6–10). It quickly becomes clear that the Galatians are looking back to works of the law for their justification before God rather than looking to Jesus and clinging to him by faith for their justification before God (Galatians 3:1–14). Essentially, the Galatians have reverted to legalism. They have subjected themselves once again to a yoke of slavery to the law, which was intended to facilitate covenant relationship with God and point them to their need for a grace and savior not be their savior (Galatians 3:24–25). So Paul makes clear, that if they look to the law to be their savior, if they look to their works of the law to be their justification, then they have cut themselves off from Christ and therefore God. They have rejected grace and they have accepted curse once again (Galatians 3:10),

 

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace (Galatians 5:2–4).

 

So when Paul declares to the Galatians the freedom found in Jesus once again: “For freedom Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1), what he declares is freedom from works of the law based on the fact that Jesus redeemed them from the curse of the law by becoming the curse on the cross,

 

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

 

Freedom for the Christian means freedom from legalism. The Christian does not enslave himself to works of the law in order to achieve justification. The Christian embraces the freedom found in Jesus who has become our justification by becoming the curse.

 

Freedom from Sin
Freedom for the Christian means freedom from sin. Paul’s natural, secondary concern specifically for the Galatians is guarding them from falling into the ditch of licentiousness. After having corrected them with regard to their legalism, he doesn’t want them to use their rediscovered freedom from works of the law for satisfying sinful desires. Rather, he encourages them to keep in step with the Spirit, who has been given to them and who changes their desires,

 

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do (Galatians 5:16–17).

 

Rather than turning to works of the law again to battle sinful desires, Paul heralds the mind-blowing gospel reality that Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit in order to set us free from sin by empowering us to obedience from the heart. An obedience seeks to treasure Jesus with our lives by cultivating fruits of the Spirit rather than fruits of the flesh (Galatians 5:18–25).

Freedom for the Christian means freedom from sin. The Christian does not enslave himself to sin in order to satisfy desires of the flesh. The Christian embraces the freedom found Jesus, who has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to obedience and growth in Christlikeness through bearing good fruit.

 

Independence Day
For the Christian, our true Independence Day was the day Jesus died on the cross to set us free. For freedom Jesus set us free from legalism and licentiousness. Jesus set us free from slavery to works and slavery to sin. Jesus set us free in order that we might freely love and treasure him and run in the way of his commandments with our desire matching his (Psalm 119:32).

And if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed (John 8:36).