Freedom, Faith & Love
Freedom is not a license for disobedience. So what does the freedom Paul refers to in verse 1 look like? The freedom Paul refers to is freedom from destructive thinking that we could ever save ourselves or follow the law in order to be accepted by God. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus broke the chains of slavery. We are free to serve God because we want to, not because we are trying to earn our way into heaven.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (v.6b)
Paul’s reminding the Galatians (us too) that “faith works through love.” Keeping Jesus at the center allows our hearts to serve God without thinking “what’s in it for me?” This “faith by love” produces freedom in our lives. However, freedom is not a free pass from struggles with sin but provision of the Spirit and grace of God as a means of victory. God’s grace which enables us to willingly turn over our lives to His control.
A few ways we are free in Christ:
- Being assured of God’s provision (Jeremiah 29:11)
- Knowing God as your Father (1 John 3:1)
- Experiencing God’s healing (Psalm 103:3)
- Eternal salvation (John 14:1-2)
Let me close with a quote from Watchman Nee, “Law means I must do something for God; GRACE means that God does something for me.”
Kelly McGaha