Imagine carrying a heavy burden every day. It presses on your shoulders, restricts your movement, and reminds you constantly of your failure to measure up. For many people, that burden is the attempt to earn God’s favor through perfect obedience. Rules, rituals, and self-effort become chains rather than paths to peace. The good news of the gospel shatters those chains.
In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul proclaims this liberating truth with urgency. Galatians 5:1 declares, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of slavery.”
This verse stands as a rallying cry. Christ has set believers free, and the purpose of that freedom is freedom itself. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Paul urges us to stand firm and refuse to return to bondage.
What kind of bondage does Paul address? In the context of Galatians, it is primarily the bondage of the law as a means of justification. The false teachers in Galatia insisted that Gentile Christians must adopt Jewish practices, like circumcision and dietary laws, to be truly saved. They wanted to add requirements to the simple gospel of grace through faith in Christ.
Paul rejects this outright. Earlier in the letter, he explains that the law was never meant to save. It reveals sin and acts as a tutor to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Once Christ comes, we no longer live under that tutor. Trying to return to the law for righteousness means falling from grace (Galatians 5:4). It exchanges liberty for slavery.
Freedom in Christ also means liberation from the power of sin. Before salvation, we were slaves to sin, unable to break free no matter how hard we tried (Romans 6:17-18). But through union with Christ in His death and resurrection, sin no longer has dominion over us. Romans 6:6-7 says, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.”
Christ’s work on the cross redeems us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13) and breaks sin’s hold. We are no longer condemned, and we are no longer controlled by sinful desires. This double freedom, from the penalty and power of sin and from legalistic bondage, is what Paul celebrates.
Yet freedom in Christ is not a license to do whatever we please. Paul anticipates that objection. In Galatians 5:13, he writes, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
True freedom redirects our lives toward love. Instead of being driven by self-centered impulses or external rules, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out God’s will. The flesh and the Spirit are in conflict (Galatians 5:17), but those who walk by the Spirit produce the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
This fruit is the natural result of freedom. When we are no longer striving to earn acceptance, we can rest in God’s love and extend that love to others. Freedom releases us to serve, forgive, and build up the body of Christ without fear of falling short.
Paul’s passion in Galatians comes from his own experience. He knew the weight of legalism as a former Pharisee. He also knew the joy of grace when Christ revealed Himself to him on the Damascus road. He refuses to let the Galatians return to slavery because he loves them and guards the gospel.
We face similar pressures today. Sometimes it is religious rules that add burdens. Other times, it is performance-based Christianity, where we measure our worth by how well we behave or how much we accomplish. Social media, self-help culture, and even well-meaning traditions can subtly impose yokes of slavery.
The call remains the same: Stand firm. Do not submit again to any yoke that says Christ’s work is not enough. Your righteousness is in Him. Your acceptance is secure. Your freedom is real.
This freedom brings peace with God (Romans 5:1), adoption as children (Galatians 4:5-7), and the indwelling Spirit who cries out “Abba, Father” in our hearts. It allows us to approach God boldly (Hebrews 4:16) and live with confidence that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).
How do we stand firm in this freedom? First, remember the gospel daily. Recall what Christ has done. Second, resist anything that adds to faith alone. Test teachings and traditions against Scripture. Third, walk by the Spirit. Yield to His leading instead of the flesh. Fourth, use your freedom to love and serve others. Freedom is not selfish; it is generous.
If you feel weighed down today, hear Paul’s words afresh. Christ has set you free. The yoke is broken. The burden is lifted. Stand in that liberty.
May we never take this freedom for granted. May we guard it jealously and live it out joyfully. For it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Let us stand firm and rejoice in the glorious liberty of the children of God.