Freedom of Christ

Galatians 5:1-6

1It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

2Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.

3And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.

4You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

5For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

Paul now explains the difference between the slavery of the Law and the Freedom of Christ that he compared with an allegory in chapter 4. Do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery. You see, it is this verse that tells me that being a Christian is not easy. It is not a “wimp” thing to do. Rather it is quite difficult, it was meant to be! The purpose behind it being that to accept Christ is to sacrifice it all to him. He lifts the burden of the Law and gracefully replaces it with His yoke (Mathew 11:30 says, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”).

The next two lines are subject to people being specific, “oh, we shouldn’t get circumcised…” Paul’s point here is that the Law is an all or nothing application. In accepting the Law instead of Christ is to turn your back on Him. So don’t perform part of the Law and think yourself as righteous because you did something “right”. It’s all or nothing and we’ve already proved that nobody can properly fulfill the Law (or else Christ died in vain).

Again, I can hear the grumbles and complaints, “but how could a loving God…” blah blah blah. Christ is the answer people!!! Our loving God slaughtered His own Son BECAUSE he loves us! (oh how He loves us…how He loves us oh…)

We are so quick to do a good deed or two then point our fingers at God and blame Him for all that is wrong in the world. “How can He allow this? Why did he let so & so die? What’s the meaning of life? Why can’t I catch a break?” It’s not about us, it’s about Him! If we focus on faith working through love it won’t be an issue because we will begin to understand the process through which God designed His faith system to work. We want it to work our way and then curse God because He isn’t listening to us…yet we refuse to listen to Him.

What a foolish people we are indeed.

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