"Liberty" and "freedom" are two words that bring to mind pleasant thoughts. That is true, regardless of whether one is considering social freedom, freedom of speech, academic freedom, or freedom in the spiritual realm. The Book of Galatians is a message about freedom, as it portrays liberty as being something far removed from the bondage of sin, false teaching, or fleshly lusts. This epistle was written to "the churches of Galatia" (Galatians 1:2), which were being troubled by those that were willfully perverting the gospel (1:6-8).

While liberty or freedom is an ongoing theme throughout the Book of Galatians, some particularly pointed teachings about it are recorded in chapter five. Consider two verses: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage . . . For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (5:1,13). Let us look at some plain truths about liberty that these verses reveal.

1. If we are free, then the Christ is the one that made us free – "Christ hath made us free" (5:1). The provider and source of truth is none other than Jesus Himself. He is the sole giver of liberty. He declared, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Where is our spiritual liberty? Hear the Bible’s answer: ". . . our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 2:4). The freedom that God’s Son provides is freedom from the penalty of sin. We obtained that freedom when we obeyed from the heart the form or pattern of the Lord’s doctrine (Romans 6:17,18). Let us be ever grateful for this liberty, realizing the price that was paid to obtain such for us: it cost Jesus His life, which He willingly gave "for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world" (Galatians 1:4).

2. God wants us to stand fast in our liberty in Jesus – "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" (5:1). The word "therefore" points back to the previous section of scripture, which is the allegory of Sarah and Hagar, the point of which is to show that Christians are no longer under the old law, but are free, free from the bondage of that old law and free to serve and follow Jesus. But how do we stand fast in our liberty? By obeying the charge to "stand fast in the faith" (1 Corinthians 16:13), "stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27), and "stand fast in the Lord" (Philippians 4:1). When you put these ideas together, it is obvious that in Bible terminology – to stand fast in our liberty, to stand fast in the faith, to stand fast in one spirit, and to stand fast in the Lord – these are all one and the same. Each of these expressions points to the need for God’s children to be steadfast and unmoveable (1 Corinthians 15:58), being strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6;11), and walking in the light (1 John 1:7). When we do these things, we are standing fast in the Lord’s precious freedom.

3. Christians have been called unto liberty – "ye have been called unto liberty" (5:13). God called us by His gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14). He called us into His kingdom and glory (1 Thessalonians 2:12). He called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Thank God for the liberty that we continue to have as we continue to walk in His light! Satan is not able to take that freedom away from us by force, but it is possible for us to forfeit our liberty if we give in to the devil’s temptation and rebel against our Master and Savior. It does not take a person with the intelligence of Einstein to figure out that there is a giant-sized difference between the following two choices: (1) Choose to throw away our liberty by once again becoming a slave to sin and be headed to eternal torment, or (2) Choose to retain our liberty in the Christ by being His faithful servant and be headed to eternal life. Which one will be your choice?

4. God does not want us to use our freedom as an excuse to fulfill the lusts of the flesh – "only use not liberty for an occasion [opportunity, NKJV] to the flesh" (5:13). Nothing can negate the fact that the "Christ hath made us free" (5:1). But, does the fact that we are free in the Christ give us the right to think, say, and do whatever we please? God does not, and will not, remove our freedom of choice, but it is also true that words and actions have consequences. Our freedom in Jesus does not give us the right to violate God’s law. This truth is clearly seen a little further down in Galatians 5, where it is written, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness . . . and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God"(5:19-21). Let those words sink in: those people, even those that are members of the church, who participate in these "works of the flesh" and do not repent of them, "shall not inherit the kingdom of God." It is thus obvious that the freedom that the Lord provides us is not unrestricted freedom. Jehovah has never promised that we can do as we please by fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, but in it all He will still accept us despite our rebellious conduct.

5. God gives us the freedom to serve – "but by love serve on another" (5:13). "I am confused. As Christians, are we free, or are we servants/slaves?" The Bible’s answer is that we are both: "As free . . . but as the servants of God" (1 Peter 2:16). God wants us to serve freely the other members of His family, the church (1 Timothy 3:15). The Lord wants us to love one another, be hospitable to one another, and serve one another (1 Peter 4:8-10). Our service to one another must be with the proper motive. Such service is not provided for notoriety or prestige, it is not to win a contest, and it is not for financial gain. In one word, the proper motive for service to others is "love": "but by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13, emphasis mine, rdc).

The Bible doctrine of spiritual freedom is an encouraging one! It is absolutely imperative that our concepts of freedom be based completely on the teaching of the Bible. Let us be grateful for the freedom that the Lord makes available to us. Let us never forget the sacrifice of Jesus that made it possible, let us never take it for granted, and let us never do anything foolish to lose it.

-- Roger D. Campbell