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Answer
In Galatians 5:1, Paul reminds the Galatian believers that “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Believers’ sins are forgiven based on Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Now believers can live freely from the law, and they can live liberated from the consequences and power of sin. The NLT states, “Christ has truly set us free”; believers are “truly free” to live for the things of God.
The reason for Paul’s letter to the Galatians was that false teachers had infiltrated the churches there. These teachers advocated legalism and attempted to enforce Old Testament rules, laws, and ceremonies, particularly circumcision (Galatians 2:3-5). Paul unequivocally states that “for freedom Christ has set us free” and that Christians should not be subjected again to the law’s yoke of bondage «Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. », (Galatians 5:1). The purpose of the law was to expose our sinfulness, as seen in Romans 3:20, and to lead us to Christ «Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. », (Galatians 3:24).
Before Christ’s sacrifice, we were under the bondage of the law «Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: », (Galatians 4:3). We were weighed down by demands we could not fulfill «Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? », (Acts 15:10). Christ’s death and resurrection broke our bondage to the law. Jesus’ perfect life and holy sacrifice on the cross was the complete fulfillment of the law, and anyone who trusts in Him for salvation is made right with God. Only Christians have true freedom from the law. John 8:36 confirms, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
In Christ, we are free from the Mosaic Law’s oppressive system, and we are also free from the penalty and power of sin. Before Christ, we lived as slaves to sin «Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. », (John 8:34). We sought to gratify our desires and lived for ourselves. We were dead in our sins «And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; », (Colossians 2:13) and were destined to face the consequence of our sin, which is death «For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.», (Romans 6:23). Yet, when we trusted in Christ for our salvation, our course in life completely changed. We were released from the law’s bondage because for freedom Christ has set us free.
Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are characterized by a joyous freedom to follow Christ and God’s design for life «I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. », (Galatians 2:20). The Bible is clear thaThe Christian freedom is not a license to sin. Instead, believers are free not to live for sin and are free to live holy lives in Christ. For this freedom Christ has set us free: to live in relationship to God and others the way He intended, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13). Believers are free to live an abundant life, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10), and we have been given everything we need for life and godliness, “according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” (2 Peter 1:3).
Jesus did what the law could not do—He took away our sin and saved us, and in doing so He set us free from the penalty and power of sin. For freedom to follow His design of life He set us free. “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4;NLT). Now we who have this freedom can live in God’s ways and love others well in the power of the Spirit.
Read the passage from the Bible: (Galatians 5:13-26).
