Galatians

Freedom vs. Slavery

The theme of freedom is the overriding message of the letter to the Galatian churches. Paul’s primary emphasis for these people, with whom he had spent time with teaching the gospel, was that they would see the reality of what Christ has done for them, that is, that Christ has justified them by his finished work on the cross. The implication of what Christ has done is that all peoples are brought into eternal covenant relationship with God through faith in Christ as their redeemer. The gift of God is that the promise made to Abraham is fulfilled, the covenant once made has now been brought to fruition, as Christ is the offspring bringing the present blessings of the promise. In him believers are adopted sons, no longer slaves to God’s law over this world, but heirs according to the promise. As heirs the heavenly Jerusalem is their home, they are given the eternal inheritance that God grants Christ, his Son who completed all the requirements of the law on our behalf.

To the original reader this message brings new life contrasted to the message of Christ plus works that they are were at present being bombarded with. The Judaizers were preaching a different gospel, one in which the requirements of the law were added to faith in Christ for justification from sins. This was the old covenant on which Judaism thrived, the mindset of the Jews being that the law was the sole means of maintaining right relationship with God. The original reader would be conflicted then with these two ideas, but Paul beautifully articulates that Christ came bringing freedom. The law is slavery, the law was given for the time until Christ would come that people would have a means of seeing sin that they would see God’s holy character and that by righteousness he relates to man. Now that Christ has come he has given them righteousness, he has broken the bondage sin put them in that they now can relate to God as blameless and holy… thus bringing freedom unlike any they ever could have earned on their own observing the law.

In the same way for us Christ has brought freedom from the bondage of sin, from the cares of this present world. Christ sealed us with his Spirit, who makes us sons and heirs of his promise, desiring to be with God, our Father, in eternal relationship. The Spirit also makes us crave the current blessings of Christ, the good things that God values, as opposed to the wicked desires of the flesh that seem good yet defile us and ensnare us from seeing the reality of God’s love. The reality of this freedom is the gift of God through faith in Christ, it cannot be earned nor could it be revoked based on failing to meet the law… Hallelujah! Christ died that we would indeed be free, the reality to God is that we are his children and heirs of Christ based on our faith in his justification on our behalf, what blessed, secure, eternal, and wonderful freedom we have.