“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”                        Galatians 5:1                   

It’s time to stay free

 

We’ve all heard of cases in which people who have been in prison for a long time don’t know how to cope with the real world once released. They sometimes will commit a crime just so that they will be sentenced again to the familiar. What a horrible thing—to have been liberated only to run back to being imprisoned.

 

In today’s passage, we hear Paul’s warning to those who have been liberated through Christ. These particular believers were hearing the call to return to the bondage of the law. They were being tempted to add further requirements to the liberty that Christ had delivered.

 

There are people all around us who claim to be Christians, yet they feel the pull to add further requirements to their Christ-given liberty. They don’t want to take “any chances,” so they light white candles to ward off evil spirits in their homes. They hang crystals for energizing power and good health. They read their horoscope to prepare for the day… They are running back into the cell, slamming the door, and locking it. They are self-imprisoning!

 

Paul warns us NOT to do these things! Not only are these things unnecessary, they are burdensome. Not only are they burdensome, they can become sinful. They are shouting to the world that Christ is not enough. They are saying that hope lies in the things we do, the rules we follow. Scripture, speaking of Jesus, clearly states this: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) That includes our own name! There is nothing we can do to “add to” our salvation in Christ.

 

Our freedom from sin comes from Christ, and Christ alone. We are secure in Christ. No tradition, no routine, no superstitious act that we perform can ever make us more secure. We can’t get “entangled” in those things. It’s pretty easy to see what “being entangled” leads to. It’s pretty easy to see that when our feet get all tangled up, no matter how hard we try to keep our balance, we will eventually fall. It WILL trip us up! 

 

Just like those who’ve been released from prison are free, so are we. But just like them, we also can commit acts that will lead back to imprisonment. Keep this verse in the forefront of your mind: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) ‘Nough said!

 

Reminder: Our freedom from sin, our forgiveness, comes from Christ. We can’t do anything to add to what’s already been given!