Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Galatians 5:1 

Freedom in Christ 

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.  

I grew up with an enormous extended family. I had cousins everywhere. Family gatherings were some of my favorite experiences because I got to spend time playing with them while the grown-ups talked about whatever they talked about.  

I can remember one gathering where the kids were let go from dinner to play and we all went to the backyard to play tag. We were free! 

Even as a six-year-old, tag wasn’t a complicated concept—even variations like freeze tag, or toilet tag, or clump tag weren’t a big deal. That is, unless you were my cousin Chris.  

We made it to the backyard and just as we were picking who was it, Chris started gathering us up again to explain the rules. After what seemed like a ten minute monologue we got to play, but before we could stretch our legs, he gathered us all up again to re-explain the rules that some of us didn’t follow exactly right.  

This went on so long that some of us finally went back to where the grown-ups were sitting.  

We were not, as it turns out, free.  

Paul is talking to people who have being living under the law and authority of the temple leadership for their entire lives. They understood that their conduit to connection with God was through strict observance of the law.  

The Gospel message that Paul proclaimed to them was that because of Christ’s death on the cross, we were on longer obligated to connect to God in this way, but through freedom instead.  

What he meant by that was that now that Jesus had dealt with all the sin they relied on the observance of the law to deal with that now they could be free to love their neighbor and God. They could stretch their grace-filled legs to reach their neighbor with the same good news. What happened was that there were some “Chris” characters who couldn’t let go of the old way, rigid observance.  

There are going to be a lot of people who tell you that you must do this and that in order to be welcomed by Jesus. They will make their case with all the seriousness and sincerity they possess. That’s what these people Paul is talking to did, too. In the end, friends, it isn’t about our effort, it is about Jesus on the cross.  

We are free and free indeed.  

What might your life of discipleship look like if you trusted that Jesus’ sacrifice was enough? How many layers of rules and obligations cover up the freedom you have in Christ? 

– Pr. Jason 

Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice on my behalf. Help me to embrace my freedom found in you. Help me to open my hands and my heart to let go of all that isn’t grace. Amen.