What Is Freedom?

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

~ Galatians 5:1

To close each Wednesday night’s Galatians class this quarter, we join hearts in prayer, beseeching the Lord to send the newly-learned bits of knowledge deeper into our souls.

For knowledge itself is not our end goal—it is only a means to increase faith in the One who sets us free from ourselves.

This past Wednesday was a pivotal class with much discussion on what freedom is and is not.

Father,

We don’t understand freedom in its fullness. We sample it; we like it; we want more. Thank you for it.

But we can’t comprehend it. It seems simple in theory, yet it is fuzzy in practice. It is our present reality, yet a promised inheritance to come. It is our eternal Sabbath rest, yet it coexists with our active struggle against sin.

Its opposite? Slavery—but even that can masquerade as freedom. It sits “ME” on the throne as an illusion of liberty. We’re deceived by its false promise until we discover we’re never more enslaved than when we’re dying in the midst of self-will and self-worship.

Freedom, on the other hand, means JESUS is on the throne. He alone leads us to Life. His work eliminated our sin liability, so we live debt-free.

How can we owe you nothing, God? Will our pride let us accept that? Are you really that good, and do you really love us that much?

Grant us your wisdom to better appreciate our freedom; give us courage to live more fully in it; plant our feet more firmly on it.

Freedom is not just a concept to us; it is a Person. And his name is Jesus. We praise you for your priceless grace.

Always yours,
Amen

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
~ Titus 3:4-5