This is the one-hundred-eightieth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

A tautology is a statement that seems unnecessary because it says the same thing twice—a faulty way of speaking because it states the obvious, like “I quit my job so I wouldn’t have to work there anymore.” Galatians 5:1 appears to be a tautology: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” But before we glance over it as if it’s stating the obvious, we should stop and wonder why the apostle Paul said it. When someone is set free, aren’t they free? Not necessarily.

A convict can be set free, but still think like a convict, talk like a convict, and behave like a convict. Constricted, suppressed, and afraid. Like a person who lived for a long time in a controlling, abusive relationship, he or she may go on cowering in life even when the oppression is gone.

Galatians 5 talks about a bondage to the way of the law. It’s the belief that we achieve a truce with God our creator if we follow all the rules just right, make visible displays of righteousness, and track all our spiritual accomplishments. That’s the way of Pharisees—and Paul had had enough of it. He was really good at it, but he saw it as spiritual death.

The laws of the Old Testament are good. The Ten Commandments have ongoing relevance. But when Jesus came—Jesus who is the Jubilee and liberates us from every form of bondage—everything changed. He demonstrated that while the Law came through Moses (and that law was necessary to teach the human race that there’s a difference between right and wrong), he brought grace and truth. By God’s mercy, we’re allowed to repent and turn to God for a whole new life. He frees us from the childish way of following “do’s” and “don’ts” so we can freely live in obedience to Christ. We do what is right because we are right with God and our instincts have been trued up to who he is.

But we must remember that we are free. We must rehearse it. Any person can become a Pharisee on any given day. We can turn faith into performance, like a kid trying to gain mom or dad’s favor by being a star player on the soccer field.

No. It’s for freedom that Christ has set us free.

APPLICATION

Write out this phrase from Galatians 5:1 on a piece of paper: IT IS FOR FREEDOM THAT CHRIST HAS SET US FREE, and tape it to a mirror you use. Every time you look in the mirror today, reflect on that truth.

[See next – Mastered by Righteousness]

[See previous – Who Will Make Me Free?]
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Mel Lawrenz (@MelLawrenz) trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook’s teaching pastor. He has a PhD in the history of Christian thought and is on the adjunct faculty of Trinity International University. Mel’s many books include Spiritual Leadership Today: Having Deep Influence in Every Walk of Life (Zondervan, 2016). See more of Mel’s writing at WordWay.