Freedom in Christ

"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." (Galatians 5:1)

Christ has already set us free from our need to measure up to God's, ours, or other people's standard of good or righteousness.

How did he set us free? By obeying the Father perfectly even to the point of death in our place; by giving us his perfect righteousness and taking on himself our sin and unrighteousness. The obedience of his life and death he credited to us as ours. And the disobedience and sin of our lives he took upon himself as his. This is the Great Exchange!

How do we get hold of this life-changing truth and reality and stand firm in it? Simply by faith: by putting our trust in who Jesus is and what he has done for us in his life and death and resurrection.

There is liberty and freedom that comes from such faith in Christ, freedom to love and enjoy God and God's people and life in general. In other words, you'll know when you're enjoying the true freedom in Christ when you can breathe the air of freedom, knowing that God is not out to get you, but is for you and loves you.

So, let's be on guard over our minds and feed on "the gospel of the grace of God" on a daily basis. The sinful flesh in us and in others will attempt to draw us away into the slavery of needing to perform for God in order to be loved and accepted by him. So we must not forget Jesus who has done it all well, and done it all in our place, to make us acceptable before God.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." But we must remember that "faith expressing itself through love" is where our love for others is the visible proof of our faith and our freedom in Christ.