Slave or Servant: Bondage or Liberty? Galatians 5:1-17

Greetings,

Liberty. Freedom. Familiar terms and language most people like to talk about, especially in the United States, "the land of the free." However, Paul's use of the words liberty and freedom differ from what most consider liberty or freedom, and why are the words necessary to the Christian faith? Do they matter that much to one's Christian faith?

Galatians 5:1-17 focuses on how individuals should view and maintain their freedom in Christ. Paul points to two critical lessons: our liberty should be closely guarded, especially from those that mislead the truth of God's salvation in Jesus Christ. Secondly, not to use our freedom to participate in selfish desires instead of serving each other in love.

Paul was writing to Gentile believers in Galatia who false teachers from Jerusalem intentionally misled them to embrace the rite of circumcision in that they might become new believers in Christ. The summation of what the false teachers expressed was that their faith in Jesus Christ was not enough to seal their salvation experience; instead required, especially for men, the act of circumcision. 

In Galatians 5:3, Paul expresses that partaking in circumcision, "Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law." In other words, an individual participating in circumcision puts himself under impossible bondage. Circumcision in and of itself is not wrong but can do nothing to add to what Christ has already done for them through their faith in him (Galatians 3:25–29) and threatens the individual's freedom in Christ. 

What law is Paul citing? Paul says that anyone who chooses circumcision to be accepted by God is signing up to follow the entire law of Moses and asking God to judge him according to his works and not according to Christ's works and death in his place on the cross, suggesting that such a person does not trust Christ for their salvation (Bible Ref.com). 

Individuals in Christ are free and no longer bound under the yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1). Remember these words: Paul's point was straightforward and still holds today when the desire to replace God's grace and faith in Christ with works takes precedence in a Christian's life.

Moreover, works do not produce salvation; instead, works (spirit led) are evidence of trusting in God's plan of salvation.

Servant Led,

Minister Sylvia Joyner