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A Recap from Sunday’s Sermon

Preaching Text: Galatians 5:1-15

Jesus said in John 8:36, “If the Son sets you free you will be free indeed.”  Anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is therefore free.  This freedom that we enjoy in Jesus, is absolutely essential to our Christian walk. The great reformer, Martin Luther, said, “One thing, and one thing only, is necessary for the Christian life, righteousness and freedom.”  Luther links freedom with righteousness because where we find our righteousness determines our state of freedom.   

In Christ we are free in two ways.  We are free from the bondage of sin and free from the bondage of death.  The Scriptures make it very clear that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and that all people have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  That means that no one on earth is without sin.   All are held captive by its cruel clutches and no one has the power to save themselves.  On the cross Jesus paid the ultimate penalty for our sins so that when we put our faith in him we are set free from the bondage of sin and death forever. 

Even though we are free from the bondage of sin and death through the work of Jesus on the cross, we have this propensity to give up our freedom when we look to other people and things for life.  Other people and things offer promises of freedom, but in reality they make us slaves once again.  This is the problem that the Galatians faced.  In this section of chapter 5, Paul gives them three important lessons about the freedom that they have in Christ. 

1. Freedom in Christ is not a suggestion, it is a command.
2. Freedom in Christ is absolutely dependent upon the Grace of God.
3. Freedom in Christ allows us to sacrificially love other people.

For freedom Christ has set us free.  Enjoy your freedom and let the Lord use it to help transform the world!