Free to Love

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. (Gal. 5:1)

How often is it the case that we feel the initial thrill of being brought to life by the gospel and then burden ourselves with expectations about how we ought to live that life? In his letter to the Galatians the apostle Paul is addressing just this issue in the Galatian church.

Paul had founded the church in Galatia by bring the gospel of grace: the good news that the Galatians were free to enjoy God’s favor, not because of their own merit or actions, but on the merit and work of Christ. But then other evangelists had come to the Galatians and told them that in order to be truly justified before God they had to follow the Law of Moses, specifically the ceremonial calendar, the food laws, and circumcision. It appears that some of the Galatians were ready to believe this and it was in response to this that Paul writes this letter to the Galatians. It is in some ways a harsh letter, bringing the Galatians to task for easily abandoning the freedom Christ has won for them.

I think we want to feel somehow that we are not like the Galatians. But at the same time I think we are in many ways just like them. In particular, there seems to be something in the human psyche that makes us feel that somehow we have to earn our salvation. This attitude is unfortunately reinforced by our religious culture which quickly turns the freedom of the gospel into a litany of do-s and don’t-s, telling us we have to behave in a certain way in order to keep our righteousness before God. The result is that we trade our slavery to sin for slavery to religion. In effect, we trade a God who loves so deeply that he is willing to give himself up in the most excruciating way for our freedom for one who says “Be good or else!” (with the “else” being spiritual and maybe even physical death). And amazingly we try to convince ourselves and others that this is a god of love. No wonder many in our midst feel that this so-called “good news” isn’t very good at all!

Paul tells us that the freedom we gained through Christ’s sacrifice is real freedom; not only freedom from sin but also freedom from religion. Look what he says in Romans: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Ro. 8:1-2) We are no longer condemned for sin, and we are no longer condemned by the law for not being good enough. Jesus paid it all.

Wouldn’t it be better to have a God who says “Rise to new life! You are free from the shackles of sin and can now be truly free!” Wouldn’t it be better to have a God who is not a stern taskmaster requiring obedience but a generous father who shares all He has and gives us the opportunity to share all that he has? Wouldn’t it be better to see the life of the Christian as freedom to love, rather than slavery to rules?

If we understand the gospel correctly, we are left with the conclusion that we will conform to righteousness because God is righteous, and when we surrender to him we become more like him. We have to cooperate, but we cooperate out of love rather than fear. We are free to cooperate. Jesus said, “This is my command: Love each other.” (Jn. 15:17)