“For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

When I read this verse, my first thought is “free from what?” I guess I thought that because I am not currently owned by anyone. Thank God! But there are other kinds of slavery, less literal. By reading the surrounding verses I can see that Paul is talking about slavery to the law that God presented to His children in the Old Testament. In this section of Galatians Paul is disturbed that someone has been trying to convince the church there that accepting Jesus as Savior is not enough to be saved. They are preaching the additional ritual of circumcision. Circumcision is something that God did command and require of His children in the past. But that was before Jesus fulfilled the law for me by dying in my place with all of my sins. Not one bit of the law is required anymore. And that is the freedom I have because of Jesus. Jesus said the law can now be summed up with loving God and loving my neighbors. I am free from worrying about the law. All of it! Not one shred of it is important anymore. I don’t have to worry about covering my head. I don’t have to think about sacrificing any animals or celebrating special feasts. I shouldn’t have to worry about being stoned if I have sex with the wrong person or any other bad choice I make for that matter. Christians today often still get caught up in old laws. Maybe not circumcision as much, but there were so many laws! Over 600 I believe. None of that is important anymore. In fact the very next verse after today’s verse is: “For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.” If I am a follower of Jesus, my one and only job is to love. He really simplified things for me. If what I’m doing is because I love God and love other people, I’m probably on the right track. If I’m focused on the needs of other people more than my own needs, I don’t have to concern myself with the judgement of the law or of other people who are stuck there. Im free.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for freeing me from the law. Thank you so much for Jesus’s sacrifice which simplifies everything so I can easily understand and remember how to please you. Help me to obey your one command to love. And give me the courage to ignore the judgment of those who are still mired under the weight of the law.