True Liberty

True Liberty

“Free Woman”

Read: Galatians 4:31–5:16

Ducking around a corner, Jasmine waited until the coast was clear. She avoided those two coworkers from the third floor whenever possible. They had turned into weirdos since they went to that Christian rally last year. Now they dressed, talked, and acted differently, and it made Jasmine downright uncomfortable to be around them. They could change if they wanted to, but she had no intention of giving up her party lifestyle. She wanted to enjoy life, not worry about a bunch of boring rules. I can’t help it if I’m a free spirit, Jasmine assured herself.

What does a true “free spirit” look like? The passage in Galatians explains that faith in Jesus Christ sets us free in two ways: First, we are freed from trying to earn God’s favor by following rules and regulations. Instead, we become bound to the law of loving God with all our hearts and loving other people as ourselves. Second, we are no longer slaves to sin. God’s Spirit lives in us and gives us the power to resist our sinful desires. We still have a selfish nature, but we no longer have to be controlled by it.

Some people view the Christian life as following a set of strict rules that stifle our personalities and suppress our desire for fun. But faith in Christ actually sets us free to become the people that God created us to be. This allows us to enjoy life fully. As his Spirit transforms us on the inside, any changes that we make in our dress, our talk, our behavior, or our lifestyle should be expressions of our love for him. As we grow in our desire to become more like Christ, we discover that the life of grace truly sets our spirits free.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Galatians 5:1 (NIV)