Galatians 5:1,13-25
June 29, 2025
We will celebrate Independence Day at the end this week and that means a lot of drivers will be out on the roads as we approach this holiday with families heading to the beach, the mountains, local parks, and their favorite spot to watch fireworks. With the nice weather and school being out for most students, teenagers in particular will be out driving this week enjoying some of the freedom they have in being able to drive. Driving is a great privilege; just ask anyone who’s recently gotten their driver’s license – it’s a big deal. That small plastic card with your picture on it, that we call a driver’s license, has a lot of power. It gives you the freedom to operate a car and teenagers love to show their driver’s license to others as a way of saying, “Look what I can do now. Look at the power and freedom I now have in my life.”
In the same way, our Lord gives us tremendous freedom and power. Jesus tells us that we are free from sin, guilt, and punishment. Yet, as with any freedom, this freedom we have is a great privilege and it is not to be abused. When it comes to spiritual matters you could say that we have a license; but it’s not so much a license to do something, as it is a license to enjoy what’s already been done for us.
In the first verse of our second lesson from Galatians, Paul says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” That “yoke of slavery” Paul was talking about here was the pressure of trying to please God enough to someday earn your way into heaven – which is slavery in the Bible. Paul tells the Galatians in this text, “Christ has set you free from that. Jesus has earned eternal life for you. You are free from trying to earn your way into heaven.” It would be like rejecting a free ticket to the Superbowl, on the 50 yard line, in the first row, because you would rather spend your hard earned money to buy your own ticket. It just doesn’t make any sense. So it’s no wonder that Paul was upset that the Christians living in Galatia had been tricked into thinking that Jesus hadn’t done enough to earn eternal life for them. He has, Jesus paid the price by giving His life on the cross for all people, so he says, “stand firm in your freedom from sin.”
In our country, we enjoy a great deal of political freedom. As Americans we are free to believe whatever we want, to say whatever we want, and to do whatever we want, as long as we don’t break the law. And all of that is good, but sometimes people use their freedom in a way that does not please God. People use abusive language, or they promote immorality, or say hurtful things about other people, which we can do in our country, because we have freedom of speech. People live immoral lifestyles, focus their entire lives on money, and live incredibly self-centered lives, but again, we can do that in our country, because we are free.
Now a person who lives that way may look free, but according to the Bible, that person is really a slave. A person who speaks in abusive ways or lives immorally, is a slave to his or her sinful nature. That person may feel free and may look free on the outside, but on the inside, he or she is being held captive by their sinful desires. What Paul said to the Galatians in verse 13, he also says to us, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” You and I have been freed from our sins by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, but we are surrounded by people who indulge in their sinful desires. And that then becomes our temptation as well, to go along with everyone else, to give in to the desires of our sinful nature.
And what does our sinful nature look like? Just look at the things Paul lists in verses 19-21. As I read these ask yourself, “Have I ever done these things?” “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity (even in your thoughts), sensuality, idolatry (which means loving anything more than God), sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
We have fallen into these sins, haven’t we? As Americans, we are politically free. As Christians, we are spiritually free. But at times we use our freedom to indulge our sinful nature. Sometimes this is seen in our pursuit of happiness. Now, happiness is important. Everyone wants to be happy, even God wants us to be happy. But happiness can be hard to find, because this world is far from perfect. There is something that fills our world with suffering, sickness, and sadness. Something in people that makes it hard for them to find happiness, and God calls that something “sin.” Sadly, we are tempted to think that we can find freedom and happiness in sin. “If it feels good, do it; after all, nobody will get hurt. You’re free to do these things.” That’s the mentality of our sinful flesh. We are tempted to sin against ourselves in an attempt to please ourselves. It’s almost as though Christ has set us free from the prison of sin, and yet at times we walk right back into our prison cells and lock ourselves in.
But what a comfort it is to know that Jesus forgives us of all these sins. He did that by being the kind of person you and I could never be. He was loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and a man of self-control. Jesus was all these things and He did all of these things perfectly, including giving His life on a cross for you and me, as our substitute.
Today, as we do every Sunday, we will be receiving the Lord’s Supper. And as you receive this Sacrament today, think of it as a sacrament of freedom. The body and blood of Christ, in bread and wine, sacrificed for you, so that you could be free from guilt, fear, and punishment. So say “goodbye” to all those things as you receive Communion today and live a new life of freedom.
And what does that new life look like? Freedom doesn’t look like drunkenness or impurity or selfishness. Freedom looks like that fruit of the Spirit, listed in verses 22-23: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Jesus has set you free to love other people as you would love yourself. You are free to be a joyful person, to be peaceful. You are free to be patient when a person or life in general just won’t cooperate with you. Jesus has set you free to be the most gentle person around, and to be a person of self-control. That’s what freedom and happiness looks like. When you’re not trying to earn your way into heaven, when you’re not feeling guilty or afraid, when you realize that Jesus has taken your sins away – then you are really free. Even a Christian living in a country where worshipping our God may be forbidden or where a Christian may be limited by the laws of the land, our text tells us in verse 23 that there is no law against love, joy, peace, patience, and all the things found in verses 22-23, and in that way, a Christian can live his/her freedom anywhere in the world.
A driver’s license may be good for several years, but eventually it has to be renewed. Thanks be to God that we have a license through Him that sets us free from sin and it’s punishment; and it won’t expire, and it never needs to be renewed. The license we have in Christ is one that gives us everlasting life with Him and it is one that brings true happiness. So rejoice in the freedom Christ has won for you. Like a teenager with a new driver’s license, who flashes it around for everyone to see, don’t be afraid to show off the license of freedom that Jesus gives to you.
This week we will see many flags all over our community – symbols of freedom. But for us as Christians, our symbol of freedom is the cross and that’s why we make it big and put it at the center of our church, because we want everyone to see it as they enter our sanctuary so they will know that through the cross they are really free.
Cities and towns across our nation will spend thousands of dollars on fireworks for their July 4th celebrations and maybe you will be spending money on some family activities this Friday. So if it’s worth celebrating our earthly freedom, then it’s certainly worth celebrating our spiritual freedom by sharing God’s Word and living His love with our families, our friends, and our neighbors.
