Galatians 5:1-12

Galatians 5:1-12 … Freedom! Most everyone would treasure freedom, especially if it were taken away. “Free to be … me” might be the expression to use here. What exactly is Christian freedom? Really, as these verses point out, it’s the exchange of rules for responsibility. It is freedom from the rigor of doing things by  tradition, by  rules, or by doing things for acceptance. That’s the bondage from which the Christian is freed because of Christ; because the guilt of sin is removed, the penalty has been paid and the believer is free. But now, the responsibility of freedom: is it to be squandered or is it to be spent gratefully in service to Christ? That’s the issue … freedom to boldly come to God in prayer and then boldly address the world for Christ, demonstrating God’s love as Christ would: with love, compassion, and care designed to build others up; to meet needs and be an example. That’s the issue the Holy Spirit is addressing through the Apostle Paul here in Galatians 5.