Growing up, I had a very set notion of what "freedom in Christ" meant. In my mind, it was applied on more of an ad hoc basis - God had forgiven you for whatever sins you had committed in the past, and would forgive you for whatever future sins you might also commit. Some people even took this a step further, and looked at the concept of "freedom in Christ" as more of a get-out-of-jail-free card - "I can do anything I want," they rationalized, "because I know that God will always forgive me." Perhaps that ideology was what the church had taught me, perhaps that was a product of myself, but that was where I was, regardless.
But the Lord meant for us to have such a greater freedom than that. He meant for us to have freedom from our diseases. He meant for us to have freedom from sorrow. He meant for us to have freedom from condemnation. He even meant for us to have freedom from sin, not just forgiveness of it.
How do we have freedom from sin? We get it from the renewing of our mind, as He talks about in Romans 12:2. Freedom in Christ means that we no longer want to "toe the line" between godly and ungodly behavior. It means that He has given us a new heart, a new mind, a new desire for Him and His precepts. It means that we now have the Holy Spirit living within us, who can prick our conscience even before we sin. It means that we have Him as a guide to our lives, so that we no longer have to worry about whether we are making the right choices or not.
God never wanted the law to condemn us. He wanted it to show us the path to true freedom - faith in Jesus Christ. No one is perfect. But because of the freedom that Christ has given us, we don't have to be. He's constantly making us more and more like Him every single day.
11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
But the Lord meant for us to have such a greater freedom than that. He meant for us to have freedom from our diseases. He meant for us to have freedom from sorrow. He meant for us to have freedom from condemnation. He even meant for us to have freedom from sin, not just forgiveness of it.
How do we have freedom from sin? We get it from the renewing of our mind, as He talks about in Romans 12:2. Freedom in Christ means that we no longer want to "toe the line" between godly and ungodly behavior. It means that He has given us a new heart, a new mind, a new desire for Him and His precepts. It means that we now have the Holy Spirit living within us, who can prick our conscience even before we sin. It means that we have Him as a guide to our lives, so that we no longer have to worry about whether we are making the right choices or not.
God never wanted the law to condemn us. He wanted it to show us the path to true freedom - faith in Jesus Christ. No one is perfect. But because of the freedom that Christ has given us, we don't have to be. He's constantly making us more and more like Him every single day.
Galatians 3:7-29
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
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