Freedom From Legalism

Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians. 4:7

In the days of apostle Paul, legalism was trying to penetrate into the Galatian Church. Some Judaizers were teaching the new Christians that they were required to follow the Jewish laws to obtain salvation. For them, salvation was based on works, not solely on God’s free gift of grace.

In Galatians 4, Paul was trying to show us the difference between walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh. When a believer is spiritually immature, he is insensitive to the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t know how to walk with Him or hear His voice. Such a Christian is a babe in Christ, ignorant of the things of God. He needs to be constantly told by others what is right or wrong for him. So instead of letting God control his life, he ends up allowing people to control him. And when imperfect people start regulating your life, you will inevitably be enslaved into bondage again.

Paul says, “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father” (Gal. 4:1-2). No matter how great our inheritance is, as long as we don’t grow up in God, we will never get to enjoy it. We are no different from being a slave. And as long as we are enslaved, we will never be free to enjoy God’s blessings.

If we are not willing to trust and obey God, we will soon go back to the slavery of the fl esh, which is “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfi sh ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like” (5:19-21). Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

That is the real danger of legalism. Legalism is allowing man-made rules to play the role of the Holy Spirit in your life-what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, where to go, etc. While the intentions of some legalists may be noble (for example, to prevent you from sinning), they actually do you a grave disservice because they cut you off from a life of faith in the Spirit. Legalism ultimately will bring people into a state of spiritual poverty, robbing them of all the joy and blessings that God has promised us through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You have true freedom in Christ when you look to the Holy Spirit to lead you in your day-to-day decision-making. And He will always lead and guide you to do the right thing.

Crucified With Christ

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

A believer lives for God by doing four things. First of all, you need to die to the law (Gal. 2:19). The law shows you that you are a sinner and that you fall ever so short of perfection and righteousness. The law shows you that you stand no chance of ever being accepted by God. And no man is capable of obeying every point in the law continually and consistently. He is always coming short of the law and of God’s glory. The first thing you must do in order to live for God is to die to all self-righteous works and to put your faith in Jesus Christ.

Secondly, you need to be crucified with Christ (2:20). How in the world can a man be crucified with Christ when Christ died so many centuries ago? When you believe that Jesus Christ died for you-that Jesus Christ bore the punishment of sin for you-God takes your faith and counts you as having died with Christ. That identification is further strengthened through water baptism. Romans 6:34 says, Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” After baptism, you must reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:11). That means, on a daily basis, you must consider your old sinful self as nailed with Jesus on the cross!

Thirdly, you need to allow Christ to live His life through your body (Gal. 2:20). You are no longer in charge of your life. By faith you have been crucified with Christ. Therefore, you are to live with Christ. The way you do that is by allowing Jesus to live in and through your body; to control and to be in charge of your life. Jesus is the vine and you are the branch. You now draw your very life and nourishment from Him (John 15:16).

Fourthly, you need to trust the grace of God (Gal. 2:21). Paul says, I do not set aside the grace of God.” The word set aside” means to invalidate, make ineffective, and nullify. The grace of God is the supernatural strength that enables you to do His will. Yet you can invalidate that power when you choose not to use it. So many Christians treat God’s grace as something unnecessary and rely instead on their own talents, intellect and experience. To live for God, you need His grace to attempt the incredible and achieve the impossible!