Galatians 5:1
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Liberty in Christ is often taken and misused. Liberty in Christ is not a license to go live the life you want to live, but it is a choice you have to get to serve the LORD. Paul commands the Christian to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…” Liberty in Christ lasts as long as you serve the LORD, but the very moment you get “entangled” with sin, you will then become a servant to the “yoke of bondage.” There are four things that God shows us that liberty in Christ is.
First, liberty in Christ is getting saved without works. When you add works to salvation, then salvation is no longer free. God warns us not to take the liberty of salvation away by adding works to salvation. Many times people get saved, but after salvation they foolishly try to add works which only brings bondage to the Christian life. Always remember that if you are saved by grace then you are kept by grace. You cannot be saved by grace and kept by works otherwise grace will no longer be grace. God is powerful enough to save and keep us by His grace. Be careful that you don’t adopt the mentality that you have to do something to keep your salvation for that will only add bondage to a free salvation.
Second, liberty in Christ is the freedom to obey truth. Liberty in Christ is not the freedom to do what you want to do and disobey God’s Word. Verse 7 says, “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” God doesn’t make you serve Him, but He gives you the choice to serve Him. What you must watch out for are for those who would hinder you from making the choice to serve Him. Wrong influences will destroy your liberty in Christ.
Third, liberty in Christ is the freedom to serve others. Verse 13 says, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Liberty in Christ gives you the privilege to serve others and not yourself. Only those who want to abuse their liberty in Christ will use their liberty to do what they want to do instead of using it to help others. The greatest way to use your liberty is to serve others. It is when you serve others that you will experience the joy of the liberty in Christ.
Fourth, liberty in Christ is the freedom to yield to the Spirit of God. In verse 16, God tells us to “walk in the Spirit.” God doesn’t force you to yield to His Holy Spirit, but He gives you the choice to yield to Him. Friend, you can attempt to serve God under your own strength, but that will only create bondage. Your liberty in Christ is fully achieved when you yield to the Spirit of God and follow His leading in your life. It is then when you will experience the power to use that liberty to its fullest.
Are you fully standing in the liberty of Christ? The best way to fully enjoy your liberty in Christ is to follow these four steps. Anything short of these four areas will only cause the Christian life to be burdensome. It is when you choose to do right in these four areas that you will truly understand the liberty you have in Christ and the joy and satisfaction that serving Christ brings. Don’t live another day without experiencing this liberty in Christ to its fullest.