Free To Love
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:1, 13–25
Introduction
What comes to mind when you hear the word freedom?
For many, freedom means being able to do whatever you want—no rules, no restrictions, no one telling you what to do. That’s the message we hear from all sides: freedom is about personal choice, self-expression, living “your truth”.
So, when we hear Paul say, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free,” it’s easy to assume that the gospel offers us a kind of spiritual version of that same freedom—free from obligation, free from rules, free to live however we please.
But that’s not what Paul means. In fact, that idea of freedom—doing whatever I want—turns out to be just another kind of slavery.
In today’s reading, Paul shows us a better freedom: not freedom from responsibility, but freedom for love. Not freedom to indulge the flesh, but freedom to walk by the Spirit.
It’s not the freedom of the world—it’s the freedom of Christ, which is much better for us and the people we share life with.
1. Freed From Slavery
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
When Paul speaks of “freedom,” he’s not talking about throwing off all restraint. He’s talking about being set free from the burden of trying to make ourselves right with God.
In Galatia, believers were being pressured to go back under the Old Testament law—specifically, circumcision—as if their salvation depended on it. Paul is crystal clear: adding anything to Christ is not progress; it’s slavery. Trying to earn God’s approval by performance only leads back into fear, guilt, and endless striving.
We might not be tempted by the same religious rituals, but the pressure to justify ourselves is everywhere. In our culture, it often shows up in achievement: proving our worth by how much we do, how well we perform, or how we appear to others. Even in the church, we can fall into thinking that our standing before God depends on our theological clarity or institutional loyalty.
Recently, during our Q&A process for the State of the Church, someone asked how we will stand before God in judgment if we remain with the LCA, approve of women’s ordination, and—according to their understanding—disregard Scripture. It’s a heartfelt and honest question, rooted in a desire to be faithful.
But here’s the assurance: we are having these conversations because people on both sides of the issue take Scripture seriously. The division is not over whether we value the Bible, but how we interpret it faithfully in this context. No one is disregarding God’s Word.
And more importantly, your place before God on the last day will not be determined by your denominational alignment. You will not be judged by whether you stood with the LCA or left it. You will be judged according to Christ—and if you are in Him, you are already justified. That’s what freedom in Christ means: not earning your place, not fearing God’s verdict, but trusting completely in the finished work of Jesus.
So, Paul says: “Stand firm.” Don’t go back to fear. Don’t put your hope in being on the “right side” of every issue. Christ has set you free—not to run from God, but to rest in Him.
2. Freed For Others
Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Galatians 5:13
Having been set free from trying to earn God’s approval, we might be tempted to think that freedom means doing whatever we like. But Paul immediately corrects that idea. Christian freedom is not for self-indulgence; it is for love.
This is where gospel freedom takes a surprising turn. In Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin or to the law—but that doesn’t mean we become self-serving or disengaged. Instead, we are now free to turn outward in love. “The entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” (v14)
Paul isn’t replacing one form of slavery with another. He’s saying that the Spirit transforms our freedom from inward focus to outward service. In other words, we don’t use our freedom to protect our comfort, assert our opinions, or retreat into personal spirituality. We use it to serve one another, even when it costs us.
That’s particularly relevant right now in the church. In a time of tension, disagreement, and uncertainty, the temptation is to either withdraw from each other or lash out in frustration. Paul names that, too: “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (v15)
The way of freedom is the way of the cross: humble, patient, generous love—especially for those with whom we disagree. In this freedom, we are not primarily concerned about winning arguments, but about honouring Christ by bearing with one another in love.
This doesn’t mean we give up on truth or avoid hard conversations. But it does mean that our attitude is shaped by the Spirit, not the flesh. We are free not to react, not to dominate, not to prove ourselves, but to serve.
And this is where the church’s witness becomes most powerful. When the world sees a community that is truly free—free from self-interest and free for self-giving love—they see something that cannot be explained by human strength. They see Christ. You can’t fake it or manufacture it—you can only live it.
3. Freed By the Spirit
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25
Christian freedom is not about being left to ourselves. It’s not independence from God—it’s dependence on the Spirit. Paul makes it clear: we are alive only because of the Spirit’s work, and so we’re called to walk in step with Him.
The contrast Paul draws between the “acts of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit” isn’t a list of do’s and don’ts—it’s a picture of two ways to live. The acts of the flesh come naturally; the fruit of the Spirit grows where the Spirit leads. And crucially, this fruit isn’t something we manufacture. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness—they don’t come from trying harder. They come from surrendering to the Spirit who is already at work in us.
We see this same Spirit-led life in the other readings today. In 1 Kings 19, Elisha is called to leave everything—his farm, his family, his future—and follow the path God sets before him. And he does it willingly. “He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them… then he set out to follow Elijah” (v21). This is the shape of a Spirit-led life: not reluctant obedience, but joyful surrender.
In the Gospel, Jesus is resolutely heading toward the cross. Along the way, people offer to follow Him—but only on their terms. One says, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back…” (Luke 9:61). But to walk with Jesus means letting the Spirit lead entirely, not half-heartedly.
That’s what Paul is describing. To be “led by the Spirit” (v18) is to be set free from being ruled by the flesh—by fear, pride, resentment, or self-preservation. It’s to walk in the same direction as Christ, even when the path leads to service, surrender, or sacrifice.
The good news is this: the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you. He is the one producing fruit in your life, guiding your steps, and keeping you in Christ. You are not alone. You are not adrift. You are free—and you are being led. So “keep in step with the Spirit.”
Conclusion
Christian freedom isn’t what the world thinks it is. Sometimes, it’s not even what we think it is. It’s not about doing whatever we want—it’s far better than that.
In Christ, we are freed from slavery—no longer crushed by the pressure to earn God’s approval. We are freed for others—released from self-interest to live lives of love. And we are freed by the Spirit—no longer ruled by the flesh but led step by step in the way of Jesus.
This is not a freedom we fight for. It’s a gift we receive. And it’s a freedom that bears fruit: in homes, in churches, in conversations, in quiet acts of love.
So, stand firm in the freedom you have in Christ.
May the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
