Called to freedom

 

"For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another." — Galatians 5:13

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The Meaning of True Freedom in Christ

Nations with a history of colonization always celebrate their Independence Day with great enthusiasm. In Indonesia, very soon — on August 17th — the whole country will joyfully celebrate Independence Day. Flags will wave, competitions will be held, and the spirit of "merdeka!" (freedom!) will echo everywhere. But have we ever paused to ask: what does freedom truly mean?

Does being free mean we can do anything we want, even things that are not good? As it turns out, no. A nation that is free from colonization still lives under laws and regulations to maintain order and the common good. True freedom is not without limits — it has direction and purpose.

The same principle applies, even more deeply, in our life of faith.  Paul's letter to the church in Galatia was born out of a desire to correct a mistaken understanding. Some believed that salvation was earned through obedience to the Law of Moses. Paul firmly corrects this: salvation is a “gift of grace”, received solely through faith in Christ.  Through His death on the cross, Jesus fulfilled the demands of the Law and freed us from the bondage of sin and death. Paul declares this boldly at the beginning of this chapter: "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery,”- Galatians 5:1. 

God's law is no longer merely a set of rules written on stone tablets, but is now written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We are free — not to run away from God, but to come to Him and serve Him with joy.

Here lies the beautiful paradox of Christian freedom: we have been set free, yet that very freedom calls us to an even greater responsibility. Christ did not only free us from the demands of the Law, but also from the “power of sin” itself. Through His redemptive work, we are not merely forgiven — we are given new capacity to truly live in righteousness.

Yet this freedom is not a license to satisfy our own desires however we please. Instead, it is a space to love and serve one another. As believers, our responsibility does not stop with ourselves — it extends to the community of faith, to the brothers and sisters around us.

There is one truth that brings such deep peace: through Jesus' sacrifice, we are made righteous before God. He has already done everything — there is nothing left for us to "pay" in order to be accepted. Because we have been set free, we are called to live as a new creation: "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" — 2 Corinthians 5:17. Amen.

Reflection from Galatians 5: 13-26 by Meist.

Of the free

So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. – Gal 4:31

 

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Galatians 4:31 reminds us of a very important truth: through faith in Jesus Christ, we are no longer bound by slavery to sin, fear, or the impossible burden of trying to earn God's acceptance, including keeping the Mosaic law. We are not in bondage anymore. Instead, we belong to God's family as children of the promise, living in the freedom that Christ has secured for us by his all-sufficient sacrifice on the cross.

In Galatians 4:21-31, the apostle Paul contrasts slavery with freedom. Slavery represents a life of relying on human effort to achieve righteousness, while freedom represents the grace of God received by faith, a free gift. Sarah, the free woman, represents the covenant of promise and the Jerusalem above. Hagar, the Egyptian slave, represents the covenant given at Mount Sinai, the law, that brings bondage and not freedom. In this fourth chapter, the apostle Paul clearly distinguish between the two covenants (Gal 4:24).

Today, let's remember who we are. We are not defined by our past, by failures or by the expectations of the world. In Christ, we are children of the free woman—a child of God's promise. 

Live each day with the assurance that our Lord Jesus Christ, who has set us free, will continue to lead us as the Great Shepherd. Leading us to green pastures if we listen to His voice.

Reflection on Galatians 4:16-31 by Hanne

Redeem

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might have adoption as children.” – Galatians 4: 4-5

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Dear friends in Christ Jesus, in today’s bible passage we are able to reflect on the deep mysteries of our own redemption. The Jewish community was so much immersed into the law and they believed in it. The Jewish people were enslaved to their own law. The laws did not help them but rather gave them troubles in their daily life. Jesus who is born as a Jew is also born under the law. Jesus was not enslaved to the law. He was above the law. At the same time Jesus knew very well what the situation of the Jewish community was and how much they were troubled with their own laws. Jesus wanted them to be redeemed. Jesus was sent to the world by his Father to redeem the whole world from all kinds of slavery. Jesus wanted to give us proper identity as the children of God.

We all know that after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Father sent to the world the Spirit of his Son so that we all might be able to inherit the kingdom of God as the children of God. In Christ Jesus, we are all children of God through faith. The moment we got baptized we were clothed with Christ. As children of God we are also heirs of God. This is a great gift that God is giving to each one of us who are created in his image and likeness.

Dear Friends, let us be grateful to God the Father for sending his Son and Holy Spirit. Let us thank God for his love for each one of us especially for redeeming us. Let us thank God for the gift of faith. Let us thank God for the sacrament of baptism. Let us thank God for making us his children. Let us thank God for making us his heirs. Let us thank God for the gift of eternal life. Amen.

Bible Reflection on Galatians 4: 1-15 by Fr. George Joseph SVD