Let Freedom Reign

Sermon - Galatians 5:1-2, 13-26  06/29/2025 Powhatan Point Presbyterian Church

There are some really amazing words to focus on in this passage. Freedom, Love, Neighbor, Flesh, Spirit, Law, Grace, but I have to limit myself!  Or I’d probably write a 10 page message.

This morning, I am going to focus on the word FREEDOM. There are many definitions for the word Freedom. It certainly depends on the time in history the word is used. The year 1776, there was lots of discussion about Freedom from “across the Pond”. And of course, Freedoms of today in the Blessed USA. Some freedoms from our constitution give us the “right” to freedom of speech, freedom to vote, freedom of religion and many other freedoms we sometimes take for granted. 

God gave us free-will freedom.  How did things turn out with that?  Jesus, as well, gave us freedom. He gave us freedom to choose his yoke for it is easy (Matthew 29).  This morning we are looking at how Paul is defining freedom?  

The time is the mid first century. The Galatians are gentile men and women and they were not behaving very Christian like. They were taking their “Freedom” a little too freely. They thought just because they were free, they could follow Jesus and do whatever they wanted. Jewish teachers were instructing the Galatians that Paul had taught them the new religion imperfectly\, that they were not following the law.  Paul feels the Galatians are deserting God and turning to a false message that they needed to be circumcised in order to be Christians.  The Galatians need to consider whether they are made right with God by doing works of the law or by trusting in Jesus.  By following the law of the Jews, are they following Jesus?

So let’s get to the word Freedom. Paul knows there are different kinds of freedom. The Galatians were turning from lessons taught to them by Paul and thinking because they believed in Jesus Christ and followed him, they did not have to obey laws against sin. Freedom is, in its essence, the ability to make choices. The Galatians were listening to the Jewish-lead teachers who wanted them to follow the Torah if they were to be good Christians, hence the talk about circumcision. But Paul tells them it is their faith in Jesus that will set them free. They saw freedom as license.

He tells the Galatians to “Use your freedoms wisely. Because if you don’t, you will NOT enter the Kingdom of God”.  Paul then talks about the Spirit and the Flesh. The Spirit, the Holy Spirit within us.  What Paul means by making a difference between “flesh” and “spirit” is not a contrast of physical and spiritual. We have one body. We are part of one vast, immeasurable Being, in the one Spirit. Mindful of our oneness, we live “in the spirit”. The contrast between flesh and spirit isn’t physical versus non-physical; it’s separate versus united.  Envy, hatred, selfish ambitions are just a few of the “Flesh desires”. The Spirit has desires as well. Love, peace, joy, kindness. There is no LAW against these things.

If you believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit leads your thoughts and actions.  You can give as much love, joy, and good tidings as you can imagine, freely.  But remember to follow the Spirit, not the flesh.  Those two like to battle all the time.  It’s like the symbolic devil sitting on one shoulder, and an Angel sitting on the other. Do we always listen to the Angel?  I’m certainly guilty of being a little devilish at times. But then the Spirit in me helps me to remember I’m free.  Free to choose good over evil. There’s definitely a price to pay when choosing evil.

So, what is Christian Freedom? (Spirit leads to freedom from bondage to the flesh) The state of liberty that results from not being oppressed or in bondage is a freedom of conscience. Some Christians in the first century saw salvation as only being gained by following the law of the Torah. Our Christian life began not with our decision to follow Christ but with God’s call to us to do so.  When we are called to be Christians, it is not through any merit of our own, but through the gracious calling of God. Every single Christian brother and sister has been called by God and called to freedom.  We are Called to Freedom.  This is why Paul was so strongly teaching the Gentiles that they had freedom from the law, the Jewish law of circumcision.

Freedom in the Spirit is a freedom to choose.  My being in the pulpit this morning is a choice I made lead by the Holy Spirit. Each member of this congregation makes a choice each Sunday to come to Church to Worship our God. When we were much younger, we may not have been given a choice, especially if you had a Grandmother like mine!  I stayed with my Grandparents every weekend. And the alarm clock was:  Time to get up for Church!  What wonderful memories. And what a foundation that was laid.  But I digress…….

In the language of Paul, the Flesh is not muscle and skin on the bony skeleton, but our fallen human nature, which we inherited from the first humans, Adam & Eve. Remember what I said in the beginning of this message and Free Will. Paul insists the Galatians understand Christian freedom is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin. The Galatians were leaning more toward following the law of Judaism verses following the teachings of Jesus. Which is what Paul was reminding them about in this letter.

Paul says we have ‘Crucified the Flesh’.  What does this mean? It means, we nailed our desires of sin to the cross that Jesus bore for us. When we become believers in Jesus Christ, we “put to death” sinful behaviors and embrace a new nature. We now seek to walk in the Spirit. We rely on the Holy Spirit to help us resist the desires of the flesh – Hence, remember my image, the devil / angel on shoulder? Who are we going to listen to?  When we listen to the Angel we listen to the Spirit. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we crucify the Flesh, along with its passions and lust, allowing us to embrace the fruit of the Holy Spirit—Love, patience, kindness, gratitude.

Christian Freedom means we have freedom to approach God without fear, and with Love. Love our neighbor as ourselves.  No law saying we can’t love. Paul says he wants the Galatians, through love, to serve one another.  This has been witnessed here in the Valley over the past several weeks. Three states, numerous counties, and many volunteers show up and get jobs done showing love and care for our neighbors. If you look close enough, you will actually see this happen on a daily basis here in the Valley. Neighbors watching out for neighbors. Friends watching out for friends.

Christian liberty is service not selfishness. – Flesh vs Spirit decisions.  We’re back to those “Flesh” words vs “Spirit”.  One commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  True Christian liberty expresses itself in self-control, loving service of our neighbor and obedience to the law of God. The question now is, how are these things possible? And the answer is, by the Holy Spirit. He alone can keep us truly free. To walk in the Spirit means 1. The Holy Spirit lives in you. 2. You are open and sensitive to the influence of the holy Spirit. And 3. You pattern your life after the influence of the Holy Spirit.

So we have certainly stepped around the word Freedom this morning. What I most want you to remember is that in this scripture, Paul is truly reminding the Galatians that through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we are free. But be sure to choose the right freedoms.  Freedom to Love, be patient, show kindness, provide peace, practice self control. And isn’t it just like God to provide us with the Holy Spirit in our heart to nudge us back to the Spirit when we get a little off track. Paul is strongly reminding the Galatians that just because they are free to choose, they were not choosing wisely. They were following the desires of the flesh.  He was reminding them to walk in the Spirit. This freedom is the only way they were going to find eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven.

What will you choose today?  If you choose the “flesh” over and over, are you free?  Does that freedom provide long-term satisfaction or a short-term feel good, that leaves you in a low, low place. The Kingdom of Heaven is above us. Let us keep our heads high and follow the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit provides a Freedom within us that makes the yoke of Jesus easy and light. Today I choose the freedom that Paul chose. He chose to follow Jesus Christ and to teach all who would listen and believe that they too could have eternal life, freedom from death.  Let freedom ring!!!  Amen.