Galatians 5:1, 13-25

The word “freedom” is usually defined as a state of being unrestrained, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. It is often considered a core value, a pillar of democracy, and an ethical necessity. Connected to most of these ideas is self-agency—the ability to make choices and to control one’s own destiny. While this may sound appealing at first glance, it is fraught with issues. Not least of them, other people; 8 billion of them. We can’t all have unfettered freedom as our choices will inevitably impact others, often negatively, and will likely limit their choices. Nevertheless, the hyper-individualism of the West has spread far and wide, resulting in a breakdown of civility that appears to ignore the globalization that has afforded us such liberties.

Therefore, when Galatians 5:1 declares: “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery,”[1] we are left tying to understand what exactly Paul means by “freedom” here. It becomes clear in Galatians 5:2-12 that the “yoke of slavery” refers to an understanding of the law that requires circumcision of the flesh, but it is not until Galatians 5:13-14 that we begin to see a redefining of freedom (or better yet, a reclaiming).

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 enslaved to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Gal 5:13-14).

How can becoming “enslaved to one another” be freedom? And to quote Tina Turner, “What’s love got to do with it?” 

Could it be that freedom and love are intrinsically connected? Could it be that we can’t have one without the other?

Let us reflect on these words by Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

“Anyone who scrutinizes human beings in order to find freedom finds nothing of it. Why? Because freedom is not a quality that can be uncovered; it is not a possession . . . instead it is a relation and nothing else. To be more precise, freedom is a relation between two persons. Being free means ‘being-free-for-the-other’, because I am bound to the other. Only by being in relation with the other am I free.”[2] 

The reality is that most of us have embraced sin and called it freedom. We are not talking about the traditional understanding of sin where we look at a list of dos and don’ts and try to move through a type of transactional journey of faith. We are talking about sin as defined within in a relational construct. If God is Love (1 John 4:8) and God created us to be loved and to love, and if the whole Law is fulfilled in our loving of neighbor as we love ourselves, then a genuine relationship with God is bound to a genuine relationship with others (compare 1 John 4:20-21).

It is not the dos and don’ts that separate us from God, it is the absence of love. What if we thought of sin this way—as the absence of love or as anti-love? Then as we stood across from our neighbors and wondered how we might love them while remaining free from sin, we would need to ask ourselves if the choices we were about to make would reveal love to them, would draw us closer in relationship to them. If not, if our actions would cause a break down in relationship, then it might be something we should avoid; it might be sin. Living a life of anti-love is akin to being led by the Flesh and following its desires (Gal 5:16-21). And as Paul warns us, “If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another” (Gal 5:15). It is vivid imagery that many of us have seen unfold in our world, and worse yet, in our churches.

Instead, we are called to be guided by the Spirit, and the evidence of the Spirit at work in the life of the believer, and moreover, the Church, is LOVE. Love is the singular fruit of the Spirit that is expressed in “joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control” (Gal 5:22-23). Sin focuses us inward and makes us slaves, but love focuses us outward and makes us free! Simply put, God is love; God loves us; God calls and enables us to love others (which is really God loving others through us); and it is only as we participate in this continual embodiment of love that we are truly free to belong to Christ and to belong to each other.

When preaching from this passage, we may want to consider ending the service with a guided time of confession and repentance. Alternatively, we could end with a time of silent reflection where people contemplate concrete ways that they might utilize their freedom in Christ to love others well and to set them free.

[1] All Scripture passages are quoted from the NRSVUE.

[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Creation and Fall: A Theological Exposition of Genesis 1 – 3, Works Volume 3 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997), 63.