"To freedom us Christ freed. Be standing firm therefore and not again by a yoke of slavery be held in."
-Freedom. Freedom. It is one of our worship words. On the surface we think it means that I get to choose. I get to do what(ever it is) I want. No hindrance or restraint whatsoever. No shackles, no chains on me, not even one. So steeped are those of us in the west in this notion of freedom that we really have no concept of what it would be like to NOT be free. We threw off the king and every other form of despotism, we threw out slavery (for the most part) - we have lived for centuries and for so long without the kind of subservience which was so prevalent in Paul’s day that we take it for granted. We have no concept of what it might be like to not be free. Most of us anyway. There are the reasonable restraints enforced by a democratic and civil polity, and other natural restrictions placed on children and minors and the lot. And there are modern forms of slavery, to be sure, and various kinds of spiritual and emotional bondage, but for most we are talking about a shriveled anachronism. Freedom is the norm, it is accepted - and we take it for granted. It is our heritage, our birthright. It is the air we breathe - we don’t even think about it. And in fact, we are so steeped in it and so expect and insist on it, that we have almost become enslaved to freedom, to the freedom of choice - to do what(ever) I want, when(ever) I want, unable for the most part to say no or to deny myself (or my friends) the slightest thing in any way, soul anarchy (which, my friends, is another discussion entirely).
-What we do need actually is to reframe the terms of the discussion, to tweak the definition of freedom, to understand it in a different light. Because true freedom is not simply total absence of restriction or restraint. True freedom of soul is found in finding and living fully into who I really am, who I was created to be (and we begin to fall short of this the very moment we begin to dismiss the concept of a Creator)(Romans 1.20-25). Truly, I was fashioned and formed in the womb with wonderful, beautiful, glorious purpose (Psalm 139.13-16). True freedom is found when I find myself in that rarified air where I can declare, "I was made for this!"
-Paul says that Christ freed us - from the law, from the penalty and power of sin - in order that we could enjoy this true soul freedom, this liberation of self. So that we could find our sweet spot. Not to become manifestly selfish, no. But rather to become who I was always meant to be. To become the best, most heavenly version of me, living into fulfilling world-changing purpose and overflowing with uncontainable joy and love and power, a true glimpse of glory.
-Now what if my freedom were taken away? What do you mean, I can’t do what I want? What do you mean, no? Obviously we would have quite an uproar, a rebellion even. But imagine if you can a situation where I am suddenly handcuffed or straight-jacketed or shackled such that now I am no longer free to do what(ever) I want. No longer free to choose. This is what happens to my soul under the law, when I am in bondage the law of works and trying (and forever failing) to earn God’s acceptance thru my own feeble efforts, to make myself clean in His eyes with so much filthy rags. The law is worse than King George, a despot, a harsh, unforgiving taskmaster - and under him my soul will never know freedom.
-Which is why Paul is pleading with these Galatians to stand firm. Stay strong and resist the pull of worldly peer pressure and of the fleshy instinct to take on works of law as a means to maintain right standing with God. Don’t go back there, there is nothing for you there. Nothing but bondage. Slavery. Frustration and vain striving and atrophy of the soul. You and I, our souls were meant to soar on the wings of heaven. We were made for THIS. Stand firm, and keep walking in the true soul freedom of the children of God.
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