Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
—Galatians 5:1
“Stand fast” comes from the Greek word “steko,” and means to “stand firm, persevere, to hold one’s ground” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon). It implies steadfastness, resilience, and resistance against opposition.
Just as a nation must persist in safeguarding its freedom and rights, we too must steadfastly protect our spiritual freedom. Paul admonished the Galatian believers, who were more concerned with performing the Law than placing their faith in Christ, to “stand firm” in their spiritual freedom in Him. This admonition is ours. Paul emphasizes that our freedom doesn’t automatically occur; we have a role to play.
Our adversary, the devil, relentlessly seeks to consume those he can (1 Peter 5:8), and legalism is one of his most potent weapons. We must resolutely resist every attempt he makes to lure us back into a life of self-effort instead of steadfastly standing in our faith in Christ (1 Peter 5:9).
The word “therefore” in Galatians 5:1 serves as a bridge between Paul’s statement and the preceding verse. In Galatians 4:31, Paul drew a parallel between being under the Law and being a descendant of the slave woman Hagar, suggesting that we lack the inheritance of God’s promises. Since none of us desire to be excluded from God’s blessings, we must firmly uphold the freedom we have received through our faith in Christ.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines liberty as:
a. The condition of being free from restriction or control.
b. The right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one’s own choosing.
c. The condition of being physically and legally free from confinement, servitude, or forced labor.
Paul was referring to a specific kind of liberty—the freedom from the oppression of the Old Testament Law. God had to expose the deception that people had fallen into—that they were inherently good enough to be accepted by Him. He achieved this by giving the Law. The Law brought sin and its desires to life in people. To those who embraced it, it became evident that if this holy perfection of the Law was what God demanded, people couldn’t be saved by their own goodness.
Paul was controlled by his love for the Lord rather than his fear of punishment for breaking the Old Testament Law. In Galatians 5, he made it clear that this liberty is not freedom to sin but freedom from sin and its guilt and condemnation. Those who choose to use this liberty in Christ to indulge their flesh will suffer for it. Their suffering is not God’s retribution; they reap what they have sown (Luke 6:38, Galatians 6:7).
In Galatians 5:1, “entangled” presents the idea of being “ensnared or held in a net” (Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament). The Galatians were ensnared in a bondage that stemmed from the Law’s demands, which they believed would secure God’s acceptance through their actions. However, God paid the ultimate price for our liberation from sin. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross purchased our freedom from self-justification through the Law. We must never allow anything or anyone to re-ensnare us in this bondage.
The context of Galatians 5:1 makes it very clear that this “yoke of bondage” that Paul was speaking of is the Old Testament Law. This is a strong statement and leaves no doubt that the Law was not for the purpose of freedom but bondage.
The Law was given to kill (2 Corinthians 3:7) and condemn (2 Corinthians 3:9). The Law strengthened sin (1 Corinthians 15:56) and made sin come alive (Romans 7:9). The Law gave sin an opportunity to deceive us and work all manner of lust in us (Romans 7:8,11). All of us have sinned and come short of the Law’s perfection (Romans 3:23). In essence, the Law strengthened our enemy and sin, and made it obvious no one could be saved by keeping it. The Law took away every hope of salvation except faith in a Savior.
Paul said in Galatians 3:23: “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”
Faith came in Jesus, and the Law was finished.
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-31).
Unlike the sometimes-harsh treatment oxen are given to bring them into subjection, Jesus is “meek and lowly in heart” and wins us by love (1 John 4:11, 19). The yoke of the Law is heavy, but Jesus’s burden is light. Unlike the Law that weighs us down rather than saving us, Jesus’ grace saves us and gives us rest for our souls.
“If you attempt to be justified by the Law, you fall from grace” (Galatians 5:4).
Christ has set you free from the condemnation of the Law. Don’t let your performance-driven bondage cause you to fall from grace. Stay steadfast in your liberty and faith. Be courageous and strong (1 Corinthians 16:3). Be intentional, disciplined, and determined to walk in the liberty that Jesus has given you (Galatians 5:1). The Law holds no authority over Christ; He fulfilled it (Galatians 5:6). Faith operates through the love of Jesus, who declared the Law to be completed and finished. We can never fully pay the price. Only He could pay it in full, and, to His glory, He did.
If you don't stand firm in your faith in Christ, you will not stand at all (Isaiah 7:9).
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