True Freedom in Christ: Embracing Grace Over Legalism

Devotional

Day 1: Freedom in Christ: Released from Sin and the Law

True freedom is found in Christ, who sets us free from the power of sin and the demands of the law, not by our own efforts but by His finished work on the cross. This freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want, but a spiritual release that enables us to live by the Spirit, empowered to walk in obedience and no longer enslaved to shame, legalism, or the burdens of our past. The prison doors have been opened, the shackles removed, and we are called to stand firm in this freedom, remembering that it is a completed act accomplished by Jesus alone. [06:56]

Galatians 5:1-6 (ESV)
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you still feel bound—by shame, legalism, or past mistakes—and how can you invite Jesus to help you stand firm in the freedom He has already given you today?

Day 2: Remove Distortions: Guard the Gospel’s Purity

We must be vigilant to remove distortions of the gospel from our lives and communities, recognizing that even a small compromise can spread and corrupt the truth, just as a little leaven leavens the whole lump. The call is to return continually to the source—God’s Word—for our understanding of the gospel, not relying solely on teachers, books, or podcasts, but developing a personal, abiding rhythm in Scripture. By doing so, we protect ourselves and the next generation from subtle and overt false teachings, ensuring that the pure gospel of grace through faith is proclaimed and lived out. [18:45]

Galatians 5:7-9 (ESV)
You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Reflection: What is one source of spiritual distortion—whether a voice, habit, or influence—that you need to remove or limit this week to better align your heart with the truth of the gospel?

Day 3: Faith Expressed Through Love

The only thing that counts in Christ is faith working through love; outward signs or rituals do not make us righteous, but genuine faith is always expressed in agape love for others. As we receive God’s unconditional love, it overflows into our relationships, motivating and shaping our actions so that love becomes the true evidence of our connection to Christ. This love is not self-generated but is the fruit of God’s Spirit within us, calling us to serve one another and fulfill the heart of God’s law. [15:17]

Galatians 5:6, 13-14 (ESV)
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Reflection: Who is one person you can intentionally serve or show Christlike love to today, as an expression of your faith?

Day 4: Walk by the Spirit, Not the Flesh

Walking by the Spirit is an active, ongoing choice that leads us away from gratifying the desires of the flesh and into a life marked by the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the flesh—such as anger, jealousy, and impurity—are not blamed on external forces but are the natural outcome of our sinful nature; only by abiding in Christ and keeping in step with the Spirit do we experience transformation. This journey of sanctification is not about striving for perfection but about daily surrender, allowing the Spirit to produce His fruit in us as we grow in freedom. [29:33]

Galatians 5:16-18, 22-25 (ESV)
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Reflection: What is one practical way you can intentionally “keep in step with the Spirit” today, rather than focusing on avoiding sin through your own effort?

Day 5: Abide in the Word: Cultivating Lasting Freedom

Lasting spiritual freedom is cultivated through abiding practices—regular rhythms of relationship with God, especially through Scripture—which keep us rooted in the truth and resistant to subtle distortions. Building a habit of time in God’s Word may be challenging, but it is essential for aligning our hearts and minds with the pure gospel and for experiencing the ongoing transformation that comes from abiding in Christ. Sharing your journey, struggles, and progress with trusted friends or community brings encouragement, accountability, and prayer support as you grow in freedom together. [32:23]

John 15:4-5 (ESV)
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Reflection: How can you adjust your daily or weekly routine to create more intentional space for abiding in God’s Word, and who can you invite to encourage or pray for you in this practice?

Sermon Summary

Freedom is a word that stirs deep longing in every human heart. Yet, even in a culture that celebrates liberty, many find themselves bound—by shame, by old wounds, by legalism, by anxiety, or by unforgiveness. The reality is that spiritual bondage is far more common than we realize, and it often goes unnoticed because it doesn’t come with visible chains. The good news is that in Christ, true freedom is not only possible, it is already accomplished. Through the finished work of Jesus—His death and resurrection—we are set free from the power of sin and the impossible demands of the law. This is not a freedom to do whatever we want, but a release from the grip of sin and the burden of trying to earn God’s love, so that we can live by the Spirit.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians addresses a church tempted to trade this freedom for a return to legalism. Some were teaching that faith in Jesus wasn’t enough; that the old laws and rituals, like circumcision, were still necessary for salvation. Paul’s response is passionate and urgent: to add anything to the gospel is to lose it entirely. The law was never meant to save, but to point us to Christ, who fulfilled it perfectly on our behalf. Our righteousness is not earned, but received as a gift—grace, pure and simple.

Yet, even after being set free, there is a danger of spiritual recidivism—of returning to old patterns of slavery, whether to sin or to legalistic thinking. Paul commands us to stand firm in our freedom and not submit again to a yoke of slavery. This means actively rejecting distortions of the gospel, whether they come from outside influences or from our own hearts. A little distortion, like a little leaven, can spread and corrupt the whole community.

True freedom in Christ is not a license for self-indulgence, but an invitation to walk by the Spirit. The Spirit empowers us to live in a way that reflects God’s character—producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are not things we manufacture by effort, but fruit that grows as we abide in Christ. The evidence of freedom is not in what we avoid, but in the transformation that takes place within us. The call is to examine our lives: Are we experiencing the fruit of the Spirit? Are we living as those who are truly free?

Key Takeaways

1. Freedom in Christ is a release from both the power of sin and the demands of the law, accomplished entirely by Jesus’ finished work. This freedom is not self-generated or earned, but received as a gift. To try to add our own efforts to the gospel is to miss its very heart and to place ourselves back under a yoke we were never meant to bear. [06:56]
2. Spiritual recidivism is a real danger: even after being set free, we can be tempted to return to old patterns of bondage, whether to sin or to legalism. This often happens because the familiarity of slavery feels safer than the unknowns of freedom. Standing firm in freedom requires vigilance and a continual return to the truth of the gospel. [10:22]
3. Distortions of the gospel, no matter how small, are dangerous and contagious. Like leaven in dough, false teaching or subtle legalism can quickly spread and corrupt a community. The antidote is to continually return to Scripture as the source of truth, allowing God’s word to shape our understanding and guard our hearts from error. [18:45]
4. The works of the flesh are not merely external temptations or the result of demonic influence, but arise from within our own hearts. Paul’s sobering list reminds us that apart from the Spirit’s transforming power, these are the natural outworkings of our fallen nature. True freedom is not the ability to indulge these desires, but the power to live differently by the Spirit. [25:44]
5. Walking by the Spirit is both a command and a promise: as we abide in Christ and yield to the Spirit’s leading, the fruit of the Spirit will increasingly characterize our lives. This is not about striving for perfection, but about a growing evidence of transformation—love, joy, peace, and the rest—flowing from our relationship with Jesus. The journey of sanctification is ongoing, and the fruit is a sign that we are truly free. [31:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:15] - The Longing for Freedom
[03:19] - The Danger of Legalism and Distorted Gospels
[06:56] - Freedom Accomplished by Christ Alone
[09:23] - Spiritual Recidivism: Returning to Old Chains
[12:12] - The Yoke of the Law vs. the Yoke of Christ
[15:17] - Faith Working Through Love
[17:23] - Removing Distortions and False Teaching
[18:45] - The Importance of Returning to Scripture
[20:10] - The Instigator and Paul’s Strong Rebuke
[21:41] - The Call to Remove Distortion
[23:24] - Love Fulfills the Law
[25:44] - The Works of the Flesh and the Reality of Sin
[27:37] - The Warning and the Fruit of the Spirit
[31:26] - Abiding in Christ and Bearing Fruit
[32:23] - Practicing Abiding and Community Accountability
[33:00] - Closing Prayer and Encouragement

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Galatians 5:1-26 (ESV) —
> 1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
> 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
> 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
> 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
> 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
> 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
> ...
> 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
> 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
> 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
> 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
> 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
> 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
> 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
> 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
> 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
> 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
> 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
> 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
> 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
> 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Observation Questions

According to Paul in Galatians 5, what are the two main things Christ has set us free from? ([03:19])
What does Paul say is the only thing that counts in Christ Jesus, instead of circumcision or uncircumcision? ([15:17])
What warning does Paul give about “a little leaven” in the church, and what does he mean by it? ([18:45])
How does Paul describe the difference between the “works of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit”? ([25:44])

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul use such strong language against adding anything to the gospel, like circumcision or law-keeping? What is at stake if we try to earn God’s love? ([12:12])
The sermon talks about “spiritual recidivism”—returning to old patterns of slavery. Why do you think people are tempted to go back to what enslaved them, even after being set free? ([10:22])
Paul says that the works of the flesh come from within us, not just from outside influences or the devil. What does this reveal about the nature of sin and our need for the Spirit? ([25:44])
The fruit of the Spirit is described as something that grows as we abide in Christ, not something we manufacture by effort. What does it look like practically to “walk by the Spirit” in daily life? ([31:26])

Application Questions

The sermon asks, “Are you experiencing freedom?” In what areas of your life do you feel truly free, and where do you still feel bound—by shame, old wounds, legalism, anxiety, or unforgiveness? ([01:15])
Have you ever found yourself slipping back into old patterns of sin or legalistic thinking, even after knowing the gospel? What triggers this, and how can you “stand firm” in your freedom? ([10:22])
Paul warns that even a small distortion of the gospel can spread and corrupt a community. Are there any subtle distortions or legalistic attitudes you’ve noticed in your own thinking or in the church? How can you return to the truth of the gospel? ([18:45])
The works of the flesh are listed in verses 19-21. Which of these do you see as particular temptations in your own life? What steps can you take to bring these into the light and seek transformation? ([25:44])
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Choose one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit that you want to see grow in your life. What is one practical way you can cultivate it this week? ([31:26])
The sermon encourages regular time in Scripture as a way to guard against distortion and abide in Christ. What is your current rhythm of Bible reading? What obstacles do you face, and how can your group help you stay accountable? ([32:23])
Who is someone in your life that you can serve “through love” this week, as an expression of your freedom in Christ? What specific action can you take? ([23:24])

Sermon Clips

No one can bear the weight of keeping the law, but Christ himself who did it perfectly. We can't bear up under that weight. And it is a distortion of the grace of God. And so Paul writes the same idea over and over and over. It's grace. It's faith. It's not law. It's not works. Because this is detrimental, not just for the Galatians, but for you and I. [00:03:00] (24 seconds) #graceoverlaw

A release from the grip of sin and the demands of the law, enabling us to live by the spirit. We've been released from the power of sin. Sin used to have mastery over us, dominion over us. We were enslaved to sin. And we've been released from that power. The prison door has been opened. Shackles have been removed. You have been set free from the power of sin. That's good news. [00:04:31] (19 seconds) #releasedfromsin

But more than that, you've been set free from the demands of the law, which you could never uphold in the first place. Jesus fulfilled them perfectly. And because we have trusted in him and in him alone, his perfection is now credited to our account. We don't have to uphold the demands of the law. And both of these freedoms enable us to live by the spirit. [00:04:51] (19 seconds) #freedomthroughfaith

``You have been made free, not because you wriggled yourself free, or you broke the bars of your own prison, or you took the shackles off yourself. No. What made you free? Christ. That's it. Christ and Christ alone. The finished work of Jesus on the cross set you free from the power of sin and his powerful resurrection. [00:08:11] (20 seconds) #freedbychristalone

Spiritual recidivism is a church disease where people who, like you and I, who have been set free by the finished work of Jesus, we've been set free from sin. We've been set free from the demands of the law, put ourselves back under that yoke, put ourselves back into those patterns of habitual sin, or put ourselves into legalistic thinking that says, I've got to earn something from God. Like I'm under the law. You've been set free. If you're in Christ, you've been set free. [00:11:02] (31 seconds) #spiritualrecidivism

There's no need to go back to the yoke of the law. There's no power that sin has over you anymore. You are not a prisoner. You are not a slave to sin. You are a freed one. Are you experiencing freedom? [00:11:33] (17 seconds) #breakyokeslavery

The world props this list of yucky stuff up as freedom, but it only leads to bondage. I warn you as I warned you before. that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. That is a sober warning. Here's what he's saying. Look at the works of your life. If this is what it looks like on a regular, consistent basis, you might want to evaluate whether or not the root of your life is Jesus or not. [00:27:37] (33 seconds) #warningagainstworks

We don't make the fruit grow. We walk with the Holy Spirit. We abide in Christ. This is why abiding practices are so important. We abide in Christ and a natural byproduct of that is fruit being born out in our life. And this is a singular multifaceted fruit. Notice the fruit here is in the singular but there's many facets to it. Love, joy, peace, and the rest. Paul says, this is what life in freedom looks like. Not the works of the flesh, rather the works of the Spirit. [00:31:23] (38 seconds) #abideandbearfruit

Are you experiencing freedom? Are you experiencing these facets of the fruit of the Spirit increasingly in your life? If not, maybe look at the root of your life. Is Jesus really truly there? And I'd encourage you, we are often our own worst critics, I'd encourage you, talk to a trusted friend, your spouse, your kids, someone who knows you well, that loves you well and trusts you, that you trust rather, that can give a perspective on this. Do they see these things increasing in your life? How can they pray for you in the midst of that? Are you experiencing freedom? You have been set free, but are you experiencing the implications of that? [00:32:06] (45 seconds) #freedominthefruit

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