Based on Galatians 5:1-18 (New King James Version)
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
What was the problem that happened in Galatia, this issue of going back to the law? The problem surged when religious Jews that did not convert turned back to the law, leaving behind God’s grace, instead of following God’s grace through Jesus Christ. In other words, they put as conditions certain things of the law (like circumcision) as part of the way to becoming saved, and that is not what the Lord taught, and quite frankly, it wasn’t right with the law either. The truth is that circumcision was never the basis for faith, but rather, it was a sign that the Lord left established before the fulfillment of grace (because faith and grace was always the basis for everything in the Lord). Abraham received circumcision as a sign precisely after he found grace before God because of his faith. So then, what should happen so that there could be true freedom in Christ?
For starters, it is important to understand also the other error that has entered into the church, the other side of the spectrum, per se, so that we can clarify to those that have used God’s grace as a license to sin and that use liberty in Christ for the things of the flesh, by finally glorifying corruption (which produces death) instead of glorifying Christ. This is what the Word teaches: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:15-23. The Lord did not make us free to fall back into slavery with sin, but rather, so that we could do those things that produce life, to do the will of God.
So then, how do we then get to have eternal life? To start, the Lord Himself taught that it is necessary to be born again, as it is written: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:3-6. How does a person become born again? Being born of water and the Spirit consists of John’s baptism (of water) which consists of complete repentance and conversion from all sins. There must be 100% repentance, just as baptism illustrates it, where a person is completely submerged in water. Being born of the Spirit not only consists of just believing in Jesus as Lord, but also making Him the effective Lord of a person’s life. That is how our spirit is brought back to life, when the Holy Spirit enters our life through faith and submission to Christ. And after that event in our lives, then we should start doing those things that fulfill God’s will. Because yes, we are saved only by grace through faith in Christ, but our lives through the Lord should start to take their course towards what they were made for, as it is written: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10. This is the true way to eternal life.
So, what is it that we should be doing? For what should we be using our freedom in Christ? The Lord reestablished the following, which was also the basis for all of the law: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31. We should dedicate our lives to love God with everything we are, and like that, give Him first place; and to love our neighbor. According to God Himself, all of His will is fulfilled through this. And finally, love consists of actions, of good works that glorify God, just as the He did. The Father not only said that He loved us, but He also demonstrated it with the most sublime action, by giving His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that we could have eternal life, a completely unmerited gift, without any kind of obligation, the work of the manifestation of His grace. And remember this, that eternal life is not received until a person finishes the race. Therefore, we cannot just stay with the knowledge of salvation, but we should also run the race that God wants us to run. So then, what are you using your freedom in Christ for, to be able to live eternally, or for corruption? Lord bless! John