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What might be holding you back from progressing in your spiritual journey? This post will focus on freedom from “religious” human created rules and explain the process of santification. Scripture passages from Berean Standard Bible available online at https://biblehub.com/bsb. Images from Unsplash and captured by blog author August, 2026, in Western TN, USA. Post edited and updated for clarity.
Galatians 5:1-6: BSB, emphasis mine
Freedom in Christ
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
2Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
5But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
Commentary:
Why Paul writes this passage: to confront legalism
“The occasion of Paul’s letter to the Galatians was that false teachers had come into the churches there. These teachers promoted legalism and tried to require Christians to observe the Old Testament rules, laws, and ceremonies, especially circumcision (Galatians 2:3–5). Paul, in no uncertain terms, says that “for freedom Christ has set us free” and that Christians should not be placed back under the law’s yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1). The law’s purpose was to reveal our sinfulness (see Romans 3:20) and to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).”
“Jesus did what the law could not do—He took away our sin and saved us, and in doing so He set us free from the penalty and power of sin. For freedom to follow His design of life He set us free.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/for-freedom-Christ-has-set-us-free.html
His Grace gives us freedom to live for Him as His Holy Spirit guides and empowers us!
Sun rays stream through evening clouds as the sun descends.
Background/Context
Paul writes his letter to the believers at Galatia because he has heard that they are being troubled and led astray. Chapter 1 verse 6 explains:
6I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.
Paul responds to a serious distortion of Christ’s Gospel! What is this distortion? Legalism. Individuals were informing believers that they needed to comply with multiple Old Covenant concepts (circumcision, obedience to law, etc.) The issue is that obedience to laws was being placed over grace. Theses teachers were adding requirements to the Gospel. What “requirements” do modern religious people add to the Good News? Why is this dangerous?
Paul responds with strong words! He explains his background in Chapters 1-2 as a “zealous persecutor” and “traditions of my fathers.” He confronts Peter for his hypocritical behavior 2:11-13. Even Barnabas and others were engaging in mistreating others. They were showing preference to the Jewish believers over the Gentiles.
Are your walking in the pathway of His grace? Photo by Jasper Gronewold on Unsplash
Religious Rules Vrs Sanctification
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”
― C.S. Lewis
Paul is clear that depending upon circumcision or any other “tradition” to be justified before God is counter to Christ’s Gospel. Being overly religious in the sense of trying to be holy by obeying a set of rules works against Christ’s Gospel! Holiness and righteousness come through relationship with Christ, the working of Holy Spirit in our lives as we walk with Him in faith, obedience, and dependence. The term for this life long process is sanctification. Got Questions breaks this term down for us into three phases:
To summarize, “sanctification” is a translation of the Greek word hagiasmos, meaning “holiness” or “a separation.” In the past, God granted us justification, a once-for-all, positional holiness in Christ. In the present, God guides us to maturity, a practical, progressive holiness. In the future, God will give us glorification, a permanent, ultimate holiness.
These three phases of sanctification separate the believer from the penalty of sin (justification), the power of sin (maturity), and the presence of sin (glorification).
Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html
Oswald Chambers elaborates:
Sanctification means that Jesus gives me his patience, his love, his holiness, his faith, his purity, and his godliness. All these are manifested in and through every sanctified soul.
Sanctification isn’t drawing the power to be holy from Jesus; it’s drawing his own holiness from him. It’s having the very same holiness that was manifested in him manifested in me.
Source: “The Life Side of Sanctification” devotional
Image 2: light rays breaking through clouds.
Effective, Saving Faith
Chambers reminds us that sanctification is about relationship not power. Jesus gives us Himself–He is the author and perfecter of our faith as the author of Hebrews reminds us in Chapter 12:2
Commentary from Got Questions: emphasis mine
“The Greek word translated “perfecter” in Hebrews 12:2 appears only this one time in the New Testament. It means literally “completer” or “finisher” and speaks of bringing something to its conclusion. Putting the two words together, we see that Jesus, as God, both creates and sustains our faith.
We know that saving faith is a gift from God, not something we come up with on our own (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that gift comes from Christ, its creator. He sustains our faith, meaning that true saving faith cannot be lost, taken away or given away. This is a source of great comfort to believers, especially in times of doubt and spiritual struggles. Christ has created our faith and He will watch over it, care for it, and sustain it.
“It is important for us to understand that God in Christ is not only the creator and sustainer of our saving faith, but He is also the sustainer of our daily walk and the finisher of our spiritual journey.”
Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/author-perfecter-faith.html
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Holy Spirit Empowers
What changes hearts and renews us? Paul answers in 2:11-21
19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. 20I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing.
Got Questions briefly explains:
https://www.gotquestions.org/for-freedom-Christ-has-set-us-free.html
“Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are characterized by a joyous freedom to follow Christ and God’s design for life (Galatians 2:20). The Bible is clear that Christian freedom is not a license to sin. Instead, believers are free not to live for sin and are free to live holy lives in Christ. For this freedom Christ has set us free: to live in relationship to God and others the way He intended (Galatians 5:13). Believers are free to live an abundant life (John 10:10), and we have been given everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).”
Set free to follow Him and fellowship with others!
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