"Free!" (Galatians 5:1-6)

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  Many love to quote these words of Jesus and misapply “truth” and “free” rather generically to suit whatever ideology or agenda they are promoting. But Jesus shed light on the real meaning of these words just a few verses later when he also said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). So the “truth” is this: Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection have freed us from the condemnation of sin, the control of Satan, and the dread of death. Now that’s freedom! During November, we will be giving our attention to what a difference-maker our freedom in Jesus really is. Today, as we celebrate the ongoing blessings of the Reformation, we give thanks and we stand guard. We give thanks that our freedom is only by faith in Jesus, and we stand guard against the lie that freedom could ever be achieved by observing the law.