"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do not yourselves be burdened
again by a yoke of slavery."
(GALATIANS 5:1)

Galatians 5:1-6
Paul teaches that true freedom is found in Jesus Christ. Being free implies deliverance from slavery, and Paul is clear that it is Christ who delivers elect sinners, not the sinners who liberate themselves. Though the Galatians were delivered from the power of sin and guilt by the word of God’s truth, they were ensnared by man-made traditions which rendered that freedom useless.


When I was incarcerated, I was initially concerned about all of the personal freedoms I had lost. In time God humbled my spirit and gave me peace. My faith, certainly atypical of the prison environment, reminds me that my spiritual freedom was obtained by the suffering of Christ rather than by any legal document. My hope is for His mercy and grace. The salvation I have now obtained through Christ surpasses the momentary suffering of physical incarceration, because my hope is grounded in His mercy and grace, untethered from the folly of man and the yoke of my sin. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).



Scripture Focus

Galatians 5:1-6

Insight

WRITTEN BY JOSEPH T. MARYLAND, SERVING A SENTENCE IN DANVILLE CORRECTIONAL CENTER
(DANVILLE, ILLINOIS).

Bible In A Year

  • Exodus 15-16
  • Psalm 33
  • Mark 13

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