“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1 KJV).

The Apostle Paul encouraged the Followers of Christ in Galatia to “stand firm” in the liberty that Christ had achieved for them. Some of the Galatian Christians were being tempted and drawn back into the bondage of religious legalism.  Paul warned them to “wake up”  and not allow themselves to be drawn back into the very thing that Christ had delivered them from!   

The Power of Christ delivers us not only from the bondage of sin but also from the bondage of religious legalism.  The resulting liberty that Christ provides impacts every area of our Iives.  It impacts the culture as well. 

It was the liberty of the Gospel that fueled the desire for freedom from the tyranny of England in the American Colonies in 1776.   The American culture in the late 1700s was profoundly influenced by the Gospel.  Christian principles were embraced by the culture at large whether they were Christian or not.  They were embraced because of their profound and positive impact on the culture. 

It was not atheism that fueled the fires of freedom in America.  It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was not atheism that motivated men to lay down their lives for freedom in the war with England.  It was the influence of the Gospel of Christ. It was not atheism or agnosticism that blessed our nation throughout its history.  It was the Gospel of Christ.  We are deeply indebted to those who have gone before us and who have modeled for us what it means to be a Follower of Christ in the arena of everyday life. 

Let us resolve as Followers of Christ to continue to “stand firm” In our liberty in Christ.
Failure to do so may cause us to lose the liberties that we now enjoy in this nation.

James W. Black