Living in freedom sounds beautiful in theory, but it can feel surprisingly unfamiliar in practice.
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, I know better than this. Why do I keep ending up here? Whether it’s fear, pride, anger, anxiety, or another recurring struggle, we often find ourselves returning to the same patterns even after we’ve asked God for help.
Galatians 5:1 reminds us that Jesus didn’t simply save us from something—He saved us for something. He came so we could experience true freedom. Let’s look at what it means to live in the freedom Christ has already provided.
Why Living in Freedom Can Feel So Difficult
One of the enemy’s greatest strategies is convincing us that our struggles define us.
Maybe you’ve grown so accustomed to carrying anxiety that peace feels unfamiliar. Maybe you’ve lived under guilt for so long that grace feels almost uncomfortable. Maybe you’ve spent years trying to earn God’s approval instead of resting in His love.
The apostle Paul was writing to believers who were facing a similar temptation. False teachers had convinced many Christians that faith in Jesus wasn’t enough—that they also needed to follow religious rules to be accepted by God.
Paul’s response was direct:
“Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 (HCSB)
Freedom wasn’t meant to be a temporary experience. It was meant to become the way we live.
Step By Step Bible Study: What Galatians 5:1 Teaches About Living in Freedom
The Greek word for free (eleuthero) means to liberate or deliver. It carries the idea of being released from whatever confines, limits, or oppresses us. It’s related to a word that means unrestrained—free to come and go.
Some Bible translations capture this beautifully:
- AMP: “free [completely liberating us]”
- MSG: “live a free life”
- NIRV: “enjoy our freedom”
Each translation emphasizes the same truth: Christ didn’t partially set us free. He liberated us so we could actually live in that freedom.
The Topical Lexicon describes it this way:
It is the God-given release from every form of spiritual bondage so that the redeemed may serve the Lord willingly, joyfully, and fruitfully.
That changes the picture.
Living in freedom isn’t simply having chains removed. It’s learning to move the way God designed us to move. It’s becoming the person He created us to be instead of remaining confined by old patterns, fears, or false beliefs.
When Living in Freedom Feels Unfamiliar
During my recovery after a car accident, I spent months wearing a sling because my shoulder had been shattered.
Eventually, my physical therapist noticed something unexpected.
My elbow had become frozen in a bent position.
The elbow itself hadn’t been seriously injured. It had simply stayed bent for so long that it no longer knew how to straighten.
Even now, I can remember how painful those therapy sessions were.
The therapist couldn’t simply tell my arm to move freely. It had to be stretched a little at a time until it relearned how it had been designed to function.
That picture has stayed with me.
Sometimes we become so accustomed to living under things Christ has already freed us from that freedom itself feels uncomfortable.
Our habits adapt to our limitations.
Our thinking adapts to our fears.
Our hearts adapt to old lies.
But Christ didn’t create us to remain spiritually bent. He invites us to experience the freedom He has already secured for us.
Freedom is Guided by Grace, Not Rules
One commentary made an observation that has stayed with me.
William Barclay writes that people who make law the principle of their lives become slaves, while those who make grace the principle of their lives are truly free. He quotes Augustine’s well-known statement:
“Love God, and do what you like.”
That isn’t permission to live however we want.
It’s a reminder that love is a stronger guide than legalism.
I didn’t grow up in a particularly legalistic church, but I’ve walked alongside many people who sincerely believed following enough rules would somehow make them holy. I’ve discovered similar tendencies in my own life. Sometimes it’s easier to focus on outward behaviors than to invite God to search my heart and reveal what’s really happening beneath the surface.
Looking honestly at our hearts can be uncomfortable.
But that’s where freedom begins.
God isn’t interested in simply modifying our behavior. He wants to transform us from the inside out.
Choosing to Live in Freedom
Of course, freedom isn’t the same as doing whatever feels right.
Just a few verses later, Paul writes:
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. Galatians 5:13 (NIV)
The same chapter goes on to contrast the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit.
That’s an important question to ask ourselves.
Does what I’m calling “freedom” produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control?
Or does it produce selfishness, division, and pride?
Living in freedom isn’t about removing every boundary. It’s about walking closely enough with God that His Spirit shapes both our choices and our character.
As we remain curious and teachable before Him, He continues showing us where we’ve believed lies and inviting us into greater freedom.
Something to Consider
Where might you still be living as though you’re bound?
Is there an old fear, habit, or belief that has quietly become so familiar you no longer question it?
Spend some time with Galatians 5:1 this week. Ask God to show you where He has already set you free and where He may be inviting you to begin living like it.
Key Takeaway
People will always have opinions about the “right” way to follow God. But as we abide in Christ, He faithfully guides us. He corrects us. He reveals what reflects His love and what doesn’t.
Because Christ has already liberated us, we don’t have to live as though we’re still captive.
That’s where living in freedom begins.
Listen to the Full Episode
🎧 #383 | Seven Deadly Sins: Why We Feel Stuck (and How Freedom Begins)
In this episode of the Understand Your Bible podcast, we explore Galatians 5:1 and what it means to live in the freedom Christ has already given us.