True Christian freedom is not autonomy to indulge the flesh but liberation from sin to walk in love, as a new creation in Christ. Paul urges believers to purge all hindrances to that freedom—by obeying the truth of the gospel, searching diligently for sin, and embracing the offense of the cross. Our calling mirrors the Exodus: freed not by works, but by grace, we now submit our desires to God and fulfill the law through loving others. This scandalous freedom leads us to joyfully serve, because Christ served us first.

Standing firm in true Christian freedom means rejecting every form of self-justification—whether through prideful entitlement or despairing unworthiness—and instead receiving the full benefits of Christ by faith. Paul warns that to rely on any part of the law obligates one to keep the whole law, cutting oneself off from grace. Justification cannot be earned; it must be received as a gift. Those who belong to Christ eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness—a future public vindication that rests on Jesus' merits. In the meantime, genuine faith expresses itself through love, sourced and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 4 shows that both legalism and idolatry are forms of spiritual slavery that reject the freedom found in Christ. Paul uses the image of a child-heir under a guardian to illustrate that, before faith, people are enslaved to “elementary principles”—whether the Jewish law or pagan gods. But when Christ came, he redeemed us, adopted us, and sent his Spirit into our hearts so that we cry “Abba, Father.” Christians are not slaves but sons, and we are called to live out that sonship through knowing the truth, praying as children to our Father, and serving others in love—rejecting anything that would pull us back into trying to earn what has already been freely given.