Called to freedom

Galatians 5:13: “You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses, but serve each other through love. All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don’t get eaten up by each other!”

Freedom is a tricky concept in western democratic societies. Most of us think we know what it means. Or at least, we certainly react when we believe our personal freedoms are being threatened. We have the freedom to “bite and devour each other,” which many do on social media and elsewhere, claiming “freedom of speech.” But is this a proper use of freedom? What does it actually mean to be “called to freedom” as followers of Christ?

In no way could the apostle Paul have envisioned a world like ours, nor a country like ours. However, when he wrote this letter, he was quick to remark to the church in Galatia that freedom must be tempered by love - loving one’s neighbor.

If we are called to freedom because of who Christ is and who we are in Christ, then we are called to examine our usage of freedom. Because of where we live, we have the tendency to think of freedom in terms of individual rights. For some, this emphasis on individual rights has led to the tendency to use our freedoms in self-focused ways - what I want to do, what I want to say, where I want to go.

For followers of Christ, this tendency to focus on the self in our usage of freedom can lead people to become too self-absorbed. If we are truly called to freedom, and we want to live this out faithfully as followers of Christ, then we must let go of any misuses of freedom that hurt others. In spiritual terms this call to freedom can be understood as a call to confession, repentance and transformation.

We confess how we have misused freedom. Have we used our freedom to hurt others with our words? Have we used our freedom to withhold help from someone when we could easily have provided it? We name these moments specifically.

Confession leads to repentance - to change. Change does not happen overnight; we have to practice. So we practice using our freedom in Christ in order to lift others up, not tear them down. We practice kindness, gentleness and patience in our words and actions. We practice using our freedom in Christ to love others in ways that are life-giving, honoring them.

Over time, this practicing leads to transformation - a transformation of our heart, of our relationships, even of our communities. That tendency to bite and devour each other is lessened and we begin to live in hope. Our freedom in Christ becomes a calling to be a blessing to others. This is the freedom to which we are called.