In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we find a portrait of our freedom in Christ to be like Christ. It’s a freedom grounded in faith in Jesus and contrasted with slavery to sin under the law’s condemnation.

Galatians is a direct, combative letter written to counter ‘Judaizers’—teachers of Jewish legalism who argue that following Old Testament law is the correct path. God’s apostle to the Gentiles responds with a stunning account of God’s long-term plan to save his people by faith in Christ.

Galatians 5:1 captures the intent of the letter: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

We who have been set free from slavery have a responsibility to guard that freedom and exercise it in Christ-like ways. There is a real danger that we can be tempted away from that freedom into behaving like slaves again.

When we come to Christ, we discover that he has freed us from something for something. We receive freedom from condemnation which is also a freedom for us to live Christ-like lives of love, service and dependence on God.

Paul arrives at this point through three stages in the letter:

• He defends the gospel of freedom (Gal. 1 & 2)
  Studies 1 – 2

• He defines the gospel of freedom (Gal. 3 & 4)
  Studies 3 – 6

• He depicts our freedom in action (Gal. 5 & 6)
  Studies 7 – 9.

Paul’s own story of salvation is core to his defence, so one of the things we will encourage in these studies is a two-minute testimony shared by each group member.

We will also be gearing up for our Share Life series in Term 3. Even as our time in Galatians sharpens our grasp of the gospel, the studies and Share Life Go reflections will help us look outward and spur us to share the gospel of freedom.