But what does that mean? What does the Bible have to say about freedom in Christ?

In the beginning of Galatians 5, it tells us that God redeemed and saved His people so that we would be free from the law…free from the bondage of sin…free from the shackles that hold us back from a holy God. It also says in Romans 8 that

God came in the likeness of sin and flesh to fulfill the righteous requirement so that we have the ability to deny flesh and walk according to the Spirit.

In contrast, what does the Bible say about flesh? About sin? In Romans, Paul talks about how “sin can reign in our mortal body and make you obey its passions” (Romans 6:12). He also says in Romans 8:8 that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

So how can we overcome the flesh?

First, we must acknowledge that there is a thing called sin and it affects our lives daily. The works of the flesh, as it talks about in Galatians 5, are evident in human nature, in our culture, in ourselves. Once we acknowledge the sin in our life, we must call out to God and receive His Holy Spirit – to help lead us and guide us and help us walk in true freedom. Lastly, we must starve the flesh of its desires so it no longer has a foothold over our life.

So how do we live in the freedom? How do we live a life unhindered?

We must have a growing awareness of God’s holiness as well as a growing awareness of our flesh and sinfulness SO THAT the cross is magnified in our life SO THAT our thorns wilt away and our fruit becomes plentiful as we stay focused on the Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.