Since high school, the Army has been a big part of my life. I was very active in Army JROTC throughout my high school years. Upon graduation, I accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. When I graduated from West Point, I was commissioned as an Army officer and spent close to 11 years on active duty.

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I tell you this because the Army lifestyle and its rhythms were in my blood. When I resigned my commission and got out of the Army, I found myself still practicing the same disciplines and rhythms the Army taught me. I was “free” of the Army, but I struggled to let go of the routines it had established in my life. Some of those routines still stick with me to this day (just ask my wife…).

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This observation leads us into our verse for today. Galatians 5:1 is one of the most liberating verses in the New Testament, but sometimes one of the hardest to live. Paul reminds us that Christ has “truly set us free”—not theoretically, not symbolically, but actually. Yet, he follows that declaration with a warning: “Now make sure that you stay free.” That tension reveals something important about the Restoration Life Jesus offers—it’s not passive. It’s received, but it must also be guarded.

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Freedom in Christ is not simply the absence of sin—it’s the presence of wholeness. It’s not merely walking away from bondage—it’s learning to walk in a new identity. And it’s never something we produce through our effort; it’s something Christ accomplishes and we embrace. In the context of Galatians, Paul is confronting believers who started with grace but drifted back into legalism—back into the belief that their effort, rule-keeping, or religious performance justified them before God. They were free, but they were slipping back into the chains of spiritual slavery. We may not be tempted to follow ancient Jewish ceremonial practices, but we know the pull of modern forms of slavery:

• the pressure to prove our worth

• the fear of what others think

• addictions that promise comfort but tighten their grip

• shame from the past that whispers “this is who you’ll always be”

• self-reliance that masks itself as strength

• religious duty that replaces relationship

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Freedom in Christ is not an emotional high or a motivational phrase. It’s a deep spiritual reality that starts with Jesus’ finished work and continues as we walk with Him daily. Isaiah 61:1b, the Scripture behind this week’s theme, says the Messiah would come “to set the captives free and release prisoners from darkness.” That’s not a poetic metaphor—that’s the purpose of Jesus’ mission. And Paul echoes it in Galatians: Christ has truly set us free. But here’s the key: freedom is offered, yet it must also be chosen. Christ unlocks the door, but we step out. Christ breaks the chains, but we must stop holding on to them. Christ speaks truth over us, but we must reject the lies we once lived by.

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The Restoration Life is not found in striving harder, achieving more, or managing our sin more efficiently. It’s found in surrender—letting Christ redefine us, restore us, and lead us into freedom one step at a time. This kind of freedom doesn’t mean life will be easy. It means we no longer face bondage alone. It means we have power over what once controlled us. It means our past no longer dictates our future. And it means that even when we stumble, we never fall back into chains—because the One who sets us free holds onto us.  

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Freedom in Christ is not freedom from responsibility; it’s freedom from the lie that you must earn God’s love. It’s not freedom to do whatever we want; it’s freedom to become who we were created to be. It’s not freedom from struggle; it’s freedom in the struggle, because Christ is with us. The life you truly want—the life your soul was designed for—is not found in chasing more, achieving more, or redefining yourself endlessly. It’s found in being made whole, healed, forgiven, and set free by Jesus.

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Reflection Questions:

• What chains has Christ already broken in your life that you still struggle to walk away from? (Fear, shame, habits, legalism, people-pleasing, self-reliance—be honest.)

• Where do you feel pressure to “prove yourself” to God or others? How does Galatians 5:1 challenge that pressure?

• If Jesus were speaking to you today, what area of your life would He gently say, “You don’t have to carry that anymore”?

Jesus, thank You for setting me free—not conditionally, not partially, but fully. Thank You that Your freedom is not something I earn, but something You give. Help me recognize the places where I am tempted to return to old chains—old habits, old lies, old fears. Give me courage to walk in the freedom You purchased for me. Let Your Spirit lead me into the Restoration Life You promised—a life marked by grace, identity, and wholeness. When I feel pulled back into striving, remind me of Your love. When shame tries to speak, silence it with Your truth. When fear rises up, strengthen me with Your presence. Jesus, I want to live free. Teach me to stay free. And use my freedom as a testimony that draws others toward You—the only One who sets captives free. Amen.