Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. —Galatians 5:1

Paul was entreating the Christians to stand fast in the freedom and liberty that they had in Christ Jesus. He was not encouraging them to live shoddy, unholy lives but was cautioning them to not be entangled with the yoke and bondage of the law.

Many well-meaning Christians today are in bondage to a “law spirit” while they still espouse an experience of grace through faith. They take a legalistic approach to spiritual issues and the weightier matters of a relationship of love and personal faith get lost in the quagmire of “do this and do not do that.” They have not yet learned that the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. The Holy Spirit desires to deliver these legalistic, New Testament saints.

Ministers of the truth, enjoy your freedom and fear not to rejoice at this wonderful experience of grace in this dispensation of the gospel. This liberty is not found in bondage to the law nor to the spoken and unspoken rules of the saints. Liberty and freedom is found in serving the Lord in holiness because of the righteousness of God within. The heart seeks to please God out of devotion and love. A “legalistic saint” and a “grace saint” may come to the same conclusions in practical living, but the one is in bondage while the other cheerfully experiences liberty through the daily working of God’s grace.
—mws