Galatians 5:1
Stand
fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free, and be not
entangled again with the
yoke of bondage. KJV
In (this) freedom Christ has made us free (and completely liberated us), stand fast then and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery (which you have once put off) AMP
Webster
1) fast - adj. - firmly fixed (O.E.)
2) liberty - n - the condition of being free to choose, as between
ways of acting or living with an implication of wisdom and
voluntary restraint. (F.)
3) free - adj. - not subject to external constraints or dominion,
clear of, able to act and choose for oneself. (O.E.)
4) entangled - v.t. - to catch up in, seemingly inextricably (from
which one cannot extricate oneself, that cannot be untied
or unraveled)
5) yoke - n - a bond, a linking together - (O.E.)
Strong’s
1) fast - 4739 - steko - stay’-ko- to be stationary - persevere, To
persist, to stand fast, to keep one’s standing.
2) liberty - 1657 - eleutheria - el-yoo-ther-ee’-ah - from 1658 -
freedom - liberty.
1558 - eleuthueros - el-yoo’-ther-os - unrestrained, not a slave,
free.
3) free - 1659 -eleutheroo - el-yoo-ther-o’-o - from 1658 - to
liberate - to exempt - to deliver. See liberty for 1658.
4) entangle - 1758 - enecho - en-ekh’-o - to hold in or upon.
5) yoke - 2218 - zugos - dzoo-gos’ - from root - zeugnumi - to
join, servitude as in law or obligation.
As believers in Christ we have been given much more than just salvation. We have been given a new life that is not connected or entangled with the old life. This new life is free from all the past ties that bound us. This verse strongly stresses that our mindset needs to be that of a new person. In other words, our attitudes, our thoughts and our actions need to be different, noticeably different from how we lived in the past.
The challenge for us then is to learn a new way to think, a new way to act, and a new way to live. Those things that affected our actions have no actual control. They control only as far as we allow them to. They control only as much of our lives as we give them permission to control. We must be aware of the power we give things in our lives. There are times and circumstances that we do not control, but it is during those times that God’s grace is sufficient to carry us through in His strength. He is the all powerful, He is the way, and He is able to give us the ability to live as He desires us to live.
So what is it that we control. We are to control our minds. We control what we put into our minds, we control the direction we let our thoughts wander, we control both the negative and positive thoughts we have, and we control whether or not we sin. We actually give ourselves permission to sin once we become a child of God. We excuses our behavior by saying we can not control our actions.
Many years ago I heard a wise older man say, we will do those things we want to do and find the excuses necessary to avoid doing those things we do not want to do. Over the years I have found that to be true in my life. And oh the excuses are plentiful. They can also be creative. But in the end they are just excuses not reasons. Reasons are those things we can not control. Excuses are choices we make one way or another.
This verse is an admonition to us to stand firm in what the Lord has given us. There is no reason for us to go back to our old ways of living. God has provided us with all that we need to live a victorious life. The word fast means firmly fixed. For some reason the picture that comes to mind is that of a person standing in cement. It has hardened and that person is not moving on their own power. They are not going to be able to step into sin again. Continuing the thought is that we are to stand firm in the condition of being free or in liberty. Christ died that we might be free from the hold that sin has had on us. His blood had completed all that God required of us. The breach has been closed and we no longer are separated from God. We must develop the mental picture of standing firm in our salvation.
We will be tempted, assaulted, and lured by past sins. While sin has been defeated, it refuses to acknowledge Christ’s victory in our lives. It will continue to try to trip us up. The verse tells us to not become entangled again in past sins. We are to avoid getting caught up into the same old problems and sins again. We give ourselves permission to let this happen. We have yet to fully believe that God is able to keep us and we don’t fully trust Him.
The yoke that Satan wishes to bind us with has been broken and can not hold us. It is effective because we allow it to be. We choose not to see the broken yoke but rather we focus on the person, the evil, Satan. We must change our line of sight. We must see the truth, that the yoke is broken and it holds us not. Satan is the perfect liar. He is so skilled he knows just what to say to defeat you. He is able to bring you under his bondage again because you allow it.
The entire issue here is hearing the truth and believing the truth. It is the difference between a life of victory or defeat. God is pure and He is truth. He does not lie and He will not lead you into a path that you can not live. Stand fast in Him. Do not face Satan, face the Lord, have Him solely in your gaze. Fix His wonderful blessings in your heart.
I must not focus on the food, the body shape or size, or even my perceived idea of how others see me. All that is truly important is that I stay focused on the truth of God’s Word, that I stand firmly fixed in the freedom and liberty that became mine on the day that I received Christ in my life. There is no need to fail. There is no condemnation in the Lord. I must choose Him, choose freedom, choose to live in the new life He has given me. There is no need for me to struggle with bonds that no longer exist.
Thank you Father for this truth. Thank you that I am free of the bonds of sin. Thank you for the new life you have given me. Old things not only have passed they are completely gone. Place my feet solidly in you, fixed so that they do not move. Help me to recognize the liberty that you have given me. Help me to not stray back into old ways and habits. Help me to establish new ways and habits. Words are not enough of an expression of gratitude. I desire to live in this freedom, showing you that I understand all that you have given me. Thank you Father.
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast (firmly fixed)therefore in the liberty (the condition of being free to chose, as between ways of
acting or living) wherewith Christ hath made us free (able to act and choose for oneself), and be not
entangled (to catch up in inextricably from which one cannot extricate oneself) again with the yoke (a bond,
a linking together) of bondage (subjection to the constraint of duty or some strong desire.)