LOVING
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." — Galatians 5:13 (ESV)
Every Generation Wrestles with the Meaning of Freedom
In today's culture, freedom is often defined as the right to do whatever we choose, whenever we choose, so long as no one else is harmed. While personal liberty in Maine and in the US is an important blessing, Scripture presents a far richer understanding of freedom. Christian freedom is not primarily the absence of restraint, it is the presence of Christ, enabling us to love God and selflessly serve others.
The Apostle Paul wrote to believers in Galatia who were struggling with competing ideas about the Christian life. Some believed they needed to observe the Old Testament law in order to earn God's favor. Others – including certain Gnostic groups influenced by Docetic ideas – misunderstood grace as permission to live however they pleased because they viewed the body as spiritually insignificant.
Paul rejected both extremes. Instead, he declared: “For you were called to freedom… through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).
The Christian who is truly free willingly becomes a servant. This doesn’t mean that we become weak or passive; we don’t need to be the stereotypical smiling, gentle church-goer. Christ frees us from slavery to sin so that we might become people who genuinely love others—not from obligation or facade, but from transformed hearts.
Jesus modeled this freedom when He washed His disciples' feet (John 13:1–17), demonstrating that greatness in God's Kingdom is measured by humble service. Truly meek … not weak.
What Can We Learn from Church History?
This biblical understanding of freedom distinguished the earliest Christians from the surrounding Roman culture. During the epidemics that swept through the Roman Empire in the second and third centuries, many who had the means fled infected cities. Numerous Christians, however, remained behind to care for the sick, feed the hungry, and comfort the dying. Some paid for that compassion with their own lives.
Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria described believers who visited the sick “heedless of danger,” reflecting Christ's love rather than concern for personal safety. Their freedom was expressed not in demanding their rights, but in laying them down.
Living It Today
Christian freedom calls us to something higher. It frees us to forgive, to serve without expecting recognition, to listen before speaking, to bear one another's burdens, and to love people who may never be able to repay our kindness. The world often defines freedom as independence. The gospel defines freedom as joyful obedience expressed through love.
For Further Reading
In Scripture
- Galatians 5
- John 13:1–17
- Philippians 2:1–11
- 1 John 3:16–18
From the Early Church
- Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, Book VII
- The Epistle to Diognetus (2nd century)
Recommended Books
- Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, Volume 1
- Robert Louis Wilken, The Spirit of Early Christian Thought
- Michael J. Kruger, Christianity at the Crossroads
Faith Through the Ages Timeline
This article explores the life and witness of the Early Church.
✓ Apostolic Church (A.D. 30–100)
✓ Apostolic Fathers (A.D. 70–150)
✓ Ante-Nicene Church (A.D. 150–325)
○ Imperial Church (A.D. 325–590)
○ Early Medieval Church (A.D. 590–1054)
○ High Middle Ages (A.D. 1054–1517)
○ Reformation (A.D. 1517–1648)
○ Evangelical Awakenings (A.D. 1648–1900)
○ Modern Church (A.D. 1900–Present)
Reflection
Who in your life needs to experience Christ's love through you this week?
Ask the Lord how these ideas can be applied in your own life. How may they reveal a practical way you can serve someone—not because you must, but because Christ has set you free to love as He first loved you.
Our Commitment to Faithful Adherence to God’s Word
We seek to present Scripture as the final authority for faith and practice while drawing upon the best available historical scholarship to help readers understand how Christians have interpreted and lived out biblical truth throughout the centuries. Historical sources illuminate the Church's witness but never supersede the authority of God's Word.
From the Church Archives
The Plague of Carthage
(A.D. 249–262)
Why it matters: The compassion of these early believers reminds us that Christian freedom is measured not by what we are free to do for ourselves, but by what we are willing to do for others in Christ's name.
During one of the Roman Empire's most devastating epidemics, many fled the cities in fear of infection. Christians, however, became known for remaining behind to care for both fellow believers and their pagan neighbors. They STAYED when others left.
Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria praised those who visited the sick “heedless of danger,” ministering with remarkable devotion even at great personal risk. Their witness demonstrated that Christian freedom is freedom to love sacrificially.