Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1 NKJV

The yoke of bondage mentioned in this verse is the law.  The law doesn’t bring us closer to God; it reveals how far we are separated from Him. When we attempt to live by the law we believe we will become more spiritual by obeying the law.  This leads to a false confidence that we can become spiritually stronger by following rules.

When we believe we have become spiritually mature, we begin to look down on others who haven’t reached our level of maturity.  Instead of comparing our spiritual lives to the life of Christ, we compare our walk with other Christians.

If we set the standard of what a spiritually mature person looks like, we will drastically miss the mark.  Jesus is our standard, and until we attain His level of perfection, we will never be good enough.

Standing in liberty isn’t easy.  Our desire is to “do things” to earn our own way.  Liberty removes the yolk of bondage.  Ephesians 2:8 reminds us: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”.  Grace is the method God uses to bestow liberty upon us.  It is a gift that we receive, and then apply to our lives.