Living in the Joyful Ease of Christ’s Freedom
Living in the freedom of the wind—released from the burden of self-effort, carried by the Spirit.
Inspired by John Piper’s article “For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free” (Desiring God)
Photo by Unsplash
John Piper’s message focuses on Galatians 5:1–5 and the clear will of God: that we live in freedom. Not the freedom to live selfishly, but the freedom from trying to earn God’s love or approval by our works. Piper points out how often believers unknowingly slip back under the yoke of performance—whether it’s striving to obey laws to please God or falling into a “gratitude ethic,” where we serve God to pay Him back for all He’s done.
From Piper’s dichotomist perspective, freedom comes when we let God come down beside us, metaphorically speaking, to assist us in the tasks of obedience. He contrasts two approaches: one of slavery, where we perform to avoid punishment, and one of joy, where the Father shares in the work with us. But from a grace-oriented, exchanged life lens, we can see that Piper gets close—yet slightly misses the essence. It’s not that God helps us obey; it’s that He lives His life through us by the indwelling Spirit. We’re not partners on the floor picking up blocks. We’re vessels through which His life flows.
Paul says that any attempt to please God through self-effort or law-keeping severs us from grace. Christ becomes “of no advantage” to us—not because He leaves us, but because we’ve chosen to walk independently. The key is not to offer our own spiritual currency to earn dividends from God, but to trust that the full investment has already been made at Calvary—and we now receive by faith.
Freedom, then, is experienced through ongoing dependence upon grace: not grace as a past transaction, but grace as the present, moment-by-moment exertion of God’s power within us. This is why verse 5 declares that “through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.” The Spirit is not merely assisting our self-effort—He is our source.
Personalized Journal Entry — In the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture:
I am your life, and I have set you free—not only from the penalty of sin but from the burden of striving to please Me through effort. The yoke of slavery was once heavy upon your shoulders, but I removed it when you died with Christ. You were crucified with Him, and now you live—not by your own willpower, but by faith in Me who lives in you.
You no longer need to approach Me as a servant hoping for reward, or a debtor trying to repay a kindness. You are My beloved child. I did not save you to recruit your efforts—I saved you to indwell you. Your life is hidden with Christ in Me. Every righteous desire you have now springs from My life within you. When you walk by the Spirit, you will not carry out the desires of the flesh, because I am the One causing you both to will and to do for My good pleasure.
Stand firm, then, in this freedom. Do not submit again to the pressure of performance. Let go of the mindset that says, “God has done so much for me, now I must give back.” That is not freedom. That is debt. And I did not call you into a debt relationship—I called you into fellowship. I did not give you a helper to assist your self-improvement. I gave you Myself, the Spirit of the Son, so that you would cry out, “Abba, Father,” from a heart of trust.
Even as you wait for the full revealing of your righteousness, do so through Me and by faith. Rest in Me. Yield to Me. Depend on Me. For it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. The life you now live in the body, live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you.
(Galatians 5:1–5, 2:20; Philippians 2:13; Galatians 4:6; Colossians 3:3; Romans 8:1–4; Galatians 5:16; Hebrews 4:10)
Prayer:
Father, thank You that I no longer live under a yoke of slavery but in the freedom of Your indwelling life. I trust that everything You require of me, You’ve already supplied in Christ. I praise You that I don’t need to pay You back, earn Your favor, or strive to stay in Your good graces. The life of Christ within me is all-sufficient. I stand today in that freedom—not as one clinging to performance, but as one resting in Your love. And as I wait for the full hope of righteousness to be revealed, I do so joyfully through Your Spirit, by faith. It is Your life, and I’m simply Yours.
Suggested Unsplash Image:
A person flying a kite in a wide open field under a bright sky.
Caption:
Living in the freedom of the wind—released from the burden of self-effort, carried by the Spirit.