From Rules to Relationship: Living Out Our Identity in Christ
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery… 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. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” -Galatians 5:1, 13-14
One of the most challenging tensions in the Christian life is understanding the relationship between God’s law and the freedom we have in Christ. How do we honor God’s commands without falling into legalism? How do we embrace our freedom without slipping into license? These questions cut to the heart of our identity as followers of Jesus.
The Trap of Legalism
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day had mastered the art of legalism. They had taken God’s perfect law and created an elaborate system of external compliance that missed the heart of what God desired. Jesus confronted this mindset repeatedly, most pointedly in Matthew 23:25-26:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”
Legalism manifests in our lives when we:
Reduce our relationship with God to rule-keeping
Judge our spiritual maturity by external compliance
Find our identity in what we do rather than who we are in Christ
Use performance as the measure of our standing with God
The Hebrew word for “law” is torah, which at its root means “instruction” or “teaching.” This gives us insight into God’s intention - His law was never meant to be a burden but a guide, revealing His character and showing us how to live in relationship with Him.
Our Identity in Christ
When we place our faith in Christ, everything changes. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Our fundamental identity is transformed.
In Christ, we are:
Justified by faith, not works (Romans 5:1)
Children of God (John 1:12)
Saints, not sinners trying to become saints (Ephesians 1:1)
Complete in Him (Colossians 2:10)
The gospel teaches us that we don’t obey to become accepted; we obey because we are accepted. This distinction makes all the difference. But really, its who we are in Christ, our transformed heart, the Spirit dwelling inside that leads us to do anything good.
Living from Our Identity
When we truly grasp our identity in Christ, obedience flows from a different source. Instead of following rules to earn God’s favor, we live out who we already are in Him. This is what Paul meant when he wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Living from our identity in Christ means:
We obey from the inside out - God’s law is written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33), not just imposed from the outside.
We are motivated by love, not fear - “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).
We live in the power of the Spirit - “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
We embrace both freedom and responsibility - “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16).
Practical Application
How do we live this out in daily life? Here are some practical ways to move from legalism to living out our identity in Christ:
Begin each day by rehearsing who you are in Christ - Take time to meditate on passages that speak of your identity in Him.
Ask heart-focused questions - When faced with a choice, don’t just ask, “Is this allowed?” Ask, “Does this align with who I am in Christ?”
Practice grace toward others - Often, our legalism toward ourselves manifests as judgment toward others. Extend the same grace to others that Christ has extended to you.
• Remember that sanctification is a process - Growth in Christ-likeness happens progressively as we walk with Him, not overnight through sheer willpower.
• Rest in Christ’s finished work - When you fail (and you will), don’t try to add to what Christ has done. Repent, receive forgiveness, and move forward in the confidence that your standing with God remains secure.
Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, Christ has set us free from both legalism and lawlessness. We are free from the burden of trying to earn God’s favor through rule-keeping, and we are free from the deception that God’s commands don’t matter. Instead, we are called to live as those whose very identity has been transformed by the gospel.
Let us stand firm in this freedom, serving one another in love, and living as the new creations we already are in Christ.
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 5:1
