As we read through Paul’s letter to the Galatians, his words bear the passion and weight of a man who is deeply concerned for a people he loves. Paul’s plea is: we are free in Christ, who “gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”  No other religious practice contributes to our justification. No activity ensures our spiritual growth if detached from the work of the Spirit. We are free from the yoke of self-righteousness, from the need to prove ourselves to God, from the worry of whether or not we measure up, from the hamster wheel of self-motivated religious betterment, and free from sin’s tyranny and dominance in our lives. We are free to live in step with the Spirit, to love and walk alongside brothers and sisters as they, too, follow Jesus. And we are free to rest in the grace of God that is ours in Christ.