The movie about William Wallace in the movie Braveheart is probably my favorite, though I have a number of favorites. His freedom speech to his troops just before they go into battle was so good that I go to YouTube and watch it regularly as well as when he is being tortured to death, and he yells out at the top of his lungs ”Freedom”! as his last words. It is a favorite because the message resonates with my spirit, I crave freedom, every person does.

Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

During the days following the death of Jesus as the church was getting established some wanted to add extra rules for Christians to follow in order to be true Christians. Paul wrote the book of Galatians as a rebuttal to this teaching. God’s rules are few, don’t change or get added to, give joy, peace, and security, and increase our sense of freedom. Man’s rules are designed to control others, steadily increase in number and extent, they take away joy, peace and security, and they reduce freedom.

I was created by God to be free, Jesus died to set me free, and I feel increasingly oppressed when that freedom is taken away. When I am bossed around by ungodly people, with rules that are arbitrarily and unequally applied, which are dubious in their truthfulness, validity, and effectiveness, and which cause the society they are supposed to be helping to be divided and rebellious.