You started in freedom, so why are you running back to chains? Discover the psychological shift from "slave" to "heir" and learn how to win the daily battle for your own mind.
Jeremy Haroldson opens with a challenging question: "Why would you trade freedom for slavery?" He uses the book of Galatians as a case study in human psychology. The Galatians had experienced total liberation, yet they were drifting back into "religious" performance—trying to earn their worth through external checklists and rituals.
This isn't just ancient history; it's the modern condition. We constantly try to validate our existence through what we do, what we earn, and how we perform. Jeremy calls this "spiritual insanity." This teaching provides the roadmap to stop acting like a hired employee in your own life and start living like an heir who owns the place.
The core conflict in Galatians is between two mindsets: the Slave and the Son. Jeremy quotes Galatians 4:7: "So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."
A slave (or employee) works for approval. Their standing is based on their last performance review. If they mess up, they are fired.
A son (or heir) works from approval. Their standing is based on their DNA [birthright]. Jeremy explains: "You don't have to earn your seat at the table. You were born for it." When you shift your identity, you stop striving to prove you belong and start operating with the authority of someone who already does.
Why is it so hard to do the right thing? Jeremy unpacks the internal conflict described in Galatians 5. "The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh."
This is a civil war between your lower impulses (instant gratification, ego, anger) and your higher design (patience, integrity, purpose). They are "in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."
The Reality Check: You cannot "peacefully coexist" with your lower nature. You have to choose which voice to feed. If you feed the lower impulses, you get chaos. If you feed the higher design, you get peace.
Jeremy draws a brilliant distinction between "Works of the Flesh" and "Fruit of the Spirit."
The Takeaway: Stop trying to *manufacture* patience or joy. Focus on your *connection* to the Source, and the character will grow naturally.
The solution to the internal war is radical. "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
Jeremy explains that "crucifying" isn't a gentle metaphor. It means actively killing the part of you that demands to be the center of the universe. It means saying "no" to the ego's tantrum so you can say "yes" to your purpose. It is painful in the moment, but it is the only path to real freedom.
Religion (and the world) hands you a scorecard. It says, "If you do X, Y, and Z, then you are valuable." The Gospel rips up the scorecard.
Jeremy's closing challenge is to stop trying to perfect yourself through human effort. You cannot discipline your way into transformation; you can only surrender your way there. "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." Walk in the rhythm of your higher calling, and the lower impulses will lose their power.
Perfect for:
"Works" are things you produce through self-effort and striving (often leading to burnout or pride). "Fruit" is the natural byproduct of a healthy internal connection to a higher source (God). You manufacture works; you grow fruit.
Because legalism ties your worth to your performance. Like a slave, you are only "safe" as long as you are working perfectly. If you stop performing, you fear rejection. True freedom (Sonship) means your worth is settled regardless of your performance.
It is a metaphor for the decisive denial of your lower impulses. It means choosing not to gratify the ego's demands for immediate pleasure, validation, or revenge, in order to align with your higher purpose and values.
Key Scripture Reference: Galatians 5:16-17
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other..."