Freedom In Dependence
Summary and Discussion Questions
Based on a sermon by Pastor Trent Thomas
Sunday, July 5, 2026 | Christ Hills Church in Monroe, NC
Galatians 5:1-6
There is something special about coming back to the good ol’ USA after being out of the country for awhile. The familiar sights, language, customs—they remind you that there’s no place like home. Many people who were born elsewhere understand that feeling. My father-in-law is 100% Cuban, and he is incredibly proud to be an American citizen. He loves this country and is grateful for the opportunities it has given his family.
In many ways, America is unique. For one, we’re free to critique our own nation, and that is one of our greatest strengths. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the freedom to bear arms. While some governments build borders to keep people from leaving, America has long been a place people long to enter.
The USA is a diverse nation where people from every corner of the world have come seeking opportunity. Think about individuals like Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX who immigrated from South Africa, or Jeff Bezos of Amazon, whose father (via adoption) was Cuban, or Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, whose family heritage reaches beyond America's borders. The USA has been shaped by people from many nations.
And yet, as grateful as we may be for this country, Galatians 5 reminds us to ask a deeper question: What has first place in our hearts?
Paul wrote to a church wrestling with a difficult issue. The congregation in Galatia included both Jews and Gentiles. Everyone agreed that Jesus was the Messiah, but many wondered what it truly meant to follow Him. Did Gentile believers also need to adopt Jewish customs? Specifically, did they need circumcision—the sign of God's covenant with Israel?
Paul's answer could not have been more clear. "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).
You see, circumcision had never been the point. It was a sign pointing to something greater. In Christ, the old covenant had been fulfilled. Baptism now marked our identification with Jesus, whose death and resurrection accomplished what no religious ritual ever could. The sign of circumcision was good, but the Savior Himself is infinitely better.
Paul's warning is surprisingly strong. If they placed their confidence in circumcision instead of Christ, they risked falling from grace and actually severing themselves from Christ, the very One in whom they professed to put their faith. Anything—even something God once commanded—that is elevated above Christ becomes spiritually misplaced.
That caution reaches far beyond first-century Galatia. Can you love both God and your country? Absolutely. But they are not equal loves. The Christian answer is both/and—not either/or—but always in the proper order. We must love God most if we are going to love America rightly. Our affection for this nation should reflect our greater love for Christ.
That means living with some healthy tension. America celebrates "No king" yet Christianity proclaims one King over all kings. Our culture often says, "Don't tread on me" while Jesus says, "Deny yourself and serve others." Politics tempts us to hate the other side, but Christ commands us to love our enemies. Those tensions are real, and they force us to ask where our deepest allegiance lies.
Speaking of allegiance, the Pledge of Allegiance was revised in 1954 to include the short phrase "under God." These two words remind us of something important: every nation, every government, every freedom ultimately exists under God's authority.
America has accomplished remarkable things over its 250-year history. It has also made serious mistakes. Thankfully, amendments have corrected injustices along the way. The United States of America reflects both human dignity and human brokenness. The same is true of us personally. We are fallen people. But in Christ, we are redeemed.
As amazing as America's story may be, there is an even greater story. About 2,000 years ago, Jesus walked out of an empty tomb, securing an eternal kingdom that will never fade. That's the citizenship that lasts forever.
My Cuban father-in-law is proud to be an American. But even more than that, he rejoices that his true citizenship is in heaven. That perspective changes everything.
We can celebrate the blessings of this country without making it an idol. We can appreciate our freedoms while remembering that only Jesus truly sets people free. We can thank God for independence while learning daily what it means to depend completely on Christ.
John Newton understood that transformation. Once a slave trader, he encountered the grace of Jesus and became a new man. The same man who once participated in terrible evil later wrote Amazing Grace, a hymn sung millions of times each year. His greatest freedom wasn't political—it was spiritual.
So enjoy the good gifts God has given through our country. Celebrate its strengths. Work to improve its weaknesses. But let every good thing point beyond itself to the One who gave it. Because America, as wonderful as I believe it to be, isn’t a Christian’s ultimate destination. Heaven is.
Questions for Reflection & Discussion:
Are there any areas where love for your country, political party, traditions, or personal freedoms has begun competing with your devotion to Jesus?
How can you live this week in a way that demonstrates not simply "no king," but joyful submission to the one true King, Jesus Christ?
What is one thing you genuinely appreciate about America, and how can that gratitude point your heart—and the hearts of others—to Christ?