Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

the yoke of bondage to which Paul is referring is the yoke of trying to do our own works on our own power.  In that yoke, you would look at the law or any set of rules, and you would try to do whatever it says by your own strength.  This is a hopeless proposition.  No one has been able to do such a thing since the beginning of time.

In Galatians 5:4, Paul says, "Christ is become of no effect to you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."  

You see that grace is the power of God for righteousness.  In fact, the word, grace, means free gift.  Part of that free gift is righteousness, the ability to do right.  Actually we never get the ability to do righteousness.  We yield our bodies, our mouths, our hands, our eyes, and so forth, to God's righteousness that He gives as a free gift.  His righteousness is then free to do His work through us.  That's how we work the works of God.  

Then in chapter 5, verse 5, Paul goes on to say, "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith."  

That is a hope that does not disappoint us, because it is the promise of God.  We have been set free from sin.  God will not leave us as slaves to sin.  Yes we are tempted and we have not come into the fullness of His righteousness, but we have the ability to walk in righteousness from the first day of our salvation.  In every instance, when we are tempted, we have power from God to walk away from the temptation and do the work of God.  When we stumble, we confess our fault to God.  God is faithful and just to forgive.  

When we continue in righteousness, righteousness leads to holiness.  Holiness is maturity.  It is a progressive transformation of our minds to be in submission to the mind of Christ.  We progress from glory to glory, fulfilling God's great purpose.