Freedom Essentials

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. 7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. 11 Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! 13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Freedom Essential don’t use it to enslave others

Freedom Essential stand firm in your freedom

Introduction

Today's sermon is titled "Freedom Essentials". The Scriptures we will be studying come from Galatians 5:1-13. In this passage, Paul reminds us of the importance of living in freedom as Christ has set us free. He also emphasizes how we must not use our freedom as an excuse to indulge in sinful desires but rather use it to serve one another in love.

1. Stand Firm in Freedom

As Christians, we have been called to live in freedom.

Paul reminds us in Gal 5:1 “1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

We must stand firm in this freedom and not let ourselves be burdened again by the slavery of sin.

Sub Point 1: The Danger of Legalism

Legalism is a dangerous trap that we can fall into as Christians.

Paul warns us in Gal 5:2-4 “2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”

We must be careful not to fall into the trap of legalism, thinking that we can earn our salvation through our works.

Sub Point 2: The Power of Grace

Grace is the key to our freedom.

Gal 5:6 “6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

Our faith in Christ and the power of His grace is what sets us free from the bondage of sin.

Sub Point 3: The Responsibility of Freedom

With freedom comes responsibility.

Gal 5:13 “13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

We must use our freedom to serve one another in love, not to fulfill our own selfish desires.

2. Walk by the Spirit

In order to live in freedom, we must walk by the Spirit.

Gal 5:16 “16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

Walking by the Spirit means relying on the Holy Spirit to guide us and empower us to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Sub Point 1: The Battle within

There is a battle within us between the flesh and the Spirit.

Gal 5:17 “17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”

We must be aware of this battle and choose to walk by the Spirit.

Sub Point 2: The Fruit of the Spirit

Walking by the Spirit produces fruit in our lives.

Gal 5:22-23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

We must strive to produce this fruit in our lives by walking by the Spirit.

Sub Point 3: Crucify the Flesh

In order to walk by the Spirit, we must crucify the flesh.

Gal 5:24 “24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

We must put to death the sinful desires of the flesh and choose to live in the freedom that Christ has given us.

3. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

Our freedom in Christ is not meant to be selfishly enjoyed, but rather used to serve others in love.

Gal 5:13 “13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

Sub Point 1: Love is the Fulfillment of the Law

Loving our neighbor as ourselves fulfills the law.

Gal 5:14 “14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.””

We must love others as Christ has loved us.

Sub Point 2: Bear One Another's Burdens

We are called to bear one another's burdens.

Gal 6:2 “2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

We must be willing to help and support one another in our struggles.

Sub Point 3: Do Good to All

Gal 6:10 “10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

We must be willing to do good to all people, not just those who are like us or who we like.

4. Watch Out for False Teachers

Finally, we must watch out for false teachers who would seek to lead us astray.

Gal 5:7-9 “7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.””

We must be discerning and not be swayed by false teachings that contradict the truth of God's Word.

Sub Point 1: Beware of Legalistic Teachings

As mentioned earlier, legalism is a dangerous trap that we must avoid.

Gal 5:1 “1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

We must be careful not to fall into the trap of legalistic teachings that would burden us with the yoke of slavery.

Sub Point 2: Beware of Antinomianism

Antinomianism is the belief that as Christians, we are not bound by any moral law.

This is a dangerous belief that can lead to licentiousness and a disregard for God's commands.

We must be careful not to fall into this trap and remember that our freedom in Christ is not a license to sin.

Sub Point 3: Test Everything

1 Thess 5:21 “21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.”

We must be discerning and test everything that we hear to ensure that it aligns with the truth of God's Word.