Limiting Freedom With Love

This story comes from Chuck Swindoll’s study of Galatians.

The pastor had heard the story so many times that listening to it again evoked a strange mixture of anger and despair. Although the names, dates, and places had changed, the story’s theme remained the same: one of his parishioners, Phil, had caused another Christian to stumble. This time, the casualty was Lana, a nineteen-year-old whom Phil had dated for the past seven months.

According to her parents, Phil had wooed Lana to her first taste of beer and wine, her first drug high, her first X-rated movie, and her first all-night date. His natural charm and live-and-let-live spirit attracted her like a moth to a flame. And though she struggled with his flippant attitude toward their church’s moral teaching, she was captivated by his interpretation of Christian freedom.

As he was fond of saying, “Jesus set us free so we could explore life to the fullest, not so we could be held back by someone’s list of dos and don’ts.”

Persuaded by Phil, Lana spread her moral wings and flew into taboo airspace. There she joined a new flock of friends, saw new landscapes, and experienced new thrills. It all seemed so right, so freeing—at least for a while.

After five months the pleasures became oppressive demands. The scenery turned ugly and treacherous, and the once-inviting, eagle-like friends showed themselves to be disgusting vultures.

Lana felt the current of her lifestyle pulling her down to the point of no return, but regardless of how hard she fought, she couldn’t stop falling. Alcoholism, drug addiction, and sexual escapades held her in a vice-like grip.

Desperate, she finally turned to the two people who had repeatedly proved their love—her mother and father. Through an unbroken stream of tears, she bared her soul, pleading for help. Her parents, in turn, went to their pastor seeking solace and counsel.

As the pastor listened to Lana’s parents, he recalled his many confrontations with Phil. Each time he had explained to Phil that his concept of Christian freedom was unbiblical and damaging to himself and others. But each time Phil had stood his ground, refusing even to entertain the idea that he was wrong.

How could Phil be stopped? What would convince him?

The pastor wasn’t sure, but one thing was clear: Lana and her parents had become the victims of freedom abuse. And, like anyone who is abused, they needed the warm embrace of love, not the cold finger of condemnation.

Do you know a Lana? Have you come under the spell of a Phil? Do you really understand what Lana learned the hard way—that authentic Christian freedom has limits? Or have you sided with Phil by rejecting this truth?

These serious questions demand soul-searching answers. And only God’s Word provides a standard by which we can accurately gauge our responses. So let’s turn to the Word of God and learn how to answer these questions. Let us read Galatians 5:13-15:

Galatians 5:13–15 NASB 2020

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

The apostle Paul gives us a wonderful example of obeying God’s Word for the right reasons. The false teachers—known as Judaizers—were teaching the Galatians that they ought to obey God’s rules in order to earn their salvation.

However, the apostle Paul insists that the reason Christians obey God’s rules is in order to express gratitude to God for the salvation already received.

So, in Galatians 5:13-15 we shall see a restatement of our freedom. Then, we shall notice some limitations on our freedom. And finally, we shall observe some guidelines for our balance.

I. A Restatement of Our Freedom (5:13a)

Paul begins this section with a restatement of our freedom.

Paul says that “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters.” With just a few words he reminds us that all who were called by God, who have recieved Christ by faith are free.

We have been set free from the penalty of sin, the power of Satan, the wrath of God, and an accusing conscience.

Now we are free to serve the Lord and become like His Son.

But we are also free to disobey God and become self-centered. Many think that we have the ability to do as we please, to live as we want. The Bible says differently. We do have freedom in Christ:

II. Limitations on Our Freedom (5:13b-15)

But there are limitations on our freedom.

True Christian freedom involves restraints—restraints that help, not hinder, our spiritual growth and service. Paul gives three limitations on our freedom in Galatians 5:13b-15.

A. We Are Not Free to Indulge the Sinful Nature (5:13b)

The first limitation on our freedom is that we are not free to indulge the sinful nature.

Paul recognizes that people have a sinful nature and that sinful nature can lead us to live in sin if we listen to it instead of God.Notice how Paul puts this in verse 13.

Galatians 5:13 NASB 2020

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

Our sinful nature will lead us into a life of selfishness.

Following Christ will lead us into a life of serving others through love.

The question to ask yourself is. who sits on the throne of your life? Does self sit there or does Christ sit there. If you are sitting on the throne then Christ is not in you because God will never take second place.

You cannot serve both yourself and God. You will only find real and true freedom by surrendering to Christ and living for Him.

B. We Are Not Free to Exploit Others (5:13c, 15)

The second limitation on our freedom is that we are not free to exploit others.

Using people to get what we want is an act of the flesh, not of faith. And when we treat others as things, we run the risk of hurting not only others but ourselves also. This is what Paul means in verse 15, “But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”

The freedom we have in Christ teaches us another way. The end of verse 13 tells us to serve one another in love. This is what we should put our energy into.

This is not the just an emotional type of love. It is not a love that says I will meet you half way. It is the type of love that we see in the life of Christ. It is a love that is sacrificial, that puts another above yourself. It is the type of love that let Christ lay His life down so that we experience God’s love instead of God’s wrath.

Christian freedom gives us the ability to turn away from our self and toward others. Christian love helps us to that people as people who should be loved and served instead of used and abused.

C. We Are Not Free to Disregard the Needs of Others (5:14)

The third limitation on our freedom is that we are not free to disregard the needs of others.

Today we see a lot of the philosophy of I have mine and you are free to get yours. I worked so that I have my money and if you don’t have that means you should work harder.

The Bible teaches that we should love others like we love ourselves. Paul puts it this way in verse 14.

Galatians 5:14 NASB 2020

14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In the Gospels of Matthew and John we read this:

Matthew 19:19 NASB 2020

19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

John 13:34 NASB 2020

34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Do you have this type of love for others?

Last week you got to witness Susan step up into this pulpit to finish my sermon. Not because she wanted to finish it or because she wanted to just be in front but because she saw in my eyes I needed help. That is what loving others means.

Do you care for the needs of others a much as your own? Are you willing to give up some comforts in order to make life better for someone else?

Christian freedom was given for us to share liberally, not to possess greedily.

III. Guidelines for Our Balance

Realizing that genuine freedom comes with certain limits is important, but by itself this knowledge is not enough.

We also need to know when we should restrain a permissible exercise of our freedom. We are not all equally mature in our faith. Some of us can engage in various activities permitted by Scripture, while others still struggle with the acceptability of those practices.

When you come up to an intersection with a 4 way stop and crosswalks, there is always the question of who has the right of way. At ETSU, the students are taught they have the right away at a cross walk and so they will walk out in front of a moving car without even looking.

One thing I can remember and almost see my dad saying when he was teaching me to drive.

It doesn’t do you any good to be dead right, right?

It doesn’t do us any good to exercise a freedom we have if it causes someone else to stumble or to turn away from Christ.

There are times that we must apply the brakes to our Christian freedoms.

Romans 14 is a great chapter that gives us guidelines about how to limit these freedoms. The context for this chapter was eating meat from pagan animal sacrifices. Christians were divided about eating the meat. Paul addressed this issue and their disagreement and it helps us with our liberties now. Paul pointed out that nothing in God’s creation is evil in itself, but because some people don’t accept this fact, they falter in their faith when seeing other Christians eating “unclean” meat.

Romans 14:13–14 NASB 2020

13 Therefore let’s not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this: not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s or sister’s way. 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to the one who thinks something is unclean, to that person it is unclean.

Paul is simply saying that believers need to temper their freedom with love. He conveys this counsel through three timeless principles.

A. When Our Freedom Could Hurt a Fellow Christian, We Should Yield

The first principle is that when our freedom could hurt a fellow Christian, we should yield.

Romans 14:15 teaches that if we are hurting another Christian we are not walking in love as a Christian brother or sister.

Helping another Christian is far more important than insisting we enjoy every freedom. We were set free so that we could enjoy our freedom but this freedom is a freedom of service in love to God and in service to our fellow Christians. If it hurts one of them then we should not do that.

B. When Our Freedom Could Hinder God’s Work, We Should Yield

The second principle is that when our freedom could hinder God’s work, we should yield.

Paul writes in Romans 14:16-17

Romans 14:16–17 NASB 2020

16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Godly living and Christian unity are the sum and substance of God’s spiritual kingdom. When we use our freedom in a way that hampers holiness and harmony, we impede the development of God’s kingdom.

Do not use your Christian freedoms in a way that will cause others to turn from God or in a way that can cause others to ignore God.

In Iraq, we went into this one small village to hand out shoes and a few other things. I was watching the process and noticed that the women of the village were collecting the shoes from the children and hiding them under their robes. Then they would send the young child back up to another soldier to get more.

I asked why this went on and it was explained that even though we want to hand out to the children, that is our nature as Americans; in that culture control of items was left to those in authority. They would decide who got a shoe, what shoe etc.

Those women were hindering us from giving to the children.

In some ways we can hinder others by grabbing our Christian freedom.

C. When Our Freedom Creates Unrest in Our Consciences, We Should Yield

The third principle is that when our freedom creates unrest in our consciences, we should yield.

Paul writes in Romans 14:22-23

Romans 14:22–23 NASB 2020

22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is the one who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

If you want to do something and you have an uneasy feeling about it then don’t do it.

The act itself may not be wrong or sinful but the act of doing it when you doubt if it is right or wrong will make it wrong. Are you doing something that you think might not be right? Does your conscience tell you that it might not be right? That feeling of unrest might be the HS telling you it is wrong.

What you should do is wait until you know, based off of biblical grounds, that you should or should not do it.

If you are a freedom abuser, you need to slam on the brakes and turn your life back to God’s way.

If you are a freedom loser, then you need to turn your life away from those who have led you astray and back to God.

If you are a freedom protector, keep driving forward! We need more people like you to help the rest of us stay on the right road.

Let’s pray.