Galatians 5:1-15: Freedom to Run Well

Intro:

Review from last week:

Chart

Summary of the Chapter: Jesus freed us from sin so we can become more like Him!

Memory verse of the chapter: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (5:13).

Outline:

Freedom: “Stand Firm and Don’t Submit” (vs. 1-6)

Persecution: “The Penalty of a Little Leaven” (vs. 7-12)

Consumed: “Love or Destruction” (vs. 13-15)

Summary of the Chapter:

Memory verse of the Chapter:

Illustration: Freedom! What do you think of when you hear that. This week we experienced some freedom in the Heikkinen house hold. You have probably noticed that anytime there is an even with food at the church House my wife and youngest son are no where to be found. There is a reason for that.

Running well: do you run towards something or from something? Are you running well as long as you are acheiving your goals, to catch the person ahead of you? Are you running well because you are putting distance between you and whatever you have done or has been done to you in your past “I have to run these sins off” after a night of sexual immorality or indulging in other physical habits like drinking, eating too much, etc, to stay ahead of the person behind you? Or do you run for the sheer love of running like Eric Liddell in the calssic movie “Chariots of Fire”.

Prayer:

Freedom: “Stand Firm and Don’t Submit” (vs. 1-6)

Two “S”s of Freedom (v. 1)

For freedom Christ has set us free- “eh-leutherwsen” aor, act, ind, 3rd, sg, to grant freedom to; cause to be free. An action that was completed sometime in the past

stand firm therefore- “st-eh-kete” pres, act, imperative, 2nd pl, to stand (maintain) to hold one’s ground

and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery- “enexesthe” pres, pass, imperative, 2nd, pl, to be or become forced to experience or suffer

“again”- before Christ they were slaves to sin, slaves under the law. They knew what this was like.

Accepting circumcision (vs. 2-3)

Look: I, Paul- you can hear the slow down, the refocusing

Say to you

that if you accept circumcision (religious expectation, religious morality)- “peritemn-eh-sthe” pres, pass, subjunctive, 2nd, pl, to be circumcised. This is accepting what someone else would do to you.

Chirst will be of no advantage to you- “wphel-eh-sei” fut, act, ind, 3rd, sg to be beneficial for

If you accept the work of someone to your body right now, Jesus will be of no advantage to you in the future.

If you cross the line and accept their terms, you are rejecting Jesus’ terms.

If you run to meet the goals set by yourself or other people, than your achievements are you saviour.

I testify again

to every man who accepts circumcision- “peritemnomenw” pres, pass, part, dat, mas, sg to be circumcised

that he is obligated to keep the whole law- if you going to keep one aspect, you have to keep it all- it is a collective whole. It is all or nothing.

Severed from Christ (vs. 4-6)

You are severed from Christ- “kat-eh-rg-eh-the-eh-te” aor, pass, ind, 2nd, pl to be exempt

you who would be justified by the law- meet the norm or the standard

you have fallen from grace- “eksepesate” aor, act, ind, 2nd, pl, to lose a state- not that you have lost your salvation, but you have turned to a different gospel, one that is based on merit and not grace.

For through the Spirit by faith

we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness

For in Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything- Wow, wow, Paul, you cannot just drop that bomb! Circumcision is not just a sign of belonging to the line of Abraham, being a Jew, it is also about an adhereance to the law.

Circumcision- religious morality, obedience, thought of God

Uncircumcision- pagan amorality, disobedience, no thought for God

but (“alla”) only faith working through love- There is only one way to a right relationship with God!

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

I cannot help but think about this being an epic scene in a military movie where someone has their nations flag and is waving it like crazy yelling, “hold the line”! “Stand your ground”! This is actually happening in our nation right now with the trade war that is going on with the States. We get the analogy, but do we get the seriousness of the truth. This is not just about land, tariffs, political power, etc. Paul is talking about a relationship with God! And what true freedom really looks like!

How would you define freedom in Christ? Is it freedom to do what you want, freedom from guilt with you sin, freedom from temptation, freedom from requirements and expectations, etc? When Paul says we have been set free for freedom, how do you understand that?

Enlist the Body (faith steps):

If you run for the sole purpose of acheiving the goals set by others and yourself, Jesus is not your saviour, you are. Is it any wonder that when we do not achieve our goals or the expectations of others we are utterly devestated. This is not the gospel of grace. The Gospel of grace frees us from the condemnation of never matching up, never fully achieving the mark.

Transitional phrase:

Persecution: “The Penalty of a Little Leaven” (vs. 7-12)

Who hindered you? (vs. 7-10)

You were running well- “etrexete” imperfect, act, ind, 2nd, pl to progress

who (sg) hindered you- “enekopsen” aor, act, ind, 3rd, sg to obstruct.

from obeying the truth- Paul is asking about a specific individual.

this persuasion is not from him who calls you

a little leaven leavens the whole lump- wait, how much leaven? a little. It is often not the “Big” disobediences, it is the small whispers that get us off track

Those who live with food alergies understand this even better. All it takes is a little! A little coss-contamination, a little piece to affect the entire body for days!

I have confidence in the Lord

that you will take no other view

and the one who is troubling you will bear the penatly whoever he (sg) is

There is a penalty for hindering others from obeying the truth

Why am I still being persecuted? (vs. 11-12)

But if I, brothers- sounds like before, “Look: I, Paul,”

still preach circumcision- In his old zeal and life, Paul would have preached this very strickly, people were wondering if he still was teaching this.

why am I still being persecuted? Is Paul being accused of preaching circumcision?

In that case the offense of the cross has been removed

I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!- this is quite the statement, it carries two ideas:

If a little act of physical effort is good, than a bigger act of physical effort is better!

Those who are emasculated cannot produce any physical offspring that would continue their beliefs

Persecution often follows people that poke at the idol of slef-suffieceincy in others.

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

You were doing so well, running in the grace of the gospel! You were not trying to acheive favour with God through your efforts, you were not hiding your imperfections thinking that would make you more pleasing in God’s eyes.

What are the small whispers that get you off track: no body cares about you, no body sees you, you will never be enough, “see, you said you wouldn’t do that anymore”

In what ways are people around you or thoughts within you telling you that you can do life without Jesus? When we think of freedom we think of autonomy, I can do what I want, when I want, how I want without anyone telling me what I can or cannot do.

Enlist the Body (faith steps):

Who is that one or two people in your life that have the most influence over you? Their expectations and approval mean the most to you? this is not freedom, it is slavery.

Being a Jew does not make you closer to God’s grace any more than being a pagan makes you further away from God’s grace.

Transitional phrase:

Consumed: “Love or Destruction” (vs. 13-15)

Called to freedom (vs. 13-14)

For you were called to freedom brothers

only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh- finally, I have no authority, no one holding me down.

but through love serve one another- “douleuete” pres, act, imperative, 2nd pl. Freedom from the slavery of sin does not mean that I am now free to serve myself. It means that I am now free to serve others without being a slave to their requirements or expectations.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “pepl-eh-rwtai” perf, pass, ind, 3rd, sg the whole law has been satisfied concerning the requirements or expectations. It is completely filled with Jesus, there is no room for anyone else:

“You shall love your neighbour as yourself”- because Jesus fulfilled the requirements and expectations of the law, a believer can now love their neighbour without it being a requirement or expectation to earn God’s favour.

Consumed by one another (v. 15)

But if you

bite- “daknete” (1x) pres, act, ind, 2nd, pl to hurt, bite

and devour one another- “katesthiete” pres, act, ind, 2nd, pl eat up, consume, to waste

Luke 15:30 “But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’”

watch out (imperative)

that you are not consumed by one another- “analwth-eh-te” aor, pass, sub, 2nd, pl to be destroyed

“an unloving graceless christian is an absurdity”

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

It truely is an amazing thing when I do something not to receive something in return or make up for areas I have fallen short, but to do it and want to do it because of love.

When it comes to my son’s food allergies, We no longer need to tell him to stay away from dairy because it is not safe for him. We also are not going to force him to each dairy now because he is free from his allergy. He is free to eat it if he wants to because he likes it. He is no longer enslaved by fear, nor forced because he can.

The same is true of the gospel of Freedom. Grace frees us from being inslaved to obedience as a way of acceptance before God and also sets us free from fear that when we do sin we are less acceptable by God. The gospel of freedom releases us from a motivation of fear to a motivation of love.

Enlist the Body (faith steps):

Transitional phrase:

Summary of the Chapter: Jesus freed us from sin so we can become more like Him!

Discussion Starters:

How is freedom described in these verses?

Who’s little voices hinder me from walking in grace?

How well am I running? What is motivating me?

Song: Christus Victor (Amen)

Next Week’s Sermon: Organized Kaos

Benediction/Looking ahead: INVITE PEOPLE TO THE CAFE