Stand Firm In Freedom

Text

Galatians 5:1–6 NASB95

1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

Introduction

What Paul begins to do here is make an application to all the theological points he has already expounded on.

He spoke on:

Justification by faith in Jesus Christ

The promised Holy Spirit

The redemptive purpose of God for all men

Paul will now state in very clear terms, the implications of leaning on legalism and trusting in works, i.e. how can this hurt my walk with God

For those who might think the theme of FREEDOM is a well beaten theme that needs no further discussion, I ask if that’s the case, why does Paul talk about it so much?

Maybe we can ask, why does Paul flesh this out so much?

Maybe he wants us to know and appreciate what it means to be free in Jesus.

The application is this, here it is, use your freedom to honour Christ, develop your character, and serve one another, through submission to the Holy Spirit’s work.

All this talk about freedom (in our CoC heritage) have left some feeling uneasy.

I understand the difficulty in explaining spiritual freedom in a world that presents its own version of freedom

They way forward means addressing the teaching because it is in the bible, and not shoving it in a corner because of what an extremist mind might turn it into.

Not because someone can/might twist it, means that I should not teach it

As a result, when we are void of that teaching it prepares the ground for humanistic and carnal mindsets to grow, ultimatelly giving us a skewed view of God and christianity.

Mindsets driven by fear, concern and worry but not faith and the Scriptures.

From such carnal dispositions:

We think the only response to reverence for God is to cower and be afraid of God; that God values our silence and not our celebration

We think that God is simply waiting for you to mess up so He can have a reason to zap you and kick you out of the kingdom

Or maybe we think because literal chattel slavery is in our history, we think we just have to have something whipping us, and keeping us in line

I think, that it is in my power of doing, that I somehow enhance the way God views me, NOT because of the testimony of the Holy Spirit

We think that we make great disciples by emphasing what people cannot do, and not telling them what they can do

We think that giving God just enough, the bare minimum, “not doing too much” is the safe way to go

We think these are spiritual, but they are not. They are carnal and earthly because:

It’s not based on a proper understanding of God and his promise (Gal 3-4)

It’s not based on proper exegesis of Scripture (Gal 1:6-9)

It’s not based on faith but fear (Gal 2:12)

It’s makes me comfortable (Gal 6:12)

But can we see how necessary it is to correct these?

If not, Paul explains why in this text

One of the things that can contribute to the development of such perspectives [according to the argument that Paul makes] is a faliure to understand and/or embrace freedom

Paul could’ve used (and he did) any category of illustraion to elucidate and explain Salvation,

But he chose the imagery of “being set free” to highlight to us the great chasm God spanned to demonstrate His love toward us, and call us His children.

He said, "You are no longer a slave, you’re a son” = YOU HAVE BEEN SET FREE

Galatians 5:1 NASB95

1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Jesus freed me for freedom

God’s intention and plan for making me free in Jesus Christ, was not for me to get in bondage to anything else but Him!

“I freed you, so that you can be free”

The literal trans. is “the freedom” a noun that’s being used as an instrument

Meaning, that there is a liberation imbedded into the gospel that Jesus used to liberate us

In 1833, an Abolition Act was signed and passed in the British government. Imbedded in that document was an agent of liberation. When this Act engaged in the life of slaves in the Caribbean British colonies, it liberated them

This is what happened in the gospel, infused in this gospel is a instrument of freedom, that frees anyone that obeys it. It’s this freedom, that Christ used to set us free

This means that as I live in the gospel, I live in liberation

That’s why it feels like Paul woke in chapter one and chose violence saying, Galatians 1:6 “6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;”

A different gospel doesn’t have freedom in it, that’s why we can’t submit to it.

Paul is preparing to tell us, Walk in the Spirit, but this perverted meritorious, legalistic gospel cannot give you freedom to walk and be led by the Spirit

You can’t walk in the Spirit, while holding to a gospel of bondage, or a system of bondage

The liberating power of Jesus, gives you the ability to be led by the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, and get fruit of the Spirit. - Bondage will make all the above impossible

Some try to make this only about the law of Moses

What Law did the Gentiles have?

Romans 2:14 “14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,”

More relevant to our text

Galatians 4:8 “8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.”

This means I can develop my own “Law system” that’s merit-based, and carnal in nature becasue it seeks to please me and not God.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free” - no more bondage

Our Heritage

Restoration and Revival is based in activity and performance first, not heart

Mark 7:20–21 “20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,”

There is no activity in the kingdom that can be done separate from the heart

When we think revival and restoration, we think a program, activity, increasing the offering

Why don’t we say lets fast for a week, let’s pray for the next 24-48hrs, lets read the scripture for 12hrs a day?

Martin Luther said, “I have so much do today, let me spend the first three hours in prayer”

This is really self-pleasing when you think about it, because it’s more about you being comfortable knowing things are “running smoothly”

A merit-based, performance based, legalist mind is not driven to devotion is it’s driven by the result (but “God gives the increase”)

Galatians 5:1 “1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

The verb here in the imperative mood, means to stay put, do not move away from this “freedom”

“Do not be subject”, another imperative, again, to a “yoke of slavery”

A yoke is a heavy burden, its not enjoyable, it brings pain, and weighs you down, gets you tired and frustrated

Being subject to it means, being under its control.

God has made a divine declaration that you are free, now in the earthly life I need to live this out

Why, Christ has made you free

It’s hard to keep up with legalism or liberalism [for that matter]

Trusting in your performance is always going to be more difficult than trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit.

I need to fix it

I need to work it out

I need to change it

I need to make sure

Time to change your language - Holy Spirit

Stop trying to do His work - This is why you need to stand firm in freedom

Galatians 5:2 “2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.”

While we don’t/shouldn’t have a consumerist mind towards God, God does promise to work in our favour

Benefit means, to help, be of assistance, be an advantage

This word is also in future tense, indicating that I cannot expect future aid, while still living in present bondage

Ultimately, this can have eschatological concerns as well

You can’t have the blessedness of life in the Spirit, while still in a system of bondage

If I want that aid, help, I need to drop the shackles.

Galatians 5:3 “3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.”

Similar to verse 2, its hard to hold on to legalism.

This obligation needs to be on using this new freedom in Christ

Some thought:

I’ll please the flesh

I’ll do this by myself (not bear each other’s load)

Backbiting and devouring

It’s Christ or nothing

Galatians 5:4 “4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

Paul uses some strong terms here

For those who might have been thinking, this is no big deal, Paul makes it a big deal

Paul uses a strong word here that is used in other places in Scripture = abolish, release, do away with, destroy

You have made your relationship with Christ useless, if you obligate yourself to Law

This can’t be right, I’m doing these things to be nearer to God, to be right with God, to be more in harmony with God

Paul says, you’re actually severed from Christ, if you are trusting in these obligations more than the apostolic message.

Martin Luther stated,

Galatians (2) Falling from Grace (5:2–6)

Now if those who seek to be justified on the basis of the moral law fall away from grace, where, I ask, will those fall who, in their self-righteousness, seek to be justified on the basis of their traditions and vows?

This theology can lead to spiritual ruin, God is trying to call them back

Stand Firm In Your Freedom

Live and embrace the liberation that is in Jesus Christ

Let the Holy Spirit have full reign in your lives so that you can be truly transformed from the inside out