Don't Let Anything Stop You

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Galatians 5:7–15 NASB95

7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. 12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves. 13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 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.

Paul has alluded to the agitators of this perverted gospel throughout His letter

Galatians 1:9 “9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

Galatians 2:4 “4 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.”

Galatians 3:1 “1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”

Galatians 4:17 “17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.”

But now, he confronts them head on, charactizing their nature and activity.

To which end Paul says, will be their judgement.

As much as we see Paul confront the agitators, he simultaneously shows his deep care and concern Paul has for the brethren.

One of the things that bring great joy, outside of pleasing Christ, is seeing brethren walk and develop in Christ.

This is what’s at stake as Paul pens this epistle, this is not Paul shooting down tradition, harping on legalism/liberalism, pushing the envelope, our trying to be progressive.

This is Paul saying damaging your faith, disrupting your walk, and dampening the effect of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Paul is about to get very personal in this epistle, and the best way you can approach this, is to not think he’s talking to someone else, “he’s talking to you!”

#1 The Cause of The Hindrance

Galatians 5:7 “7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?”

These weren’t rebellious folks that simply didn’t care about God, they were being deceived

God will deal with deceivers and those that are intentional about misleading and confusing God’s people

The former doesn’t absolve you from exercising care with what you ingest - Am I teachable? Am I willing to learn? Am I willing to be corrected? Can I even entertain the possibilty that I am wrong?

What’s clear here, is that Paul makes a direct connection between “truth” and “running well”

Truth is what set you free, I cannot run well if I’m no longer running in the truth

Divine Progress

They making progress, developing, growing moving forward “in truth”, “in freedom” - This is where your growth happens.

You cannot be successful in your walk with God, apart from the pure gospel of God. Psalm 37:23 “23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way.” (Not just any word)

Paul assessed their progress by examining

The word they heeded [The Spirit will not work with a foreign word]

The character they had

This wasn’t strange to Paul 2 Timothy 4:7 “7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;”

Divergent Persuasion

This came from the one propogating “another gospel”

Galatians 5:8 “8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.”

Consider

2 Timothy 1:9 “9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,”

There is a danger in demanding things that God didn’t

Dangerous Prognosis

Galatians 5:9 “9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.”

This doesn’t go away easily. If it’s not dealt with quickly it can spread.

“It’s just a little circumcision” - what’s the harm

Many times this is only understood in the context of liberalism 1 Cor 5:7.

But Paul uses the same analogy to deal with an issue of legalism

#2 The Call Away From Hindrance

Galatians 5:10 “10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.”

The reason for the confidence? en Kurio in the Lord

The Lord does not start anything He cannot finish

Philippians 1:6 “6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Paul expresses a confidence in the brethren to pick sense from nonsense

There was Divine Activity but a Human responsibility “adopt no other view”

Paul expresses condemnation for the one causing the disturbance

They cause confusion and discouragement - Gal 1:6-9.

God will deal with this person/persons

What must be done in the meantime, Preacher, preach the word

Galatians 5:11 “11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.”

That did not bring me any trouble

If I still preach circumcision, the I bring to nothing the power of the cross APPL. it’s in the cross we have everything

Galatians 5:12 “12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.” - If it helps so much, go head and cut everything off - that’s that pagan priests of Cybele did.

If this is what Paul had in mind, it would be interesting since these priest (men) would bleed and die to save their god Attis.

#3 From Hindrance to Freedom

Galatians 5:13 “13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

This freedom is from the Spirit and shows up in a different way to the flesh

This is where some might be concerned, no law means no moral or ethical oligations right? No! “Carnal License is not Christian Liberty” (George, Timothy)

This new man is after the direction of The Holy Spirit, operating in his spirit, freely.

Emp. on freely, anything apart from the word, is not free working of the Spirit

The call is the call of salvation (liberation)

Freedom is expected to be used

[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.]

Gal 5:1. Paul presents freedom as the shield against legalism (legal bondage)

Gal 5:13. Paul presents freedom as the shield against libertinism

SOme might have used freedom as an excuse not to be in connection with each other

To that Paul says, “in love be a doulos to each other

DBS challenge

“Flesh”

It is used to refer to the corruptible nature inside us that must be kept in check.

It’s not to be checked by rules, regulataion, and a “stamping/clamping down”.

This simply leads to a new set of problems, these are the problems Paul deals with extensively in this book - which would still cause you problems in your “running well”.

SO don’t let anything stop you!

Galatians 5:14–15 “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.” (words used of wild animals in a cage)

Matt 22:36-40. “the second is like it” (vs. 39)

This issue of legal bondage only resulted in quarelling, strife between brothers

Look at the church today!

Look at the issue the church faces today?

Age of investigation