The Freedom to Serve

Guard Your Freedom (7-12)

The Christian life is like a marathon, not a sprint.

Two reasons the enemies of the Gospel were trying to trip them up with false doctrine:

So that they could boast in their followers and steal the glory. (Gal. 6:13)

Rosie Ruiz sought to rob the glory of the 1980 Boston Marathon from the true winner Jacqueline Garaeu.

Because they were envious of their freedom and relationship with God (Gal. 4:29).

1954 Cotton Bowl - Rice Dicky Maegle end sweep to right. Tommy Lewis of Alabama tackled off the bench.

Paul was exhorting the believers to stand in the truth of the Gospel.

“A Little leaven” - just a slight compromise in doctrine will lead to disastrous results.

1 Corinthians 5:6–8 ESV

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 cor. 5:

Know the Goal of Freedom (13-15)

We were not granted freedom so that we could just please ourselves. (13a)

1 Peter 2:16 ESV

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Licentiousness turns the grace of God into an excuse for sin. Paul spoke strongly against its lie as well as legalism.

The Goal of Christian Freedom is Pure Love.

Love seeks to first serve the needs of another not oneself.

The Warning for self-seeking and arguing (M.A.D) Mutually assured destruction.

2016 Rio Olympics 5K qualifying - Nikki Hamblin (NZ) and Abbey D’Agustinio (USA) helped each other to finish line after they collided half-way through. Abbey said to Nikki, “Get up. We have to finish this.” Officials advanced them both to the finals for their “Olympic spirit.”

Love seeks to encourage fellow believers in the “race of life”, not put them down.

The Power for Freedom - Walk in the Spirit