True freedom truly lived.

We have been called to true freedom

The reality of freedom

The reality of freedom

This means we have been chosen to experience freedom

Paul in 2:4 - false brothers slipped in to spy out their freedom in Christ Jesus

5:1 - For freedom Christ has set us free

5:13 - We were called to freedom

We were chosen to experience this freedom that Christ saved us so - freedom from the yoke of slavery, because we are justified by our faith in Christ.

True definition of freedom

Freedom does not mean the absence of governing authorities, it means living in proper relation to those governing authorities.

A fish is free as long as it is in the sea, an eagle is free as long as it isn’t in the sea.

A bald eagle soaring high above the trees inspires feelings of freedom, and truly an eagle is free, as long as it is in the air and not under water. And yet, fish is free as long as it remains under water.

Put an eagle under water or take a fish out of the water, and they will experience a lack of freedom.

This freedom is easy to misunderstand and abuse. We see this in the extreme bookends of human religion:

Legalism and moralism restrict freedom and rob God of his glory.

This is taking the eagle and saying you are free to fly in a bird cage.

Antinomianism calls everything freedom and robs God of his glory.

This is trying to convince the fish he is truly free as it flops around on the ground gasping for air.

Moralism says you can experience freedom but not

Transition

This ‘gasping for air’ will be reflected in our individual lives and in the Church in a lack of love, joy, and peace.

We looked at verse 13: You have been called to freedom, but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

You have been called to freedom, but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

This sets up our passage here: Paul wants to make sure that we who have been called to freedom properly understand it so that we can properly live it out.

But Paul recognizes that our tendency will be to use our freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. He warns us no to do this in verse 13 just before this passage.

Read passage:

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

There are three conditional, or if/then, statements that Paul makes to help us properly understand and live out our freedom in Christ.

says that we are called to proclaim the excellencies of God. This includes fully, boldly, and properly living out the freedom that we have been called to as followers of Christ.

We may respond by

This impacts our individual lives and how we interact as the body of Christ - which is Paul’s concern in verse 13.

So, Paul explains for us three ways that we can fully, boldly, and properly live out the freedom that we have been called to as followers of Christ.

There are three conditional, or if/then, statements that Paul makes to help us properly understand and live out our freedom in Christ.

The Spirit governs our lives

Paul make the first if/then statement in the form of a command: walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Promise: We will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

What it means to walk by the Spirit:

What it means to gratify the desires of the flesh:

Summary: (of above definitions: don’t need to include them specifically - make sure accurate —>) To the degree that we are having our lives governed by the Spirit, our lives will not be governed by the flesh.

The desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh, there is a battle here.

This opposition, this battle, is for your protection, and ultimately, it is for God’s glory, because it ‘keeps you from doing the things you want to do’

In other words, as your life is governed by the Spirit, you will be moving away from a life governed by the flesh, and, as a result, you will not be using your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh!

A life being governed by the Holy Spirit will be able to fully embrace freedom without using that freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.

The law governs our lives

Paul’s second if/then statement comes in verse 18:

If we are led by the Spirit we are not under the law.

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit

What does it mean to be under the law

Summary: If we are .... by the Spirit, if the Spirit is present in our lives, then we are those who are called to freedom, and the law can no longer condemn us. (The Spirit uses the law of God to govern our lives - to expose the bondage of sin and the freedom of living in righteousness )

As individuals and as the body of Christ.

It’s important to remember, however, that the law has more than one application. While it condemns those who are not in Christ, it serves as a tool to convict and grow those who are in Christ.

See . When we know that the law will not condemn us, we can run fully into the Word of God, and allow it to lay us wide open, as it exposes the depths of our sinfulness and drives us to cling to Christ, who is our justification.

With this background, Paul lays out how the the works of the flesh will reveal areas of our life that are not being governed by the Holy Spirit. He uses the law to reveal where our lives are being improperly governed.

These things characterize those who are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit

We will experience freedom when we allow the Holy Spirit to use God’s Word to MOVE us to turn from sin and grow in holiness.

The Spirit governs our lives

Paul’s third if/then statement comes in verse 25.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit

What does it mean to live by the Spirit

What does it mean to keep in step

Summary:

Tom will show us in the next passage what it looks like to live lives that are in step with the Spirit.