Sermon Tone Analysis

Magna Carta of Christian Liberty

It is said that the book of Galatians is the Magna Carta for Christian Liberty or for apologetics.

Paul tonight brings in a key verse in the Magna Carta that must be understood, applied and protected.

Why?

So we do not return to any form of bondage or legalism that wants to take our Christian Liberty away.

It is said that the book of Galatians is the Magna Carta for Christian Liberty or for apologetics.

Paul tonight brings in a key verse in the Magna Carta that must be understood, applied and protected.

Why?

So we do not return to any form of bondage that wants to take our Christian Liberty away.

Question: when you think of liberty what do you think of?

Can you give an example of liberty in action?

Magna Carta: 1.

The royal charter of political rights given to rebellious English barons by King John in 1215.

2. A document or piece of legislation that serves as a guarantee of basic rights.

(Dictionary.com)

Liberty in Christ Jesus is precious, and it is an imperative to know and understand so that we can standfast in it.

Standfast because others wanted to take if from the churches of Galatia (Gal2:4-5)

See there were false brethren who had secretly come in whose desire was to take the church back into the bondage of the law, Paul warns them and prays that they stay to the truth of the gospel that is in them.

Standfast because we have justification by faith as Paul has introduced and described (Gal4:3-5, 9, 24-25)

See at just right time God sent the Son to redeem us, to adopt us, to give us an inheritance.

So, don’t go back to any weak or beggerly elements, things that were only symbolic but fulfilled in Christ

That all brings us to our verse today (Gal5:1)

So, using this verse as our linchpin (that which holds everything together) may we look at what does this liberty, this Christian liberty entail.

What our freedom entails

Freedom!

Oh how many times have we said it, proclaimed it, believed it.

Now, what does this freedom, this liberty we have in Christ entail?

Freedom from Law of Moses (Gal2:16; Gal3:23-25; Rom7:4-6)

This is Paul’s primary point of the Epistle (Gal2:16)

The introduction of Justification by faith

This he also expanded, expounded on in (Gal3:23-25) whereas we are no longer under the tutor of the law but because of the law came to know we are justified by faith

This writing Paul gives is not out of the ordinary he wrote about it to the church in Rome (Rom7:4-6)

We die to the law through the body of Christ, we are raised from the dead as Christ was so that we might bear fruit for God

Freedom! no longer bound to the law, we can now sere in the newness of the Spirit!

Freedom! - From bondage of sin (Gal2:16-17; Rom8:1-2; Jn8:31-34)

Some may say that these verses say we are not guilty.

I take these verses to say I’m justified, not by my works, but by my faith in Christ Jesus.

I’m a guilty sinner who has a Savior that took on the penalty of my sin on the cross.

For there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus for we have been set free, found freedom from the law of sin and death!

So as Jesus told the Jews in (Jn8:31-34) we need to continue in His word to know the truth that sets us free and that we are truly His disciples when we walk in that freedom!

So don’t be a slave to sin anymore (v.34).

God has delivered us, set us free from the penalty of sin and the bondage of sin through justification by faith in the Son.

Freedom from traditions of men (Gal4:9-11; Col2:20-23; Mt15:3-9)

Paul has spoken previously about being free from the traditions of men

May we not turn back to weak and worthless elemental things that cannot save us but try to enslave us.

Don’t get caught up in these things!

In writing to the church at Colossi (Col2:20-23) in paraphrase says if you died with Christ, don’t live like the world.

Don’t follow the commandments of men even if they seem wise, but in reality have no value eternally.

Paul is good, but Jesus is better if you were to look at Mt15:3-9, you would see don’t get caught up in the traditions of men that is vain worship.

Christ has set us free from the traditions of men by His precious blood shed for us and by the resurrection that proved who He was and gives us the assurance that His Word is true and our sins truly can be or are forgiven for we are justified by faith in Him!

Freedom: From the works of the flesh (Gal5:13, 17, 19-21, 6:8; 1Cor6:9-11; Mk7:20-23)

Paul has much to say on this (Gal5:13, 17, 19-21, 6:8)

He has much to say, but most of it will be in following lessons, but I can’t just jump by this today.

We were called to freedom, but don’t let the freedom turn into opportunity for our flesh; for flesh and Spirit are contrary to one another.

He gives a long list in (vv.19-21) you can look at, but know if we sow to the flesh we will reap from the flesh (corruption), but sow in the Spirit will reap eternal life.

This is not an isolated warning either (1Cor6:9-11)

Similar to the list you see in Gal5:19-21; Paul issued the same warning to the church at Corinth.

Question: An important question according to (v.10) what is the warning?

It is similar to Jesus warning also (Mk7:20-23)

Jesus speaks about the heart, and what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart of man and be careful for these type of things, things in Gal5, things like 1Cor6 and Jesus gives a similar list, defile a man.

Christ offers deliverance from the deeds of the flesh, those things that endanger our salvation.

These things we have just looked at about the liberty we have in Christ, Freedom from:

Law of Moses

Bondage of Sin

Traditions of men and

Works of the flesh

Have one presumption in mind, that You are in Christ and you are standing fast in our liberty!

Standing Fast takes effort

To do something and to do something well takes effort.

Becoming a Christian is easy.

Growing as a Christian or even staying a Christian as is a potential problem to the church at Galatia and to the church today takes effort.

Standing fast in our liberty comes with some responsibilities that take effort.

Handle the Law properly (1Tim1:8; 2Tim2:15; Rom15:4; 1Cor10:11; 2Tim3:14-17; Heb8:6-13) and Jn4:20-24)

The law is good if used properly

used lawfully (1Tim1:8) rightly divided (2Tim2:15)

For it was written for us so that we can have perseverance, encouragement and hope (Rom15:4) and as an example for us (1Cor10:11)

The law can bring us wisdom, for it is profitable for all things, to equip us for every good work (2Tim3:14-17)

We have gone from the 1st covenant under the law to a new covenant and a better covenant enacted on better promises (Heb8:6-13)

I love what Jesus had to say:

Now is the time that we need to be true worshippers, and true worshippers take effort to worship in spirit and truth!

Remember the law was limited, it could not justify the guilty sinner, so we must know the reason for it and it’s limitations so we can preserve our liberty, and our blessings in Christ!

Apply our blessings in Christ liberally!

(Eph1:4; Act2:38; 1Jn1:7-10; Act8:22; Rom8:12-13; Eph3:16; Php2:12-13; Php4:13)

(Thank God for our blessings picture)

When we know we are a blessed people having received the blessings of Christ, even when we don’t deserve them, we can thank God for them.

Here are a few things to consider regarding applying out blessings in Christ liberally.

The blood of Christ frees us from the penalty, guilt of sin (Eph1:4)

The blood of Christ is applied for forgiveness of sins in baptism (Act2:38)

We need to know, remember we are a sinner washed in the blood of Christ, and we need to continue to confess our sins to Him and He is faithful and just to continue to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1Jn1:7-10)

We need to continue to acknowledge and repent of our sins and pray when we sin (Act8:22)

Freedom from the power of sin!

How and why are we free from the power; because the Spirit of God can and will strengthen us in our inner man (Eph3:16); so that we can accomplish all things through Christ (Php2:12-13, 4:13)

We must remember the blood of Christ was shed for us so the Spirit of God can dwell in us so that we can walk in the freedom’s freedom in Christ!

Deal with traditions cautiously (Rom14:5-6; Mk7:7: Mk7:8-9; Gal4:10-11)

Don’t let observance of any particular day, or not observing it become a tradition of men that is not of God (Rom14:5-6).

We may have personal observances but not to but incorporated as if it were the word of God vs. the traditions of men.

We need to be careful not to teach traditions that are of man and not of God as if they were from God, we need to keep the commandment of God and not put those things aside for the traditions of men.

We do not want to bind things on us as a church, as a congregation that are not to be bound.

This is part of the problem that the church at Galatia was having (See Gal4:10-11)

We must be careful not to allow human traditions to destroy our freedom’s freedom in Christ!