Freedom: Standing firm in it!
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Stop Thief!
Stop Thief!
Have you ever had anyone steal something from you, or try to steal something from you? Not a very pleasant experience is it? There are people, organizations that are trying to steal from you, Paul offers reminders and warning now. (Scripture references Jn10:10; Jn8:44; Jn8:32; Rom8:1-4)
(Stop Thief Picture)
Paul is making a shift from the doctrinal to the practical, from knowledge to application. There is much to learn in the last two chapters of this book. Much we can learn historically about then and preventative for us today. Judiazers were trying to steal the grace of God then, legalism today can do the same thing.
Jesus said (not on slide):
10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Satan is a thief, he is a liar and a murderer and has been since the beginning (Jn8:44). He uses many ways to try to steal away the grace of God. He uses religion to try to do it in the form of legalism following a set of rules, doctrines of man, vs relying and trusting in the grace of God and the sufficiency of Christ. It was at the cross Satan was defeated, it was displayed at the resurrection. But still, he wants to kill your freedom, and destroy your walk with Christ, but remember why Jesus came, to give you life, and give it abundantly, or some versions say “full.”
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
The Judiazers had hundreds of years, many generations with the system of works they were accustomed to. Some believed in the grace of God and believed in Jesus but did not believe it was enough. Jesus was a good teacher, but they believed they still needed their high standards. Today in our society if people realized the freedom they have in Christ, legalism due to creeds and doctrines outside of the bible would not be an issue, there would be One church that Jesus Christ is the head of. Some may say that without the creeds, doctrines, teachings that must be followed there would be religious anarchy.
Anarchy means a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority. Christians who live by faith and have been justified by grace through faith are not going to be anarchists (rebels). Quite to the contrary they are going to experience inner discipline of God rather than outer discipline of man-made rules.
Christians who live by faith and have been justified by faith through grace are not going to be anarchists (rebels). Quite to the contrary they are going to experience an inner discipline of God rather than the outer discipline of man-made rules.
“No man could become a rebel who depends on God’s grace, yields to God’s Spirit, lives for others and seeks to glorify God.” - Wiersbe
Christians who are surrendered to Christ, who depend on the power of the Spirit are not denying the Law of God, they are not even rebelling against it, they are fulfilling it.
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
According to (v.3) what was the law? - weak!
What was Jesus (v.4) the fulfillment of the requirement of the law
So if it is fulfilled what does that mean? - it is no longer needed.
Maybe an outline of the last 2 chapters can make it easy to see the flow of the rest of the book.
I am set free; no longer in bondage to the Law (Gal5:1-12)
I need someone to control my life from the inside (Gal5:13-26)
Because of the Spirit’s love, I want to live to serve others (Gal6:1-10)
Loving my liberty and living to give glory to God (Gal6:11-18)
No matter how we look at it, no matter who we may slice it, legalism kills. Kills grace, kills unity, kills salvation. It is insidious and dangerous to the health of the church. When we abandon grace for law, or try to add to grace you always lose.
(Stop Legalism picture)
May we stop for a minute, I want you to think about legalism today, can you give any examples?
Our section tonight we are looking at what is at risk, what we can lose when we turn from God’s grace to man-made rules and regulations.
You lose your liberty
You lose your liberty
Freedom! This series has been all about freedom or the liberty that we have in Christ Jesus and there is much at stake here that can be lost.
(Freedom picture)
Do you remember that movie that is from, Braveheart and the iconic line that said “they make take our lives but they will never take our freedom.” Well, it is for freedom that Christ came. Freedom from the law, freedom from legalism then, and we have the Word to free us from it today.
Paul has already shown us what the Law is
A schoolmaster/guardian (Gal3:24)
A bondwoman (Gal4:22ff)
Peter uses same imagery (Act15:10); and Paul speaks of freedom that can be taken in our passage tonight (Gal5:1)
The yoke of the law, Peter said they, fathers could bear it; Paul calls it a yoke of slavery. Let me give you the passages though
10 “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
and here is from our passage tonight
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.
Maybe today it is not the law of Moses that people yoke themselves too, but other forms of legalism. Maybe people are following a leader and not the Bible, turning to what man says vs. what God says. That is a yoke.
Christ calls for us to yoke ourselves to Him (Mt11:28-30)
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
What does Jesus say to do (v.28)?
Who is to do it (v.28)?
What are the instructions in (v.29)?
What are the results of following the instructions (vv.29-30)?
I know this is basic stuff right? but if we are not careful we may not be diligent in protecting our freedom or forgetting what we have in our freedom and be taken back into a form of bondage we do not need to have.
The yoke of the law enslaves us, to the unsaved person today it is a yoke of sin (Lam1:14), to the legalist today it is a yoke of bondage (Gal5:1)
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Christ has made us free, set us free from the curse (Gal3:13) and set us free from the law to be under grace (Rom6:14) and gave us the Spirit of life (Rom8:1-4)
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Christ has made us free, set us free. How? By taking on the curse of the law by dying on the tree.
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—
We are no longer under the law, but under Gods grace through faith
14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Now, don’t think that because we are under grace that we are free to sin; we are freed from the bondage of sin. We are free to live for Christ and have the freedom He died for us to have.
No external force (law) is needed to help us keep God’s will and to know God’s will. We have the internal and eternal leading of the Holy Spirit.
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
You have heard the expression “just do it” you may have even heard the expression “don’t do it” well that is a legalist implied term.
Don’t do this, don’t touch that
Paul commands, issues an ultimatum “Don’t be entangled in a yoke of bondage, take up your stand for liberty!
Take your stand (Gal5:1; Php1:27; Eph6:13) Protect your liberty by your stand!
27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Stand firm in one spirit, mind, striving together for the gospel
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Stand firm having put on the full armor of God. We need God’s armor for the days are evil, perverse, crooked, people want to take away your liberty in Christ from the outside and even on the inside of the church at times.
Next thing you can lose when you do not stand firm in your liberty, your freedom in Christ Jesus is:
Lose your wealth
Lose your wealth
Paul asserts his apostolic authority, as the one who taught them the gospel and they responded to it. Now he addresses the ability to lose their wealth, their riches in Christ. This is a very strong section with serious implications.
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.
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.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
(Freedom from bondage or legalism picture)
When you turn from Christ, the sufficiency, the superiority and the supremacy of Christ and you trade the grace of God through Christ then it is a form of bondage, a form of legalism then.
Christ will be no benefit to you (v.2)
expand on this
You become a debtor to the whole law (v.3)
when we were unsaved, we were debtors and had a debt we could not pay. But Jesus, well, he took it on and paid the debt, paid the ransom, the price of redemption! When we turn to the law we must keep the whole law, for there is no means of justification under the law. It demands perfect adherence.
You have been severed from Christ (v.4)
Any way you look at (v.4) this is a serious verse, severed, is it literal, is it spiritual, is it just a warning to the church at Galatia? Is it applicable to us?
(may chose to expand a little more on that point and the next one)
You have fallen from Grace (v.4)
If we try to add to grace it is no longer grace. It is no longer a free gift given because of our faith. Works (system of works under law) and grace do not mix, they are mutually exclusive.
May I offer up a biblical illustration; let me summarize Lk7:36-50) - parable of two debtors
Both owed a debt they could not pay, both were forgiven the debt. One was taken back into bondage by inflicting law on the other. Grace, forgiveness was taken out of the way.
May we always remember we owed a debt we could not pay, but Christ forgave us the debt and paid the price with His very blood.
It does not matter the amount of the debt, we all fall short, we all need God’s grace through faith.
We are rich in Christ Jesus,through faith and we are justified. Our riches are shown through scripture (Eph1:7, 1:18; Rom11:33; Eph3:8; Col2:3, 10) - Don’t let the thief steal them nor trade them for something that does not work
Riches of God’s grace (Eph1:7)
Riches of God’s glory (Eph1:18)
Riches of God’s wisdom (ROm11:33)
God’s unsearchable riches (Eph3:8)
How about the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col2:3)
And the reminder that we are complete in Him
10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
Remember Christ came to give us life and give it to us full, or abundantly, freedom! So stand firm in your freedom for the law adds nothing to it, but wants to steal your freedom. God’s grace through Christ is sufficient. When you live under the law and break any part of the law you are guilty of breaking the whole law (see Jm2:9-11)
(insert traffic ticket illustration) - end with: Point being no amount of obedience in other areas can make up for act of disobedience in any area.
(Freedom a journey through Galatians picture)
The Galatians have had a trying, scary journey, maybe you have in your walk with Christ and trying to be faithful til the end without being yoked to some form of tradition or legalism that is not in the bible.
The Galatians had been bewitched (Gal3:1) they were moving towards another gospel (Gal1:6-9); they were turning back to old religious elementary ways that could not save them (Gal4:9) they were being entangled with a yoke of bondage(Gal5:1) and they were being severed from God and fallen from grace (Gal5:4).
Living under grace you live under the power of the Spirit, Paul reminded the Galatians that (Gal5:5-6); we too need to remember to live under that power and not try to do it under our own power.
It is not for grace that you work but it is from grace that produces works (Jm2:14-26); faith that works through love (Gal5:6). Love in which we find our hope (Gal5:5) hope of righteousness.
May we also remember that Paul is writing to a church a body of believers who were in danger. We can see today even that the Christian who chooses a form of legalism today robs himself of the spiritual liberty, the spiritual wealth (riches) we have in Christ and put ourselves under bondage and severe ourselves from the grace of God.
We still have one more section to go, please be patient tonight, this is all vital information that we need so not to be taken into bondage, for we do not want to lose our direction either.
Lose your direction
Lose your direction
Paul uses a couple of illustrations in our final section tonight to show the church as losing direction because it was being taken back into bondage.
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.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Who hindered you? (Gal5:7-8)
The term in the Greek is an athletic term “cut off” so who cut you off. They had a race to run, just like we do today, You are in God’s lane of grace and yo are racing for the prize and someone, something tries to hinder you, cut you off.
THis is something that is trying to cut you off from the grace and fullness of Christ. This, in this section, is not a salvation issue for to run in the Greek or roman games you had to be a citizen. They were citizens of heaven already and someone is trying to cut them off in their race they are running as citizens.
They were running well, they were doing fine until someone cut in on them. Are people trying to cut in on you, on us? Someone trying to detour, discount, distract, derail, discourage or dismay your faith and tell you that you need something more? When these things start to happen they can fester or grow like the next illustration he uses about a little leaven.
A little leaven (Gal5:9-10)
Leaven starts little but leavens the whole lump. Maybe this leaven, this yeast is gossip, maybe it is being judgmental, maybe it is unforgiveness.
leaven like sister Susie is not living, acting like you think she should, or raising her children like you think.
Brother John is not serving just sitting.
How about that couple that were baptized that are not growing at the rate we think they should?
All these things are leaven a type of legalism that impacts the whole lump, the whole church.
The spirit of legalism does not suddenly overpower the church, it overtakes it over time. Oftentimes it can happen almost undetected. Paul is very severe in what he thought about this.
12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.
While this is a very hard section, hard to hear, hard to consider, and hard with conviction regarding legalism. There is Paul love still shown (Gal5:10)
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.
(Encouragement slide: Freedom from bondage picture again)
Paul’s confidence! May we have the same confidence and not be easy entangled today!
encouragement; (encouragement slide 2) prayer, (exit slides)