Set Free For Freedom: A Whole New Motivation

Galatians 5:1-15 Set Free For Freedom (A Whole New Motivation) Introduction: Freedom is something that we love to talk about as Americans. There is the economist who believes in free trade, the lifting of tariffs. There is the capitalist who dislikes central controls because they hinder free enterprise and the communist who claims to set the proletariat free from capitalist exploitation. President Roosevelt famously defined freedom as, “freedom of speech everywhere, freedom of worship everywhere, freedom from want everywhere and freedom from fear everywhere”. Many see true freedom as casting off all restraint, any cultural or religious norms, and finding their own way. But is this really freedom? Aren’t you enslaved to this ideal of self realization and self expression; and in the end how do you know this brings real freedom? I wonder what others who have pursued this sort of ideal would say? I think the real fundamental question to ask ourselves about freedom is: whether or not we are autonomous selves who define our own identity, or whether we’re creatures who are defined by a Creator. The teaching of the Bible is that we are created by a loving God, to whom we owe everything. We were separated from God not long after our creation because of our own desire for autonomy, this did not bring freedom as the first humans thought, but instead, bondage to all kind of inconveniences, foolish practices and philosophies because we had been separated from the author of life. This action also brought about death since we were separated now from him who is life and who gives life. The only way to experience true freedom, what it truly means to be human and alive, is to be reunited with God our creator, not through religious piety or good works because this only brings more enslavement and fear, (We can never appease the holiness of the Almighty God), but to be reunited with him through the way that he has made - Through the work of Jesus Christ’ life, death, and resurrection. Through accepting Jesus’ life offered to God for our imperfect life, him taking our sin upon himself at the cross and giving us his righteousness, by this act of faith we become sons of God and know his Father love and can truly live life the way it was meant to be lived. Paul now spells out for us how this freedom works. First, it is true freedom because we now relate to God in a whole new way 1. True Freedom - “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” 1. Paul says that it is for the purpose or goal of freedom, that Christ has set us free! Everything about Christianity is about this freedom. We were once slaves of sin and Jesus came on a rescue mission to emancipate us from the tyranny of sin and death. 2. Christian freedom is not the same as freedom that we usually talk about in our culture. As I mentioned, we talk about having the freedom to do as we please as long as we don’t do harm to anyone (But so often our culture has been hard pressed to even define what harm is since we have culturally lost in sense of moral code except the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.) 1. John Stott says, “Christian Freedom is freedom from the awful bondage of having to earn the favor of God; it is not a freedom from all controls. Christian freedom is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin, since sin brings bondage(John 8:34). (Christian freedom) is an unrestricted liberty of approach to God as his children, not an unrestricted liberty to wallow in our own selfishness.” 2. Paul wants to show us that that Christian freedom, gospel freedom from fear and condemnation leads us to obey God, not to please ourselves. Christianity claims that serving and loving others is the route to escaping bondage and simultaneously fulfilling the ultimate content of the Law. 3. Paul warns these Galatians to not be entangled again in a yoke of bondage. This is interesting for two reasons: First he uses the term ‘yoke of bondage’ - the Jews often referred to coming under teaching or observance as a yoke - you yoked yourself to a rabbi and his teaching or to the teaching and law of Moses. But Paul refers to law submission and circumcision as a yoke of bondage. The second thing is that Paul refers to this yoke of bondage as something that they are going back to, for he uses the word ‘again’. Paul shows that whether it is law observance, or the worship idols, or the pursuit of their own code it is all a yoke of bondage. It’s all the same before God attempts to live without the need for God and his grace. 1. "The Galatians had been amoral liberals, and now they were about to become very moral conservatives. This is the same spiritual slavery!! Under circumcision, the Galatians will experience once again the anxiety, guilt and burdened life they knew before as pagans. They will never be sure that they are being good enough, Their lives will be as fear-based and proud and guid ridden as they were before; in fact, probably more so. They will fall into the touchiness, insecurity, pride, discouragement and weariness of people who are never sure that they have worth -i.e. righteousness.” -Tim Keller 1. Paul wants these Galatians to continue in this freedom that they have through the free grace of God in Christ. Despite the fact that we already have been saved by Christ, we must be continually diligent to remember, to preserve, rejoice in and live in accord with our salvation. So we can experience the end, the goal that God purposed in our salvation - Freedom. 2. Slavery Strives, But Freedom Waits. - “Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!” 1. Paul wants the Galatians to understand beyond any confusion that anyone who places confidence on his or her own works needs to understand that God demands absolute perfection, and that this is not humanly possible. Paul really summarizes again all the things he has said before here: The Galatians cannot approach God through grace in Christ and through works. To add to Christ’ work of salvation is to take away from it. -“if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” This is a solemn warning of the danger that these Galatians are in. 2. At this point we begin to think, “alright we get it, don’t work, just do nothing but believe or else you are in danger of taking away from the grace of God. Although that’s not where Paul leaves us I think he does want us to pause there for a moment. Is God’s grace so free and freeing that we do nothing.. well yes and no. Look what Paul says next -“For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” 3. Notice that it is not through us, our goodness, our righteousness, or our works, but through the Spirit and by faith or trust that we wait with eagerness the hope of righteousness. 4. Paul does call for good works, and even works that are in accordance with God’s Law, but they are only to be done by the power of God’s Spirit at work in us, as the result of us trusting in what God has done and promises to do for us. Good works for the Christian are done with a total different motivation. The only works that Paul allows for Christians are those that are done from faith working through love. 5. "What is it that we await? Righteousness means more than goodness; it is a completely right record and right relationship with God. Paul is saying that we can live today in light of our certain, guaranteed, future glorification and welcome by God into his arms, because we know that, “since you are a son, God has also made you an heir” (4:7) No one else, no secular person, no follower of any other religion, can look at their future like this! Non-Religious people have no idea where they will be a million years from now, and religious people without the gospel are anxious about where they will be, and cannot relax or look forward to it with eagerness. The certainty of our future with God is a fruit of the work of the gospel.” -Tim Keller 6. Again law submitting says, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” It is a motivation of fear and condemnation. Through the Gospel, the free grace of God, we are motivated to do righteousness, by the work that God has already done in Christ - giving his precious Son for our sins, cleansing us, giving us peace and purpose, a future and a hope in eternity with him; and also by the work that God will yet do, when we will be ultimately justified, and glorified receiving our inheritance. 7. Paul says that through faith and by the work of the Holy spirit we can and will eagerly await this righteousness, this certain glory. Paul is talking about spiritual discipline. It is the development of an attitude of heart, an eager, passionate delighting in all that we have been given in Christ. It involves meditation and reflection on our justification, adoption and future glorification, and then bringing our actions into line with these unseen realities. 1. Imagine what you would feel if a person asked to marry you, but you came to realize that they would not want you if you did not come with an inheritance. You would feel used. You would not feel loved at all. Now we all know that we don’t feel loved by someone unless we are loved for who we are, not for what we bring him or her. This analogy helps us to understand the motivation of the gospel. When we thought our works saved us, we were serving God for what we could get from him. We are using him. But after the hope of the gospel settles in, and we see the grace and beauty of God, we love him for who he is. 2. In the gospel, we see that Christ has died for us and valued us not for what we bring him. We are of no profit to him! We have been loved for our own sakes. And to the degree we see that in gospel faith, we respond in kind. Now we can serve God not for what he brings us, for we already have everything guaranteed, but for who he is and what he has done for us. Finally, we can love God for who he is. Also, now we can serve others not for what they bring us, but for who they are in themselves. 3. Don’t Lose; Don’t Abuse - “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” 1. It is understandable that people get confused here. We are “free from the law,” we are not “obligated to obey it,” says Paul. The normal human heart then eagerly wonders if that means we are free to determine how we want to live. But Paul says that this is not the case. We are more obligated than before to love God and our neighbor in the way God has prescribed. In light of this, we see now how impossible it is that gospel freedom would be any encouragement to sin, for indeed the gospel devours the very motivation you have for sin. It completely saps your very need and reason to live any way you want. Anyone who insists that the gospel encourages us to sin has simply not understood it yet, nor begun to feel its power. 2. On the one hand, gospel freedom means that I do not have to fear that I will be cast off from God if I lie. I am free from the legal penalty of that lie. The person who is seeking to be perfectly honest as a way of winning God’s favor will be devastated when they slip and lie. But the gospel assures us that dishonesty will not damn us. However, let’s ask: Why did I even want to lie? Gospel analysis shows us that we only lie when something we deeply/religiously need to have is at stake. A person who must have approval, power, comfort or success to have any joy or worth will lie if this all-important thing is jeopardized or not available. The gospel frees us to say, “I don’t need this thing. Therefore I can tell the truth.” 3. We can put it another way; the gospel does free you to live anyway you want. But, if the gospel has analyzed your self-righteousness (and thus) your false gods, and has convicted you of both the guilt and danger of your whole approach to God, self, and the world around you, and if it has amazed you with how Jesus did not simply die to make up for your occasional lapses, but has provided an entire perfect record and standing before the Father--then you will ask, “How can I live for him?” And the answer will be--look at the will of God expressed in the law. 4.