Stand Firm in Freedom

This past year has brought has brought a some inconveniences.

We have been on lockdown.

We are grounded to our homes.

Overall, it seems to have brought a loss of freedom.

The longer this goes on, the less patient we become.

The more anxious we become.

We are watching our nation go nuts.

They’re like wild animals caught in a trap.

I’ve heard stories that a wolf caught in a trap, will chew his own leg off to get freedom.

Violence and anarchy are on the streets of our nation.

When people are caged, they start to act irrationally, and to do things they normally wouldn’t do.

Christians, we may not be there with them, but we do have a certain level of anxiety.

We are getting anxious.

Let’s not join the chaos of the movement.

We are not so hopeless, and let us not live so hopeless.

Freedom is not just an American ideal.

In fact, the American idea of freedom is an imitation of the greater freedom that we have in Christ.

This week we find ourselves in Galatians 5:1.

The theme of Galatians is Freedom.

They were a church that was abandoning freedom and embracing legalism, works, and works righteousness.

This is what prompted Paul to write this letter to the Galatian church.

The first couple chapters of Galatians he was stating his case.

He reminded the Galatians that there is only one Gospel.

In chapter 2, he reminded them of his own.

He would cower to no man when it came to truth.

He was willing to confront the leaders of the church, to their face, in order to declare the Gospel in all its glorious freedom.

Let’s read Galatians 5:1.

First there is Freedom in Christ

History is a useful subject.

It’s helpful to look back on the past to see how we got where we are.

It’s helpful to look back and to see how we have progressed.

We do it with our nation.

When we look at what drove the pilgrims here, we learn that their desire was religious freedom.

When we understand the pilgrims, then we understand what makes this nation so special.

To best understand the freedom in Christ, we must go back and look at Israel’s history.

When Israel was under the law, they were in slavery.

They were slaves to the law.

They were slaves to being perfect.

They were slaves to obeying each and every law.

Think back to the Garden of Eden.

There was no grace in Eden.

Why?

Because Adam and Eve lived there under the condition of perfection.

They had 1 law, and they needed to obey that one law.

They stayed there as long as they were obedient.

There was no mercy in Eden.

Because originally, there was no sin.

No mercy, because if you eat of the tree you die.

They were slaves in Eden.

Israel was slaves under the law.

There were 613 laws in the Old Testament.

Each law, an expectation of perfection.

This is a heavy burden to carry.

Matthew 5:48, Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

But there is relief … freedom.

Galatians 5:1 - “For freedom Christ has set us free.”

The world around us is going crazy.

They are caged animals wanting out.

Depression is spreading like a virus.

People are not satisfied.

They are slaves.

Slaves to perfection.

Slaves to desires.

Slaves to wanting more.

But we are different.

Christ has given us freedom and set us free.

What exactly is this freedom?

It’s freedom from from the Law.

This is a freedom from the condemnation of the law.

The law had one purpose, that was to condemn.

The purpose of the law was to reveal our sin, and show the Hell that we have deserved.

This shows us, that if you are not in Christ, you are still under the law.

And you are still obligated to receive what the Law gives … God’s wrath.

Christ gives us freedom.

This means that where the law called for death, if you are in Christ, you have life.

Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Christ gave us freedom.

And consider the cost for that freedom.

He freed the slaves with His own life.

He paid the ranson, He paid the penalty, He paid price for your freedom.

His own life.

He desires your freedom.

This means that the law has no more bearing on us.

Christ fulfilled the law.

He fulfilled what it demanded on us.

You can now live your life in freedom, without fear of condemnation or death.

Before the Cross, the future was dismal.

We were moving towards death, and judgment.

Now the future has hope.

We are moving towards a union with Christ.

As you look at your life, think through the freedom that Christ has for us.

Think back on your life.

Think about where you were headed.

Then think about Christ’s affect on your future.

Life eternal.

No condemnation.

If you’ve been set free, then Stand Free in Christ

That’s the second thing that Paul says.

If you’ve been set free, then stand firm in that freedom.

If you’re in Christ, you’re free.

Then live that way.

Paul gives us this command, “stand firm therefore”

This is not optional.

This is not a goal that we pursue.

It’s what we do, and it’s what we do right now.

What does it mean to stand firm?

First it means living with Joy.

This joy is the reality of knowing your freedom.

And with joy there is contentment.

Let me tell you a wonderful truth, contentment isn’t found in the world.

The lie of the Satan is that you can find contentment in this world.

That if you elect the right person, then there’ll be a happy ending.

If you go to college, you’ll get that perfect job.

If you marry the right person, then your life is set.

If you buy the right size RV, or big enough boat, or clear enough TV, that then you’ll have happiness.

It’s a lie though.

Contentment isn’t found in these things.

It’s not found in politics.

It’s not found in work.

It’s not found in family.

It’s not found in recreation.

It’s election season.

The next president, is not going to fix all the problems in this world.

You go to college to be trained for a job, a career.

And hopefully, you get that dream job.

But it won’t bring you contentment.

It won’g bring fulfillment.

You have a family.

Parents, you are given the task of training and raising children.

Yet, that won’t bring you contentment.

It might bring you periods of fun, and make the days pass quickly.

But you will always need something else.

You have your hobbies, times of recreation, and fun

Even these will not bring contentment.

Because they end.

They come to an end.

But the freedom that we have in Christ is true contentment.

We have all that we need in Christ.

The violence that is in our streets right now, the rioting, and protests, are the actions of people not content.

Freedom brings a contentment that says, “All I need is in Christ.”

It lives under the reality of Christ’s death.

It lives under the reality of an eternity with Christ.

Standing firm means to stand tall under the rule of Christ in your life.

This is where theology becomes practical.

What do we believe about Christ?

We believe that He has authority.

We believe that He is sovereign.

Read Colossians 1 sometime, you’ll see the active reign of Christ.

There is no ruler in this world, that Christ has not placed.

In fact, Christ is the one holding all things together.

And He will continue holding all things together until He returns.

Knowing theology, knowing Christology, gives you a foundation to stand firm in life.

The protests that we are seeing in our nation, the panic that is reigning in people’s lives is a demonstration of what happens when you have a low view of God.

And it’s not just the protestors, but its us.

If you are anxious in life.

If you are fretting about life.

You are not standing firm.

You have forgotten the bigness of Christ Jesus.

Through whatever event or trial happens, you stand firm, you live in contentment, because you know Christ reigns.

Standing firm means you don’t fear the conditions of the world.

Right now, the world is afraid.

Supposedly there is a pandemic.

There are riots.

There is an election.

There is nervousness about the economy.

People are afraid of what the future brings.

Standing firm means not joining the anxiety of the world.

Because you know of better things.

Standing firm means being content with Christ, and knowing that His death has provided hope for a future.

Then walking in that hope now.

Lastly, Paul says, "Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Christ has set you free.

He has made you His own.

Therefore never go back into slavery.

The Galatians were being persuaded to go back into slavery.

There were Judaizers who were pressuring them to adopt circumcision.

To go back into the Law.

If they accepted the Law, if they accepted circumcision, they would be saying that salvation is Jesus plus something.

That Jesus wasn’t enough.

This same argument continues today.

Jesus is preached, then they are told there is more.

They claim that without baptism you are not saved.

Or without communion you are not saved.

There is an effort to put people back under the law.

Some argue social reform.

That we must adopt whatever the current social fad or agenda is.

Truth is found only in God’s Word.

We seek His approval.

We study His Word, because it alone is good.

This means, we don’t go looking for what others say is good.

I am not looking to the world for acceptance.

High schoolers listen closely.

Those of you who care about the world’s approval listen closely.

Do not put your self back into slavery.

We are slaves of Christ.

We don’t look to the world for approval.

We look to God’s Word alone.

We are slaves of truth.

Do you have freedom now?

Galatians is written to Christians debating their freedom.

The longer we live this life, the stronger the pull to compromise our freedom.

A little here.

A little there.

And we forget what we have.

Let’s be different.