Called To Freedom

The Legalists and Their Message (1-12)

The Danger of Their Message (1-6)

Christ plus anything equals nothing (v2)

Holding to our obedience to the Law for our justification places us apart from the grace found in Christ and puts us under the stern judgment and bondage of the Law. (3-4)

The Damage of Their Message (7-10)

It’s Origin (v8)

The False Teachers that infiltrated the Galatian Church had persuaded them to abandon the true Gospel, but Paul emphasizes that though they spoke persuasively, this teaching is not of God, the one who, Paul says in 1:6, called them into His grace. These teachers were teaching a message of merit, the Gospel of Christ is one of unmerited grace. Therefore, this teaching is not of God, but of Satan himself.

It’s Effect (v7 & 9)

It is a hindrance (7)

The greek word for hindrance was originally used to depict someone breaking up the road to prevent any further progress. (HONDURAS)

It is troubling (10)

It is confusing (other translations) (12)

It is cancerous (9)

It’s End (v10)

The Deliverance of the Saint

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

The Judgement of the False Teachers

This is a statement connected to the warning Paul gives in Galatians 1:7-9 “ which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

There are two Biblical approaches to false teaching. The first is Church Discipline. The second is the final judgment which Paul is referring to here where God will pour out His judgment upon His enemies.

The Defense of Paul’s Message (11-12)

It is generally considered that these false teachers at some point were telling the Galatians that Paul himself was a preacher of the circumcision, which would explain why he makes the claim he does here in v11.

The Offense of the Gospel (11)

Paul now sets himself clearly apart from these legalists. They were preaching circumcision, he preached Christ crucified. They preach good works, he preached the gospel of grace. They preached that your works merit salvation, Paul preached that we are saved wholly apart from ourselves and only by grace alone.

This same message is still offensive today. That men can do nothing to save themselves and that salvation is only by the grace of God offends human pride. It’s unflattering, but it’s the power of God unto salvation. Stott says, “To preach circumcision is to avoid persecution, to preach Christ crucified is to invite it. People hate to be told that they can be saved only at the foot of the cross, and they oppose the preacher who tells them so.”

His Passionate Statement Concerning the Worthlessness of Circumcision (12)

This statement may seem odd, and it is certainly passionate. But I want to examine it for a minute to see why it’s so powerful.

Paul is making mention to the pagan worship of the priests of Cybele who would castrate themselves as a worship ritual. Paul is making a connection here that circumcision for these gentiles is a relevant to their relationship to God as the actions of those pagan priests. It’s worthless!

Now, Paul seemingly takes a turn here. After chapters of destructive blows it seems he is anticipating the response of these Jewish heretics. After all, they may be so deceptive as to say, “Paul doesn’t recognize the authority of Moses!” which was a death penalty in the nation of Israel under the OC. Or they may have said, “Paul is teaching a gospel of lawlessness and sinful living!”

Other commentaries believe that this false teaching has resorted in a loose, sinful lifestyle among the Galatians. This would also go with how they’ve been derailed in their Christian marathon. Bryan Chappel says, “Law keeping either leads you to pride or to despair. You either try harder, give up, or go crazy.” And that may very well be what happened.

Nonetheless, Paul is setting the record straight here in these next few verses.

The Liberty We Are Called To (13-16)

The Initiation (13a)

Paul jumps from fiery passion in v12 to loving confidence for his brothers in v13. Paul is bridging over as to say, “Those false teachers might as well mutilate themselves, but you (this is emphatic), you are my brethren and we have been called to freedom!

But what is Christian freedom? (Q/A) The Bible tends to depict it as a freedom of conscience. In the Gospel it is clear that we are all bound by sin until, by the grace of God, we are freed from the burden of sin and this is the freedom these Galatians, Paul says, have been “called” to.

This freedom is true of us as well and it didn’t begin with us randomly decided to come, but began with God’s calling of us to come. He took the initiative.

The Calling, not of Paul but of God.

John Stott said, “‘Called to freedom’! This is what it means to be a Christian, and it is tragic that the average man does not know it. The popular image of Christianity today is not freedom at all, but a cruel and cramping bondage. But Christianity is not a bondage; it is a call of grace to freedom. Nor is this the exceptional privilege of a few believers, but rather the common inheritance of all Christians without distinction.”

As Christians, we are free not because there was anything in us that could break us from our chains, but that God Himself has lovingly set us free, He has elected us unto salvation and affirms us as His own.

The Implications (13-15)

Our Freedom Is Not For The Sinful Desires of The Flesh (13b)

The word “flesh” that Paul uses isn’t referring to skin and bones, but is referring to our sinful human nature. So, we are not to use our Christian liberty to satisfy our sinful desires.

The word “opportunity” comes from the word, “Aphorme” which was a military term describing a base of operations. It would be the upper-ground for who held it.

What Paul is saying is that we cannot use our Christian liberty as a pretext, or a false justification to live an unholy lifestyle.

There are people all over who act as though living a wicked lifestyle is so freeing, but in reality they’re wallowing in filth and they are enslaved to their sin. Christian freedom is not freedom to sin, but freedom from it. It is the unrestricted liberty to bask in grace, to approach a Holy God as sons and daughters, to rejoice and worship freely.

Jesus said in John 8:34 , “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” but you and I have been set free. We are new creatures. So we must die daily. Galatians 5:24 “24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Are we crucifying our flesh?

Our Freedom Is To Fulfill the Law in love (13c-14)

FF Bruce said, “The Christian does not emulate the self-sufficiency of the Stoic, his sufficiency is in Christ, and he is involved in the interdependent and loving fellowship of the people of Christ.”

It is almost as though Paul, with all of this talk about Law, is saying, “You want to live with a law to abide by? This is it! “Love one another!” And he talks about this all over his epistles.

Romans 13:8 “ Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

Mark 12:31 “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””

Matthew 7:12 “ Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Conclusion

In verse 15 It would seem as though this legalistic theology that has hindered these believers has also harmed their unity and so he warns them of the consuming problem of disunity and how it will destroy them all.

The Church will always have it’s problems. We are all sinners who have been saved by grace. But even though we have problems, the world should know that we are Christ’s disciples by our love for one another. Do you love the body of Christ for whom Christ died?

Let’s quickly see how this might powerfully affect and apply to our lives today:

We must be on watch for those things which will harm our walk with both Christ and our brothers.

We must be crucifying the flesh daily. It is tempting, amidst the songs of “Jesus paid it all”, for the flesh to say, in that hour of temptation, “It’s already paid for! Just go ahead and do it!”. We must be waging war actively.

We must bask in the freedom given to us, and this life changing love is seen displayed in no better way than when we love one another.

So, when an elderly sister in the Church needs her bushes trimmed or when a friend in the youth group is going through a hard time, be there for them. Invest in relationships together, pray with and for one another.

God, before the world began, chose you and I to be linked arm in arm to stand for Christ here in Burlington. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we neglected the family God has united us to spend all of eternity with?