We've been studying in Galatians, we've come to chapter
5 and there was no way that I was going to be able to get
through all 25 verses of Galatians 5.
So I'm going to be taking the first 15 verses and studying
that this morning and we've already seen up to this point in
the previous chapter studies. We kind of step back and take a
look at Galatians. It's really kind of divided up
into two different sections. Galatians chapter 1 and 2.
Go together to really show us how we're saved.
And by grace through faith and then in Galatians, 3 and 4 and
show us how it is Grace through faith, in only Christ Christ
alone, and he Supreme, and it's by Christ that were delivered
from slavery into sonship. We're not slaves anymore.
We're sons in a relationship with God.
So we've seen to this point with some pretty heavy, contextual
things that we have studies meaty lessons and when we get to
Galatians 5, Paul is now going to be saying, okay, I've shown
you and taught you this stuff. Now, we're going to really apply
it to our lives. Moving forward into Galatians 5
and infant Galatians 6. And Paul is going to start
talking about how we've been running a race and how the
Galatians have been running a race.
And now they're really kind of getting off track with the way
that they're running this race. And the imagery.
That's this is kind of familiar to Paul.
He does this often, he takes athletic pictures and applies
them to how he's trying to teach.
About how we're running a race or in a battle or a war or in a
fight. And we want to understand that
when Paul uses this imagery of fighting or war or running, he
never talks about how this is used by means to come to Faith
in Jesus Christ. That's not the way to come to
Jesus by doing these things instead, he uses this athletic
imagery running a race to describe our life in Christ, how
it's supposed to look. And that's important.
Because in the day that we live in today, our modern day,
there's a big idea of. Well, you know, we come to
Christ, we may be, you know, in some other religions, we pray a
prayer. We confess the name of Christ.
We are baptized and now which is smooth sailing.
It's just easy koston all the way through from here on out and
and and you know our life is sealed, our Salvation sealed
based on those actions that we did.
And that's not what the New Testament describes.
Or teaches us the New Testament describes a Christian Life as a
battle or war or race or Marathon.
And not even just a, you know, a quick race, it's a, you know,
not a 50-yard Dash, It's a race were rubbing running through
struggling through going through life, living the Christian life
and that's how Paul describes us.
So how do we struggle and fight and run but not be and I'm going
to use this word often quote unquote legalistic.
Because this is a word that we're starting to see a lot more
nowadays, legalism legalistic, I want us to understand what that
term. Biblically means not what the
world likes to think that it means.
But how do we do that? How do we struggle?
How do we go through a race without thinking that?
We're being legalistic? And I want to try to show us
that and Paul is going to show us in Galatians 5 & 6, help us
understand that as well. So we're going to read the first
15 verses of Galatians 5 and then we're going to get into our
study here. So Galatians 5 beginning in
verse 1, Stand Fast therefore in the Liberty by which Christ has
made us free and do not be entangled again with the Yoke of
bondage. Indeed, I Paul say to you that
if you become circumcised Christ, will profit you.
Nothing and I testify again to every man who becomes
circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law, you have
become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified
by the law you have fallen from Grace.
Race for we through the spirit. Eagerly wait for the hope of
righteousness by faith for in Christ.
Jesus, neither circumcision. Nor uncircumcision avails
anything. But Faith working through, love
you ran. Well, who hindered you from
obeying the truth. This persuasion does not come
from him. Who calls?
You? A little leaven leavens, the
whole lump. I have confidence in you in the
Lord that you will have no other mind but he who troubles you
shall bear his judgment. Whoever he is, and I Brethren if
I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution?
Then the offense of the Cross has ceased.
I wish I could wish that those who trouble you, but even cut
themselves off for you Brethren have been called to Liberty.
Only do not use Liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but
through love serve one. Another, for all the law is
fulfilled in one word, even this you shall love your Your
neighbor as yourself, but if you bite and devour one, another
beware lest you be consumed by one.
Another The first verse there in Galatians 5 is really one of the
most important verses that we could see in the book of
Galatians. It really encapsulates the whole
picture and if you you know don't have a mark in your in
your Bible or underline. It may be a good idea to it says
Stand Fast therefore in the Liberty by which Christ has made
us free. That's kind of the theme or what
the idea Paul is talking about here and what Paul does.
In this first verse, he sums up everything, he says to this
point, it is for Freedom that Christ has set us free, set us
free. And as a result of that freedom
stand firm and do not be yoked again, into slavery or bondage
to run in Freedom. So what I want to show us we
have there's two enemies of Christian freedom and to enemies
here. And the word Freedom or Liberty.
We see in some translations is really one of the most
misunderstand or misused or misapplied words in Christianity
Today. All kinds of people can claim
Liberty or freedom in Christ to indulge in all kinds of things
live. Whatever kind of Life, they want
to live, do whatever they want to do because they have that
Liberty, or they have that freedom, And we need to see a
Biblical picture of what that means to be free in Christ.
So what Paul does he starts talking about two enemies of
Christian freedom and we see those kind of coming out or
permeating through these scriptures as we read them.
So two enemies of Christian Freedom.
The first one we've already mentioned legalism and the
definition of legalism here is working to earn the favor of
God. Working to earn the favor of the
favor of God. whether according to our rules, Or to God's rules,
even working to earn the favor of God.
That's legalism. Now what Paul is trying to say
here in Galatians 5 is he's actually addressing legalism in
one particular point and that is circumcision.
That's what he's getting at here and and and that's what the
judaizers were doing here in galatia.
They were promoting that you need to be circumcised on top of
what we've already taught you. That Jesus has come to do and
that's what Paul is refuting. He addresses this that as we've
seen now we need to also understand that Paul is not
necessarily against circumcision in and of itself.
But what Paul is teaching us that he's against that you
cannot add this to. The gospel of Christ is not
necessary to have that anymore and what that's what these
judaizers were trying to do earlier in the book, he talked
about how he didn't want itís to become circumcised and how he
was encouraging, Titus to not become circumcised because in
doing so, Titus would be showing that you would need to do this
in order to be saved. Paul had his reasons why he was
telling Titus not to do this. And at the same time, in another
point, in the New Testament, Paul was actually encouraging
Timothy to be circumcised. And this was later later in the
passage, we see, Paul talked about how some are accusing him
preaching circumcision. Because he told Timothy that he
needed to be circumcised. The reason was because Timothy's
mother was a Jew. and more importantly, Paul and Timothy
were working amongst the Jews and This was kind of a barrier
for the Jews to understand to believe Paul and what he was
saying. So Paul was in that at that
point of the New Testament, Paul saying will become like you.
That's why we want to become circumcised.
I want you to me to be circumcised that way.
You have a better in with the Jews to be able to teach them
that you'll have more Credence with them.
So what they did is it was bad basically, a better for the
advance of the Gospel. So Paul is not against
circumcision, he was actually circumcised himself and the
difference is ball was adamantly against circumcision and
anything else that we would put as a regulation or rule to
follow in order to be made right before.
God He's against the Sabbath. He's against feces against
anything, no matter how big, or how small that we put on the
table. And we think when I'm doing
this, if I do this, I'm going to earn favor before God.
That's what Paul is teaching against.
So circumcision is actually what Paul was dealing with here, but
if we can, we can take this and think of many examples today of
legalism around us. There are people who believe,
well, you know, if I do more work for the church, if I do you
no more study time at home, if I do more prayer more this more
that on and on and on that, we're trying to earn that favor
to God. And that's that's not what.
We're to do. We're not earning favorite.
There's nothing we can do. That would Merit or earn favor
towards God. No matter how big or how small
and if we put anything that we do as a means to gain favor of
God, By earning it then were undercutting the gospel.
An example. Here, that Paul is teaching us
is legalism. The effect of legalism is
contamination. Paul says, in verse 9, A little
leaven leavens the whole lump Legalism spreads Paul sane.
You know if you judaizers are trying to make sure that
circumcision is is it's going to spread like a wildfire or firing
the church and Paul was trying to put a stop to that.
Just it's a little poison one. Little Drop of Poison.
One drop can destroy the whole body.
And that's why we in the church have a responsibility today us
here in this room, we have a responsibility to adamantly
oppose anything, or any teaching anywhere that is not gospel
centered or gospel oriented. Any teaching that is, that's not
gospel needs to be weeded out completely because it
contaminates the whole church. Even if we think it's not a big
deal, you know, we have some some people who say, you know,
Jesus is a a weighted to Heaven, not the way to heaven.
Well that little word is a huge difference and that's what needs
to be weeded out. That's what needs to be pushed
up against and get out of what the teaching is.
Big differences, we're guarding the gospel of the church and
that's what Paul is saying because of this effect is
contamination. It could result in link listen
legalism and in condemnation and then verse 10 Paul gets to the
point of what he's talking about.
He says I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will have
no other mind but he who troubles you shall bear his
judgment. Whoever he is.
Paul saying if you promote legalism, if you promote the
circumcision there's going to be a price to pay for that man
who's doing that whoever's doing that.
There's a price to be paid and then down in verse 12 he says I
wish I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut
themselves off. One translation says emasculate.
Another translation says mutilate Paul is basically
saying that these, he wishes these judaizers who were talking
about circumcision would basically finish the job.
Another translation says, those who are disturbing you.
I would like to see the knife slip.
Okay, we get the imagery. Great.
Let's move on. Okay, what does Paul say he's
being crude here? Is he being out of line here?
No, I don't think so. Paul is showing us that anything
that undercuts, the gospel should be met with great Force.
One commentator said, if we were as concern for God's church and
God's word as Paul was, we too would wish that the false
teachers might cease from the land.
Be passionate about protecting gospel truth in the church, Paul
says because any small bit of legalized legalism contaminates
the whole church and ultimately brings condemnation.
So the first enemy of Christian freedom is legalism.
Second enemy of Christian freedom is license.
License, says basically, you're forgetting about the whole all
together, all the rules are out the window.
That's what license is what in our study, this morning's what
I'm talking about. People would say, you know, if
we are justified by faith that we don't we don't need to do
anything else. People are just going to live,
you know, Carefree lives, do whatever they want live.
However they want to. In Galatians 5, we're going to
see you know that that is a perversion of the Gospel as
well. Freedom in Christ, all of the
cut, all of a sudden becomes a basis for all kinds of careless
loose living, that is not in line with what we are taught in
the Bible. That is not what the gospel is.
Based on scripture. Gospel truth is never intended
only to believed gospel. Truth is always intended to be
obeyed. Gospel truth is never intended
to only be believed. It is always intended to be
obeyed and this is the language that Paul uses when he brings
this imagery, of course that we see in verse 7.
He says you ran well, who hindered you from obeying, the
truth. He's not talking about obedience
here as a means of earning favor before God.
That would be of course legalism that we just touched on
obedience as a meeting to earn favor before.
God, however, that doesn't mean that it will be nice just thrown
out the window. You don't get rid of obedience
altogether. Obedience is still a fundamental
part of Christian life, but it's no longer a means of earning
favor before God, it's something very different.
You know, we see people who say well I mean you know I believe I
believe in Jesus you know I it doesn't matter what I do now.
It doesn't matter how I live. I'm going to go ahead and no
matter what I do. And the gospel truth is never
intended to be accepted. Only in our heads, it's always
to be applied in our lives. So I want to show us for
essential Essentials of Christian, Christian Freedom or
Liberty that we see in these passages here.
So how is the gospel applied in our lives?
And this is what leads to Paul's description of Christian
Freedom. So we have legalism over here.
We have license over here and then we get to Liberty Liberties
kind of brings it all together, Christian freedom.
So how do we avoid legalism and license with liberty?
And Paul gives that us a description there.
That's really really great. And I hope this kind of puts
everything together a little bit that we've been talking about so
far. So we're going to look at verses
5 and 6 of Galatians 5. Verses 5 and 6.
It says there, for we through the spirit are eagerly.
Wait for the hope of righteousness, by faith will
stop right there. And that's a, there's a lot just
in those few little words right there.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor Arkham's
uncircumcision avails anything but Faith working through love.
So in these two verses I want to see what Christian freedom is
all about essential. Number one, Christian Freedom,
we live by faith. That's what he says in verse 5
for we through the spirit. Eagerly, wait for the hope of
righteousness by faith. This is not, of course, new
thing that we're learning Galatians that, you know, we've
talked about this in our previous studies, Paul is always
talking about faith, he's reminding us, you know.
Okay. We're taking the workings of the
gospel and we're going to apply those to our our lives that were
living now We're not working for God.
Christ is not an employee employer relationship with God.
That's not Christianity at all. That's not, that's sometimes,
you know, I've tend to think of Christian, you know, I've got to
do these things for God, you know, but that's not what,
that's not what Christian Life is.
We might not put it that way, but oftentimes we see ourselves
doing that. In Romans 4 verses 4 through 5
Paul addresses. This here, he says, when a man
works or when he's an employee. When a man Works he wet his
wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation So
in other words, an employer any employer in this room, there's a
couple in here. You know, we don't we don't Pay
our employees as a gift to them. We paid to them as an
obligation. We're obligated to pay them for
what they've done to us done for us.
Then Paul says, however, to the man who does not work, but who
trust God, who justifies the wicked?
His faith is credited as righteousness.
So, righteousness is not an obligation favor.
For God, is not an obligation that gives us, that gives to us
what we've done. Instead, there's something given
by faith and we're not, we're not working for God is the point
here. Now what Paul does is he hits us
from a few different angles that I To show us in verses 2 3 and
4. So what happens when we do not
live by faith? Verse 2 says, indeed, I Paul say
to you that if you become circumsized, if you try to work
for God, he says Christ will profit you nothing or if you try
to add anything to the gospel Christ will profit, you nothing.
So if we try to try to add anything that's, you know, if we
try to earn favor before God or add anything to the gospel, Paul
saying here, we'll lose the profit of Christ.
Christ will profit nothing. And we will lose the benefits of
Christ Christ will have no value.
Paul saying here, you know, you depend on your work, you guys
have depended on your work, you judaizers, you know, if you keep
doing this, Then what do you need Christ for?
If you think this is how it's going to go.
What is, what is the point of Christ doing what he did?
You don't need him at all anymore, right?
Either you need Christ for everything or you will have
Christ for nothing. You would lose the benefits of
Christ, whenever we add the smallest, little bit of work
that was done away. With in the old old law, no
matter how small we might think it is, whatever.
We may think, you know. Well, I need to do something
here. I need we need to add this here.
I need to do this here when we try to add that to the gospel,
that's what we have. And lose the benefits of what
Christ has done for us. Secondly, we gain the burden of
the law verse number 3. Paul says in verse 3, and I
testify again to every man who become circumcised that he is a
debtor to keep the whole law. Paul saying, you know, you guys
take this one one, small part of the law, you try to hold this
law. Then as soon as you say that you
trying to earn favor before God, then you've got to do everything
in the entire old law. You gain the whole burden of the
law. If you're trying to do at least
just one, that's what Paul is mentioning here.
So we lose the benefits of Christ and we gain the burden of
the law. And of ultimately, we miss the
grace of God, verse 4. He says there you'll become
estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by the
law you have fallen from Grace. So, we can read this and people
ask, well, if we read this, can we fall from grace?
Can we lose our salvation? And the answer is absolutely.
Yes, we can without a doubt. And the word Paul uses here.
The fall from that that word fall from or fallen, from Grace,
literally from the Greek means to lose grasp on to lose, hold
So I think what Paul is trying to teach them here is, you know,
we're saved by grace through what God has done through Christ
Jesus. But when you start holding on to
these Old Testament laws, you're actually letting go of that
Grace that God has given you letting go of what Christ has
set you free from. And you're starting to hold on
to something else. Your fallen from Grace, you're
letting go of what we taught you in the past.
So, Paul's teaching them and encourage them, don't let go one
writer said, what can be more insane and wicked than to want
to lose the grace and favor of God.
And to retain the law of Moses, whose retention makes it
necessary for you to accumulate wrath and every other evil for
yourself. It's insanity.
Second essential. Of Christian Freedom.
We live through the spirit verse 5 for we through the spirit
eagerly await our eagerly wait, Christian Freedom happens
through the spirit, we see the holy spirit all over the book of
girly Galatians and especially here in verse chapter five and
six and glad Wade's going to hopefully take teach on the
spirit. And the second half of this
chapter, I wasn't going to be able to get to it but we'll
learn more about that. They're so When Christian
Freedom, you know, it's dependent on living through the
spirit. So, what is the spirit do in us?
Well, what does the spirit doing?
This enables us to experience the presence of Christ.
We've seen this in Galatians, 2:20 three.
And also chapter 3 and verse 5, it says I've been crucified with
Christ. I no longer live but Christ
lives in me. So how does that happen?
How does Christ live in US? How does he, how does he do that
through? Who, it's through the spirit,
through the Holy Spirit, the one who dwells in us and enables us
to experience the presence of Christ in us.
The spirit is the one who unites our lives with Christ.
If the spirit is not there, then Christ is not there.
Christ is in us because of the spirit.
And this is huge for Christian, freedom, because we're not free
from Christ instead were free to Christ.
Some people think that Christian, Freedom means, you
know, like we've said, I'll live, however, I want I'll do
whatever I want. I'll make my own choices, make
my own decisions. I live according to the
lifestyle that I want to live and we need to realize that
whenever we say that. Whenever we have that kind of
mentality or that that desire, we're actually.
You know, we're admitting that we're actually still slaves to
ourselves slaves to our own desires slaves to what we want
to do. And we're not free at all, you
know, we think about it, you know, we want to live, however,
what how we want to even in that picture where we're living as
slaves to ourselves. Like I just mentioned, We've
been delivered from that. We've been set free from that
desire. From ourselves and free from
sin, and we've been freed to Christ.
Now we're free to live. However, Christ wants us to live
were freed. We weren't before but the grace
of God. Now we're now we're free to live
the way that we were created to live and that was to live in
Christ. For free to experience, the
Beauty and the glory, and the joy, in the presence of Christ
in our life. That's what we're free to do.
We're not not free from Christ to ourselves.
That doesn't make any sense. We're free to Christ.
He begins once were free to Christ and he's begins to
transform our hearts. Transformed the way that we live
transformed. The ways that we do the ways
that we think for free to Christ.
And not just the presence of Christ, but we're but the spirit
also enables us to enjoy the commands of Christ.
When Christ is living in us through the holy spirit, that
doesn't mean that we're free from The Words of Christ of the
commands of Christ. And he's given that he's given
to us, were free to his word, free to his commands.
So, when we come to the New Testament, we don't say, well,
I'm just free. So I'm going to live, leave all
that behind and live. However, I want that's not
what's being taught here. We're free to obey the law of
Christ in the Commandments of Christ, in the words of prices,
exactly. What Jesus says in John 15 verse
10. He says, if you keep my
Commandments, you will abide in my love.
Just as I have kept my father's Commandments and abide in his
love. So not only will We, Will We
obey the commands will also enjoy the commands of Christ.
Well, one thing will desire them because because we want to
because we love and see what Christ has done for us.
And when we get to First John 5 and verse 3, it says this is the
love of God that we keep his Commandments.
Now, when we think about that, how do you look at John first,
John 5 and 3? And I say that's legalism.
By keeping the Commandments were in that favor towards God.
How do we, how do we see that obey his commands?
And that's not what this is teaching at all.
That's not what the scriptures teach.
And what the scripture is saying is obedience and love Toward
God, go together. Would come which is, you know,
right after it says right here and his Commandments are not
burdensome. Before we were slaves to the
law, the law was a burden that we were trying to carry that.
Talking about the Old Law Moses. Now the words of Christ are a
delight because he's living through us through his Spirit by
and and by faith and walking and we're walking.
Now in his commands were enjoying his commands, and his
words, we Delight in the law that Christ has given us.
We're glad to follow him. Because of what he did, he did
for us. As a result, we're not free to
sin. Were free from sin or if not
free to Indulgence. In is Paul talks about later in
verse 13 and we can, you know, it misses the whole point when
we say, you know, I've been saved.
Now, I can just do whatever I want to do, I'm going to heaven,
misses the entire point of the Gospel.
So we walk in Freedom by faith, through the spirit.
And number three, we live in Hope.
We live in hope the third essential Christian Freedom,
verse 5 says, for we through the spirit, eagerly, wait not work.
We wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
So, Paul describes the Christian Living, as a life of waiting.
He also talks about how we're running a race in the same
chapter. So how do you run and wait at
the same time, how do we live a Christian life where we're not
working for God, but we're waiting in a sense?
What's he talking about here? What he's what he's saying when
he says, we live in hope that word excuse me that word wait
implies that there's something out there in the future that
we're looking forward to that, were wanting or waiting.
What are we waiting for? What do we have?
What are we looking forward to? What's in the future for us?
What he says, is we long for we want, or we desire to look
forward to, we're waiting for the guarantee of his
righteousness, the guarantee of his righteousness.
Paul says, we eagerly, wait through the spirit, the
righteousness for which, we hope the picture, what Paul that Paul
is giving us here when he says, for we through the spirit,
eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
What he, what he's what he's talking about there is that
there's a day that's coming when we will stand before.
God day is coming. When we have been justified
through faith, we have peace with God through Christ.
We've been reconciled to him, but there's still something to
wait for all these things we've gone through, but we know that
there's coming a day in the future will stand before God in
judgment and will experience the full manifestation of the full
realization of our righteousness in Christ.
Paul says, we long for that day, we want that day to come.
We're looking forward to that day.
Paul cannot wait for the day of judgment.
He cannot wait to stand before God and experience the fullness
and righteousness of Christ. You know, to see what we have,
been living or working for or doing all of our Lives, living
the Christian Life, we're longing for that day.
That's what we're doing. That's what we're looking
forward to. That's what we're hoping for
that. Hope we get to see that day when
it's all all fulfilled. And do we personally eagerly
await the day of judgement. Do we do I long for that day?
Do you long for that day? When we get to see the face of
Jesus. That's what we're doing.
We're waiting for that day. When all pain, all suffering,
everything that this life brings upon us is gone and the stuff,
everything that we've learned in the scriptures is now completely
fulfilled on that, great and wonderful day.
That's what we're living for. If we're living in legalism,
then we're not looking forward to that day because we have more
work to do. There's more check boxes to
check for things to do. You know, we're not looking
forward to that day. If we're living with a license
of freedom to think that we can do anything, then we're also not
looking forward to that day as well because because it shows by
the way that we're living our actions, it's careless Carefree
all that stuff, you know, that that that's hard.
We're living for what's right now not for what's in the
future. But that day, of course, is not
here yet, so we long for the guarantee of his righteousness
and we live and grow. Every day waiting for that day.
We're counted righteousness in Christ because of faith in
Christ and because we follow the gospel of Christ, we know that
we're going to heaven based on the righteousness of Christ.
Because of who he is, but we still sin.
So how do we deal with that? We still sin, we struggle with
sin, we battle, we war with it, just like Paul talks about.
We want to experience the fullness of his righteousness,
but we have seen that we struggle with here.
But this just absolutely transforms our Christian Life.
That's Freedom we can tell when you can tell who a Christian is,
we can tell a person who's been saved walking by faith through
the spirit with hope, because their eyes are not set.
On the things of this world, their eyes are set on.
That last and final day. We can tell who a Christian is,
were free from the things of this life to serve Christ. but,
This free life of Liberty that we live.
It's not easy, of course, like we've mentioned, it's a
marathon. It's a 26-mile marathon and
maybe we're only at Mile two or three.
It's a long way to go. We got we got a long ways to go,
but the victory is going to be ours and one of these days We
know that the day is coming. We're going to cross that finish
line, and God is going to say, right in Christ.
You have finished. So we're running and we're
living to experience that fullness of Christ and that
changes the way that we run. We don't run like we don't have
any hope. We don't run like were defeated,
you don't run like you're always getting distracted by what's
going on. Either side of you, we run
because we want to get to that Finish Line.
We're looking for that finish line.
That's what we're running for. It's what Paul talks about.
Romans 8, verses, 22 through 23, when he says, for, we know that
the whole creation groans and Labor's with birth pains until
pain together until now, not only that.
But we also have the first fruits of the spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for the
adoption, the Redemption of our body, he's talking about going
through suffering here. It's he say, You know, it's
going to end one day and and the groaning and we're waiting and
we're suffering, but that hope is there were patiently awaiting
for that moment. Essential number 4.
We live with love. verse six for in Christ, Jesus neither
circumcision, nor uncircumcision uncircumcision avails anything
but Faith working through love That's a great phrase.
Faith working through, love That's a big one.
This is not pulsing were justified by faith and love.
That's not what he's saying. He's not adding love to the
equation, right? We're justified by faith as we
have studied but it's a faith that expresses itself through
love It's what we get to in the Book of James.
And first John, we can see it talking about.
Well, if there are no other works from your faith, in your
faith is dead. In first John, says the love of
God is not in you. Then excuse me.
The love of God is not in you. Then you're not a child of God
because faith. Faith being Howard Justified.
When we are, when we are saved and justified by faith, we
express that through love. Paul is saying here that love is
an extension essential expression of Salvation not into
means of Salvation, loving others.
No, that's not a means of Salvation.
Love is an essential as expression of Faith because of
Salvation Faith expressing itself through love, you'll know
my disciples by their what, by their love.
It'll be evident. Love is evidence.
Of our faith. Another example.
Of our faith. Expressed through love is found
in verse 13, for you Brethren have been called to Liberty.
Only do not use Liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but
through love serve one another Now this is where it gets kind
of interesting. Jesus, our Paul has spent five
chapters telling us that that we are free and we're no longer
slaves and he gets the verse 13 and the second half of this
verse he says, only do not use the Liberty as an opportunity
for the flesh, but through love serve one another, and the word
that word serve there. That is a Greek New Testament
word for slave. That's what that means.
They're so we're free. We're not a slave anymore.
And you're teaching us to to be not slave or free from slavery.
Now, be a slave. So how does that make sense?
Is that what Paul is teaching us?
Of course, not, Paul is saying that we are free from slavery to
the law of Moses. That's what his point is.
He said this, we've got to be careful because this doesn't
mean that the law was bad. The law of Moses were bad,
that's not what he's saying. Because that all pointed to
Jesus, that's I was a a tutor as we studied in the past.
We don't just leave it behind Wishy later in Galatians.
Chapter 6, and verse 2, when we carry each other's burdens we
love one another. We fulfill the law.
The law of Christ is good, the words of Christ are good, the
commands of Christ are good. However, the picture here is
where slavery to the law. That's what we're talking about.
It's a burden that we're trying to carry in order to earn favor
before God. That's what the judaizers were
trying to do. We're free from that.
But now, we're free to the slavery.
Of Love, were free to be slaves to one another in love.
I don't want us to miss the difference that you know the
slavery to the law. Trying to earn favor before God,
you know, and then we have slavery to love.
It's joyful, living for the sake of other people around us
because we love them. The slavery of love.
Mark 10:45 says, the son of man did not come to be served, but
to serve Jesus came to serve, not to be served. was that
because he was obligated to because he had to, because he
was burdened to I don't think so.
I think it's because Jesus desired to he desired to come to
serve us to help us to make that way for us to be reconciled to
God forever. He came to serve and he gave his
Ransom, his life for all of us. And when we think of the slavery
of love, which the Epic example of that is, of course, Christ
dying on the cross. And when we think of the Cross,
when Christ came to be sure came to serve and not to be served.
His sacrifice means everything to us.
He gave everything he had to serve us, and that should change
the way that we live. That makes us, or should make us
want to just serve everybody else around us as best we can
putting others needs before. For our own were slave to other
people. We sacrifice ourselves for other
people and that's the picture. It's a New Testament, Church
were free to the slavery of Love Of Love.
So we no longer indulge and our self, our sin.
That's what verse 13. It's talking about here.
Only do not use your Liberty as an opportunity for the flesh.
Says, right here, do not use your Liberty as an opportunity
for the flesh. Don't take that Liberty upon
yourself, that it's not the point of what Paul's teaching.
We talk about freedom. You know us As Americans we hear
that all the time. Freedom is a big deal for
Americans. And you know, we talked about
how we want to cling to our freedoms, debate, our freedoms,
you know, what do we mean, when we really say the word freedom?
And when we think about it at the core, isn't it really?
I'm free to do whatever I want to do. when we talk about
freedom, the current debates that are going on in our
country. I'm free to believe.
Whatever I want. I'm free to marry whoever I
want. I'm free to live according to a,
however, I want them free to identify.
However, I want. I'm free to do whatever I want.
Once sociologist said, and I think he was pretty spot-on.
He said, freedom is perhaps the most resonant deeply-held
American value yet freedom, in America means being left alone
by others. Not having other people's values
ideas or styles of Life forced upon.
You being free of arbitrary, Authority and work family, and
political Life, free to do whatever you want, believe
whatever you want, think? However, you want live how
everyone its autonomy. Freedom.
Now, how do we take that? How would we take that?
Misunderstood concept of freedom, freedom, and bring it
into the church? I'm going to follow Christ, but
I'm going to, I'm going to follow them how I want to follow
him because I'm free I'm going to do it the way that I want to
do it. I'm going to take this verse
here and I'm going to just ignore it because that really
doesn't apply to me. That's not freedom.
That's not freedom to Christ. You know, when he says sell your
possessions and give to the poor, maybe we take that burst
and we just want to ignore because we don't want to, we
don't really want to give up some of the stuff that we have.
We cannot pick and choose what the scripture tells us.
That's not what new Treasures Testament.
Christianity is its slavery, really to ourselves and it's
what we've been freed from its slavery to our stuff.
The picture is that we are free to serve each other without
Selfless Love. He says, again, in verse 14, for
all the law is fulfilled in one word.
Even in this you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Paul is saying, you know, that natural inclination that you
have that natural desire to. Let's say if you're hungry that
you want to feed yourself, Paul saying, take that desire now and
give that desire to somebody else, you could take that and
you feed somebody else instead of yourself first.
That's what Paul's, you know, he's saying, love your neighbor
as yourself. Use that to change the way that
we look at others. Practically that desire that we
have to take care of ourselves. Now, put it on somebody else
that needs it more than you. The passion that we have to get
all these details in our life, right?
You know, making sure that we got everything right in our
lives, take that passion. That we have to make sure that
all the t's are crossed and I's are dotted.
Take that detail and now work with somebody else to show them
that those Details Matter in the scripture.
Spread the gospel. That's the point work for
others. How do we have love like that?
How do we do that? It's Faith expressing itself
through love and we need Christ to give us that kind of love.
It's the fruit of the spirit, right?
We get into that later on in the chapter here we haven't even
looked at that. That's in verse 22.
The fruit of the spirit is what love?
That's where it starts with. That's the first one love.
Spirit only produces this kind of love that we have.
It's a lack of faith that I think sometimes that keeps us
clinging to our stuff and indulging in our luxuries and
ignoring those who are in need around us.
It's a lack of faith that we need to trust God that he's
better than all those things. And that Christ is sufficient
and satisfying more than all those things and we need to ask,
you know, if we're struggling with those things, if we're
struggling with our possessions, if we Ugly with the things to
make our life more comfortable, you know, spend some time in
prayer to really ask God to help us with those things in our
life. That's the only way we're going
to lay down our lives and sacrifice everything for the
sake of the glory of Christ, when he fully takes control of
our Hort of our hearts faith, that expresses itself through
love So what does it mean to be free?
Of course, we've talked about it.
We live by faith. It's the freedom of Faith
through the spirit in the hope with love free to serve each
other. With Selfless Love.
So why are you here today? Are you one who who you want and
need to commit your heart and your life to Christ and live
with Christian Freedom, Christian Liberty?
Do you need to make a change in your life to follow Christ and
his Commandments understand what he has done for us.
And now just give everything that we have to him and that
starts with obeying the gospel by by hearing and believing
confessing his divinity and being baptized for the remission
of our sins. There's a one here who just
needs the prayers of the church or needs to make a public
confession. We actually come while we stand
and while we see We thank you for listening to our podcast,
put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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