July 12, 2009
Morning Service

Galatians 5:1-14

 

Review:

1.      In chapter three Paul tells the Galatians:

• That the Holy Spirit is received by the hearing of faith, and not by the works of the law.
• Abraham was justified by faith, and not by works.
• How that Christ redeems us from the curse of the law.
• The promise made to Abraham is not made void by the law.
• The law was given to guide us to faith.
• And that believers are free from the law.

2.      In chapter 4 Paul tells us that:

• How that the Galatians receive blessings by faith, and not the law.
• That law, and grace cannot coexist.

 

Today we are ready for chapter 5, let’s begin:

 

Gal 5:1-26  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 

• Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
• Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
• The gospel message is perfect, and sets us free from the bondage of the law, and all it’s requirements.
• Paul can’t believe they want to be under the bondage of the law!

 (2)  Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.  (3)  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 

• This is the main point of entrance into the religion of Judaism.   Listen.

Gen 17:9-14  And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.  (10)  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.  (11)  And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you.  (12)  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.  (13)  He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.  (14)  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

• This is what these false teachers of Christ were telling the people.  They had to be circumcised according to this in order to be pleasing to God.
• This is one of the things of the law that the Apostle argued against.

(4)  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 

• When you try to keep, or depend on the law you are not trusting the atoning work of Jesus on Calvary.  Therefore you have fallen from the protection of grace in your life.  It is one way or the other, you can’t have both.
• Let me clarify.  We should do our best to keep the laws of God that pertain to us, but trust the work on Calvary for our righteousness, and salvation.  NOT OUR KEEPING THE LAW.

(5)  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

• This will be at the resurrection.  We shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.  Listen to Paul:

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

• We will put on the righteousness of Christ, in a glorified body, a changed body, from mortal, to immortality.

 

 

(6)  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. 

• The key factor in the gospel is love, not circumcision, or any other act of keeping the law.  LOVE.

(7)  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?  (8)  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 

• Whether Paul is speaking of himself, or God, he is saying it isn’t us who is trying to put you back under the law.

(9)  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 

• This expression is used often as an illustration of something spreading throughout whatever is intended to explain.  In this case it is used by Paul to show how that this may have started as a small thing, but now is throughout the church in Galatia.

(10)  I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. 

• Again Paul places a warning on those that would teach another gospel than that which he preached.

(11)  And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution?  then is the offense of the cross ceased.

• Listen to this verse from the message:

Gal 5:11  As for the rumor that I continue to preach the ways of circumcision (as I did in those pre-Damascus Road days), that is absurd. Why would I still be persecuted, then? If I were preaching that old message, no one would be offended if I mentioned the Cross now and then--it would be so watered-down it wouldn't matter one way or the other.

• I don’t preach circumcision, and I am still persecuted.

(12)  I would they were even cut off which trouble you.  (13)  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,

• This is one of the things that gives Christianity a bad name.  When someone who confesses to be a Christian, which is to be Christ like, uses his liberty in the Lord to do the things of the flesh.  We will see what those things are in just a short.

but by love serve one another.  (14)  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 

Mat 22:37-40  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  (38)  This is the first and great commandment.  (39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  (40)  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

• Paul said;  1Co 13:13  But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
• Peter said that love covers a multitude of sins.  Can you see how that is true for Calvary?  Jesus’ great love covers the multitude of our sins.  “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.”   We sing the song “such love”.
• Remember what Jesus said;  “I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill the law.”
• Because Jesus came, and fulfilled all the requirements of the law, fulfilled all the requirements of the animal sacrifices, fulfilled all the requirements of the holy days, new moons, and Sabbath days;  He was all these things rolled into one Sacrificial Lamb.  Listen to Paul:

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

• The handwriting of ordinances was the law.
• And it was contrary to us, because we didn’t have the ability, or the desire to keep the law.  Jesus had this ability, and desire, and He used it to free us from the bondage of the law.
• We have accepted Jesus as our Savior.  We have believed what the gospel says, and are waiting for our blessed Savior to return for His people.  

 

ARE WE REJOICING THE WAY WE SHOULD IN THAT CHRIST HAS FORGIVEN OUR SINS, AND MADE US FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF THE LAW?

 

AND BECAUSE OF THIS WONDERFUL GRACE, AND MERCY, DO WE LOVE HIM, AND MANKIND THE WAY WE SHOULD?

but by love serve one another

 

LORD, BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR US, HELP US TO LOVE THE WAY WE SHOULD LOVE.   AMEN.