True Christian Liberty
Gal 5:13-18

May 6, 2007

In this passage we find the characteristics of true Christian liberty.  Up to now, Paul has attacked those who put the Galatians back under the law by giving sound reasons why being back under the law is wrong.  Now he gives some excellent reasons why Christian Liberty is so much better than the law.

Christian liberty is better than the bondage of the law because True Christian Liberty, the kind that comes from the Spirit of God [2 Cor 3:17, Gal 5:16-18]:

 

·         Really makes you free - 13 – those false apostles preaching the law to the Galatians could have promised them a liberty that they themselves didn’t even have 2 Pet 2:19 – the Spirit of God, on the other hand, gives you real liberty Gal 5:1; Jn 8:32-36; 1 Cor 6:12

 

o        Yet this liberty is not a license to sin - 13 – liberty follows a law called the perfect law of liberty [Jas 1:25] – it operates like the law of gravity – it makes you free from the rules and regulations of the law but if you abuse your privilege under the law of liberty you can suffer or die [1 Cor 11:30; Rom 8:13] – like Paul said, should we continue in sin, God forbid [Rom 6:1-2]

 

·         Causes you to want to serve - 13 – a servant is under bondage[1 Tim 6:1] – he serves because he has to - but a Spirit-led servant is free to serve [Rom 6:18-19] – he serves because he wants to – and we are called to serve [Matt 20:26-28]

 

·         Produces a love for others - 14 – which is ultimately what the law was for anyway [Rom 13:10; 1 Tim 1:5] – it actually accomplishes in you what the law never accomplished

 

o        The law was actually based on love [Matt 22:36-40] - 15 – but what it produced in the end was backbiting and devouring amongst folks - folks who don’t have Christian liberty are marked by a desire to destroy others who are not like them – the Pharisees, who were the most legalistic of the Jews, killed Jesus – Paul, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, killed Christians before he was saved – when he became a Christian, then the law abiding Jews tried to kill him – and even among the Galatians he suffered persecution for preaching the cross [Gal 5:11]

 

·         Overcomes the flesh - 16 –– walk in Spirit and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh [Rom 8:5-14]

 

o        the law is kept in the flesh - 17 – however, the flesh and the Spirit are contrary – so if you walk in the flesh then you will stifle the Spirit [thus keeping the law in the flesh is contrary to the Spirit] and if you walk in the Spirit you will choke out the flesh – practically speaking, you are going to have a hard time with the flesh anyway [Rom 7:15-19] but at least with the Spirit you have the opportunity to reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin [Rom 6:11]

 

·         Gets you out from under the law - 18 – because now you are led by the Spirit – Rom 8:1-4 – and not by the rules and regulations of a law that you could not keep anyway

 

 

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