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Galatians Lesson 7 (2010)

FREEDOM IN CHRIST

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom
to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire
law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

In the previous passage, Galatians 4:21-31, Apostle Paul warned the Galatian Christians that legalism and grace cannot be mixed together, just as Ishmael and Isaac could not live together in the same house. God’s way of salvation for all mankind is by faith in God’s grace alone, never by any form of legalism. Legalism, no matter how noble or convincing it may look, is no more than slavery. Apostle Paul had been saying that Jewish legalism is a mere distortion of God’s truth in the Scripture. In fact, according to Apostle Paul, Christian legalism is one of the worst spiritual viruses and one that every Christian needs to be on his guard against. He said in verse 9 that legalism is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough. Unless we detect and get rid of even a small trace of legalism, there is a great danger that our spiritual life will be crippled and that the entire faith community will be ruined. In Galatians chapters 1-4, Apostle Paul gave a meticulous defense of the gospel he preached – which is salvation by faith in Jesus’ grace alone, and nothing else. Chapters 1 and 2 are his personal defense. Chapters 3 and 4 are his doctrinal defense. Now in Chapter 5, Paul turns his argument into practical application. The main issue in Chapters 5 and 6 is how we, as God’s children, who believe in Christ Jesus, should utilize our freedom in Christ.

Look at verse 1. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Here, Apostle Paul almost sounds like a freedom fighter. “Hey, my brothers, we are no longer slaves but sons. We are free! But you should stand firm and defend your freedom in Christ so that you don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

We are set free from the bondage of law, sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. The freedom we received through Jesus Christ was not free. Freedom came to us at a very high price, which our Lord Jesus Christ paid on the cross of Calvary. Through his sacrificial death and resurrection, the chain of sin and death that had bound us for so many long years was completely removed. Now, those who believe in Christ Jesus are no longer slaves to sin, death and the law, but are God’s free children. So why should we go back to a yoke of slavery again?

Apostle Paul was warning that unless we make a constant effort to defend our freedom in Christ, there is a great danger that we will fall back into slavery. That’s why Paul said, “Stand firm!” What did he mean by saying “Stand firm!”? Stand firm on what? We should stand firm on Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation. It’s a spiritual battle that we, as Christians, should fight almost every moment. Otherwise, we are prone to the entanglement of slavery. For example, it’s not easy for any of us to maintain our freedom in Christ in a performance-based world, which is extremely competitive and legalistic. Legalism is like a slave master. We are always pressured and forced to perform well. Unless we do things well, or even perfectly, we are losers. The only way we keep our freedom is by standing firm in our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we have to constantly remind ourselves that even though I may not be a high achiever by my own standards, much less anyone else’s, God has already accepted me as his beloved child. I am a beloved child of God, God’s heir. Even though I make many mistakes, my status as God’s beloved child does not change. This status is hard to accept due to our own legalism. But we must stand firm in our faith, believing that we are accepted by God only because of his grace and mercy and not by our good performance. Apostle Paul himself stood firm in God’s unchanging love and grace in Jesus Christ and said in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Are you standing firm in the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Standing firm in Christ also means more than having a conviction of God’s love. It also means that we abide in Jesus’ words as he said in John 8:31 and 32, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 15:5 also reads, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Here we learn that we cannot enjoy freedom without Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who enables us to be free from beginning to end. The gospel truth is that we have freedom in Christ Jesus. The only reason we don’t have freedom is that we allow ourselves to be enslaved by failing to stand firm in Christ.

I assume that most Galatian Christians were not so spiritually mature at that time. The gospel truth hadn’t been deeply rooted in their way of thinking and lifestyle. Most likely, they could not really enjoy the freedom they had in Christ Jesus because of their old sinful habits and vulnerable human nature. They didn’t know how to live by the Spirit. They felt that living a life in the grace of God was obscure. They felt they needed more solid rules and strict regulations, rather than just the simple gospel of God’s grace. No wonder the legalistic Judaizers were so successful in infiltrating the minds of the Galatian Christians who were not sure about their salvation and future spiritual growth. They said, “You guys should circumcise.” Even though they might not have said that they should keep all the laws of Moses in order to be saved, circumcision was dangerous enough to ruin their faith in Christ.

Look at verses 2-4. “Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” In fact, getting circumcision does not appear to be harmful at all; rather it appears to be beneficial. But according to Apostle Paul’s view, there are serious consequences to doing that. What are the consequences? First, Christ would not be a benefit to them at all. Circumcision is a simple and painful procedure. But by allowing this, one can begin to depend on the flesh and have a false security of his salvation. According to the law of God, a person is required to obey all the laws of Moses in order to be saved. Because of this, we know that physical circumcision alone cannot guarantee one’s salvation. However, focusing on laws, like circumcision, can alienate a person from Christ and thus cause him to fall away from God’s grace. In short, Christ Jesus would become of no value to a person’s salvation.

Some of us might say, “Wait a second! I have no problem with justification by faith in Jesus’ grace alone. But I feel that something is missing in my life. Don’t we need more than just faith in Jesus’ grace? Is faith in Jesus’ grace enough to complete my salvation? Paul’s answer is “Yes.” Look at verses 5-6. “But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Here, we learn that we are not only justified in Jesus through our faith, but we are also sanctified and glorified through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. In other words, the Holy Spirit in us will do what the law was powerless to do due to our sinful nature. (Romans 8:2) Therefore, we see that our salvation is the work of the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It is also God’s work through our faith, absolute trust and the obedience that come from faith. (Romans 1:5) We need to remember that although we Christians are not bound by the law any longer, we should not break the law. That’s not freedom. Our freedom or faith in Christ does not nullify the law but rather, upholds it. (Romans 3:31) Verse 6 shows it well. “For in Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” We are going to think about this later, in verses 13 and 14.

Here, it seems that Paul’s warning against getting circumcision is irrelevant to us who live in the 21st century. Who cares about circumcision anyway? But we should learn the serious consequences of legalism in our time. Legalism does not have power to save us from sin, guilt or shame. Legalism does not heal our wounds, bitterness, anger or hatred. But our faith in Jesus does. Jesus sets us free from sin, bitterness, anger, hatred, doubt and fear. That’s why Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:16 that he was not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jews and then for the Gentiles. Why did he say that the gospel is the power of God? Why “power”? In light of today’s passage, it’s because freedom without power is no freedom at all. If you are powerful, we can be free. But if you are weak, you can not be truly free. Where can you find that power of salvation? Legalism? Religions? Human efforts? No. Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has that power, the absolute power to set us free, completely free in His Spirit.

In verses 7-12, Apostle Paul makes a very serious statement against the false teachers who perverted the gospel. Look at verses 7 and 8. “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.” According to these verses, it was not God who started legalism, but the devil, through false teachers. Look at verse 9. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” Here, Apostle Paul compares legalism to yeast. Although the work of yeast is unseen, its influence is wide and critical. Likewise, legalism is detrimental to one’s soul and to the entire community. It stops our spiritual progress and pulls us away from the holiness of God. It’s no wonder that someone said that legalism is worse than adultery. (John 8:4-8) Therefore, we should watch out so that the yeast of legalism does not spread. We should also get rid of the yeast of legalism in our own hearts. (1 Corinthians 5:6-7)

Look at verse 10. “I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.” Apostle Paul considered the infiltration of legalism as the work of the devil through false teachers. Yet, he still had confidence in the Lord that God would eventually keep the Galatian Christians from believing and following false teachers. In fact, Paul entrusted everything to God, believing that God would bring His punishment to those legalists who harmed God’s flock and persecuted God’s children. (12) Look at verse 11. “Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.” Apostle Paul was persecuted mainly by the legalistic Jewish believers because he preached the gospel of the crucified Christ Jesus, which offended them. Yet, if he preached circumcision, he would not have been persecuted.

Look at verses 13-14. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” In verse 13, Apostle Paul restates what he said in verse 1, which says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” What Paul meant in verse 1 is that we should defend our freedom in Christ and not to be yoked by any form of slavery. But what he says in verse 13 is that the purpose of Jesus’ setting us free is not to give us a license to sin freely. Instead, we are given freedom to live a new life of love in Christ. Look at verse 13 again. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” The freedom we have in Christ is not the freedom to indulge the sinful nature. What does “indulge the sinful nature” mean? When you say someone is indulging the sinful nature, it means that he or she is engaging in irresponsible and selfish behavior. Many people may simply want to mind their own business- ignoring the needs of others and only being interested in themselves. But that’s not Christian freedom. That’s selfish indulgence. Christian freedom means serving one another in love. Apostle Paul said that the entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (14) In fact, Jesus said these final words to his disciples before his death on the cross: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

What does our love have to do with our freedom in Christ? Our freedom in Christ is a glorious freedom that enables us to love others – our lovely neighbors and even our enemies. How can we love them? It’s only God’s love that empowers us to love others. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” We were enemies of God. “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) God loved us not because we were lovely. He loved us in spite of the ugliness of our sins. Therefore, we who are forgiven, accepted and healed by God’s love and grace can also forgive, accept and embrace those who sinned against us and hurt us. Sometimes, even though we believe in God’s forgiveness of our sins, we don’t want to forgive those who hurt us. It’s because we are still emotionally hurting. It’s hard to let go of those feelings. It takes time. Sometimes, we don’t want to forgive those who hurt us as our way of getting even with them. We hold grudges, anger and bitter feelings toward them. But in reality, we are not free at all. We are slaves to darkness. It’s only when we forgive those who sinned against us that we can truly enjoy our freedom in Christ. God’s grace and love gives us freedom and makes us whole, so that we can be fully alive.

Those who are bound by legalism tend to be unforgiving, critical and judgmental. They are quick to judge others. They have no freedom in their soul. But those who have freedom in Christ can accept others, forgive others, confess their sins to one another, bear other’s weaknesses, submit to others, encourage others, build others up, serve others, and be devoted to others. It is the powerful and glorious freedom we have in Christ.

Look at verse 15. “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” When we exercise our freedom without love, we become murders, not martyrs for Christ. I see so many relationships that are broken and that have remained broken for such a long time due to unforgiving and legalistic attitudes. I see so many Christian fellowships and congregations that are dysfunctional and destroyed because members of the church keep on biting and devouring each other. God’s name is blasphemed because of them and the Holy Spirit is grieved.

We should be on our guard against the spread of legalism. To do so, we should watch out. We should pray and be ready to take any necessary action to become the new batch without the yeast of legalism, even though it may require sacrifice and suffering for awhile. Then we will continue to make spiritual progress and be able to enjoy the powerful work of the Holy Spirit, working in us and through us. Freedom in Christ is indeed the glorious blessing of God. We don’t want to exchange our freedom for recognition and good looking, but empty performance. It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, we should stand firm no matter what sacrifice we may have to make. We should continue to practice our freedom to serve one another in love. When we do so, we are indeed the glorious children of God, the free people. We don’t have to envy worldly people who appear to be free but are not truly free. The freedom we have is not free. It is bought with the high price that Jesus paid on the cross. This gospel of freedom is far superior to any wisdom, philosophy or possession that the world offers. It is something that we should be confident and proud of, not something of which we should be ashamed. So many people are addicted to alcohol, drugs, and the internet, especially pornography. The word “addiction” has the meaning: “being nailed to.” Christ was nailed to the cross, so that we may be set free from addictions. There is enough grace in Jesus for a sinner to be set free and live in glorious freedom. Everyone needs this freedom. God our Father wants to set all those who are under the bondage of sin and the broken systems of this world free. He is so loving and generous that he sent his son Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) The more you look at Jesus on the cross by faith, the more freedom you receive. So let us lift up our eyes and look at Jesus Christ by faith. Let us also share this wonderful gospel with those who are still in slavery.