"Free From"
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
When reading the book of Galatians, I don't know if you picked up on this, but the first four chapters are basically the same sermon over and over and over again.
It's literally the first four chapters are like a song on repeat. He just is pounding it into hearts and minds. Illus: Song lyrics test
Now the book is going to take a little bit of a shift, but I believe the shift is spectacular. This first shift kind of is a flyover of stuff we've already covered. Let's look at it. Read: Galatians 5:1-15
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you.
9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.
11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.
12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
There are sentences in the Bible that if you'll really get it, if the Holy Spirit will enable your heart to get it, it will change everything. This is one of them. "For freedom Christ has set us free."
I want to explain this backwards. We have been set free. So, we have been set free by the gospel of Jesus Christ. By the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we've been set free.
So, if we followed kind of this narrative of the book, what have we been set free from? I would say there are two primary things the book teaches we're set free from.
1. Empty religion. So what is that? So we're set free from empty religion, a passionless religion, an empty, emotive religion, a type of nuanced, I'm going to do these things.
There is no joy in it. There is no life in it. There is no passion. Don't think I'm talking personality types because we're all over the grid on personality types.
There are some of you who at your pinnacle of excitement look like me napping. So we're not talking personality types; we're talking about a state of the heart, a joy in.
So there should be an immense amount of joy in religion if it's the religion of the Bible. So empty religion would be a joyless, lifeless practice of religion. No fruit and no walking it out.
2. The second thing we are free from is Fear-based behavioral modification. This is very important. So let me help you with that.
The reason so many of us are trying to be better, we're trying not to do these things, we're trying to do these things… Really the motivation behind all of it is fear.
"If I don't do this, if I don't go here, if I don't say this, if I don't do this, God is going to get me. I know what my dad did when I didn't do what he said.
I can only imagine the infinite Sovereign One. If I got a spanking for that, I can't imagine what I'm getting for this."
So everything driving our behavioral modification is fear. We have been set free from empty religion and fear-based behavior modification.
If I could just simplify that sentence, I would just say we get set free from being our own God.
Now in 20 years of ministry I've never come across anyone who would vocalize, "Yeah, I think I'm my own God. I'm God." Never heard anybody say it. But, I've met thousands who live that way.
So when you're God, you put an impossible weight on yourself. If you're your own God, you must answer all the big questions or just let those questions gnaw on you.
What's your purpose in life? Tell me our culture is not trying to answer that question. So we seek it in work. We seek it in relationships. We seek it in children. We seek it in accomplishments.
We seek it in all these areas where it does not work. What do you do with suffering and loss? Because that's a part of everyone's life already, or it's coming for you. You have to figure that out.
You're all on your own. If you're God, you have to get to the bottom of that. If you're God, you have to rely on you for everything.
Galatians is going to say, "Oh no, no, no, no. You've been set free from that. You don't have to be God because there is one."
Now here is the part of the text I love. So we've been set free for what purpose? Freedom. It's for freedom that you've been set free.
What this means is not only have we been saved from something, but we've been saved to something.
We would freely acknowledge we've been saved from, but few of us get that we've been saved to. So, what have we been saved to?
Well, we've been saved to the freedom of knowing God's affection for us does not waver despite our persistent failures and shortcomings. We've been set free to enjoy that and set free to walk in that.
If we could boil freedom down into a single sentence, freedom is ultimately being able to do what I want most.
Look where he goes next in this. "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Now you have been set free to enjoy freedom.
Now we're going to have to be real church, which means we're going to have to be honest with each other. I find myself drifting back and forth sometimes. Does anybody else?
I'll get it and live it, and then all of a sudden, I'll start trying to earn again. I won't be enjoying my freedom. I'll be back trying to earn an affection the Bible says is already mine.
So here is a paradigm shift. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not just for people to be saved with; the gospel of Jesus Christ saves us and sustains us.
We don't move on from the gospel. We preach the gospel to ourselves minute by minute some days, hour by hour, week by week, month by month, and year by year.
I’m talking to us in this room. This room. Some of you need to stand firm in the gospel and not go back to the yoke of slavery.
So how would that work itself out? Some of you are absolutely trying to earn the favor of God. It's exhausting. Then others of you, those of you who are wrestling with your flesh.
Paul is saying, "No, no, no. You stand firm. Don't get back under the yoke of slavery. Don't put that thing back on. It's for freedom you've been set free."
Now look where he takes us next. Verse 2: "Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision…" Now again I just think we need to talk.
If you're a first-timer, that's probably really strange to you. Let me explain. Circumcision to the Jews was an external action they believed brought about favor with God.
If I could just boil it down, when he uses the term circumcision he's talking about religion that's external. You can do things external to you that bring about God's acceptance and love of you.
So it's not an inside-out religion, but it's an outside-in religion. So when it says circumcision, it's putting salvation in your hands. You can do these things that earn the favor of God.
What was being argued in the churches of Galatia by the Judaizers was in order for them to become Christians and be loved by Jesus Christ, they must first become Jews.
Paul is going to turn the argument on its head. "Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.”
He says, "If you want to do this, if you don't want to be under grace but you rather want to be under the law, then you have to know in that moment you have no need for Jesus Christ.
If you can save yourself by your own behavior, then you do not need a Savior." Then he follows that up with a word of warning:
"But just know those of you who want to be justified by the law, you're now obligated to follow all of the law."
The law will crush anyone. Grace freely acknowledges our failures. It doesn't try to gloss over our shortcomings. Grace acknowledges they're there. Grace acknowledges you fall short.
Grace acknowledges you're going to continue to fall short. Grace acknowledges the struggles of where you are, what's behind you, and really what's coming for you.
But what grace does is it acknowledges it while it covers it. Why you would want to walk out from under that freedom into the law, where grace is such a beautiful comfort?
The law will never be a comfort. Grace is a comfort because it says, "God has paid the bill. You're holy, spotless. You're beloved by God."
The law will never say that to you. The law will never whisper to you that you're okay. The law will never whisper to you. The law does nothing but condemn.
So, what is it we love so much about keeping up with some sort of checklist with Jesus What keeps us going back to that Do we really think we can offer enough?
Paul is saying, “Why would you make this trade? Why would you want out from under grace?" Now it almost makes it sound like you could lose your salvation here, doesn't it?
Did you see what Paul said to this? If you do this, "you are severed from Christ." So let me be honest with you. The question in the Scriptures is never, can you lose your salvation?
Rather, the question is, “Have you been saved to begin with?
The Scriptures are very clear that you can have spiritual experiences and you can even have seasons of your life that you like the idea of Jesus.
But they are also clear that even passionately loving or liking the idea of Jesus, but not knowing him, loving him, and following him will be enough. You must be all in friends.
What we find in the book of Jude is God holds us and keeps us in the gospel. Listen, you can’t just fumble away your salvation, but you can’t be saved and pretend you are. You either bear fruit, or you don’t.
If angels, demons, life, death, and principalities (visible and invisible) can't pluck you out of his hands, then I'm guessing you can't climb out of salvation, but you might not have it.
Now with all of that said, I do believe God wants us assured of our adoption as sons and daughters. He wants us to walk in the assurance of knowing him and delighting in him.
So whether being a virgin when you get married or being promiscuous even after marriage counts for nothing. Drug use or no drug use counts for nothing.
Born on the altar in church and first word is Jesus or born on a bar and didn't know Jesus until recently counts as nothing.
This means one doesn't have the leg up over the other in regard to justification and in regard to right standing before God.
If you begin to think about it, this really blows up any real position of pride you might be walking in because of your morality.
The Bible just said when it comes to justification before God, when it comes to your right standing before God, outward action or non-outward action holds no sway.
Look what does. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." So you need to circle that or underline it.
What does count? "…faith working through love." Let me tell you why that is such a big deal. Look at the next verse. "You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?"
Do you see the argument? It's unreal. He is saying, "What's keeping you from obeying the law is a belief that by obeying the law, God will love you."
When you're operating from a fear-based motivation, you don't get there. You keep falling short. But what he just said is when faith works through love, you run unhindered.
This means the motivation for you and me in our pursuit of holiness is not fear, but faith. Faith in what? The gospel. Faith in the gospel produces love. Love is the motivating force.
It's not that we don't walk in behavioral modification; it's that the motivation for it is love. So here is how I believe it works.
I'll put that in the two pieces we've covered in Galatians. One is justification. God, the great Judge, bangs the gavel and declares you holy, blameless, and spotless in his sight.
So, he not only forgives us but delights in us despite our persistent failures and persistent rebellions against him.
If you meditate on that, think on that, and dwell on that, it won’t produce love if you don't have faith in that. Do you believe God looks at you and sees you as holy, spotless, and blameless?
When you believe God delights in you when you know there is not a lot of reason for him to delight in you, faith in that leads to a love that begins to motivate our behavior.
Love is a powerful motivating force. Illus: Taylor loves to serve. It is her way of showing love.
When it's freedom-based, love is the motive, and it's a joy to serve. It's a joy to sacrifice. It's a joy to give of oneself.
All right, now he is going to get very, very serious here. By the way, before we get serious, look at verse Galatians 5:8
8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you.
So, he is pointing out if your persuasion is not from love it is not from God …
Read: Galatians 5:9-12
9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.
11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.
12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
So here is where it just got really serious. He warns us that just a little leaven will work through the whole lump.
Just a little bit of, "Do this," just a little bit of, "Get this," just a little bit of, "Add this," really perverts and robs from us motivation of love to follow him.
It does not take much to move us from a motivation of love to a motivation of fear, does it? It doesn't take much at all.
I continually want to lay before you in that moment where you blow it, you have this really beautiful opportunity to marvel at the gospel.
When your heart goes to a place it shouldn't, when your mind goes to a place it shouldn't, when your external actions go to a place you know is forbidden, you have this opportunity to just marvel at the gospel.
Just marvel at it. Marvel that you didn't surprise God, like God didn't see that one coming. You have this chance to just slow down and rest in, "He calls me holy. He calls me blameless.
He calls me spotless. Even in this he delights in me." "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." Paul is pointing out, "Hey, I'm being persecuted because I'm preaching to you the gospel and I'm not preaching to you circumcision."
Then he points out really what Paul has pointed out several times in this book. He just does it graphically. Those who want to put the law as an acid test for whether or not God loves them don't measure up to their own acid test. They fall short of what they would need to be if this is true themselves. So even the teacher can't master the curriculum.
Now he gets us into how we can get to the bottom of what our motivation is, so let's look at that starting in verse 13. Read: Galatians 5:13-15
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Okay, so how can we kind of draw in and see what our motivation is? That water gets murky, doesn't it? If we're honest, “What is my motivation?”, is a difficult question.
There are times we can't get to the bottom of our hearts. What is our motivation in our service to God, in our pursuit of holiness? What is our motivation?
So how can we tell what our motivation is? Well the acid test it gives us here is simple. How do you view other people, specifically those who are a part of the community of faith?
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" So here is what happens.
One of the most spectacular things about the gospel of Jesus Christ is it sets us free to celebrate other people, to make much of other people, and to love other people's gifts.
When we see other people excelling, we get to rejoice in that. What an incredible evidence of the grace of God. How spectacular is God that they're moving in a life like that.
When other people fail, when other people fall, we get to grieve, and we get to cry out on their behalf, because our standing before God.
Now when you're walking in fear-based motivation, that is absolutely not true. When you are walking in a fear-based motivation, other people's growth is a threat, and their fails we secretly celebrate.
Where you spot people who love to serve the body, who love to encourage other people, who love to point away from themselves to other people.\
When you find those who love to serve in any capacity to make things better for other people, you find people who find their gospel motivation in love and not fear. May God get us all there.
May we be a place that reeks of being motivated by love that works itself out in, "How can I serve you? How can I rejoice in what God is doing in you? How can I love you more fully?
How can I make things easier for you here at the church?" Is the church here for you or have you been brought here to help the church? Those are two different ways of seeing it.
The beckoning call of the book of Galatians is to get out of slavery and to get into sonship. The offer on the table for all of us is that in glad submission to Jesus Christ, we are sons and daughters and no longer slaves.
We have been set free from fear-based behavioral modification into love-motivated pursuit of what we want most.
We have been set free from the pursuit of pleasure that has, as an aftertaste, guilt and shame, into the pursuit of pleasure that leads to ever-increasing joy. That's not a dumb trade.