FREE for ALL
Gal 5:1-6
GAL5-1TAB.USE.wpd May 15, 2011
Gal 5:1-6 NAS
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. (NAS)
Gal 5:1-6 KJV
1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. (KJV)
Introduction
We are Free for All spiritual matters. We have freedom in Christ to live for Christ. Our freedom is in three areas, as we have freedom from the:
1. Penalty of Sin, Past.
2. Power of the Sin, Past and Present.
3. Presence of Sin. Future in heaven.
4. We are Free for all these blessings IN CHRIST.
1. FREE for ALL; therefore We Respond In . . Liberty. v 1
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
A. Liberty . . In Purpose. v 1 a
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; . . . “
“ set us free” is in the aorist tense and it is a once-and-for-all
B. Liberty . . In Posture. v 1 b
“. . . standing firm . . . “
C. Liberty . . In Presentation. v 1 c
We are free from the law in two ways
a. We are free from the law in salvation
b. We are free from the law in living the Christian life.
Rom 6:13
13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin {as} instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members {as} instruments of righteousness to God. (NAS)
Rom 12:1
1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship. (NAS)
Rom 8:2-4
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God {did:} sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and {as an offering} for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (NAS)
Illustration HOW TO CATCH A MONKEY
Native hunters in the jungles of Africa have a clever way of trapping monkeys. They slice a coconut in two, hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other coconut half before fastening together the two halves of the coconut shell. Finally, they secure the coconut to a tree with a rope, retreat into the jungle, and wait.
Sooner or later, an unsuspecting monkey swings by, smells the delicious orange, and discovers its location inside the coconut. The monkey then slips his hand through the small hole, grasp the orange, and tries to pull it through the hole. Of course, the orange won’t come out; it’s too big for the hole. To no avail the persistent monkey continues to pull and pull, never realizing the danger he is in.
While the monkey struggles with the orange, the hunters simply stroll in and capture the monkey by throwing a net over him. As long as the monkey keeps his fist wrapped around the orange, the monkey is trapped.
It’s too bad-the poor monkey could save its own life if it would let go of the orange. It rarely occurs to a monkey, however, that it can’t have both the orange and its freedom. That delicious orange becomes a deadly tr...
Application
So, the Christian is free when he does the will of God and is obedient to God's command. This is as natural a realm for God's child as the water is for the fish, or the air for the bird."
I mention my friend Burnel Lewis every once in a while.
His experience with “Give me liberty or give me death.
2. FREE for ALL therefore; We
Reject . . Legalism. v 2-4
A. Reject Legalism’s . . Observance. v 2
2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
1. They were saying “Christ plus circumcision.”
This means that circumcision is not even one little part of salvation. Circumcision is not a part of salvation package, just like baptism is not a part of the salvation package.
B. Reject Legalism’s . . Obligation. v 3
3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
1. “. . .again . . . “
a. It means he keeps saying this over and over so it will stick in their minds.
b. Then the law becomes you master instead of the Lord.
2. Keep the whole law. Three Possibilities”
a. Man all by himself can bring about salvation. Now that is negative, this is not true. The Bible says, “Not by works or righteousness that we have done. . .”
b. Both man and god can have a part in salvation. That too is negative. If man has anything to do with salvation, it is no longer grace.
c. The third possibility is that salvation must be by God alone. This is true and is the true meaning of salvation by grace.
B. Reject Legalism’s . . Outcome. v 4
4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Illustration Topic: Liberty Index: 2134-2136 Date: 6/1988.22
You know the Revolutionary War was a battle to do away with
Legalism?
Have you wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. 12 had their homes ransacked and burned. 2 lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had 2 sons captured. 9 of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War. There was and is a tremendous price to pay for freedom.
Application
We had to fight for our national freedom. We do not have to fight for our spiritual freedom. A man in bonds can be spiritually free. Just look at Paul and Silas in the Philippi an jail.
3. FREE for ALL therefore; We Respond In . . Love. V 5-6
A. Respond In Love . . Waiting. v 5
5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
B. Respond In Faith . . Working. v 6
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
The word “availeth”(means anything) is from “ischuo” and it means to be strong, to be overpowering. It means that they do not have the power to produce salvation.
Illustration The story was told some years ago of a pastor who
found the roads blocked one Sunday morning and was forced to skate on the river to get to church, which he did. When he arrived the elders of the church were horrified that their preacher had skated on the Lord’s day. After the service they held a meeting where the pastor explained that it was either skate to church or not go at all. Finally one elder asked, “Did you enjoy it?” When the preacher answered, “No,” the board decided it was all right! (Today in the Word, MBI, December, 1989, p. 12)
Application
We are free to love. This is a wise love prompted by the Lord.
It is the kind of love that sets us free.
Free for all their Lord wants us to do.
WE ARE FREE FROM:
a. Freedom from the law of Moses
b. Freedom from the bondage of sin
c. Freedom from the traditions of men
d. Freedom from the works of the flesh
INSIGHT FOR LIVING TOPICS
http://www.insight.org/topical/