Freedom In Christ

Freedom in Christ - Galatians 5 v 1-15

In 1941 President Roosevelt famously said that there were four freedoms: 'Freedom of speech everywhere, freedom of worship everywhere, freedom from want everywhere and freedom from fear everywhere.' I don't think any of us would disagree with those four freedoms as being good things. What is involved in Christian freedom? What do we mean when we say that we have freedom in Christ?

The letter to the Galatians, modern day Turkey, was written by the apostle Paul somewhere between AD48-55. Paul wrote to the Galatian church, which was mainly made up of gentile believers, to counter the false teaching of what came to be known as the Judaizers. These men, we presume, taught that in order for the gentile believers of Galatia to be accepted by God they needed to be circumcised. Paul in response, in chapters 1-2, begins by defending his apostolic authority, which these men had questioned and sought to undermine. In chapters 2-4 Paul teaches the believers that salvation is complete in Christ Jesus. Then in chapters 5-6 he shows how the gospel of grace in Christ leads to true freedom and holy living in the life of the believer.

Verse 1 is a transition verse in the letter. It connects chapters 1-4 with the outworking of the teaching in chapters 5-6. This verse is in fact a summary of all that has gone before and transition to what follows. Some commentators argue that this is the key verse in the whole letter.

The verse has two parts: 1. A declaration of Christ's purpose in salvation - it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. 2. An appeal based on that purpose - stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened with the yoke of slavery.

Point 1 sums up chapters 3 and 4, and point 2 leads to the ethical part of chapter 5. Point 1 also alludes to our former state - that of slavery to sin, from which Christ has rescued us and freed us. Jesus is the liberator of their captive Galatians. Their conversion was an act of emancipation and the Christian life is a life of freedom. Christ has set their consciences free from guilt of sin.

Christian freedom is a freedom of conscience, a freedom from the tyranny of the law and a freedom from the struggle to keep the law with a view to winning favour with God. Their freedom is one of acceptance with God and of access to God through Christ. Point 2 is a command to stand firm and not to submit themselves again to the yoke of slavery. They are not to lapse again into the idea, and way of life, that you have to win acceptance with God by your own obedience. When Paul writes 'do not submit' he is telling them not to be loaded down again with the burden that Christ has just lifted from them. In 3.13 Paul has told them that Christ has met all the demands of the Law, therefore why would they go back and take that burden on themselves again? Verses 2-12 speaks of the danger of falling from grace. Within this section Paul deals with those who fall into legalism thinking it is the higher good (verses 2-6) and makes reference to those who teach such false doctrines (verses 7-12).

In verses 2-4 the precise issue being dealt with is circumcision. Paul wants them to understand that this is no trivial ceremonial matter but of theological significance. The matter of circumcision has doctrinal implications for them as believers and for the church. The theological symbolism of circumcision in Galatia is that it teaches salvation by works and denies salvation by grace. Verse 2 begins with a call 'Behold.' Paul is saying to them that they are to stop here and look at this. Linger here. Do not race past as this is important for you to understand. If the Galatians allow themselves to be circumcised the result will be that Christ will of no consequence to them. There is a choice between the Galatians - Circumcision and no Christ at all or Christ and no circumcision at all. They cannot have both because in Galatia the theological teaching behind each is mutually exclusive. There is no 'Christ and...' in Christianity. It is not circumcision itself which is the issue, see verse 6 and in fact on one occasion Paul had Timothy circumcised. Paul is in fact condemning the theology of circumcision which teaches that works are necessary for salvation and that conforming to an external standard of behaviour is a mark of spirituality. The implication of the verse is that the Galatians have not yet taken the step of being circumcised but are in danger of doing so - which would be a denial of the gospel of Christ. Please note as well that Paul is not condemning Jewish Christians who had been circumcised before coming to faith in Christ - 1 Cor. 7.17-20 deals with this issue. The issue is a salvation issue of works versus grace.

Verse 3 - Paul needs them to see that if they choose circumcision they are choosing legalism and all that goes with it. To be circumcised means that they must take on the burden of the Law. Had the Judaizers warned the Galatians as to what is involved if they get circumcised? Throughout the letter we can see a pattern of steps towards legalism - 4.10 the acceptance of feasts, chapter 5 the acceptance and adherence to circumcision and the consequence will be the acceptance of the law as the means of salvation.

Verse 4 Paul spells out quite bluntly the end result of taking on the yoke of the law as the means of salvation and justification - severed from Christ. To fall from grace is to fall into legalism. To choose circumcision, and the law, is to relinquish grace as the principle by which one desires to be related to God.

Verse 5 -Paul now brings justification by faith to the fore in his argument. Note that Paul in this verse now speaks of 'we' and not 'you.' Paul tells them 'we Christians do not choose legalism'; rather, we wait in faith though the Spirit for the full realisation of God's righteousness. 'through the Spirit' - it is the electing grace of God in salvation. 'by faith' - stands in stark contrast to the works of the flesh - and entirely different approach to salvation. 'wait eagerly' - not working for salvation but waiting. There is no imagining that we have earned salvation by our works. 'the righteousness for which we hope' - actual righteousness the believer is to grow into and which he is to be perfectly conformed to in glory. Remember hope in the Bible is something certain but not yet realised.

Verse 6 - Paul's concern is theological and not ceremonial. True faith works out through love. This is what matters in Galatia. Paul wants them to understand that faith is no mere intellectual assent to doctrine. Faith is not just intellectual conviction. I wish more Christians in Northern Ireland would understand that. The Galatians were in danger of believing that you could come to faith in Christ and then live as you pleased. As if correct belief was the only thing that mattered. Paul says - correct belief is important but it is of no consequence if it is not seen in correct behaviour/lifestyle. For Paul his creed is expressed through his conduct and his conduct is derived from his creed. We need to take that fully on board this morning in our lives. This verse puts to death any idea that Paul and James are in conflict with one another when James says that works demonstrates faith. Verse 7 - Paul now moves the contrast between false teacher (or teachers) and himself. The Galatians had begun the race well - 'obeying the truth' - creed and conduct together. They applied the truth of the gospel to their behaviour. Yet something had obviously gone wrong. Someone had hindered them in this race. Paul uses a military term to speak of an obstacle being placed in their path. The Greek term 'enkopto' means setting up and obstacle or breaking up a road to hinder the journey of an army. There has been illegal interference of them - someone has cut in on them and put them at a disadvantage. It would appear that some of the Galatians had already begun to walk astray and to cease to obey the plain truth of the gospel. Has anything changed in 2000 odd years? Do we not still witness people who begin well on the journey with Christ but somewhere down the road they are hindered in their walk with Christ?

Verse 8 - Paul traces the origin, the results and the end of such doctrine that is being taught to the Galatians. Its origin is not of God and therefore the only conclusion left is that it is of satan. A startling assertion by Paul and one we are sometimes uncomfortable with but we should realise that any teaching that deems salvation is possible other than through faith in Christ, is of satan. Verse 9 - the result of this teaching is like yeast in dough - a little of it spreads through the whole batch. The teaching in Galatia is spreading and it is insidious and dangerous. This teaching is growing and affects everything it touches. Here is the reason for Paul's alarm - this teaching is not harmless but is a grave spiritual danger to your church and to the salvation of its members. There are no harmless doctrines that are contrary to the gospel of Christ.

Verse 10 well the end result is that the false teacher(s) will face the judgment of God. Yet Paul has confidence in the Galatians that they will not be deceived by such false teaching and that they will follow the gospel of Christ as taught by the apostle. His optimism is that the Galatians will return to their right mind. I find it interesting how often in scripture we read that those who believe the Word of God and follow the Word of God are those who are in their right minds. Those whose thoughts are clear, in the light and not in the dark.

Verses 11-12 Paul concludes with two remarks. In verse 11 we encounter the false claim of the Judaisers - that Paul himself was teaching the need for circumcision. Paul denies such a claim pointing to the fact that these Judaisers persecute him and if he taught as they taught they would not. He points out that he preaches Christ crucified and that the cross is in fact offensive to these people because the cross speaks of man's need of grace and the impossibility of salvation through the law. Paul's words in verse 12 come to us as a bit of a shock - I wish they would castrate themselves. These words would have come as a bigger shock, and insult, to those who were teaching the need for circumcision. Sacral castration was known to citizens in Galatia - the priests of the goddess Cybele did such a thing. Added to this the law as clear - Deut. 23.1 to carry out such a procedure resulted in the person being disbarred from the people of God. This is quite an insult that Paul is aiming at the false teacher(s). He is showing how contemptible their teaching actually is. Our problem is that we do not have the same desire and passion for the truth of the gospel, or concern for the spiritual safety of the people of God as Paul does here.

Verses 13-15 Conclusion - Liberty is not licence. This is an important section in Paul's argument because the danger is that the false teacher(s) could claim that Paul was saying a believer could then live as they pleased. Paul wants to restate the freedom the believer has in Christ but to warn them of not using that freedom for licentious behaviour.

Verse 13 like verse 1 is a transitional verse. It takes us from the teaching against works salvation to working out your salvation. The warning is clear - in your freedom in Christ do not fall into a new kind of slavery - the slavery of sinful self-indulgence. Once again Paul uses a military word 'aphorme' - which is a place to establish a beach head to launch attacks, a base for operations. Paul warns the Galatian believers that their freedom in Christ is not to be a pretext for self-indulgence. They have freedom from sin not freedom to sin. Their freedom is to be expressed in a life of service to their fellow man.

Verse 14 Paul also tells them that their freedom in Christ is not a freedom to disregard the law of God. Our Christian freedom from the law deals with our relationship to God - our acceptance before God. It does not mean we are free to disregard the law but we keep the law out of love for God. This is an important point because it is often one which is cast up to Christians today. Paul has argued here, and elsewhere in the NT, that Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law but that obedience to the moral teaching of the Law shows our love for God and for our fellowman. Paul here has a play on the greek word 'peptrotai' which can mean 'summed up' or 'fulfilled.'

Verse 15 the end result of the teaching of legalism as a means of salvation is strife, bitterness and warfare amongst the believers in Galatia. Simple when you think about it. Those who live by legalism spend their entire lives making sure that everyone keeps the rules and there is often a clear lack of love in pointing out the failures of others. However, those who live lives of licentiousness, claiming that they have freedom in Christ to live as they please, also cause division and strife within the body of Christ. Paul points this danger, which must have been apparent in Galatia, as a consequence of such false teaching.

so are you free? I often meet Christians who are trying to work their way to heaven. If you ask them they will tell you that they are saved by grace alone but their lives deny that completely because they spend their days in endless effort trying to work their way to heaven. Please, please hear God - your salvation, acceptance by God, is all of grace. You do not deserve it and you cannot earn it, you must accept it. Stop the frenetic work and accept what is already yours in Christ. Stop playing the 'balancing game' where you weigh up what you have done and not done to see if you qualify for a blessing. If only I prayed more, longer, harder then God would answer - is that grace or works? If I attend church each week, keep the 'rules' etc then ... is that works or grace?

We have freedom in Christ - freedom from sin, from the eternal consequences of sin and from the way of sin in our lives. Do not go back into the slavery of sin by abusing that freedom in Christ by living a life of sinful self-indulgence. Some of you reading this have abused the freedom you have in Christ. If the truth be told you have used Christ a little like a slot machine - lived a life of licence and come back, periodically (usually when caught out), and asked his forgiveness - like putting your penny in the machine and pulling the handle down hoping for three bars for forgiveness - only after a while to walk away down the road of sin again. This morning your freedom in Christ is not a licence for sin or self-indulgence.

Take up the yoke of Christ - live in the freedom he has won for you by the cross and live that life in freedom - out of love for him in obedience to his Word and in service of others.

Amen.