Borne Free

Sunday Preaching

By Pastor Rick Jumaquio

BACF, Sunday, October 9, 2016

Thanksgiving Sunday

Theme: Study of Galatians

Text: Galatians 5:1-15

Title: Borne Free

Greeting!!

Today is Thanksgiving weekend and I would like to greet you and your family “Happy Thanksgiving”.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year, aside from Christmas and Easter because this is the day I can set a special time to thank the Lord for all the things that He has blessed me with, which are too many to mention. Of course I am always thankful to the Lord everyday but this time is very special. It is special in a way because I am with my family as we thank the Lord together.

The one main thing I always thank God for not only during thanksgiving is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus died for you and me so that we can have life. He was forsaken so that God can accept us. He became poor so that we can be rich in Him. He gave it all so that we can have it all in Him. He liberates us from the bondage of sin and all its consequences and condemnation. Because of that we can live freely and enjoy the Christian life with Him, in Him and for Him. And so today I entitled my preaching “Freedom Day”

Please stand with me as we read our passage from Galatians 5:1-15 (NIV)

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.

² Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³ Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ⁴ You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

⁷ You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸ That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹ “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” ¹⁰ I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. ¹¹ Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹² As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! ¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] ¹⁵ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Let us pray!

Freedom is elusive. Freedom is not always there for many. Freedom is something we need to work hard for in order to have it. But many times or should I say to many people having the freedom is one thing but living in freedom is another, which is true to many Christians today. This is exactly what Paul was fighting for in behalf of the Galatian believers.

Many of us who has a house has a mortgage to pay and mortgage can be an example of a bondage. The month-to-month mortgage bill to pay is somewhat enslaving people that we all need to work hard just to meet the payment and it’s a long term. Some have 25 years, some have 30 years and I am sure many of you here have less than 10 years left in your mortgage. Good for you. Those who burned their mortgage is a huge financial freedom.

Schooling is also one of the things that we think is enslaving people. Young people, don’t you sometime say this? “Oh I can’t wait until I am done school. Just imagine, no more exams, no more deadlines, no more essays to write, etc. and etc”.

Freedom is either we have it or we don’t. We can’t say you’re 95% free and 5% in bondage.

What is Freedom?

By definition it is – the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

Freedom is powerful. It is a gift. A treasure.

It is one of the most significant, important gifts in life that is worth fighting for. And yes, often, freedom comes with a great price. They are not free.

Somewhere along the way, someone paid dearly for the liberties we enjoy so freely today (ex. Heroes of war). But often, we forget the cost of freedom. It’s easy to take them for granted.

How about our spiritual freedom? This is what this preaching is all about.

Freedom is a major theme in the scripture.
Jesus while here on earth spoke about freedom.
Freedom comes at the end of every bondage.
Freedom is the guaranteed result of believing the truth of the gospel.

John 8:32-36

³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

³³ They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵ Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

The truth that sets people free is the gospel of sovereign grace. The bondage from which it frees us is the bondage to which Paul refers in Galatian 5:1.

Please keep in mind that we’re still reading and studying a letter Paul sent to the church in Galatia with one main purpose; to deal with the problem of heresy and deal with the false gospel against justification by faith by Jesus Christ alone.

Here’s again is the big problem that we identified last Sunday.

The Big Problem:

The church of Galatia whom Paul founded was quickly falling away from the gospel of grace and listening and accepting another gospel (which is not a gospel at all according to Paul) being taught by the Judaizers. What is the false gospel? It is believing Jesus Christ as the Messiah plus obedience and observance of the laws of Moses especially the needs for circumcision and following the dietary laws.

The Judaizers’ claim is that Paul’s gospel message was incomplete; that living by grace and freedom meant to live a lawless and degenerate (sub-standard) life.

From our passage today we see that Paul reaches the climax of his epistle. Which I say that this can be called the main theme of his letter:

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.

Outline of today’s message:

We’re free, there’s no need for the law
- Stand fast in our freedom that Christ made possible
- Our freedom is the basis for our hope of righteousness
We’re free, the laws fulfilled
- How to use our freedom to fulfill the law

The Big Idea: John 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”

We are free, there’s no need for the law

Paul begins chapter 5 with the word, “then or therefore in NIV”.

The word “then or therefore” means he is making a conclusion of something.

This refers to the last 2 chapters specifically what he mentioned in 4:21-31, which we did not discuss. For the sake of clarification and also to help us understand chapter 5, allow me to talk a bit about 4:21-31.

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a free woman. ²³ But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman through promise, ²⁴ which things are symbolic. For these are the[a] two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—²⁶ but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷ For it is written:

“Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear!

Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor!

For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.”[b]

²⁸ Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. ²⁹ But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. ³⁰ Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.”[c] ³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Paul is presenting here an allegory (symbolic) when he mentions Hagar and Sarah.

As many of you have read the story from Genesis 21: 8-21), Hagar is a bondwoman (slave of Sarah) whom Abraham had a son, Ismael. Sarah, the wife of Abraham bore Isaac after Ismael was born. Because of the son of the bondwoman’s (Ismael) persecution of the son of the free woman (Isaac) (with God’s instructions) Abraham and Sarah made a decision to cast off Hagar and Ismael. Ismael was not the promised son but Isaac.

Hagar and Ismael represent the Law of Moses or the Old Covenant while Sarah and Isaac represent the promised (the Good news-Jesus) or the new covenant in Christ Jesus.

As Abraham and Sarah cast off Hagar and Ismael because they have no part in God’s promise so as the laws of Moses has to be cast off from the new covenant believers, otherwise it will remain a persecution (enslaving) to the new covenant believers.

Paul in the last 2 verses of chapter 4 (v.30-31) says this:

³⁰ Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”[c] ³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Now come the pivotal and the climax of this letter when Paul said:

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.

Paul was getting more emotional and animated in this part of his letter saying (in paraphrase) “What are you guys doing? If you are still slaves, then live like slaves but Christ has died for you for freedom sake. You all believed and accepted this truth and you were all joyful in your newfound freedom. What happen to you all and you want to be slave again.” I can’t believe what’s happening with you”

Stand firm in your freedom…this is in a form of a command to all the believers in Galatia; not a suggestion, but a strong command.

To stand firm means:

To enjoy the glorious freedom of conscience which Christ has brought us by His forgiveness.
To NOT go back to the idea that we have to win our acceptance with God by our own obedience.
To stand still with your head looking up because God is with you and for you.
Firm means stable, immovable, indestructible and permanent.

Illustration: An Ox with the yoke on the neck to plow the field make the ox to walk with the head looking down. The yoke is heavy, but when the yoke is taken off the ox can stood straight up and walk straight up with the yoke-burden removed.

In verse 2 Paul said:

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.

What is circumcision? It’s a medical procedure, what so big deal about it? The issue here is not the circumcision but what it represents to the people and what the Judaizers is imposing to the Gentile believers.

Circumcision means abiding and believing that the law is needed for their justification and it is also needed for their sanctification. It represents the law. It means that they are nullifying what Christ has done at the cross of Calvary. That’s what Paul meant with “Christ will be of no advantage to you”

Circumcision means going back to the law and it also means they have to keep the law for them to keep their salvation (which is impossible) (none of their forefathers kept the law)

Verse 4

You are alienated (severed) from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

This verse is a strong statement from Paul. This is where many Christians fall into wrong theology; a theology that tells them to work hard in keeping their salvation by good works.

Did Paul mean if they get circumcised (went back to the law) they would lose their salvation?

Instead of telling you what it means let me tell you first what it does not mean.

It does not mean the Galatians are to lose their position in their salvation.
It does not mean it nullifies their justification. It has nothing to do with their justification.
It does not mean God disowns them.
It does not mean they will go to hell.

Scripture will not contradict scripture because they are all from the Holy Spirit. They are all God-breathed.

Jesus Himself talks about eternal life

John 10:28-30

²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.[a] No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave…that those who would believe will not perish but will have eternal life.

How about Paul? He can’t contradict himself, can he? He wrote in

Romans 5:21

So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

And also Romans 8:38-39

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What this means is that they (Galatians)

Are not trusting anymore Christ in their sanctification (day to day grace)
Are staying away from grace as a means of living the Christian life as long as they have the laws to obey and to guide them.
Think they are okay with God as long as they obey the law; esp when they are circumcised and don’t eat pork.

Are you not glad today that we are no longer under the bondage of the law?

Verse 5

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness

Freedom brought us hope; a living hope in Christ but our freedom was only made possible by our faith in Christ that earns us the indwelling of Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit is our day-to-day power to live the Christian life and that gives us a living hope.

Our salvation is a three steps process.

First is justification by faith, we’ve been freed from the penalty of sin (past)
Second is sanctification by living faith to faith, it means we are free from the power of sin. (Present)
Third is glorification by faith, it means we will be free from the presence of sin. (Future)

This is when we get to heaven and be with our Savior Jesus Christ.

This is the hope of righteousness Paul is saying that you and I are eagerly waiting.

Isaiah 40:3

But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

We don’t wait watching ourselves either fulfilling or breaking the laws but by faith, in obedience to Christ and the Holy Spirit.

This is called working faith. Not to work as slaves but to work as friends of Jesus and as sons of God caring and loving the brethren as part of the big body of Christ.

B. We’re free, the laws fulfilled

This is the 2nd point in my preaching today. Paul reminds the Galatian believers that we’re free from the law because the laws are fulfilled.

Not only Jesus has fulfilled the law as He said in Matthew 5:17 but those who were justified by faith are also fulfilling the greater law that Jesus gave them.

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.

This is exactly Paul’s powerful defense against the Judaizers when they are accusing him of encouraging the Gentile believers to live in lawlessness; that by living by faith and grace without the law means living a degenerate life.

Paul, on the other hands tells the Galatians that because of your faith in Christ and the Holy Spirit that now dwells in you, you are now subject to a higher law; that is the law of love. Jesus commands us, “to love your neighbor as yourself”.

You might be asking, I thought there’s no need for the law? How come Jesus gave us another law, which is even higher that the laws of Moses?

Yes, that is true-but the big difference is that we are not alone. We have the Helper, the Power that is within us. The HS is God in us who is doing and fulfilling the law. The Holy Spirit is doing the loving and the caring and the understanding and the helping of each other in us and through us.

The faith God gave us in salvation is the same faith that keeps us in touch and in tune and in terms with God.

Hebrews 11:6 For without faith it is impossible to please God.

Whose faith is it that pleases God?

It’s our faith…… but where did we get that faith? God gave us the faith. It is from faith to faith and from glory to glory we live each moment with God and for God. The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17)

I mentioned earlier that our obedience to Christ and the Holy Spirit is a “working faith” not as a slave but as sons and heirs. This is what Paul said in verse 6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

What Jesus sees is not the external; not our obedience of the law or what we do for Him; it’s not the circumcised or uncircumcised. Paul said, “but only faith working through love”

We express our faith through love. 1 Cor 16:14 “Do everything on love”

John Stott wrote about Paul’s exhortation to Galatians: Referring to true Christians!

“His creed is expressed in his conduct; his conduct is derived from his creed”

It means we need to walk the talk!

If we love God, then we should love people.

If we have the passion for God, then it should be expressed in our compassion for people.

As James wrote it, “Faith without work is a dead faith”

Our justification by faith will create in us the desire, the unction and the passion to seek and do God’s will.

God’s will and desire for each one of us is to love Him with all of our heart and with all of our soul and with all of our mind. God’s heart and will for us also is to love our neighbors as ourselves.

This is how the law is fulfilled in us. Because the law is already fulfilled it cannot and it should not enslave us. It has no hold on anyone who put their faith in Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit that is in us will lead us each day to be obedient and to do what God’s will is for you and me and for His glorious body, the church.

Next week, we will be talking about living the Christian life led by the Spirit and also bearing the fruit of the spirit.

Let us pray!