Study inGalatians

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Freedom In Christ

Chap 5v1-15

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IntroductionMany today are unhappy with absolute categories of black and white and of right and wrong. They prefer to see things in shades of grey. It is considered to be a more tolerant and realistic approach to life.

The recognition of grey areas is of course sometimes justified. In some disagreements, we can quickly discern that often both parties must share a part of the blame. However, there are times when clear cut distinctions can and must be made. And this is what we have seen Paul doing in this epistle.

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IntroductionPaul set before us two religions; two ways in which men seek God's approval and he has said quite unequivocally, one is right and the other wrong. He has set the gospel of God's free grace, which he preached over against the legalistic demands of those who had crept into the church at Galatia after his departure. Paul has not only argued his case doctrinally, he has demonstrated it practically. He has shown that the gospel which he preached brought men glorious freedom while that of his opponents resulted in the most cruel bondage. Having made his case he begins in ch5 to exhort his readers to respond.

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The Yoke Of SlaveryPaul begins by encouraging his readers to "Stand firm," to hold onto the freedom which Christ had secured for them. He reminds them that Jesus had been their liberator and asks what had been their experience when they were converted to Christ? Their consciences had been set free from the guilt of sin and the terrors of the law. He reminds them of the joy that had been theirs. They could have sung with Wesley: "My chains fell off by heart was free, I rose went forth and followed thee".

They had been freed from the dreadful struggle of attempting to keep the law as a means of trying to win the favour of God.

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The Yoke Of SlaveryNow if they are to enjoy this freedom of conscience which Christ had brought them by his death, then they must not lapse into the old idea that they had to win their acceptance with God by their own obedience. That is to return to bondage

Think of the the graphic picture of an ox laden down by a heavy and crushing yoke about its neck. It was such a yoke that these false teachers were determined to place around the necks of the Galatian believers by saying, ‘You must submit yourselves to keeping the law in order to earn God's approval including circumcision’.

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The Yoke Of SlaveryNow you might think this a trivial matter for Paul to get hot under the collar about. But he does so because of its doctrinal implications. Circumcision was being imposed upon believers by Paul’s Judaising opponents. Circumcision was a theological symbol and in order to understand the way in which it was being abused hear what the circumcision party argued in the Jerusalem church. "Unless you are circumcised and keep the law you cannot be saved,” Acts 15v1. Now if a Gentile were to receive circumcision he would be saying, ‘I am binding myself to keeping the law of God as a means of gaining God’s approval’ cf v3-4

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The Yoke Of SlaveryWith those who were poised to take this step Paul does not mince his words, "Christ will be of no advantage to you", "You are severed from Christ", "you are fallen away from grace.“ Paul says, "You cannot have it both ways. It is impossible to receive Christ, thereby clearly acknowledging that you cannot save yourself, and then receive circumcision, thereby claiming that you can”.

You have to choose between a religion of law and one of grace.

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grace law

The Yoke Of SlaveryPaul knows that those who are truly converted cannot fall away from grace and begins in v5 to describe the experience of believers as those who “by faith WAIT for the hope of righteousness". This is the future expectation that justification brings, not just spending eternity with Christ in heaven but to be made like him 1 Jn.3v2. Note the emphasis! He doesn’t say we ‘work’ for this but we ‘wait’ for this. We do not strive anxiously to secure it, or imagine that we can earn it by our good works. What is of ultimate importance is our faith in Christ. And so neither circumcision nor uncircumcision can improve our standing before God v6. All that is necessary to be accepted by God is to be in Christ, which involves a faith relationship.

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The Yoke Of SlaveryOf course a word of caution is needed here. Does this emphasis on faith in Christ mean we can live and act as we please? Is it the case that works and obedience to the law simply don't matter? No! of course not. And Paul is careful not to give that impression [v5] For through the Spirit and by faith we wait for the hope of righteousness.

The Christian life is not only a life of faith it is also a life in the Spirit. And the Holy Spirit who indwells us produces good works of love as Paul later explains in v22-23. This saving faith of which Paul here speaks expresses itself through love [v6]....

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The Yoke Of SlaveryLet me put it this way, when we have been delivered from the yoke of the law, which we cannot keep perfectly, when we see that God does not demand that we do so in order to enjoy his approval, and when we see that Jesus’ death and not our ability to keep the law is the only ground of salvation and so place our faith in him - we then have a great burden lifted from our shoulders and a new attitude towards the law.

The law no longer terrifies us for we now see law keeping as a means of expressing our love and gratitude to God for what he has done.

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Exponents Of BondageIn v7 Paul turns his attention to the devastation being caused by the false teachers in Galatia by asking, "You were running a good race, who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?" The picture is that of another athlete boxing you in on a bend and preventing you from following the race plan and sprinting for the finishing line.Notice to run well in the Christian race is not just to believe the truth, nor to behave well, but to obey the truth, it involves applying the truth to our behaviour. Only he who obeys the truth is an integrated Christian. What he believes and how he behaves are all of a piece.

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Exponents Of BondageThe effect of the false teachers is that they ‘hinder’ them v7 them and ‘trouble’ them v10 and ‘unsettle’ them v12. Paul resisted these teachers so resolutely because of the hindering, troubling and unsettling effect of their teaching. It was like, "a little yeast which works through the whole batch of dough"v9. It had the capacity to spread it influence quickly, inexorably, almost unseen just as yeast spreads its influence through a dough mix. Doctrinal error and moral infection tend to spread like wildfire among believers. Paul is determined to prevent this influence from reaching epidemic proportions.

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Exponents Of BondageOh these false teachers had been very able "persuaders" v8. The word ‘persuasion’ Paul uses here is a very strong word which describes men of unshakable conviction. What Paul is implying here is that a man can be terribly convinced that he is right and still be completely wrong. Speak to any member of the heretical sects and this is what impresses you about them - they are so utterly convinced that they are right! They are fanatically convinced.

Paul is saying that kind of persuasion or conviction is no guarantee that the teaching comes from God.

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Exponents Of BondageConcerning such teachers Paul is in no doubt that they will bear their judgement v10 ... Once again Paul uses very strong language which we must not confuse with personal vindictiveness. It is a statement of fact that men who seek to deceive, are teaching error and blinding men to the grace of God in the gospel. And as such they will be held accountable to God for their behaviour. The Galatians may well have been thinking, ‘but they are such nice people, they are so sincere and well-meaning’. Paul says, ‘Don't lose sight of this: those who by their teaching lead their hearers away from the grace of God bring themselves under the judgment of God.

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Exponents Of BondageNow some of these false teachers appear to have suggested that Paul himself approved of their teaching! This seems to be the significance of v11. Implying they were saying, "Paul shares our view that you need to be circumcised to be right with God. You will know of course that he circumcised Timothy after he came to faith. There is no difference between us and Paul!"

Now says Paul, "If I am preaching circumcision as they falsely claim, why am I suffering persecution? This is the proof that I don't. If I did the Jews would welcome me, instead of inciting violence against me.”

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Exponents Of BondageThe offence of the cross of which he speaks is that the cross proclaims that as a result of Christ's death a way back to God has been made freely available to men. They do not need to try to earn or buy their way into heaven. Acceptance there is not based upon a man's striving to produce good behaviour but upon his faith in Christ. That kind of preaching made the Jews blood boil just as it makes the blood of many today boil. When you preach a popular doctrine that flatters man and his abilities it does not cost you anything. But when you stand out against popular thinking, and stand for the truth revealed in scripture then you become the object of scorn, sarcasm, and contempt. That's the offence of the cross.

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Exponents Of BondagePaul's final word to these false teachers is found in v12. He says he wishes these advocates of circumcision would emasculate themselves. A sentiment that may well sound course and malicious to our ears. But it is not the product of a vengeful spirit. Rather Paul speaks out of a deep love for the people of God who are being led astray and the gospel of God which has been impugned. Pause for a moment to ask, what is your attitude towards present day false teachers, those who do their utmost to deceive men and women from the simplicity of the gospel. Do we shrug our shoulders to what Jesus described as wolves in sheep’s clothing and say, "Live and let live"?

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Exponents Of BondageThose of you who are parents, how would you react towards those encouraging your children to shoot heroin, or to climb electricity pylons carrying 33,000 volts of electricity, or to run into the road in front of speeding cars? Would you say, "These are views we must respect and tolerate - we need to live and let live“? Of course not. Does our indifference and tolerance towards false teachers of religion not strike us as strange? For their teaching is infinitely more serious and harmful than drugs, electrocution or, road accidents. Do we share Paul's passion for doctrinal truth, which alone can keep men safe and free from bondage? We dare not tolerate those things which God says are intolerable.

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