Stand Firm

We are back in our series through the New Testament letter of Galatians. This is a letter that the apostle Paul wrote to a group of churches in an area known as Galatia, which is in modern-day Turkey. These were churches that were started during Paul’s first missionary journey.

These churches had started off well until a group of false teachers came through teaching that the Galatians needed something more than just trusting in Jesus Christ to be right with God.

Today, I want to look at a passage of Scripture that is found in Galatians 5:1-15.

‌Diversity

‌Diversity seems to be a hot topic in our culture today. People like to talk about diversity in a number of situations where it is good. One of the most popular areas where diversity is talked about today pertains to the issue of race. It doesn’t take long to see that the human race carries a great deal of diversity. This is part of God’s plan. God displays His artistic ability through the diversity of ethnicities in our world. No one is greater than any other. We can even see that God welcomes the diversity of ethnicities into His presence in Revelation 7:9-10

⁹ After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!

Revelation 7:9–10 (CSB)

‌

Another area of our lives where diversity is celebrated concerns investments. People are told that the best plan of action with investments is to have a diverse portfolio. This means that you spread out your investments across different areas to reduce risk and bring about a higher return.

Sadly, one area in which too many try to practice diversity is the area of faith. We are told that we should use the same practices with our faith that we do with our finances, and we should spread it out among different things to help ensure we don’t miss out. While that may work well for finances, it does not work well for our faith. In fact, Jesus told us this is an impossible task.

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

‌​Matthew 6:24 (CSB)

The false teachers that had come into Galatia had tried to get the Galatians to diversify their faith portfolio. Paul writes to show them this action will only lead to failure and spiritual bankruptcy.

¹ For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. ² Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. ³ Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. ⁴ You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace. ⁵ For we eagerly await through the Spirit, by faith, the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love. ⁷ You were running well. Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth? ⁸ This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰ I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. ¹¹ Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹² I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated! ¹³ For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:1–15 (CSB)

‌Christ has set us free‌

At the beginning of verse 1 here, Paul shows that Jesus Christ has come to set us free. His finished work upon the cross has released any person who puts their faith in Him from sin’s grip and the destruction it brings.

Paul states that Jesus has set us free to experience the freedom God intended when He first created us. God doesn’t want us to live in the bonds of slavery to our sin. He wants us to be free to live for His glory and enjoy Him forever.

Stand firm and don’t go back

‌In the second part of verse 1, Paul issues a command to his readers:

¹ For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 (CSB)

The phrase “stand firm” carries the meaning of standing one’s ground continuously. It isn’t just for a moment or when certain people are watching. It talks about a new way of life.

When Paul says “don’t submit,” he uses this term which means “to be under the control of something else.” Submission is seen as a weak or evil thing in our world today. What determines whether or not the submission is wrong is what we are submitting to.

Sadly, there are many who have tasted the freedom that only Jesus can bring to their lives and chose to return to a life of bondage to the very sin Jesus delivered them from. This is why Paul commands the Galatians not to return to the old ways that did nothing for them, but instead, live in the freedom that only Jesus brought to them.

In verses 2-3, Paul writes about circumcision. This was the main sign of the old covenant found in the Old Testament. It started with Abraham and carried through for generations. This was a sign that one was going to follow the laws of God given through Moses. For a person to be circumcised stated that they were seeking justification with God by another means than through the finished work of Jesus. This is why Paul states in verse 2 that if a person was circumcised (trying to keep the commands to earn God’s favor), then Jesus Christ is of no benefit whatsoever to them.

‌Fallen from grace

‌In verse 4, Paul uses a phrase that has caused some confusion through the ages. He states that if a person chooses to try and earn God’s favor by what they can do, then they have fallen from grace.

Some have wrongly taken this to mean that a person can lose their salvation. Paul is not saying that. In many other places like John 10:28-29, Ephesians 1:13-14, and Hebrews 6:13-20 to name a few the Bible states that a person who is truly saved can never lose their salvation.

What is Paul talking about in verse 4 then? He is stating that a person who chooses to live according to a doctrine that they have to do enough to earn God’s favor is not living by the doctrine of faith which the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that a Christian is one who sees their inability to pay for their sins and trusts in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross for their salvation.

⁸ For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— ⁹ not from works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (CSB)

‌Distractions along the way

‌In verses 7-9, Paul warns about a reality that each of us faces in different ways at different times. Paul warns about distractions that come along and tries to get us off-track.

The distraction for the first-century Galatians was mainly these false teachers and what they were selling. While what they said seemed to be a help to them, it was truly a distraction to move them away from the truth of the gospel.

We must be alert to the distractions that seek to get us off-track in our walk with Jesus.

¹ Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

​Hebrews 12:1–2 (CSB)

It doesn’t take much to get us distracted. Too often, many of us are like the dog in the Disney movie, “Up!” We go along seeming to be fine, and all of a sudden… “Squirrel!” Before we know it, we are chasing something that we have no business chasing.

⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough.

Galatians 5:9 (CSB)

Paul shares that it doesn’t take much to get us off-track of where we should be. If you have done any cooking with leaven, you know that it doesn’t take much to affect the whole batch.

There are times when we may be tempted to think, “I’ve got this… this is no big deal…” When, in fact, the distractions or sin that so easily ensnares us is a big deal. One of Satan’s greatest weapons against Christians today is the idea that our “distractions” are not a big deal.

Our liberty is not a license

‌One final word that Paul points out in this passage is for believers not to use the freedom they have in Jesus Christ as a license to sin.

We love liberty. Our country just celebrated the liberties that we enjoy so much this past week. Liberty is a beautiful thing as long as it is kept in its proper place.

In verses 13-15, Paul warns the Galatians (and us) not to abuse the liberty we have in Jesus, but to fully understand it.

While we do not have to earn a right standing before God on our own, we are not free to live as we please.

¹ What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? ² Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:1–2 (CSB)

¹⁵ What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, ¹⁸ and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

​Romans 6:15–18 (CSB)

As much as we love freedom and independence, the truth is that we are dependent creatures. God created us to be dependent upon Him. There is a part of us that seeks a master to guide us. There is only One who is worthy of fulfilling that role, and His name is Jesus Christ. He alone has our best interest at heart. He alone knows what we need and can provide it for us.

When we choose to submit and follow anything other than Jesus in any area of our lives, it will always lead to destruction. Paul warned the Galatians in verse 15 that the biting and devouring of one another would lead to their being consumed by their sin.

When we allow anything other than Jesus to lead our lives, it leads us to trust in ourselves which leads to us seeing everyone and everything as an enemy. The church of Jesus Christ cannot afford to see one another as the enemy. We have one enemy — Satan. The people that we come in contact with are not our enemies. Where in-fighting is present, you can be sure that defeat is not far behind. Paul warns the church about this truth.

Conclusion

‌In our day when diversity is sought by so many, we should understand where it is really needed. In our financial investments? Sure. In our neighborhoods and communities? Yes. In the church? Of course — we see it around God’s throne, why shouldn’t we see it in our churches?

But when it comes to the place of faith, there is no room for diversity. There is only room for one on the throne of our hearts. Who we allow to take that place will determine the entire direction of our lives — both here and for eternity.

Jesus Christ has come to give us freedom. No one else can do that. Will you allow Him to have the sole place of our faith, or will you try to diversify it and miss out on everything?

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Walking in Grace

We are working our way through the New Testament letter of Galatians. Paul wrote this letter to a group of churches he helped start on one of his missionary journeys. The purpose of Paul writing this letter was to correct some false teachings that were creeping into the churches in the region of Galatia. People were coming in telling these fairly new Christians that if they wanted to truly be right with God, then they would have to not only trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior but also obey the Law of Moses. It was essentially a move to make many who were Gentiles become Jewish. It really had nothing to do with them being right with God.

The trying to earn God’s favor by keeping a religious checklist was sold to the Galatian people as a means of freedom, but it only brought bondage. In the first three chapters of this letter, Paul explained that the Law was never meant to save a person. He states that only through the grace of God demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice can save a person.

Different scholars have said the theme of the letter of Galatians can be summed up in the word “freedom.” As we turn our attention to Galatians 4, we see Paul focusing in on the freedom that God calls us to. In the verses we will look at today, we will see Paul calling us to look through three lenses: how we got here, who we are, and where we’re going.

⁸ But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? ¹⁰ You are observing special days, months, seasons, and years. ¹¹ I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.

​Galatians 4:8–11 (CSB)

Skip down to verse 21 with me. We will look at the verses we are skipping in the coming weeks. But verses 21-31 go together well with what Paul says in verses 8-11.

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman. ²³ But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ These things are being taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery—this is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written, Rejoice, childless woman, unable to give birth. Burst into song and shout, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate woman will be many, more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband. ²⁸ Now you too, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit, so also now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave but of the free woman.

Galatians 4:21–31 (CSB)

‌How we got here

While we typically will read something from beginning through to the end, I want to take a different approach to these verses to catch the thought the Holy Spirit is sharing through Paul here.

Paul is trying to share how the Law by itself holds us in bondage. The tool that he uses to illustrate this is an analogy of Sarah and Hagar from Genesis. Sarah was the wife of Abraham. God had promised to bless Abraham and make him a great nation that God would use to bless the entire world. Hagar was a servant of Sarah’s.

Just so we’re all on the same page, because of Sarah’s age, she told Abraham to have children with Hagar. This is how they figured God would work out His plan. Hagar would give birth to Ishmael. In verse 24, Paul states that Hagar and Ishmael represent the Old Covenant (the Law), and it only produced slaves. How did it do this? The Law produced slaves because we could not keep the Law. Each person who has lived on this earth (except Jesus) has broken God’s law and stands condemned before Him.  Once again we see the Law cannot save us.

We don’t like to think about living in slavery to anything, but we do. Paul mentions in verses 8-11 how the Galatian people were enslaved to things that were not God before coming to faith in Christ. We are the same way. Each of us was a slave to our sinful nature before we came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Who we are

The next lens that we need to look through is the lens that shows us who we are in Christ.

In verse 29, Paul uses a particular phrase in talking about Isaac, the child born through Sarah: “as a result of the Spirit.”

Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah in a miraculous way. They were both past the age of childbearing (Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90). God supernaturally enabled this couple to have a child for His purpose. Isaac would be the child of promise. It would be through Isaac’s line that Jesus would come to earth.

Paul uses the illustration of Isaac to show us that we are not slaves of some religion. We are children of freedom in Jesus Christ.

Paul warns the Galatians that to return to a former way of life is to turn away from true life. He says in verse 9 that they would be going back to slavery after already being set free.

The things said by these false teachers sounded good though. They would talk about things that could be seen in the Old Testament: circumcision, festivals, and such. But Paul says that trying to be right with God by doing these things is no different from any other person of any other religion trying to do the same thing through those means.

If you go to church, sing songs, and study the Word, thinking this is how you’re going to work to earn God’s favor, then you are no different from the over one billion Hindus in the world today who are bowing down to their gods. If your Christianity is a check-off box in order to make you feel good about yourself before God, in order to save your skin on the day of judgment, then your Christianity is no different from every other religion in the world, and ultimately it will condemn you.

I came across a question while preparing for this message that really stopped me in my tracks. It was this: What if Satan’s strategy to condemn your soul involves not tempting you to do all the wrong things, but instead leading you to do all the right things with the wrong spirit?

Christianity is radically different from every other world religion. Rather than calling you to be a slave to a religion, Christianity calls you to be a son with a personal relationship with God.

When we make Christianity a list of things we have to do, we make it no different than every other world religion. I like what one person said, “We ought not be a people who prayed a prayer a while ago and now are just trying to do our best to get things right with our lives on a week-in and week-out basis. We should be a people who walk with God and know Him intimately. We ought to serve God wholeheartedly, not because we’re trying to make ourselves right, but because we’ve been made right by God’s grace.‌”^[1]Tony Merida and David Platt. Exalting Jesus in Galatians. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014.

If you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are free.

Where we’re going

This brings us to the final lens that we need to look through. We have seen where we come from and what Christ has made us, but where do we go from this point?

In verses 25-26, Paul compares Hagar and Sarah by saying Hagar represents the earthly city of Jerusalem (slavery to sin), but Sarah represents the New Jerusalem (freedom in Christ).

As Christians, we are to live in the freedom Jesus has given us. It is not a freedom to live for earthly pleasures or for sin, but it is a freedom to live as we were supposed to live.

Free from the weight of sin

We don’t have to carry our sin on our shoulders any longer. Christ has taken that upon Himself when He went to the cross.

‌Free from others’ expectations

Everywhere you turn, there are people who want to tell you how you should live. You may be able to please some, but you will never please everyone. There will always be someone who you disappoint because their expectations aren’t met.

When you come to faith in Christ, you are brought into His family, and the only expectation you have to live up to is His.

It is so freeing when you realize that you do not have to please every person you come in contact with. You are called to please One, and His name is Jesus Christ. You will find that when you live to please Him above all else, the other stuff He will take care of.

‌Free from fear

So many people are crippled by fear these days. We don’t have to live our lives wondering if we’ve done enough for God to accept us. We can rest assured that Jesus’ finished work on the cross is sufficient for covering all of our sins.

Conclusion

Paul reminds us through these verses in Galatians 4 that if we have trusted in Jesus, then we are to walk in freedom and not slavery. It is a matter of understanding our identity in Christ.

How do we see ourselves? Are we trying to manufacture this relationship with God in our own strength? Are we trying just to do the best that we can do? Or are we fully trusting in Jesus and allowing Him to transform us into His image?

I would encourage you today to experience and walk in the freedom that Jesus has provided for any who would trust in Him. If you’ve never placed your faith in Jesus, I would encourage you to do that today. Come and see what real freedom from the inside out is. If you have trusted in Jesus, are you walking each day in the freedom Jesus died to give you? You may need to confess areas where you have been trying to do it yourself. You may need to turn those over to Him and His control so that you can experience freedom again. I would encourage you to do that.

References[+]

References

↑1	Tony Merida and David Platt. Exalting Jesus in Galatians. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014.

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Freedom By Faith

‌As we continue our journey through the New Testament letter of Galatians, we come to chapter two. In this chapter, we will see the reality that true freedom comes by faith.

Freedom is a quality that is highly cherished in our nation. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. In a couple of months, many people will break out the grills, pools, and fireworks and celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy in this country.

I think there is a part of us that longs for freedom because we are born in bondage. We might not recognize it, but we are born in bondage to our sin. There is a part of us that longs for freedom from that because we weren’t created for bondage but for a relationship with our Creator that brings true freedom.

In Galatians 2, Paul will confront two key things that often fool people into thinking they can bring the freedom that we desire.

‌Paul confronts legalism‌

In the first chapter of Galatians, Paul talks about false teachers that were coming into the churches with a form of legalism. They were saying that to have a full relationship with God, a person must trust Jesus as Savior but live according to the Law of Moses to continue to be accepted.

At the end of chapter one, Paul shares about the change Jesus made in his life. As we begin chapter two, Paul continues a little of his story.

¹ Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. ² I went up according to a revelation and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those recognized as leaders. I wanted to be sure I was not running, and had not been running, in vain.

​Galatians 2:1–2 (CSB)

Paul tells about when he went to Jerusalem to show the first church that Jesus had changed his life and called him to share the same gospel they were sharing. This is important.

While we like to think at times we are independent, we are not. God doesn’t call people to different gospels. There is only one. It may be shared in different methods, the message is the same.

³ But not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. ⁴ This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us. ⁵ But we did not give up and submit to these people for even a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would be preserved for you.

Galatians 2:3–5 (CSB)

Titus was a young man who was not Jewish. He was a Gentile. He had come to faith in Jesus by the preaching of Paul, and Paul was discipling him. Paul emphasizes the fact that Titus was not circumcised as these false teachers were saying one had to be, yet he was a Christian. He was growing in his faith and being used by God in great ways. He would go on to pastor a church in Crete.

Just because someone comes along talking a big game with some well-polished words and with confidence does not mean they are correct.

‌Paul talks about in verse 4 how some of these false teachers had crept into churches even in Jerusalem. Notice how Paul says they came in “to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us.”

Legalism shows itself as right behavior with the wrong beliefs. These false teachers were doing good things but for the wrong reason. This legalism may look good, but it can only promise bondage. Paul did not want anyone to live in bondage but to enjoy the freedom that can only be found in Christ. For this reason, he confronted the legalism that reared its ugly head.

‌Paul confronts hypocrisy

In Galatians 2:11-14, Paul will confront another empty promise of freedom: hypocrisy. If legalism can be identified as right behavior with wrong beliefs, hypocrisy can be identified as right belief with wrong behaviors.

No one likes to be called a hypocrite. The word comes from the Greek theatre. A hypocrite was one person who would play many parts in a play. They would distinguish each role by wearing a different mask. While that might be good for the stage, it is terrible for life.

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. ¹² For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. ¹³ Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Galatians 2:11–14 (CSB)

In these verses, we read about a time when Paul had to confront Peter. Peter was seen as one of, if not the main, leaders of the Christian church. He had given the great sermon at Pentecost where 3,000 people were saved at one time.

In Acts 10, we can read about when Peter’s worldview was turned upside down. He was a Jewish man who was raised in a Jewish manner to not associate with Gentiles. God showed him through some circumstances that He was the God over all people groups.

As Peter came to Antioch, he would eat with Gentiles. This was a “no-no” in the Jewish culture. When some of these Jewish false teachers showed up in town, Peter began to disassociate himself from the Gentiles. He was scared of what they might say.

Before we look down on Peter, we must ask ourselves this question: Am I doing this? Am I pulling myself away from certain people God is calling me to reach out to because I’m afraid of what others might say or think? It can happen to any of us.

The dangerous thing about hypocrisy is that not only does it affect us, but it draws others into its tangled web as well. Verse 13 tells us that others began to join Peter in his hypocrisy – even the mighty Barnabas.

Peter knew that God does not show favoritism. He knew that what God has called clean is clean indeed. But his actions were speaking a different message.

Do our actions match the message that we are trying to share? When we say that Jesus died for the sins of the entire human race and offers each of them the opportunity to be saved, does our refusal to share and walk with them tell a different story?

The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

If we want to see the gospel of Jesus do what it can only do in our world, we have to deal with the hypocrisy at hand — starting in us and then working out.

This is what Paul does with Peter. Paul calls Peter out. He doesn’t do this to hurt him. Paul loves this brother in Christ. Paul knows what God is doing through Peter to reach the Jews. He wants to protect that.

Hypocrisy can seem the easy route at times because we think that it brings ease to our minds. We think, “I’m believing the right things.” What we don’t see is the bondage that hypocrisy brings. It binds our effectiveness for the Kingdom.

‌Paul shows true freedom comes through faith in Christ‌

For the rest of chapter two, Paul shows that true freedom comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live for God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

​Galatians 2:19–21 (CSB)

Paul shows in these verses that neither legalism nor hypocrisy can bring the freedom our hearts long for. That freedom only comes through faith in the finished work of Christ.

When we come to Jesus and place our faith in Him, we crucify our sinful selves and are given a new life in Christ. We no longer strive to earn God’s favor because He has lavished it on us through what Jesus did. We are now free to walk in this new life by the power of the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to live a life pleasing to God as a thanksgiving offering to the LORD. We are freed from our bondage to live in His freedom!

‌Conclusion

‌You may be here today and find there’s a longing for freedom in your heart. I want you to know that is the Holy Spirit drawing you to freedom. That freedom is not going to come by trying to do the right things out of a wrong belief. It’s not going to come from just having the right beliefs but not having the right actions. True freedom only comes through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

Have you come to the cross and trusted solely in what Jesus did for you? If not, I would invite you to come to Him today and trust Him as your Lord and Savior. He has promised to give the freedom you need to anyone who would trust in Him.

³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

John 8:36 (CSB)

Maybe you have trusted Jesus, but you find yourself slipping into periods of legalism or hypocrisy. I would invite you to hear the Spirit’s call to return to Jesus and not walk back into the old ways. They didn’t do anything for you before Christ, and they won’t do anything for you now.

Christ came to give us freedom.

‌

May we all learn to live in this freedom through faith in Christ!

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Freed by Grace

I want to begin a new series that will go through the New Testament letter of Galatians. This letter was written by the apostle Paul to a group of churches in Galatia. This was an area where Paul went during his first missionary journey. As he went with Barnabas and others, they would travel to areas that had not heard the gospel. As they shared the gospel, people would receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord, and they would start churches. 

After Paul and his crew left the area, some people came behind them with false teachings. They shared that to be a Christian truly, they would have to obey the Law of Moses. 

Paul wrote this letter to these churches in the region of Galatia to correct the false teachings that had come in. These false teachings were confusing people and getting them off-track. Paul loved these people greatly. He cared for them much like a parent does a child. He wanted to ensure they followed the true gospel and were not carried away by false teachings.

There are still many ways in which Satan tries to come in and cast doubt on the true gospel. He knows that there is life and freedom in the gospel. He knows that the gospel can set a person free from the bondage of sin and give them eternal life with God. Whenever God moves in a mighty way, you can be sure that Satan will be present to interject doubts, discord, and division. We must be on guard. 

Could you recognize a false gospel if you heard it?

Would you be able to recognize a false gospel if it came your way? Would you know that what some person is saying lines up with the words and teachings of Jesus? We can know. We have been given the gospel plainly in the Bible. In our culture, we have more access to the Bible than any other group in history. 

The American Bible Society released a report they had done last year. That report showed that only 39% of people in the United States engaged with the Bible in the past year. You cannot know the truth of God if you do not spend time reading and studying His Word. ^[1]https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2F1s712.americanbible.org%2Fstate-of-the-bible%2Fstateofthebible%2FState_of_the_bible-2022.pdf

While the people in Galatia did not have the New Testament, Paul wanted to ensure they had access to the truth of God. As he writes this letter, he will combat the legalism creeping into their churches. 

Paul will clearly show that the gospel of Jesus Christ is about justification by faith in Christ alone. It is said that the letter of Galatians was Martin Luther’s favorite book in the Bible. In the midst of many rules and regulations being added to the gospel, Luther found the freeing truth of the gospel in Galatians. I hope that as we go through this letter together, we will also clearly see the freedom that comes from the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

¹ Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead— ² and all the brothers who are with me: To the churches of Galatia. 

³ Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. 

⁵ To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 1:1–5 (CSB)

I said that Paul wrote this letter to combat false teachings creeping into the church. The false teachings creeping into the churches of Galatia were centered around a form of legalism. 

What is legalism?

Legalism is a term that you may or may not have heard before. Sadly, it is alive and well today. You might get different answers asking people, “What is legalism?”. Sometimes, things are labeled as legalistic when they are not. I would like to clearly define what we are talking about when we say ‘legalism.’ 

Let me give you three descriptors of legalism.

1. Legalism is working in our own power

Jesus + anything = Not the real gospel

When legalism is present, there is always something that is added. When the false teachers came in behind Paul, they did not leave Jesus out. Jesus was very prominent in their teaching. The problem was they would say it was Jesus plus what a person does that makes them right before God. They would say, “Trust in Jesus, but you also have to obey the laws and rituals of the Old Testament.” 

We can see this played out today by someone saying, “Trust in Jesus, but you have to live the Christian life in your own strength.” It draws on what you can and do bring to the table. 

2. Legalism is working according to our own rules

You can spot legalism by seeing that it will always add to what God has said clearly in His Word. Do you see why reading and studying the Bible for yourself is important? We do find commands throughout Scripture that are for our good. They are sufficient. We don’t have to add anything to them. 

When we buy into the lie that we have to do this in our strength, we will be tempted to start making our own rules for following Jesus because it doesn’t take long to realize that you cannot do it. We move the bar of expectation to fit what we can attain on our own. When we do that, what is the purpose of the cross? What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit living in our lives?

3. Legalism is working to earn God’s favor

Legalism happens when we think we must do something to earn God’s favor. It is a performance-based faith — God will accept and bless me if I do enough. 

The false teachers that came into Galatia taught that obedience to the Law of Moses ensured a person a right standing before God, and His favor would rest on them. 

The truth is that God’s favor is graciously given to us through Christ. His grace means there is nothing that we can do to earn it. It is a free gift given out of His love for us.

Now that we’ve defined what we are talking about, I’m sure you have seen legalism in our day. So many believe they have to do something to earn a right standing before God. It might be going to church a certain amount, reading the Bible a certain amount, or doing enough good deeds of service, and then, God will pour His blessings on us. Those are good things, but they are to be done out of a heart of gratitude for what Christ has done for us. As I shared with someone on Wednesday, the gospel is not about what we do but what Jesus has done for us!

Legalism is an enemy that we need to be on guard against. In the introduction of Galatians that we read earlier, we see two distinct ways to destroy legalism in our lives.

We recognize the gospel is free

Paul bookends this letter by talking about the grace of God. He says in verse 3, “Grace to you…” In Galatians 6:18, Paul writes, “Brothers and sisters, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

Paul points out that the grace of God is freely given to us. The grace of God is His favor. His salvation is free. His love, mercy, and provision are free. It is not based on our performance. It is based on what Jesus did for us!

We see in verses 3-4 that God the Father initiated our salvation. Paul writes that grace and peace come from God the Father in verse 3. In verse 4, he shows that what took place on the cross and at the empty tomb was the will of the Father. 

It’s hard to imagine that anything would be free. We are taught by so many that nothing in this life is free. The gospel of Jesus Christ is free. No one has to clean up or do anything other than receive this gift. 

What does a person have to do to get a birthday present? Be born… that’s it. That person really had nothing to do with that event. They were simply born. Because of that fact, they earn the right to a birthday present. So it is with our salvation. We do not have to do anything to earn it. It is a gift that God has chosen to extend to us. 

We recognize the gospel is freeing

In verse 4, Paul says that Jesus gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present, evil age. The word “rescue” is an important word. It means “to rescue or set free from danger.” 

When Paul wrote that word, he had two things in mind. First, we would be rescued from the guilt of our sins. A holy God must punish sin. What Jesus went through on the cross is what each of us deserves for our sins. But Jesus took our place. 

Second, we would be rescued from the power of this evil age. “This present evil age” refers to the world we live in and its ways. When Christ went to the cross, He broke the chains that bind us to live for the things of this world, from pursuing what this world pursues. Christ’s sacrifice for us has set us free!

We do not have to live in bondage to sin any longer. Freedom is found in a personal relationship with Jesus. When we trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives to empower and free us to live the way God intends.

There is another freedom given to us by the gospel. It is found in Galatians 1:5, and you’ll miss it if you’re not careful. Paul writes, “…to him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul will elaborate on this later in chapter one. He will talk about how God shared His grace with Paul and enabled him to share the gospel with those who had not heard. While the work of God takes place in the privacy of our hearts, it will always produce a fruit of public communication. 

We are freed from silence and ignorance to share the good news of Jesus with others so they might experience it as well. You will not share something that you’re not confident in. We can be fully confident that the gospel of Jesus will do exactly what it promises. When we do that, we bring glory to God.

Conclusion

The churches in Galatia had experienced the wonder of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Paul and the team with him shared the good news, they received it joyfully. They were forgiven of their sins and enjoyed a new relationship with God that would last forever. Sadly, our adversary sent false teachers to squash what God was doing. 

We see the exact same thing happening today. The message of the gospel is going out, and those who receive and believe it find freedom and new life in Christ. False teachings are swirling around us, seeking to squash what God is doing.

I pray that you will hear the truth of the genuine gospel. God created you and loved you greatly. Though you have sinned against Him, He sent Jesus as your atoning sacrifice. You don’t have to get things right to come to Him. You simply have to confess that you are a sinner and need His grace. Believe and trust in what Jesus did for you, and He will set you free to live the life He intended you to live all along… a life with Him forever.

You may realize that legalism has tried to creep into your heart and mind today. I would encourage you to follow what 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us, “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” That means that we hold the teachings we hear up to the word of God and see if it is really from Him. You may need to confess and repent of some legalism in your life. I would encourage you to do so today. 

References[+]

References

↑1	https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2F1s712.americanbible.org%2Fstate-of-the-bible%2Fstateofthebible%2FState_of_the_bible-2022.pdf

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Book Review: "The Money Challenge"

The 4th of July is a day of celebration. We celebrate the freedom that we enjoy as citizens of the United States. If there is anything that is worth celebrating, few things are greater than freedom. 

It is why on this day of freedom celebration that I am choosing to share about a book that I recently read. The book is The Money Challenge: 30 Days of Discovering God’s Design for You and Your Money by Art Rainer. 

There are few things that shackle people in bondage – even in the land of the free – more than money and poor financial choices. Art Rainer has given us a straightforward and practical book that will help any person that takes the time to read this little book. 

I really like how Rainer has illustrated the main points of this book with a continuing story of a young lady who is struggling g to get out of the grip of financial woe. The story makes the points a little more “personal” and not just a checklist of things to work through. 

Many of the things that are shared by Rainer in the 30 “money challenges” are successful tools that have been compiled by Rainer from other sources. Rainer has gathered some very helpful resources and tools and built them together to help the reader find victory in their finances. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking to take control of their finances. You may not be in “trouble” yet, but this book and its steps will help put/keep you on the right track. Even if you are in “trouble,” this book will point you in the right direction to finding freedom. 

As we celebrate our country’s independence from tyranny today, may many more find the financial freedom that is available in doing finances God’s way. The Money Challenge by Art Rainer is a great tool to help with that. 

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Book Review: "You Are Free"

I enjoy reading books. This has not always been the case. In middle and high school, you would hardly ever see me reading anything. In college, something began to change. Maybe it was one of my professors that I admired sharing one of his little rhymes – “you must read to succeed!”

I have found myself devouring books both physical and electronic since I got out of school. You will see authors of various kinds on the bookshelves in my home and office at the church. You will see men who see things very similar to what I do. You will also see men that I differ in viewpoints on. I believe it was Rick Warren who said something along the lines of “if you cannot learn from those you disagree with, then you are in trouble.”

I have enjoyed being a blogger reviewer for HarperCollins Christian Publishing. I have read some really great books through their program. I began to notice one troubling pattern developing: the authors I was reading were all men. As a man, I appreciate having other men speak into my life. I need that. But I also believe that God is using some women to speak into the life of the Church, and they deserve an audience. This is one reason that I signed up to review Rebekah Lyons‘ book, You Are Free and give my honest opinion. 

The Book Itself

You Are Free is a book about experiencing the freedom that Christ died to provide each and every person that puts their trust in Him. Lyons shares a story of how she came to experience freedom in various areas of her life. She reminds readers often throughout the book, “Christ doesn’t say you can be or may be or will be free. He says you are free.” You Are Free contains fifteen chapters, each devoted to a specific area of freedom to experience. 

My Personal Thoughts

I did not know much about Rebekah Lyons other than what my wife had talked to me about. I had read some of her husband’s work (Gabe Lyons), and was a big fan. With Ann Voskamp writing the forward, I thought that this would be worth the read. I was not wrong. 

You Are Free is a great little read for those who are looking for a personal story of what freedom looks like in a person’s life. Lyons uses this entire book to walk the reader down the path of her life with each chapter setting up the next well. I really liked the personalness of this book.  It was much more than just a “how to” book or an information dump… this was a woman sharing her story of what God had done in her life. The vulnerability that Lyons shows is refreshing to see/read. 

Lyons makes sure to use Scripture well throughout this book. Most of the references are footnoted and gives the reader the opportunity to check what God’s word has to say on the various subjects discussed. 

My Recommendation 

I would say that if you are looking for a “how to” book, then you will probably be frustrated with You Are Free. It is just not that (and I’m so thankful that it is not). If you are more interested in hearing/reading the story of a woman’s journey to finding freedom in various areas of her life with some helpful tips along the way, then this book is for you. 

I thought that You Are Free was a refreshing break from my normal reading. It was good to get the perspective from a God-loving female author. It is encouraging to know that God is still gifting and using ladies for His work to speak to and edify the Church. I look forward to many more in the near future.

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The Family That Prays Together Stays Together

By now, just about everyone has heard about the indefinite suspension of Phil Robertson - the Duck Commander - from the show Duck Dynasty over comments he made in an interview with GQ magazine. This news has taken the news world by storm. As a fan of the show, I have been keeping a watch on this story to see what would happen.

I thought that I'd share a couple of my thoughts on the whole deal here.

Family bonds. I was so glad to hear about the statement that was released last night. It stated that the family was sticking together and would not go forward without the patriarch. It is good to see this family sticking together even if that means a wrench is thrown into their program for a little while.

A wake-up call for the church. This seems to be yet another indication that a Biblical worldview is becoming more and more unpopular. The church needs to realize that as the day of Jesus' return draws closer, a Biblical worldview will become more and more unpopular. We must remember that "you will have suffering in this world" (John 16:33).

A call to action. Tolerance is the key word in our culture. Any and all viewpoints must be tolerated. That is except the point of view that finds its origins in the Bible. Our culture is pushing as strong as it can to silence the Biblical perspective. The citizens of the United States who are Christians are protected by the First Amendment for being free to share opinions just as much as those who are not Christians. If the church just sits back and doesn't get involved in protecting and fighting for our rights, we may just lose our voice in this country altogether.

What have you learned from this whole deal between the Duck Commander and A&E?

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