Galatians 5 v1-11

We've been working our way through this book and we come to Galatians chapter 5.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

! It's page 975. Galatians chapter 5, let me read you verse 1.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

! For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm therefore, and do not submit

again to a yoke of slavery. I'm not sure freedom is the first word that comes to people's mind

when they think of Christians. I think if we were going to do a poll on the streets today

and we asked people what impression they had of us, I'm guessing that the words that would

come up are words like careful, and for some of us uptight, a little stuffy. For others,

people might say, well they're quite happy, they're quite joyful, but probably way down

the list would come the word free. I might be wrong about that. I might hear this week

about a young man that I know who's decided to abandon his Christian faith. He did it back in

November, and a few weeks afterwards he told friends of mine that his giving up the Christian

faith was in verse 5. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of

righteousness. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything,

but only faith working through love.

The book of Galatians is, I want to say, mainly about this doctrine of justification by faith.

Justification, being declared right with God, is a future event which is made present in our lives

today, right now, by faith. Justification is the verdict of God on the last day. It's going to be

on the day of judgment when we appear before him. God will say, he looks at us and he will say,

this is my child, this is my son whom I love, with whom I'm well pleased. That's what he'll say of all

those who are in Christ. There is no record of any sin here put to that account. She is clothed

in the righteousness of my son. He is innocent and pure and beautiful before me. You are justified.

And the greatest test about whether you have begun to understand this is, do you eagerly hope for that

righteousness? The verdict's been declared to us already. And do you eagerly wait for that last day?

And I don't think that's an easy thing to do.

If you're anything like me, I look at my own life and what do I see? I see failure and sin and lost

opportunities. As we worked through the early part of the service this morning and we hear the law of

God read. As we hear Jesus' summary of the law, that I'm to love the Lord my God with all my heart

and soul and mind and strength and I'm to love my neighbor as myself. That summary of the law.

I don't know about you, but I never think when I hear those words, I've done it this week.

I've nailed it this week. I've done great this week. None of us feel that. If you feel like that,

come and talk to me afterwards, all right? None of us think, I've done really well,

as Reuben read the Ten Commandments this week.

And to say, I look forward to that day when I will stand before him can only be said

when you are basing that on the death of Jesus Christ for me. So false teachers, false apostles

have come into Galicia and they've agreed, they've agreed that we become Christians by justification.

The problem comes after that. Because we're sinful people, because we sin every day, and if you don't

think you sin every day, well again you need to come and chat with me, our consciences condemn us.

We've got so much to condemn us for, haven't we? Satan accuses us and he's got so much to work with

in my heart and your heart. But here's the thing, the certain way back into slavery is what Paul calls

here the way of circumcision. I don't think any of you here are tempted to be circumcised this morning.

So what is he talking about? It's talking about the way of religious obligation,

which is beginning not to look at the death of Jesus,

but to look at what I've done, to look at my moral achievement or my religious sincerity,

or to look at anything that is within me. You see, in the cross of Jesus Christ, he gives us a freedom

which is from outside the world, and that stretches from eternity to eternity, and it comes directly from him.

And this freedom is being able to look at our own lives, and look at God, and say,

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,

and I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

And it is freedom,

because it is a process of transformation inside of us. It is completely different to moral reformation.

It is being redeemed and not improved.

It is true freedom.

And God does not set me free from my bad record in order for me to start achieving and building a better one.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

And I find it hard to describe. It is the purest form of freedom,

that I am absolutely and completely righteous before God,

and so are you through faith in Christ.

And so it is not the level of my surrender.

It is not the strength of my faith, thank goodness.

It is not the number of my prayers.

It is not the length of my obedience.

It is not the level of my purity,

nor is it the depth of my repentance.

But it is Christ and Christ alone who loved me and gave himself for me.

So you see, when I do something good,

when I've kept up with my New Year Bible reading plan,

and I'm up to date,

and when I do something good on those occasions,

when I do something good,

it doesn't change God's love for me.

He does not accept me anymore if I've had a good week.

And if I fail him,

it does not change his love for me.

He doesn't love me any less than he did before,

because through the Spirit, by faith,

we wait for the hope of righteousness.

We do not obey

because he will accept us more,

but because he will never leave us nor forsake us.

And so it is very possible, isn't it?

It's very possible to start out by faith,

to experience the grace of God,

and then suddenly to want to go back to the law.

To be thinking that God is in my debt.

I deserve what he gives me.

And we begin to think about what we might have given up.

And then we begin to compare ourselves horizontally with others,

and we resent that my life is not as good as their life.

Why hasn't God treated me like he's treating them?

You see, Jesus did not owe it to us

to die upon the cross.

Jesus did not deserve to die,

but he determines freely to go to the cross

out of the freedom of his own grace.

And the man nailed to the cross,

offering himself for us,

that is the freest action that the world has ever seen.

And that's why Paul says in verse 6,

in Christ Jesus,

neither circumcision or uncircumcision

is of any relevance,

but only faith

expressing itself through love.

They are remarkable words, aren't they?

How do you live the Christian life?

Somebody says,

how is it that you live the Christian life?

What does the Christian life look at?

Look at it.

There are five words

at the end of verse 6.

Faith working through love.

That's four words.

You might notice faith expressing itself through love.

But faith working through love.

Faith will express itself through love.

We are justified.

We are declared right with God

by faith alone.

By faith alone.

But if faith is real,

and if faith is genuine,

it will always be accompanied by love.

And so we're going to look at next week

from verses 13 onwards,

we're going to see,

here's the thing for the Galatians

and the false teachers.

They were saying,

you've been justified,

and you've got to make sure

you're accepted before God

through your religious observance,

through your acts.

And Paul says,

no,

it's the cross of Jesus Christ

which brings us in,

and it's the cross of Jesus Christ

which keeps us on track,

and it's the cross of Jesus Christ

that will bring us home to heaven.

It's the cross that brings you in,

it's the cross that keeps you on track,

it's the cross that will take you to heaven.

And in the end,

it is all of Christ.

And our freedom comes from the fact

that we are justified

the hope of righteousness.

Now how can the Holy Spirit

live in you and in me

with all the sin of our lives?

How can he live in us

with all the sin

and all the mess of our lives?

And it can only be

because we're justified.

How can we pray this morning?

How can we sing?

How can we live?

It's only because we've been justified.

And this is the gospel work

of freedom in us.

And Paul says,

do not budge,

do not move,

stand firm

in that freedom.

Secondly, and more briefly,

let's look at making slaves.

How does slavery happen to you?

How did it happen to the Galatians?

How does that happen to us?

Verse 2,

Paul says now,

I, Paul,

say to you

that if you accept,

if you receive circumcision,

Christ

will be of no advantage

to you.

I testify again

to every man

who accepts circumcision

that he's obligated,

that he is bound

to keep the whole law.

You are severed,

you are cut off

from Christ,

you who would be justified

by the law.

You have fallen

away from grace.

Four times there,

he mentions circumcision.

That cutting off

of the flesh.

Four times,

he talks about

that Jewish historic right

of the covenant.

The sign of the covenant.

A circumcision

that's got impeccable

religious pedigree.

And Paul says

in the starkest possible terms

that if you go ahead

and you receive circumcision,

remember they've come

from a pagan background,

and he says,

if you think that

by being circumcised

you keep going

as the people of God,

Christ

will be of no value to you.

You'll be severed,

you'll be cut off.

It's a play on words

from Christ.

You will have fallen

away from grace.

And you might think

that's a bit strange,

isn't it?

That's strange

in the light of the fact

that the apostle Paul

took Timothy

in Acts chapter 16

Acts 16 · chapter mention

and Paul had him circumcised

when he joined

the mission team.

But the reason

is very simple.

Is that the teachers,

these new teachers,

they are saying

that the death of Jesus,

it is enough

to get you in,

yeah, okay,

but it is not enough

to help you grow

and to continue.

And they are insisting

on this impeccably fine

religious way

to help Jesus along.

And it's really important

for you and I

to see this

because false teaching

in the church

very rarely denies

that Jesus is the Son of God.

or it does not deny

that Jesus died

on the cross.

But what it does

is it says

that we would be safer

with God

if we just add

a little bit to that.

If we add

some religious practice

or some virtue

that we can do,

we add that

to what Jesus has done.

And it's the constant temptation

of my heart

and your heart.

The constant danger

throughout the history

of the church

has been to try

and complete

what Jesus has done.

To begin to operate

as if we've got something

to add to the ministry

of Jesus

on the cross.

And what we do

is we take

perfectly good things

in themselves

and we begin

to insist

that my effectiveness

and my usefulness

and my growth

as a Christian

depends

not on Jesus Christ

but on

that something else

in addition to Christ.

And Paul says here

everyone

who receives circumcision

is bound.

They are obligated

to keep the whole

of the law.

And I think

that's quite devastating.

Why is Paul

the apostle

making such a fuss?

I mean

all the teaching

of the Bible

all the teaching

of the gospel

hones in

on this one little point.

On this one

absurd

trivial

religious right.

And so in every age

there have been teachers

in the church

who've said

it's a very small thing.

why make such a fuss?

If you've been

on the eldership

in Galatia

in one of the churches

and there's teachers

of the law

who'd come along

and say

listen

we just need

to keep

certain feast days.

We need to abstain

from certain foods.

We need

just the

boys of the church

to be circumcised.

I wonder

what we'd have done.

Maybe we would have

welcomed it.

Maybe we would have

thought well it's an

alternative understanding

of Christian spirituality.

It's not my position

but I understand

where you're coming from

and it's not going to hurt

anyone else.

But what is really

at stake

when you do that?

A few years ago

I was working

upstairs in

Cafe Nero

at Ealing Broadway

and I began to notice

there were people

at the tables

at the cafe

in

Cafe Nero

who had

their Bibles opened.

I don't know if you've seen that.

And so what do you do

when you see somebody

with a Bible open?

You're so glad

you go over to them

and you say

you say it's quite as you can

I'm actually a Christian

it's a great book isn't it?

It's a great book.

And they were very very friendly

they began to talk to me

they began to talk about

the Lord Jesus

they found out I was a minister

they found out I came to this church

and they wanted to know about it

and we exchanged numbers.

They go to a Bible study

in central London

loads and loads of young people

20s and 30s

and it would be great

why don't you come along

why don't you bring

some of your people to come along?

And we began to engage

they began to ask

what I thought about different things

and then they began to ask

about baptism.

And what was really interesting

is they were part of a church

called the London

well it isn't the church

it's a sect

they're called the London

International Church of Christ

I don't know whether you've met them.

And what they're teaching was

was this really

when you boil down to it

that you could not be saved

unless you'd been fully baptised

by one of their authorised leaders.

You could not be

a Christian

you could not be a child of God

unless you had been

fully baptised

by one of their recognised leaders.

It was a gospel plus.

It was Jesus plus.

You've got to be baptised by us.

You've got to do what

we tell you to do.

And the Apostle Paul says

something very very simple

he says this

if you add something to Jesus

Jesus vanishes.

Christ plus circumcision.

Christ plus anything

leaves you with nothing.

And if you add circumcision to Christ

you're seeking to complete

the work of Jesus on the cross.

You cannot have Jesus

do half the work of saving us.

Either he does all the work

of saving us

or none at all.

And you see the way

that it works

look at verse 9

Paul says

a little leaven

leavens the whole lump.

And do you remember lockdown?

Those glorious days of lockdown.

Different things went there.

People got into making bread.

Remember that?

And everyone was making bread

and I didn't make it surprisingly.

But you get a little bit of yeast

don't you?

And you put it into the

pan pot.

And you put it into the dough

and it was amazing wasn't it?

The shapes that came out

before people knew

what they were doing?

You'd have these monsters

growing in the oven.

Because a tiny, tiny little bit of yeast

affects the whole dough.

The whole lump.

And it's exactly here.

The same here isn't it?

Paul says this tiny little thing.

This little bit of false teaching.

Doesn't deny who Jesus is.

Doesn't deny what he's done.

But you just need something extra.

And it ruins the whole lump.

The devil very, very rarely

goes for a full frontal attack

on the gospel.

But what the devil does

is he just adds

a little something to it.

He adds something fine to it

and the yeast spreads

through every part.

And it's very interesting

is that what he does

is the way that he does it

is he does it

through individual teachers.

Individual men and women.

Look at verse 10.

He says,

I have confidence in the Lord

that you will take

no other view than mine

and he who is troubling you.

I wonder whether he was there

when this was read.

It's an individual, isn't it?

He who is troubling you

and the one who is troubling you

will bear the penalty

whoever he is.

I mean, until now,

it's been a group of teachers.

But this gospel plus teaching

never enters a church

in some kind of abstract form.

This kind of gospel,

Jesus plus,

never enters,

just floats its way in.

It comes through individuals

and this individual is clearly,

isn't he,

an eminent person.

They know who he is

and he's teaching the gospel plus.

Paul earlier on has said,

I don't care if it's an angel

from heaven

but if he teaches another gospel,

whoever he is,

God will judge him.

Let him be accursed.

And you might think,

after all this kind of

what we've done,

kind of digging into Galatians,

that the gospel plus

is such a silly thing.

Why is it so tempting?

Why is it so tempting

for churches like us

just to add a little something

to the gospel?

It's because of verse 11.

The reason is

because it neutralizes

the scandal of the gospel.

The Christian gospel

begins by offending you.

It's why people don't just slide

into becoming Christians.

They need to feel

the offense of the gospel.

And if you have never been offended

by the cross of Jesus Christ,

you've not understood it.

Because the cross of Jesus Christ

comes to you and I

and says,

you are so far from God,

you are so far from God

that it required his son

to be slaughtered for you.

You are so lost,

you're so weak,

you're so rebellious

that nothing less

than the death of his own son

is enough to free us.

But the gospel plus message

comes to you and says,

well, it downplays the negatives

and it says,

you're not so radically lost.

And there are things

that you can do.

There are things

that are visible.

There are things

that are physical

that you can do

to show your sincerity

that can gain your salvation.

Is it not the role of religion

to make you more morally responsible?

Of course, the New Testament,

it does call us to good works,

doesn't it?

But our motivation

is the thing that demonstrates

our freedom or our slavery.

Do I do good works

to assure me of God's acceptance?

If I do good works

to assure myself of God's acceptance,

then loving other people

becomes a way of manipulating you

because I am loving you

so that I can build my account

with God.

And the problem

with living that way

is it is a life of slavery

because when something gets

in the way of my loving you,

I become blocked

and I become angry

or I become frightened

or I become depressed.

But when we act

on the basis of Jesus Christ,

then I am acting

out of the fact

that God has accepted me

and God loves me

and there is nothing

that I can do

that can change that.

And so I am free.

I am free to love

for the sake of love

because it is only

through Jesus Christ

and it is only

through the cross

of Jesus Christ

that I am brought in.

And it is only

through the cross

of Jesus Christ

that we are grown up

and it's only

through the cross

of Christ

that we are brought

to heaven.

it is gloriously liberating.

But I don't have

to be afraid of you.

I don't have to be afraid

of what people think of.

I don't have to be afraid

of failure

because the life I live,

I live by faith

in the Son of God

who loved me

and gave himself for me

and God could not

love me anymore.

And so for freedom,

Christ set us free.

Stand firm, therefore.

And do not submit again

to the yoke of slavery.

And all the people said,

Amen.

Let's pray.