Freedom to love not to indulge Galatians 5:1-15 · Join the Journey

Freedom to love not to indulge

Galatians 5:1-15

In the last couple weeks, I have started getting into making pizzas at the house. Making dough fresh. It’s only 6 ingredients and time. Bread flour, water, salt, sugar, olive oil and yeast. And it’s the smallest of those ingredients that has the biggest impact on making the pizza dough airy and it’s delicious. Yeast.

You mix in the yeast with the water then flour then you add the rest of the ingredients folding and incorporating everything then you put it in the fridge and wait for a couple days and the yeast goes to work.

The yeast consumes the natural sugars in the flour and releases tiny bubbles of gas. Those bubbles become trapped in the dough, causing it to rise. Over time that little bit of yeast works through the entire batch, changing everything about the dough.

That's wonderful when you're making pizza or bread. But it's devastating when you're talking about false teaching.

This is what was happening in the Galatian churches. Last week we saw Paul’s plea for the Galatians to not go back to enslavement. They had exchanged the master of idols for the master of legalism. But the Christian life begins by grace, continues by grace and ends in grace because Jesus is enough. Our performance doesn’t add anything to the work that Jesus has already done.

Today we will see that Jesus has set us free to love and serve others not to indulge the flesh.

If you have your bibles turn with me to Galatians 5.

Galatians 5:1-4

Galatians 5:1–4

Paul once again pleads with them to not go back to the chains that Jesus has set them free from. Paul brings it back to the issue at hand. Remember there were false believers that were telling them that they yes Jesus saves but they also had to follow the law to be saved. Paul begs them that if they try to be justified by the law they are alienated from Jesus, fallen from grace.

We have said this over and over again in our study of Galatians, but if you add anything to Jesus this is not the gospel at all.

Jesus plus nothing is all that we need. Jesus is enough. His work is enough.

Paul isn't saying a Christian accidentally loses salvation because they sinned. He's saying if you abandon grace as the basis of your salvation and choose to trust in your own righteousness instead, you've walked away from the only means of salvation. You can't stand on grace and works at the same time. You're either trusting Jesus or trusting yourself.

Think about what Paul is saying. He's not talking to atheists. He's talking to people who believe in Jesus. But they're beginning to believe Jesus isn't enough. They've started trusting Jesus... and themselves. Paul says that's impossible.

You cannot hold onto grace with one hand and your own righteousness with the other.

Friends, where are you placing your confidence today?

If someone asked, "Why should God let you into heaven?" what would your answer be?

"Because I go to church..."

"Because I try to be a good person..."

"Because I serve..."

Or... "Because Jesus lived the life I couldn't live and died the death I deserved."

That's the difference.

It’s by the spirit we wait by faith in Jesus Christ’s righteousness and not ours.

Galatians 5:5-10

Galatians 5:5–10

It is only by God’s grace through faith that we are saved. It’s only by the Holy Spirit that we hope and trust that Jesus Christ’s righteousness is enough. We trust that Jesus is all we need and are transformed by who He is and what He has done. We can’t add anything to the work that Jesus has already accomplished for us. Our only response is faith expressed through love. We give God the best of everything we are and have because Jesus has already done for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves.

Why love? Because when you know you've been forgiven much... You become patient with others.

When you know you've received grace... You extend grace.

When Jesus has served you... You begin serving others.

Your love isn't what earns salvation. Your love is what salvation produces.

Satan doesn't usually tempt churches with blatant lies. He mixes just enough truth with error that people don't notice. You don't need pounds of yeast.

Just a little. A little legalism. A little pride. A little distortion. Eventually it affects everything.

The Galatians weren't rejecting Jesus completely. They were simply adding something to Him. That's exactly how false teaching usually works.

Paul uses two analogies to express his concern for the Galatians. Runners and yeast. Paul says you were running a good race but then you’ve been cut off mid stride, thrown into confusion and kept from obeying the truth. And all it took was a little yeast and it worked it’s way through the whole batch.

Today it sounds like... "I know Jesus forgives me... but I still have to earn God's approval." Or maybe... "If I miss my Bible reading this week... God must love me less."

Or begin identifying more with a political party than with Jesus.

Before long... Republican becomes bigger than Christian. Democrat becomes bigger than Christian. Our citizenship is first in heaven. Politics matter. But Jesus is King—not any political party.

It might be Progressive teaching

"You don't have to repent." "God doesn't really care how you live." "Love means affirming every lifestyle." Or Grace never removes repentance.

But grace never leaves us where it found us. Grace forgives us, and grace transforms us.

Or maybe it becomes Moralism

"Christianity is about being nice." No.

Christianity is about being born again. Good morals never saved anyone.

Every false gospel has one thing in common. It shifts our eyes away from Jesus. It either tells us we have to do more... or that Jesus doesn't really require anything. And both are deadly.

Those who cut them off, turn others from the truth, will pay for it.

Jesus warned

Matthew 18:6

Jesus says it would be better to have a massive millstone tied around your neck and be thrown into the sea than to lead one of His little ones astray. God takes the protection of His people seriously.

Teachers... Parents... Pastors... Life Group leaders... We all carry tremendous responsibility. Never teach your opinion as though it were Scripture.

That's why we must always test what is taught against Scripture—not personalities, traditions, or preferences.

You have been called to be free in Jesus. Use your freedom for love and not to indulge the flesh.

Galatians 5:13-15

Galatians 5:13–15

Our hearts naturally drift toward one of two extremes.

Legalism says "Do more so God will love you."

License says "Since God loves me, I can do whatever I want."

The gospel rejects both. The gospel says, in Jesus, God has fully accepted you because of what Jesus has done. Now go live like someone who's been set free.

Flesh vs Freedom

The freedom we have in Jesus was given to us so we can love and serve one another in love. The flesh fights and bites and ultimately destroys.

James 4:1-2

James 4:1–2

Flesh says... Listen to these voices. "I deserve..." "My needs come first." "What about me?" "I'm offended." "I'm keeping score." "I'll forgive when they apologize." "I'll serve when it's convenient." Isn't it amazing how naturally those thoughts come?

Nobody has to teach us to be selfish. That's our old nature.

Freedom says... "I've already received everything I need in Jesus."

"So I can forgive." "I can give." "I can serve." "I can be patient." "I can love difficult people."

The flesh fights but freedom loves and serves. Here at Journey Church We follow the example of Jesus who sacrificed self for the needy, hurting and lost. We put our faith into action by mobilizing to help our community and world, even when called to sacrifice and suffer to care for their needs over our own.

And can I tell you what I’ve seen through you as Journey Church?

I've seen many of you deliver meals. I've watched you help families in crisis.

I've witnessed you serve at Ripe for Revival. I've seen you give above and beyond through our benevolence ministry. I’ve seen you go and help in so many of our schools serving. I’ve seen you cutting grass for a family whose spouse is deployed. I’ve seen you helping families that our home bond. I’ve seen you help repeatedly serve through the pregnancy center. Just this past week I watched as many of you served kids at camp. That's what freedom in Jesus looks like.

Paul says in Galatians that this must be done humbly. Humility is key. Humility isn't thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less. Jesus had every right to be served. Yet He washed feet. Touched lepers. Fed crowds. Welcomed children. Carried a cross. If the King served... How can we refuse?

Philippians 2:1-5

Philippians 2:1–5

So what does this freedom in Jesus look like in our everyday life?

At home Freedom looks like...

A husband helping with dishes after a long day. A wife encouraging instead of criticizing. Parents asking forgiveness from their children. Teenagers obeying without complaining.

At church Freedom looks like...

Instead of asking... "What does this church do for me?"

Ask... "How can I serve?"

Volunteer with kids. Help set up. Make coffee. Welcome visitors. Serve joyfully in our worship team. Pray with someone after worship. Sit with the person sitting alone.

At work Freedom looks like...

Instead of gossiping... Encourage coworkers.

Work with integrity when nobody is watching.

Serve your boss instead of complaining.

Own your mistakes.

In the community Freedom looks like...

Take a meal to someone who's sick.

Visit someone in the hospital.

Help a widow with yard work.

Pay for someone's groceries.

Foster. Adopt. Mentor a child.

Volunteer in local schools.

Serve during disaster relief.

With your neighbors Freedom looks like...

Invite them over.

Learn their names.

Pray for them.

Look for opportunities to share Jesus.

Not because you're earning salvation... Because you've already received it. None of those things save us. We do them because we've already been saved.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Imagine someone released after serving twenty years in prison. The gates swing open. They're handed the keys to a new home. A job. A family waiting. Complete freedom.

But instead... They walk back into the prison. They close the cell door behind them. They lock it. That's exactly what legalism does.

Jesus has opened the prison door And He didn't just unlock the door—He broke the chains. Why would we go back?

But Jesus didn't just set us free from something. He set us free for something.

Free people don't spend their lives trying to earn God's love. They spend their lives showing God's love. Because when you've experienced the freedom of Jesus... You can't help but love like Jesus.

Church, don't go back to the prison. Walk in the freedom Jesus has already won for you.

Because "you, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."