Blessing of Liberty in Christ

u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eIntroductionu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOur lesson this week is the fourth lesson in the second unit of lessons which is titled – Blessing of the Gospel.  Thus far, we have seen that through the gospel u003ca href=u0022https://newfoundfaith.org/blessing-of-reconciliation/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022 data-type=u0022postu0022 data-id=u002210154u0022u003ethere is reconciliationu003c/au003e; u003ca href=u0022https://newfoundfaith.org/blessing-of-forgiveness-and-new-life/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022 data-type=u0022postu0022 data-id=u002210179u0022u003ewe have an advocateu003c/au003e and an u003ca href=u0022https://newfoundfaith.org/blessing-of-intercession/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022 data-type=u0022postu0022 data-id=u002210208u0022u003eintercessor in Christu003c/au003e.  In our lesson this week, we take a look at the liberty that we have through Christ.  We learn that we should not u003cemu003eabuse u003c/emu003ethis liberty but that we should put our liberty to good use by loving those around us.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eMade Free by Christu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennAgain, over the past few weeks, we have seen that we are blessed – made happy in our soul – by the Lord through Him giving us His only begotten Son.  So, our lesson opens this week with Paul encouraging the Galatians to “stand fast” in the u003cemu003eliberty u003c/emu003eby which Christ has made us free.  Paul encourages us not to be u003cemu003eentangled u003c/emu003eagain with a yoke of u003cemu003ebondage u003c/emu003e(v.1).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eFree from sinu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003enn“Made free,” should quickly imply that at one point in time we were not free.  Paul even brings up the u003cemu003eyoke of bondage u003c/emu003eto make it very clear that we certainly were all in bondage at one point in time.  What were we in bondage to?  What held us captive?  Who or what freed us?nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWell, we already have answers to these questions, right?  Paul makes it clear that we were freed from this bondage by Christ.  In u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8%3A31-36u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eJohn 8:31-36u003c/au003e, we will see Jesus talking about the bondage that we were once in.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWe will say that Jesus stated to the Jews, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.u003csupu003e  u003c/supu003eAnd you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  Now, when Jesus made this statement, the Jews were adamant that they had not been in bondage to anyone.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThis was quite the statement that the Jews were making.  If they were speaking of themselves at that time, they weren’t necessarily living in bondage but they were definitely living under the authority of the Romans.  History wise, we also know that there were times that they lived in bondage:  first under the Egyptians and then at a time they were held captive by the Babylonians.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennNow, Jesus was not talking about them being in bondage to a group of people.  No, the bondage that Jesus was speaking was spiritual bondage.  Jesus said to them, “whoever commits sin is a u003cemu003eslave u003c/emu003eof sin.”  So, to be clear, Jesus was speaking about the bondage of sin.  Now, with the bondage of sin, Jesus said that there was a way out from that bondage by abiding by His word.  Jesus said to the Jews, “if you abide in My word … you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, liberty (freedom) comes to us by Christ and believing in His word – the truth.  Paul, therefore, was encouraging the Galatians to stand fast – be obedient/firm – in the truth.  This encouragement is an encouragement that we should stand by today as well; we should stand fast in the truth.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eThe Test of Your Libertyu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, why was Paul having to give the Galatians this encouragement?  What was it that they were facing that could cause them to be entangled by the yoke of the bondage of sin?nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eStanding fast against false teachingu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThere was much false teaching, and actions that were taking place at that time that were putting the liberty of those Galatian believers to the test.  We will see Paul begin to speak of circumcision in the next few verses as this was a subject that had become very burdensome for the early church of genuine believers.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennIn the book of Acts, you can find the conflict that those who were Jews raised because Gentile believers (Greeks at that time) weren’t being made to circumcise themselves as was tradition according to the law for the Jews.  In u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+15%3A1u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eActs 15:1u003c/au003e, we are told that certain men came from Judea and taught the u003cemu003ebrethren u003c/emu003e(believers), “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you u003cemu003ecannot u003c/emu003ebe saved.”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, this is what many Gentile believers faced and it became a burden to many of them.  Paul contested that circumcision was of no profit to anyone (v.2).  Paul concluded that those who were beholden to solely live by the law would only push themselves further away from Christ (vss.3-4).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennPaul was not the only one to ever express this thought in scripture as his teacher, Gamaliel, expressed the same thought when the Jews were arresting the apostles.  Gamaliel warned the religious leaders that if the apostles’ work was of God, there was u003cemu003enothing u003c/emu003ethey could do to stop it (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+5%3A35-39u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eActs 5:35-39u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe writer of Hebrews also pointed out that the law was a u003cemu003eshadow u003c/emu003eof the good things to come; those that offered up sacrifices by the law could not be made perfect (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Heb.+10%3A1u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eHeb. 10:1u003c/au003e).  Why could those that live by the law not become perfect?  Well, the sacrifices were being made because of their sins.  Their animal sacrifices were not enough to atone for their sins, so they need a much better sacrifice.  Just from our recent lessons, we know that Christ was and is the far greater sacrifice they would need in order to atone for their sins.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, Paul said to his readers to stand fast and not give consideration to what the opposition was saying; he said the opposition’s words of circumcision were meaningless (v.6).  What would truly profit the Galatian believer was their being obedient in their faith.  Again, this same thing holds true for all of us who are of faith today.  When your liberty through faith is being tested by opposition, pay them no attention.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eStanding fast by remember our callu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe meaningless argument and contentions of the opposition does no good for the believers, so we should not give in nor let their arguments become a burden to us.  In the face of opposition, Paul says that our obedience avails much and moving in our faith avails much.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSomething I have said before in the past is that the first thing the devil will attack is u003cemu003eyour u003c/emu003efaith; he wants you to be burdened and stressed in your faith.  Paul made it known to the Galatians who it was that was u003cemu003ehindering u003c/emu003ethem in their faith (v.7).  Paul said to them, “This u003cemu003epersuasion u003c/emu003edoes not come from Him who calls you (v.8).”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennYou see, the Galatian believers were called by the same one that called us – Jesus Christ.  What do you think the gospel was given for?  As we have seen, the gospel is God’s work of reconciliation and His call to repent.  As Paul said in his first letter to Timothy, God gave Christ to abolish death and bring life and immortality through the gospel (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Tim.+1%3A10u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e2 Tim. 1:10u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe Lord wants you and I to live u003cemu003eforever u003c/emu003ewith Him.  Satan, our great adversary, on the other hand, does not want you to live with the Lord, ever.  Those that were calling on the Gentiles to be circumcised don’t realize that they were taking on an effort that would please the devil.  They may have even felt that they were doing the right thing, but truly they were doing nothing but being a u003cemu003ehindranceu003c/emu003e.  In the face of their opposition, when they were being hindered, Paul encouraged the Galatians to keep the faith; this is good advice for us as well today.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennTo the Galatians, we will see Paul explicitly tell them, “you have been called to liberty (v.13).”  While the opposition was trying to hinder them with lies and false teachings by telling them they could not be saved, Paul told them to remember the one who called them to be saved.  We must remember God did not call us to be in the bondage of sin, He called for us to live u003cemu003efreely u003c/emu003eunder His care.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eStanding fast moving by loveu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennLiberty, freedom, is often misunderstood; we see this is true both in our society and also in the church as well.  What do I mean by this?  Well, the blessing of liberty in Christ is that we are free from sin.  However, some begin to believe that this blessing means that they can go around and do u003cemu003ewhatever u003c/emu003ethey want to do.  Freedom in our society is often misunderstood by people who believe they can do whatever they want without there being any consequences to their actions.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe truth of the matter about liberty (freedom) is this:  it comes with rules as there is an u003cemu003eauthority u003c/emu003eover liberty.  We say that America is the land of the free, but that freedom does not mean you can go out and do whatever you want to do; there are laws here that we must obey to u003cemu003eensure u003c/emu003eand enjoy our freedoms.  Believers should understand that yes, we may be free from sin, but we still live under the eye of God.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennYou and I live under the love of God, but we were commanded u003cemu003eby u003c/emu003eChrist to love the Lord and then to love our neighbors as we love ourselves – these are rules.  The last thing we should do is abuse our liberty through Christ by being u003cemu003edisobedient u003c/emu003eto His rules.   How would one be disobedient?nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennPaul writes, “do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another (v.13).”  Essentially, Paul is saying to the church of true believers to be obedient to the Lord.  We are obedient to the Lord when we love Him and when we love our neighbors.  The moment that we become a hindrance to them, we become one that has abused their liberty.  In other words, we would become like those who tried to use circumcision as a means to say others could not be saved.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe blessing of liberty is that it should u003cemu003euplift u003c/emu003ethose that are around us rather than be a hindrance to them.  Paul warned, “if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be u003cemu003econsumed u003c/emu003eby one another (v.15)!”  God did not put us in this world to destroy each other.  God especially did not set us free from the bondage of sin to destroy each other.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eWalk in the Spiritu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWhen our liberty is being tested, Paul encouraged us further to u003cemu003e“walk in the Spirit u003c/emu003e(v.16)u003cemu003e”u003c/emu003e.  You see, when we walk in the Spirit, Paul said that there is no way we would fulfill the lust of the flesh; we would not act in a worldly manner.  It is u003cemu003eimpossible u003c/emu003efor the Spirit to move as the world does – the Spirit is of God and God is beyond flesh and the world.  Just as we see Paul conclude, the Spirit and the flesh (the world) are contrary to one another.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, we learn today that the liberty we have has been given to us by Christ.  This liberty that we have received is going to be tested, always.  Yet, even though our faith and liberty is going to be tested, we can overcome the test by standing fast.  Let us remember our calling  – who we were called by and what we are called to do.  And again, when we walk in the Spirit we will not only keep ourselves uplifted but we will keep all of those around us uplifted as well.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e