November 3, 2014
Evening Service

Tonight we are going to attempt to summarize the message Paul was sending not only to the Galatian church, but to all Christians.  It is a message of freedom.  We have been set free from the bondage of the Law and having to “earn” our salvation.  In that covenant, the relationship to God was more of one between Master and slave.  “Do as your told when told what to do.”  Your actions earned your righteousness.  We are now set free through faith in Jesus Christ from that bondage and now our relationship is one of Father and child.  We no longer have to earn that right standing with God, because Jesus changed it for us.  He has set us free to become sons and daughter of God.

Joh 8:30-36 As He spoke these words, many believed upon Him.  (31)  Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed on Him, “If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.  (32)  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  (33)  They answered Him,” We are Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to anyone. How do you say, You will be made free?”  (34)  Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever practices sin is the slave of sin.  (35)  And the slave does not abide in the house forever, but the Son abides forever.  (36) Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

·         It is Jesus that has set us free.  It was the giving of Himself as the perfect sacrifice upon the cross that could truly defeat the power of sin upon our lives.

·         In this discourse with the Jews, Jesus goes on to explain that it is those who believe on Him and follow His commands that are truly called the sons of God.  It is our heart that drives our actions.  If we truly love God then our heart will belong to Him and our actions will follow suit.

·         Paul revealed his heart’s status to us in chapter of this Galatian letter.

 

Gal 2:18-21  For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I confirm myself as a transgressor.  (19)  For through the Law I died to the law, that I might live to God.  (20)  I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.  (21)  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness is through law, then Christ died without cause.

·         Paul shows that he has yielded his entire life to Christ.  All that he does now is not motivated by self or the rules of the Law, but by his faith in Christ.  He was set free from the Law to follow the One who “gave Himself on my behalf.”

·         In chapter 3 he again mentions the new relationship we enjoy with God and how it is we attain it.

 

 

 

Gal 3:26-29  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  (27)  For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ.  (28)  There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is no male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  (29)  And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

·         Through baptism, we have “put on Christ” and been given His status as a true son of God.  It is like He has given us His royal robe to put on so that we now will receive His righteousness as our own.  We are heirs to the kingdom of God through our relationship with Jesus, not our following of the Law.

·         He explains this in chapter 4.

 

Gal 4:4-7  But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, coming into being out of a woman, having come under Law,  (5)  that He might redeem those under Law, so that we might receive the adoption of sons.  (6)  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.  (7)  So that you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.

·         As adopted children we enjoy the same inheritance as those born into the family.

·         This is the purpose Jesus came; to establish this “new” relationship with “whosoever will come.”  We are all offered the chance to receive Jesus as our Savior and God as our Father.  God is no longer viewed as the harsh task master of a slave, but as a loving and caring Father of His beloved children.

·         It is now that love for the Father that motivates us to serve and please Him with the lives we live.  We want to follow His commands out of love not fear or duty.

·         In chapters 5, Paul explains to us that love fulfills the Law.

 

 Gal 5:14 For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

·         The Law has not been done away with, but fulfilled.  We are to be led by the Spirit of Christ and try our best to “Walk in the Spirit.”  That simply means our actions will reflect our yielded heart.

·         Paul explains the differences between the works of the flesh and those produced by the Spirit.

 

Gal 5:19-21  Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness,  (20)  idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, fightings, jealousies, angers, rivalries, divisions, heresies,  (21)  envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

·         These works show we have not become sons of God, but continue to seek our own will.

 

Gal 5:22-25  But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,  (23)  meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  (24)  But those belonging to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.  (25)  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

·         You see it is because we yield ourselves to the Spirit that we produce these good fruits and also avoid the fleshly ones.  It becomes who we are.  We begin to do the things that please God without even thinking.  We as children are acting like our Father.

·         In chapter 6 that we read this morning, Paul says our actions reveal our heart.

 

Gal 6:7-8  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap.  (8)  For he sowing to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh. But he sowing to the Spirit will reap life everlasting from the Spirit.

·         As we yield to the Spirit, we will sow seeds that produce the fruits of the Spirit.

·         Paul also reminds us that we are on this journey of life together.

 

Gal 6:9-10  But we should not lose heart in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not faint.  (10)  So then as we have opportunity, let us do work good toward all, especially toward those of the household of faith.

·         Earlier in the chapter we are commanded to “Bear one another’s burdens.”  It is very comforting in knowing we not only have a loving caring God on our side, but we are surrounded by a loving caring family of believers also.

 

In this letter Paul, through the Spirit, shows us that we have been set free from the bondage of the Law and legalism.  We are now free in the liberty He grants us the ability to serve Him from our hearts.

 

Lord, may our hearts be Yours and may we freely yield ourselves to the Spirit’s control.