Galatians 5:13-15, Freedom To Love Series

Freedom To Love

Galatians 5:13-15

* Paul begins to speak to us about the danger of abusing our Christian liberty.

* To some people to be free from the law meant that there was nothing standing in the way of self-indulgence and a free rein in sin.

-- They understood the law to be the ONLY restraining power of sin in the lives of individuals and the world.

* In salvation, God has brought the believer out from under whatever control divine law had over him and has placed him under a superior control. The Holy Spirit.

-- Out of one control into another

-- from the control of mere legal laws into the control of a person, - the Holy Spirit.

* Note that God ran this world for approx. 2500 years without the Mosaic law; He can run it again without the Mosaic law.

* When a believer places himself under the law, the law is substituted for the restraint of the Holy Spirit.

-- This brings disastrous results.

-- Not only does the law not restrain evil, but on the other had it brings out evil in our life.

Rom 7:7-13 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (8) But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. (9) For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. (10) And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. (11) For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. (12) Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (13) Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

* Last week, we talked about the fact that we can live a higher and holier life under the control of the Holy Spirit than we ever could under the law.

-- It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the freedom and the power to live the life God intended us to live.

* In this passage today, Paul is going to warn us against one of the dangers of Christian liberty.

--The danger of living selfishly instead of selflessly.

I. Our calling v. 13a

Wiersbe – "The Christian is a free man. He is free from the guilt of sin because he has experienced God’s forgiveness. He is free from the penalty of sin because Christ died for him on the cross. And he is, through the Spirit, free from the power of sin in his daily life."

* Free from what? (IFL Bible Study Guide – Swindoll)

A) Free from God’s wrath Rom. 5:9

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

B) Free from the mastery of sin Rom. 6:14

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

C) Free from the dominion of Satan and his demons Col. 1:13, I John 4:4

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

1Jn 4:3-4 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

D) Free from living under the curse of the law Gal. 3:13

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

E) Free from the condemnation the law imposes upon those who disobey Rom. 8:1

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

F) Free from the law as a means of justification Gal. 2:16

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.