Walking the Tightrope of Christian Liberty
Galathians 5:13-26
Introduction
If you have ever been to the circus, you can recall the tightrope walker on the platform high above the crowd, it sometimes seemed that she could almost touch the top of the circus tent. In front of her was this silver stand of thin wire that is barely visible to the naked eye of the crowd below. It almost seemed that this wire was endless. The tightrope walker offers a bow of confidence, takes a deep breath, and slowly begins to walk across the wire one foot in front of the other. With unbroken concentration and focus, she reaches the other platform, takes a bow and breathes a sigh of relief.
Like this tightrope walker in a circus, Christians are faced with a silimar experience- walking a tightrope trying to avoid two extremes - legalism and licentiousness. For you see as we will examine together this morning. - God calls us to keep on walking the tight -rope of Christian Liberty.
True Christian freedom involves restrains- that help not hinder our spiritual growth and service. In fact in Galatians 5, verses 13-15 gives us three principles to follow concerning our Christian Liberty.
For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion of flesh,but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in this one word,even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Principle 1. WE ARE NOT FREE TO INDULGE THE FLESH (13b,24)
A. Flesh in this passage, doesn’t mean our physical bodies . It doesn’t mean skin that is strenched over our bones and muscles. Flesh here refers to our fallen sinful nature- That propensity we have within us to sin, In fact , the word fleash is used 7 Times in the course of our passage today.
We are not to use our Christian Liberty for opportunities for sin but for Service. In other words: CHRISTIAN LIBERTY IS FREEDOM FROM SIN TO SERVE THE LORD NOT FREEDOM TO SIN AND NOT SERVING SELF.
Notice the word but in v13,15 of our text (Gal 5:13ff) this is the greek word ALLA. It is the strongest contrast possible. It identifies a complete turn around. It signifies a complete opposite.
We also find this word used again in reference to our Christian Liberty in I Peter 2:16
.... and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness ( intend for sin), BUT as servants of God.
You see folks, scripture is clear - WE ARE NOT FREE TO INDULGE THE FLESH, rather we are to use this freedom as servants of God.
HOW? The answer is in the next phrase - BY love, Serve one another.
John reminds us in his gospel that a mark of a true disciple of Christ is the love that is demonstrated.
There was a chrous sung back in the 1970’s
They will know we are Christians by our love, yes they will know we are Christians by our love.
How true that is , Jesus reminds us in Matt 22, that the greatest commandment of all is Love God , second greatest command - To love our neighbor as ourself .
You see we are instruments of God’s love to a dying world. We are to take his love and live it out to a Christless world. With the hope and desire to see God’s love working in us and develop a desire for God’s great love. - (Matt 5:16).
By LOVE, SERVE ONE ANOTHER.
How can we serve one another?
It begins with having the right prospective - J-O -Y .
Jesus, Others, and You.
Thus, WE ARE NOT FREE TO INDULGE IN THE SELFISH DESIRES OF THE FLESH, rather we are to use our freedom to honor God and Serve others,
Serving is a humbling experience, It involves putting others before our own needs.
Not only are we to have the right prospective, we are to demonstrate the right attitude.
An attitude like Abigail in I Samuel 25- Giving when you get nothing in return.
Principle 1 WE ARE NOT FREE TO INDULGE IN THE SELFISH DESIRES OF THE FLESH
Principle 2: WE ARE NOT FREE TO DISREGARD THE NEEDS OF OTHERS (v14)
It involves the Romans 14 Principle, freely giving up our freedom, because it may cause someone to stumble.
Luke 10:25-28
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him , saying Master, what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life? He said unto him what is written in the law? How readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt Love the Lord with all thou heart, with all thy soul and with all thy Strength, and with all thy Mind and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, thou hast answereed right: do this and thou shalt live.
HOW DO YOU TREAT OTHERS?
You see folks, CHRISTIAN LIBERTY WAS GIVEN FOR US TO SHARE LIBERATELY, NOT TO PROCESS GREEDILY!!
Principle 3: WE ARE NOT FREE TO EXPLOIT OTHERS (v13b,15)
Using people to get what we want is an act of the flesh not an act of faith, and when we treat others as things, we run the risk of hurting not only them but ourselves.
Notice v 15
But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. (NABS)
Instead of tearing others down , we should take Solomon’s advise given in Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous words stir up anger
You see, CHRISTIAN FREEDOM TREATS PEOPLE AS PERSONS TO BE SERVED AND LOVED NOT AS THINGS TO BE ABUSED.
Beginning with v16 of Galathians 5 , we can build on the foundation that Paul spelled out in the previous verses (v13-15).
V16-26 reveals the inward struggle that every believer deals with daily:
THE FLESH vs. THE SPIRIT.
This I say then WALK IN THE SPIRIT, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.(v 16)
Here Paul writes WALK IN THE SPIRIT
* IT is an imperative (Command)
* It is expected - literally in Greek
KEEP ON WALKING
For you see, WALKING IN THE SPIRIT GIVES VICTORY OVER THE SINS OF THE FLESH
Notice the 2nd part of v16- “and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”
ILL- Keep the Image Sharp - Our Daily Bread - April 1985
The 19th century French inventor Louis Daguerre was one of the pioneers of photography. In those early days, he could take a picture by exposing a metal plate to light. When the plate was taken out of the camera, however the image soon disappeared. Daguerre tried many ways to keep the image from fading but nothing worked. One day he found a plate that had been left in a closet full of chemicals and to his amazement the image was bright and sharp He took other pictures, put the plates in that closet and got the same result He didn’t know what caused the image to remain, but he was determined to find out. He began by removing things from the closet one by one. Even after everything was removed, the images still remained. How could this be? Daguerre later discovered that some mercury had been spilled in the closet. Further, experiences proved that it is mercury vapor that was keeping the image on the photographic plate.
You see, folks what the mercury vapor did to that photographic plate , The Holy Spirit does within us. He Helps us keep the image of Christ in focus. As we obey the Holy Spirit, He will keep a sharp image of Christ before us.
We can defeat our fleshly desires by continually WALKING IN THE SPIRIT.
This is continual battle- notice v17
For the flesh lusted against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other :so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
It is a continuous . OUR EVERY EMOTION
OUR EVERY CHOICE
OUR EVERY THOUGHT
OUR EVERY ACT
Is affected by the pressure caused by this conflict.
Thus it involves a daily commitment
In II Corinthians 4, Paul allures to this spiritually battle that takes place within us. And how we our to deal with it.
For this cause we faint not: but though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day. ( II Corinthians 4:16)
Paul writes to the church at Rome
And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.
WALKING IN THE SPIRIT GIVES US VICTORY OVER THE FLESH.
WALKING IN THE SPIRIT INVOLVES A DAILY SURRENDER OF OUR LIVES TO HIM.
To be led by the Spirit is to allow the Holy Spirit to Guide and direct us toward that image of Christ.
folks, v18 points out another conflict we face--- the Jewish religious Law.
When we walk in the Spirit, we are in conflict not only with the flesh, but also with the law.
As Christians freed from the bondage of sin, we also are free from the bondage of the Law.
In our study of Galathians, we have learned that the law points out our sinful state and need for a saviour . The churches of Galathia, struggled with the law and traditions of the Jewish religious
culture. Traditions are not to replace scripture, yet we place them on the same plane or even higher. This is called legalism.
Not only we in conflict with the flesh but we are in constant battle with Traditions and legalism
we need to allow the Spirit of God to guide us in these matters as well.
Hence the tightrope that we must walk to protect our Liberties in Christ.
Remember
CHRISTIAN LIBERTY IS FREEDOM FROM SIN TO SERVE THE LORD
IT IS NOT FREEDOM TO SIN
IT IS NOT FREEDOM TO SERVE SELF.
V19-23 Characteristics of the Flesh and Spirit contrasted
V19-21 describe for us a sampling of the works of the flesh
V22-23 describe for the fruits or working of the Spirit.
We find quite a contrast here,
1. The works of the flesh - viewed in 4 Categories
A. Sexual sins - Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness
* our inate strong sexual drives cause us trouble here - challenging the family Structure.
B. Religious Sins- Idolary, witchcraft
Idolatry- worship of anything other than God. This can include Money,fame,
Busyness.
Witchcraft- use of fanascy to satisfy our desire- Drugs, evil spirit, Astrology
It takes our focus away from God. In fact It’s Power comes from Satan.
Friend, Are you striving to make more and more money. Are you striving to be more popular or completing for the best ideas? Are you too busy to serve at church? How about striving to know God. Which drive is stronger? Which Desire controls you? Think about that for a moment.
Idolatry - putting anything in front of God
Paul writes in Col. 1:18 in reference to Christ
...That in all things, He (Christ) might have the preeminence
Is Christ first in your life? Is he the driving force of your life?
The works of the Flesh rob us of our motivation towards Godiness.
The works of the flesh rob us of our worship to God- giving him our all.
C. Personal Relationships- Hatred, variance , emulations, wrath, strife, seditions , heresies, envyings, murders
The works of the flesh - destroy relationships not only with God but others.
I John 2: 9-11
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now . He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in Him. BUT he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness and knoweth not where he goeth, because that darkness had blinded his eyes.
Friend, bitterness and anger out of control is of the flesh. We need to avoid them.
Ill- The Fable of the Jealous eagle (Take from an old Our Daily Bread)
The Great Evangelist DL Moody once told a fable of an eagle who was envious of another that could fly better than he could. One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him “I wish you would bring down the eagle up there.” The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow. So the jealous eagle pulled one out of his wing . The arrow was shot , but it didn’t quite reach the rival bird because he was flying too high. The frist eagle pulled out another feather, then another - until he had lost so many feathers that he himself couldn’t fly . The archer took advantage of the situation , turned around and killed the helpless bird. Moody then made this application: IF YOU ARE ENVIOUS OF OTHERS, THE ONE YOU WILL HURT THE MOST BY YOUR ACTIONS IS YOURSELF.
The flesh says look out for number one , God says SERVE OTHERS
D. Excessive Alcohol-drunkenness, revellings and such like
These are examples of how far Christians can fall when they serve the flesh rather than the Spirit.
V22,23 - Describe for us the fruits (or work) of the Spirit. They serve as a contrast to the works of the flesh. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us . He produces spiritual fruit that is like a ripe cluster of grapes.
We are not going to spend a lot of time discussing each one of the nine virtues listed. Many of us have heard many sermons, and Bible studies concerning the fruit of the Spirit. But I briefly want to share a couple of things.
1. Notice the order:
A. Love, joy, Peace - Concern our relationship to God.
God is our first love and our first joy. When we rest in him we are at peace.
B. Longsuffering, gentleness, goodness- deals with our relationship towards others
Godly characteristics demonstrated on others.
C. Faith, meekness, temperance - looks at our inward relationship
Inward action and attitudes that we control.
2. Notice the challenge
Did you catch the emphasis- J-O-Y
Here’s our acrostic again - Jesus, others, and you.
Where is your passion this morning? In the things of the flesh? Or the things of the Spirit?
V24-26 serve as a conclusion
1. The resolved: They That are CHRIST”S have CRUCIFIED The flesh (v24)
We are to master our passions and maintain a godly lifestyle.
Remember Galathians 2:20
It involves taking up our cross daily -a renewed mind.
Matt. 16:24, Mk 8:34; mk 10:21, Luke 9:23 cf II cor. 4:16
2. Be resolved to walk in the spirit (cf Gal 5:16, Eph 4:1,5;1,2,15,16) by living a life that is consistant to your confession of faith - WALK THE TALK(v25)
Allow the spirit of God to guide our actions. Be fully yielded to Him. IS Christ First in our lives does he have the pre-eminence of your life? If not make this commitment today.
3. Be Resolved to treat others with an attitude of Love (v26)
Remember the purpose of our liberty in Christ- Serve others (V13,14)
How are you treating others ? Are you channeling Christ’s love to them or Are you treating them as desired in v 15 and v26? Perhaps it’s time to put off the flesh and put on Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lust thereof Romans 13:14
As we close in prayer this morning, I invite you to examine your heart in relation to the challenges that we examined in Scripture this morning. May the Spirit of God work in your life this morning.
Prayer & public Invitation
