Freedom in Christ
Galatians 3:1-29
Prayer-
Introduction-
Where’s your identity? That is the question that I asked a group that got together recently.
Is your identity a passport? Where someone looks at you and your passport to make sure that you are the same person?
A doctor matching DNA?
For the early church it was their identity in Christ!
People would ask -Aren’t you a follower of Jesus? You are one of them! The crowd of people followed Jesus…where Jesus was…they were. By association, they were linked to Jesus!
Today, we have over 200 million people in America calling themselves Christians- But we don’t live in an America that has 200 million Christians or followers of Jesus. They are in name only!
One article I read said that the word Christian has become a “brand” Christian music, Christian books, even mentioned Christian food and reference Chic-Fil-la.
Christianity is a lifestyle and the only way that we can have the freedom that Christ intends for us is to follow the example Jesus leaves for us.
The word Christian is in the bible I think 3 times- The first time in the Book of Acts they became “Christians” at Antioch.
But the word disciple is found over 250 times.
A disciple is a follower or learner of Jesus.
The disciples learned from Jesus and then followed Jesus- You can see from that that just because we call ourselves Christians does not make us Christians.
Apostle Paul was great at getting right at the heart of an issue with the church. Our text this morning sheds light on us being Christian or followers of Jesus.
Galatians 3:1-14 Read from the Bible clearly
When I read a text, I pick out words that I think are important and try to understand the text in the right context- Foolish, bewitched, Truth, Faith, Law, Covenant, Abraham are words that jump off the page.
“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you”?
Foolish is a strong word, but some commentaries go as far as using the word stupid! Bewitched means to have evil influence.
Paul is accusing believers of the church at Galatia of being stupid… or foolish that they have allowed evil influence to sway them from the truth.
The truth according to the gospel of Christ is Christ crucified.
He is charging the church of foolishly allowing evil influence to pull them away from the truth of the crucified Christ.
Not much changes does it?
Paul preached the cross and was not ashamed of the cross and knew that salvation only came to mankind from what Jesus did on the cross. Anything less was foolish on the part of mankind.
Now today, it is not as cool to talk about the cross- it does not bring people back to church. It may not bring them back but it is the message that will save souls.
We need to come back to the born again message!
We went from the 60’s and the fire and brimstone message to today where most are looking for just a message of fluff and tell me I’m okay.
Somewhere between fire and brimstone and today’s watered down version of the gospel is the life saving message of “you must be born again”!
(John 3:5) Jesus answered “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again.”
John 3:16- “For God so loved that world that he gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Just because the world is doing it does not make it right in God’s eyes
Freedom in Christ is not freedom in this world to do whatever you want, Freedom in Christ means that we are free because of what Christ did and freed us from sin so that we may obey God and live in harmony with Him. (Repeat)
Romans 6:17-19
“But thanks be to God that, though you use to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”
John 8:36- “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Our text verse 1
“Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.”
I believe that Apostle Paul brought the message of the cross so vividly that they probably could still see Him at the cross and they had choose to intentionally go against the gospel and his teachings.
He says (2) “This only would I learn of you” in other words, I am going to convince you of your error!
‘Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?”
Again talking about the born again experience that at the time of conversion that God’s Spirit dwells in you and you have received this by believing in Christ as Lord and savior and not of yourself.
We live today and Paul fought it in the early church of self-effort as a way of salvation (Good People)
(3) Are you foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are you now made perfect in the flesh?
Do you think that you can come to a state of maturity by self-effort?
Salvation by faith and sanctification by self?
Paul is asking them- what God has started in your heart by the Spirit of God- do you think you can finish it by what you do?
The Spirit of God has done miracles and you have seen and been a part of them- now suddenly you think it is by the law…rules?
Galatians 1:6- “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
Don’t accept the Freedom from sin and take the yoke of legalism
(10) “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the law. Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, the righteous will live by faith.”
Listen, we have a choice- we can live under the law and be condemned by the law or we can be set free from sin and the law by accepting what Christ did on the cross. We cannot do both!
We cannot live under the grace of Christ and live under the law.
The law was given so that we might see that we cannot live under the law because if you broke one law one time it was enough that a holy God would find you unrighteous.
What good is it to be set free and still live like a slave?
Paul talked deeper about it in chapter 5 and telling Gentiles that they did not need to be circumcised- don’t get hung up on legalism.
The Jews were telling those that wanted to be saved that they had to be converted to Judaism and be circumcised.
Paul is telling the Gentiles don’t get circumcised- nothing wrong with being circumcised, but if you do it just to be like the Jews, it is not by faith it is by works.
If you are relying on circumcision, then you are not relying on Christ!
It is not about adding extra to the gospel- you cannot add extra to the gospel or it is no longer is the gospel!
Freedom in Christ is exactly that – Freedom in Christ- not what you add to it.
Jesus was against a lot of the traditions of the time-
He healed on the Sabbath
He ate with sinners
He dare talk to women in public
He like and talked to Samaritans
Jesus ministry before the cross was to show them who He was and why He had come
He set out to liberate them from sin. He understood slavery, bondage, and the need to be free from sin.
Mark 10:45
“For the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Ransom was the cost of someone freedom- He gave his life as a ransom so that we might be set free.
Galatians 5:1
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the sin of bondage.”
Faith Brings Freedom
Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness
Last point this morning- The Jews knew Abraham- what they did not understand was what God was up to by using Abraham.
He was the pioneer example of believing God when you did not have all the answers.
He just knew that God was speaking to him and he set off trusting God to do what he said he would do.
He believed God and his faith released God righteousness to him.
God’s plan all along was to bring salvation by faith.
It was God’s will that all people have an opportunity to give to Christ.
Abraham through faith I will bless others.
Scripture reveals and Christ has shown us that we cannot receive righteousness by attempting to keep laws.
Christ has paid it all to set us free from the bondage of the law
The covenant between God and Abraham was fulfilled in Christ.
The commandments were written 430 after the covenant with Abraham.
Abraham covenant super-cedes even the Ten Commandments.
As we close,
I want to read for you Galatians 3 from the Passion version of the Bible- I think it will give you God’s heart.
(2) “So answer me this: Did the Holy Spirit come to you as a reward for keeping all the Jewish laws? No, you received Him as a gift because you believed in the messiah. Your new life in the Anointed One began with the Holy Spirit giving you new birth. Why would you so foolishly turn from living in the Spirit by trying to finish by your own works?
We cannot earn our salvation- it is a free gift from Jesus Christ to those that accept what He done on the cross.
We cannot first get saved by Jesus and then think we can earn it by what we do or don’t do- it is grace so we cannot boast.
We have to stay humble and know that we are only free from sin because of Jesus.
Trusting in the law (10 Commandments) only shows us how short we fall without Jesus- if you break one commandment one time, you are bound with sin. He came to set us free from bondage and give freedom in Chist.
Illustration-
Billy Graham says we don’t decide one day that we will be a drunkard, drug abuser, adulterer, WE PITCH OUT TENT TOWARD SODOM INSTEAD OF ABRAHAM.
We enjoy Sodom
We long for the things that Sodom offers.
What the world doesn’t realize without Jesus is that you can never be more free than when you are in Jesus!
Jesus has set you free and you are still facing the wrong way!
Stop looking at Sodom as a place you miss and look at it as a place that Jesus has redeemed you from!
prayer
