“TRUE FREEDOM” Gal. 4:28-5:1
INTRO – What is your mental picture of freedom? On this Sunday after the 4th of July, maybe the picture of our flag, “Old Glory,” flying in the wind, or the Marines on the island of Iwo Jima hoisting the flag comes to your mind. Or maybe our military personnel serving in the Middle East right now comes to your mind. Or maybe the picture of our nation’s founding fathers signing the Declaration of Independence comes to your mind. Maybe you see fireworks exploding as you hear the Star Spangled Banner in your mind.
Let me share with you a story about freedom. Fall of 1988, presidential campaign in full swing. But instead of evening news focusing on Bush and Dukakis, nation’s attention was on Bonnett and Crossbeak, 2 California whales. Eskimos…”Archimedean screw tractor”…National Guard helicopter…2 icebreakers from Soviet Union. World celebrated as the 2 whales finally silently slipped into the ocean and into freedom.
Freedom is precious to everyone, even whales! We’ve celebrated this weekend the freedom that is ours as citizens of the United States, freedom that was purchased by the blood of many who died so that we might be free. And we ought to celebrate that freedom. But how much more should we celebrate the freedom that is ours as citizens of heaven, freedom that was purchased by the blood of One who died so that we might be free, our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus X!
P continues to wrestle for the freedom of the Galatian Xns. He sees them trapped in the icy grip of legalism as they tried to approach G and earn His favor by keeping the Law. He was working as hard as the Eskimos. He so desperately wanted to see these Xns free from the trap of legalism that the Judaizers were laying in front of them. He wanted them to experience the true freedom that was theirs as children of G.
That is what is available to all of us here today – true freedom! True spiritual freedom is available to you today. True freedom:
- Doesn’t mean you are free to sin, but you are free to serve.
- Doesn’t mean you are free to rebel, but you are free to revel in the wonder of abundant, eternal life.
- Doesn’t mean you are free to be wicked, but you are free to be a worshipper.
- Doesn’t mean you are free to do things that are wrong, but you are free to do things that are right, bringing honor and glory to G w/ the living of your life.
- Doesn’t mean you are free to do evil, but you are free to be available to be used by G to help others know how great is to live in spiritual freedom.
“Legalists in our churches today warn that we dare not teach people about the [freedom] we have in X lest it result in religious anarchy. The Xn who lives by faith is not going to become a rebel. Quite the contrary, he is going to experience the inner discipline that is far better than the outer discipline of man-made rules.” (Warren Wiersbe) So many are afraid of teaching others about G’s grace, about the fact that we no longer have to live under the weight of a heavy set of rules and regulations. They are afraid that if we tell folks about G’s grace and the freedom that accompanies it, they will go out and live any way they want and forget about G.
The rules and regulations make us feel safe b/c we think we can control them and we can control others by using the rules. We become so concerned w/ changing a person’s outward behavior that we forget about inner change that has to happen before the outer behavior changes. The Lord spoke to Isaiah about this very thing when He said in Isa. 29:13, “These people come near to me w/ their mouth and honor me w/ their lips (outer behavior), but their hearts are far from me (inner spiritual condition). Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”
Salvation by grace through faith in X alone will bring true freedom to our lives. Trying to earn our salvation by our good works and the keeping of the Law will bring total bondage. Living by faith in G’s grace every day will bring true freedom to our lives. Trying to live by faith in our good works to earn G’s approval will keep us in bondage. Jerry Bridges – “Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the REACH of G’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the NEED of G’s grace.”
There are 3 aspects of true freedom that I want us to consider today:
I. TRUE FREEDOM FULFILLS G’S PROMISE – 4:28
A. Verses 21-27 tell us of Ishmael and Isaac, both sons of Abraham, but vastly different.
i. Ishmael born to slave woman, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar – Gen. 16
1. Ishmael born as a result of Abraham and his wife, Sarah, not totally trusting and believing G.
2. v. 23a – Ishmael was “born in the ordinary way” – the biological process of Abraham sleeping with Hagar resulted in her becoming pregnant and giving birth to Ishmael.
ii. Isaac born to Abraham’s wife, Sarah, b/c G PROMISED that He would give them a child – Gen. 15:1-6
1. v. 23b – Isaac was “born as a result of a promise.”
B. Hagar represents the old covenant between G and man – the covenant of the law and legalism.
i. Children of Hagar - children of the Law - are in slavery – v. 24. The Law enslaves people.
1. Says “Do this” and “Don’t do that.”
2. Must do EXACTLY what is says if you are going to find favor w/ G this way.
3. The person who hopes to gain salvation by their own good works, their own morality and virtue, their own righteousness, is enslaved to the Law b/c he/she MUST do EVERYTHING the Law says.
a. Cannot mess us even once, even on a “minor” point – “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10)
4. Can see evidence of this slavery everywhere today, especially in the Middle East. Descendants of Ishmael make up the Muslim religion.
a. “It was between the sons of Hagar and Sarah that the modern-day Arab-Israeli animosity began some 4000 years ago, producing a continual conflict between 2 peoples who both trace their lineage from Abraham.” (MacArthur, pg. 125)
b. Verses 29-30 tell us that there will be conflict between the 2 sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Go home today and turn on the news and you’ll see this conflict going on this very minute.
C. Sarah represents the new covenant between G and man – the covenant of G’s promise, the covenant of His grace given freely to man through His own Son, Jesus X.
i. Children of Sarah – children of grace – receive the promise of heaven and eternal life that G has PROMISED to those who come to Him through faith.
ii. Those who come to G solely on the basis of His grace receive His promise of X’s righteousness being credited to us.
D. Think of all the promises that are fulfilled to those who have been set free, those who have accepted X by grace through faith:
i. Promise of eternal life
ii. Promise of power for every day
iii. Promise of G’s wisdom for our lives
iv. Promise of the HS to keep us, teach us, convict us, and empower us
v. Promise of answered prayer
vi. Promise of fellowship w/ fellow believers in the Body of X
II. TRUE FREEDOM IS A PRECIOUS POSSESSION – 5:1
A. Why do so many people get a lump in their throat and a tear in their eye when they say the Pledge of sing the national anthem? B/c of the fact that our freedom as US citizens is a precious possession.
i. So many other people in so many other places in the world live w/out the freedoms that we enjoy in our nation.
ii. Unfortunately there are many in our country who take advantage of their freedom and it turns against them:
1. You are free to gamble.
2. You are free to get an abortion.
3. You are free to purchase pornography.
4. You are free to consume alcohol.
5. You are free to live w/ someone of the opposite sex and not be married.
6. You are free to practice a homosexual lifestyle.
iii. I don’t believe our founding fathers had these things in mind when they signed the Declaration of Independence or when they crafted our Constitution.
1. So many in our country today take such a casual view of freedom and abuse it.
B. The same can be true in our spiritual lives as well. We can take a casual view of our spiritual freedom and abuse it.
i. Our spiritual freedom is an extremely precious possession.
1. 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that X has set us free.” The only way He could set us free was by doing what P said He did in Phil. 2:5-8.
ii. And yet so many Xns will abuse their spiritual freedom by deliberately, intentionally, willingly going against G’s will by sinning.
1. When we do this, we endanger ourselves, our families, our witness, our churches.
a. “Turning our Xn liberty into a license to sin is an evil that is ingrained in sinful human nature.” (Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace, pg. 211)
2. Story of state trooper in Michigan. Clocked speeder – 75 in a 45. Stopped him. Speeder reached in his pocket. Seal from US Secretary of State. Consul from a foreign country and therefore immune from the law. Frustrated, officer had to let him go.
a. That afternoon, at another place, clocked another speeder – 93 in a 55. Same man. Diplomat rudely announced that he had no intention of keeping the law. Officer radioed in and was again told that there was nothing he could do. As he handed papers back, “Even though you aren’t subject to our laws, you could at least have some regard for the safety of our people.”
iii. Though as sons and daughters of G, we are set free from the weight of all the laws of Old Testament, doesn’t give us an excuse to be lawless.
1. “Freedom in X doesn’t give us the right to do as we please, but the power and ability to do as we ought.” (Max Anders, Holman NT Commentary; Gal., Eph., Phi., & Col., pg. 56)
C. B/c our true spiritual freedom is such a precious possession, our lives should be holy, pure, upright, and righteous.
i. And not b/c we are trying to earn G’s approval and love; but b/c we already have His approval and love!
1. That’s why X died!
2. That’s why He set us free!
3. That’s what He set us free to enjoy!
4. “G never intended that we relate to Him directly. Our own performance is never good enough to be acceptable to Him. The only way we can relate to G is through the blood and righteousness of Jesus X.” (Bridges, pg. 22)
CONCLUSION – Isn’t it a wonderful thing to be a free citizen of the USA? It truly is! Our being able to worship here today w/out fear of persecution is just one tremendous benefit of the freedom we enjoy in our nation.
But it is an even more wonderful thing to be spiritually free! To have G’s promises to us fulfilled is so wonderful! To have such a precious possession is so wonderful!
- True freedom – given to us by G’s grace
- True freedom – given to us b/c of G’s love
- True freedom – given to us for our enjoyment
- True freedom – given to us for G’s glory
Get lost in your freedom! Let it move your heart into deeper and deeper expressions of authentic worship! Let it take you into a deeper and deeper love and appreciation for G and His love for you! Let it strengthen your resolve against sin! Let it strengthen your commitment to live a life of holiness and passion for G! Let it enflame you with a desire to tell others about the freedom that you have and that they can have, too!
Maybe you have realized that you are not free. You are still lost, still enslaved to sin.
