This morning we are coming to the theme verse of Paul’s letter to the Galatians.  Which is what?  5:1.  Let’s read this together:  For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Put simply:  Set Free.  Live Free.  Let’s repeat that together.  “Set free.  Live free.” 

This morning what we’d like to do is to explore what Paul means by being free and why His warning to stand firm.

In your bulletin - if you haven’t found it already - is a sheet with message notes.  I encourage you to keep that with you as an outline of what we’re looking at.  The first part of what we want to look at together focuses on what this means to be Set Free.

Freedom is perhaps the most sacred or our earned rights in the United States.  Remember these words?  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

Liberty - freedom.

The words of Emma Lazarus are inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.  Remember these?  “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed, to me:  I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

Millions have come here longing to be free.

The word freedom brings a number of images to mind.  I Googled “freedom”  These are a sampling of what’s there.

(images)

Paul writes, For freedom Christ has set us free…  There are two truths about freedom here that we need to latch on to.  First is what we are free from.  Let’s repeat that together.  “What we are free from.”  What has Christ set us free from?

Luke records that at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry Jesus came to His home town of Nazareth.  On the Sabbath He went to the synagogue.  Jesus was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah - Jesus scrolls - pun intended - Jesus scrolls down until He comes to these words of the prophet Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty - freedom - to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty - freedom - those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  (Luke 4:18,19)

Familiar words.  Yes?  The meaning - Jesus applying these words to Himself - that’s huge.

Jesus is anointed of God.  That means that God Himself is purposefully working in human history - purposefully entering into human history - purposefully has entered into our lives.  The apex of God’s work - the focal point - is the coming and ministry of Jesus the Christ - Immanuel - God with us.

Jesus proclaims good news that effects us physically.

The poor - hanging on to the bottom rung in tough economic times - the poor have their needs met.  In a time of Roman occupation - the captives are set free - liberty.  The blind are healed - God miraculously working.  The oppressed - beaten down and wearied by the circumstances of life - the oppressed are set free.

Jesus proclaims good news that effects us spiritually.

God cares about the physical needs that we have.  But, more important - God deals with the matters of our heart - the cores issues of our lives - especially our relationship with Him.

The blind who live in the darkness of this world - the philosophies and religions and empty reasonings of man - the spiritually blind see God’s truth - Jesus the true light - shining in the spiritual darkness of this world. 

The oppressed - who groan in endless slavery to impurity - to immorality - to addictions and patterns of life that weary us - defeat us - the oppressed are set free.

Those who are spiritually impoverished - God meets the deep needs of our hearts.  The captives are those hopelessly bound by sin - condemned by the law - waiting eternal judgment.  The captives are set free - spiritual freedom. 

Grab onto what Jesus has set us free from.

There isn’t a person on the planet who has ever lived - except Jesus - there isn’t any person dead or alive who hasn’t broken at least one - and for some of us, a few more than that - all of us have broken God’s laws.  Each of us has done something disobedient to the will of God.  Each of us is condemned by our own sin.  Each of us has separated ourselves from God’s holiness. 

Big ones.  Little ones.  It doesn’t matter.  Break just one and God has every right to throw the whole book at us.  God - who is righteous - as our judge has every right to punish us to the extreme of what our sin demands.

That punishment is very real.  Scripture describes a lake not made of water but of eternal fire.  The atmosphere is sulfuric gas - acrid steam - foul odor - a place of eternal burning and choking - unending weeping and sorrow - torment without relief - forever and ever.  A very nasty place.  Very real.  Very much worth avoiding.  The worst is that all that means eternal separation from God and His righteousness. (Revelation 20:11-15)

We can argue the justness of all that and claim that God is a loving God who would never send anyone to that kind of punishment.  But God warns us.  Paul writes in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin - what we earn by our sin - is death.”  Inescapable justifiable condemnation.

And there is nothing that you or I or anyone can do about it.  Thousands of years of trying - working - trying to keep the law - trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps - to improve ourselves - to live better - to live righteous - thousands of years of trying have proven that we can’t.  The futility of works.  But Jesus can and did.  Amen?

We have a cross in our sanctuary - not to make us think that the cross is a beautiful piece of art - but to remind us.  The cross was a dirty - bloody - painful means of death.  But out of that death has flowed life and reconciliation to the whole universe.

Jesus - God Himself - Jesus fully God - born without the death sentence of sin hanging over Him.  Jesus being fully man - God with human skin on - being everything that it means to be human.  Jesus fully capable of taking our place as our representative human - lived sinless and took our place on the cross.  Died in our place.  Took our sin on Himself.

Jesus paying - with His own life - the penalty for our sin.  Jesus steps before the judge in our place having done what we could never do for ourselves.  The guiltless in place of the guilty.

Paul - in chapters 1 to 4 - Paul has been writing about God’s gracious offer of salvation.  That God has placed on the table before each of us His offer of His blessing of our lives - of salvation - of being restored to a right relationship with Him - of being released - set free - from all that binds us.

That’s huge:  In Christ we’re set free - no longer bound.

The second truth of freedom that we need to latch onto is what we’re set free for.  Let’s say that together.  “What we’re set free for.”  What has Christ set us free for?

Jesus said, “I came that they - God’s people - they may have life and have it abundantly.”  (John 10:10b)  Abundant is life that goes beyond what we can wrap our minds around.  Life the way God created life to be lived.

Physically and Spiritually - in the midst of what this world tries to abuse us with - to conform us to - to beat us down with - to bind and enslave us with - in the midst of the self-focused at any cost survival mentality of this world - God - in Christ - offers to each of us something tremendously different.

To live free in Christ means knowing God’s approval - His forgiveness of our sin - the certainty of living eternally with God - a forever life that begins now - the moment we put our trust in Jesus - God’s Anointed One - our Savior and Lord.

To live free in Christ means knowing God’s provision for our lives - life lived by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. 

To live free in Christ means experiencing God’s healing - His radical transformation of our lives.

To live free means knowing God as our Father - living life in God’s kingdom - intimately knowing God and being known by Him.

To live free in Christ means living out the purposes for which we’ve been created - the privileged of having our lives count for something - being involved in God’s great work of restoring humankind to a right relationship with Him.

To live free in Christ means that we no longer need to worry and stress over making life work - but that we can trust God every day of our lives with every issue of our lives and know that that He is our shield and defender - that He already has it covered.

Which is what Paul has been writing about here in Galatians chapters 1 to 4.  Not just an empty religious philosophy - wishful thinking for a brighter tomorrow.  But real hope - real answers - for the stuff we feel - that we struggle with - deep down in our hearts.  What it means to live free of the issues that bind us - that keep us back from what God has for us - freedom - real life in Christ.

It is for freedom that Christ has what? set us free.  Grab this.  Repeat this to yourself - often, “I’ve been set free.”

The second part of Paul’s theme is that we need to Live Free.

In verse 1 Paul writes, Because Christ has set you free, therefore, Stand firm.  In the Greek its an imperative - a command.  Stand Fast.  Dig your feet in.  Brace yourself.  Do not allow yourself to be moved.

Paul writes, “Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”  Its another imperative - a command.  “Don’t allow yourself to get tangled up again in what bound you - in what you just got freed from..” 

Stand firm.  Don’t turn back.

In chapters 1 to 4 Paul has been telling us over and over and in various ways that to turn back is foolishness - a major disaster - don’t go there.

Look with me at verse 2:  Look:  I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.  I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.  You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.  For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Let’s pause and unpack what Paul is getting at.

This issue of circumcision has come up before in Paul’s letter.  There were teachers - probably that had come up from Jerusalem - teachers that were teaching that loving Jesus was super crucial but to really be living the life of a Christian meant going further.  It meant keeping the law. 

Circumcision was the first step.  What the Jewish believers were trying to force the Gentile believers to do in order for the Gentile believers to be more Jewish and to really be a part of God’s people - to go the next step spiritually.

Circumcision was the next step - of more steps to come.  If the “keep the law” teachers could get the Gentiles circumcised what was coming next was dietary laws and holy days and feast days and a whole list of other regulations.

Paul writes - verse 2 - that if we get circumcised “Christ will be of no advantage to you.”  Meaning that if we choose to live by the law - trying to earn God’s favor by our own merits - by the things we do - then everything that God - by His grace -  everything God has done for us in Jesus in Jesus - being set free - all that becomes of no advantage to us.  We gain nothing from it.  Its worthless to us.

Paul writes - verse 3 - that if we submit to circumcision we better plan on keeping the whole law.  The law doesn’t give out awards for second place - an award for most improved.  The law doesn’t give out points for trying hard and having good intentions.  The law doesn’t allow for circumcision plus grace.  If were going to live by the law then we’re obligated to fulfill the whole law.  If you can’t you’re toast.

Paul brutally honest with us.  Look at the language he uses - verse 4.  Get circumcised and you sever yourself off from Christ - you cut yourself off from Christ and you fall from grace.  Its not that if we keep the law then Christ will be some benefit to us - a partial benefit.  Christ will be no benefit.  That’s pretty cut and dry absolute.

Point being - there is no middle ground between the law and grace.

Have you thought about this?  Maybe as you’re driving down the 99?  How just a slight movement of the wrist can mean the difference between driving to Fresno and finding yourself in heaven.  A small adjustment made the wrong way can have huge consequences.  A small failure at a critical moment can lead to a total change of direction.

I know.  Interesting comparison.  Fresno and heaven.  But you get the point.  Right?

Apparently some were trying to compromise.  Thinking that small adjustments - small compromises - weren’t really all that significant.

Paul’s point:  Don’t compromise.

Some were trying to live the best of both worlds.  There’s something attractive about being part of the religion of the Jews - its Scripture - its culture - its regulations.  Something attractive about being accepted - being in - looking good - gaining greater respect and admiration because they appeared to be more spiritual - more religious.  They’d gone the next step spiritually.

For us - removed from Galatia by almost 2,000 years - circumcision may be a tad remote as an issue.  But we deal with this.  Compromising in order to look good spiritually.

I really hate the question, “How is your church doing?”  Because I know that what people are really asking is “How many people show up on Sunday?”  Sometimes I’ll answer, “We’re growing spiritually.”  Just to make a point.  Usually it forces them to ask, “What’s your Sunday attendance like?”  People rarely ask, “How many people are in Bible studies?”  “Or, how’s the church doing spiritually?”

For pastors there’s a huge temptation to judge ourselves on the size of our congregation.  A pastor with a congregation of 20,000 is obviously a way better pastor than a some guy with a congregation of 20.  Or we judge ourselves on the degrees we’ve accumulated.  Rev. Dr. so and so is much more spiritual than some guy working through Bible college.  Or it’s the books we’ve written.

What makes us look good?  What gains us acceptance - recognition?  What gives the impression that spiritually we’re right on?

It could be a position you hold in the church.  Or a Bible study you’re a part of.  A ministry you serve with.  It could be your perceived contribution to the ministry.  Your involvement.  It could be the people you hang with.  It could be the boundaries of your comfort zone.

It could be the weight we give to people’s opinions of us.  Example:  How many of us - at some time or another - have been more concerned about what others think of our prayers than what God thinks?

It is  sad - painful - how many churches have become social clubs where newcomers are made to feel like outsiders.  Where prayer is really gossip in disguise.  Evangelism is routine - programmed in rather than the dominating culture of the congregation.  What motivates us is filling chairs rather than a driving burden for the lost.  Worship is about what pleases us not about what honors God.

Christianity in America has degraded to a religion of externals.  Christians playing church.  Little compromises with huge consequences.

It is way too easy to find ourselves trying to look good on the outside more than longing for righteousness.  To live for the recognition of others rather than the approval of God.  To live in our comfort zone.  To compromise with our faith. 

Paul’s warning?  That’s not what Christ has set you free for!  The issue - Paul writes - verses 5 and  6 - the issue isn’t circumcision or uncircumcision.  The bottom line - what counts isn’t what’s outside.  What counts is faith.  What - by the work of the Holy Spirit - what God produces within us. 

In verse 5 Paul writes that what counts is faith that waits for the hope of righteousness.

Men and women of God - who’ve experienced God’s righteousness - who’ve been set free by Christ - reborn by the work of the Holy Spirit - who are waiting - expecting - knowing that God will act.  Mature Men and women of God who’s desire is to live righteously - who are by faith trusting God - in deep devotion and commitment waiting on Him for His timing to lead them forward through life.  Godly men and women who are not trying to be righteous by their own works but are waiting for God to work His righteousness within them - even to God’s completion of that work when they get to heaven.

In verse 6 Paul writes that what counts is faith working through love.

Mature men and women of God who understand that they’ve been  outrageously and undeservedly loved by God - who are committed to work in love - to love others as they themselves have been loved by God.   To lift burdens - to give themselves to serve - to pray - to help - to care - to do what may be unpleasant but what reaps eternal benefits.  To love those that God loves regardless of who gets the credit or if anyone even notices.

Paul’s point is that living free - standing firm - means not compromising.  Being complacent with what God has called us to.  Compliant with those who would tempt us to something less.  Comfortable with the status quo.  Standing firm means that we doggedly refuse to settle for anything less than the life that God has given to us in Jesus.

Let’s go on.  Verse 7:  You were running well.  Who hindered you from obeying the truth?  This persuasion is not from him who calls you.  A little leaven leavens the whole lump.  I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.  But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?  In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.  I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves.      

One of the great controversies of the 1984 Olympics was whether or not Zola Budd tripped Mary Decker in the 3000-meter race.  Do any of you remember this?

Budd - who ran barefoot - was already a controversial runner.  When South Africa was banned from the Olympics because of apartheid - Budd applied for British citizenship.  The request was expedited which got her into the LA Olympics.

Just past the midpoint of the race, with Budd slightly ahead of Decker, the two came in contact but neither broke stride.  Moments later, however, Budd moved lower on the track and Decker stepped on Budd’s heel, causing Budd to stumble and Decker to trip over Budd.  Budd got up and continued but never drew back into contention.  Decker remained down with an injured thigh.

Decker whined and whined some more.  Budd was disqualified then undisqualified.  Major controversy.  Bottom line was that the tangle cost both runners a chance for an Olympic medal.

In verse 7 Paul asks the question, “You were running well.  Who hindered you?”  Hindered - in Greek - means to get in the way - to cut someone off.  Who caused you to stumble.  Who knocked you off your feet?  Who confused you?  Who led you to compromise with God’s truth?

Verse 9:  “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”  It doesn’t take much.  A little flick of the wrist an we’re no longer heading for Fresno.

Verse 10 - Paul writes, “I have confidence that you’ll agree with me on this - that the one who caused you stumble will pay for it.”

Verse 12:  “I wish those who unsettle you - who are hindering you - confusing you - who are urging you to compromise - that they - would emasculate themselves.”

Martin Luther rendered verse 12 this way:  “Tell those who are disturbing you I would like to see the knife slip.”

The New English Bible translates it this way:  “As for these agitators, they had better go the whole way and make eunuchs of themselves.” 

That’s a tad harsh.  Isn’t it?

The final words of the Declaration of Independence are these:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States… And for the support of this declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Steve Zeisler - a pastor over at Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto - commenting on these words of the Declaration of Independence - Steve Zeisler said this:  “Our history is a witness to us that freedom and independence are always attended by struggle.  It may cost life, fortune, and sacred honor.  Bondage is easy, but freedom demands vigilance and courage.  Their desire to be free, demanded of the signers of the Declaration of Independence that they go to war.  I hope none of us are so foolish as to believe that freedom of any kind is ever the natural state of man.  We tend toward bondage.  We have to fight for freedom.” (1)

The freedom that God has given us in Jesus also demands constant vigilance.  Compromise is easy.  Bondage is easy.  Freedom demands struggle - a determination on our part to stand firm and fight.

Paul’s words are sharp - pun intended.  To the point.  Strong.  Paul’s language - his point here - shows us that he recognizes that  (S12E1)  we’re at war - in the battle for our lives.  Our freedom is threatened.  What we’re up against is a serious deadly threat.  We are in harms way.  Standing firm demands that we recognize that reality as well.

Most people are way too comfortable with their compromised version of Christianity to take things as seriously as Paul does.  Paul’s words should stop us dead in our tracks.  They are purposely written to arrest our attention.

In verse 11 Paul’s focus is the cross - the weapon of war upon which our life as Christians was won for us by Jesus.  To claim Christ as our Savior - to stand firm in the life He has given us - is offensive.  It means choosing to remain on the side that is not popular.  To stand with those who are misunderstood.  Who will be isolated - rejected - persecuted - even by those claiming to be Christians. 

Harsh?  Yes.  But this is war.  This is not a time for compromise.  This is the time to dig in and to stand firm.  Let them be maimed.  Let them go to Hell.  Let them suffer the consequences.  Let no one destroy the witness of the cross.  On it the salvation - the salvation of the world - been accomplished.  On it we are set free.  

So, don’t be foolish.  Paul writes.  Don’t let anyone or anything bind you - keep you back from experiencing the fullness of life that God has for you today and forever.  Whatever threats or persuasions.  You are a child of God so live like one.  Don’t compromise.  Keep the faith.  Set free.  Live free.

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1. Steve Zeisler, “Standing Our Ground”- Galatians 5:1-12

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.