WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:06.719 Our passage of scripture for today's sermon is Galatians 5, verses 1 through 15. 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:14.320 Galatians 5, 1 through 15. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:18.480 For freedom Christ has set us free. 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:24.640 Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:34.079 Look, I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:41.840 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:47.759 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.320 You have fallen away from grace. 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:58.240 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:07.359 For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:09.760 You were running well. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:12.719 Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:16.239 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:19.439 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:30.159 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:37.120 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:41.200 In that case, the offense of the cross has been removed. 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:46.799 I wish those who unsettled you would be would emasculate themselves. 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:50.560 For you were called to freedom, brothers. 00:01:50.879 --> 00:02:02.239 Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another, for the whole law is fulfilled in one word. 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:05.840 You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:12.960 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:14.879 This is the word of God. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:30.639 Growing up in the Speakman household, we had many movies that we would keep on repeat. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:44.240 These were mostly movies that my father really enjoyed, so the guy movies, classics such as Rocky I, Rocky II, Rocky III, and the best one of all, Rocky IV, right? 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:51.120 I have probably seen more Rocky than any man who has ever walked the face of the planet apart from my father. 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:57.280 When we weren't watching Rocky, and as I got a little bit older, the movies got a little more mature. 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:00.400 Another one of my father's favorite was the movie Braveheart. 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:03.599 If you have not seen Braveheart, it is a phenomenal movie. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:17.439 There is this awesome moment halfway through the movie where the movie is based around a historical figure, William Wallace, and he's leading a rebellion against Britain. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:18.719 He's a Scottish man. 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:29.360 And halfway through the movie, the Scots have all gathered, they're gathering for this first big battle against the Englishmen, and the English army is amassing, and the men become scared. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:38.319 And William Wallace, the protagonist, rides up on his horse and delivers this rousing speech that is probably like the best movie speech of all time. 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:44.719 And in it, he says something like, I see my countrymen here standing as free men. 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:49.599 The question is, what will you do with that freedom? 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:56.800 Well, today, as we look at Galatians, Paul is going to ask us that question in a way. 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:05.759 He has spent the last few, uh, we have spent the last few weeks, rather, going through Galatians and seeing that we have been freed from the law. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:08.479 We are no longer under condemnation. 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:12.000 We don't have to strive to be accepted by God. 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:13.759 We can rest in Christ. 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:15.439 We have freedom. 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:20.800 Now this morning, we're going to start to look at what does it mean that we have freedom? 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:23.199 What are we to do with our freedom? 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:25.600 Here are our three points this morning. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:31.199 We walk in Christian freedom by hoping in Christ alone. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:36.319 It's verses 1 through 6, by guarding our freedom. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:42.560 It's verses 7 through 12, and by serving others, 13 through 15. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:50.160 We walk in Christian freedom by hoping in Christ alone, by guarding our freedom, and by serving others. 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:56.160 So first we walk in Christian freedom by hoping in Christ alone. 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:59.839 He begins, he says, For freedom, Christ has set you free. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:04.800 Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:07.279 This is a weird turn of phrase. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:10.639 For freedom, Christ has set you free. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:20.480 He means Christ came, he lived a perfect life, he died, and he was resurrected so that you could experience freedom. 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:24.959 You were freed so that you could experience freedom from the law. 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:27.920 You could experience a relationship with God. 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:35.759 So, stand firm, therefore, do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:48.800 What was happening in Galatia, where there were these false teachers who were claiming that in order to be saved, in order to have a relationship with God, you had to follow these rules and regulations set out by the law. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:58.639 Paul says that slavery, he spent this whole book telling us that that slavery, so he's urging the Galatians, stand firm. 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:00.480 You've been given freedom. 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:03.519 Don't go back to the thing that enslaved you. 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:11.759 He then starts to give reason for this, and this is sort of a repeat of this argument that he's made all throughout this book. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:24.079 He says in verse 2, look, I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:33.120 He says, if you trust in the law for your salvation, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:38.720 What was happening, probably, is these teachers were saying, Yeah, you have to believe in Christ, that's true. 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:41.680 But you also have to do these things. 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:44.879 So he's saying, hey, it's all or nothing. 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:53.920 You can either believe that you are a sinner, helpless, saved by the grace of God alone, or you don't believe in Christ. 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:56.160 There is no middle ground. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:03.600 Christ is exclusive in the sense that he is the only way to God. 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:10.079 The gospel plus works equals no gospel at all. 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:13.839 To say that Jesus saves me, but like I did, I did like 10%. 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:17.040 That's not true. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:19.519 It's to not trust in Christ. 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:20.480 Why? 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:28.319 Because, verse 3, I testify again: every man who accepts circumcision is obligated to keep the whole law. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:34.240 If you believe that God will accept you based on what you've done, you better be perfect. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:38.480 God is perfectly righteous. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.759 He has no sin in him. 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:49.120 And so, in order to be accepted by God, you have to be sinless. 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:54.800 You might hear that and just feel crushed by the weight of that. 00:07:54.959 --> 00:07:57.199 How could I possibly be perfect? 00:07:57.360 --> 00:07:59.519 How could I possibly live up to that standard? 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:00.639 That's the point. 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:02.720 You aren't perfect. 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:04.399 Christ was perfect. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:08.480 He has given us his righteousness. 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:14.079 But if we trust in ourselves and our own works, we have to be perfect. 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:20.079 So he's saying the law, trusting in your own works, it's slavery. 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:23.439 If you do that, Christ will not save you. 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:28.160 You will be of he will be of no advantage to you because you're not perfect. 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.600 You can't be with the Father in your own power. 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:36.639 He then continues, just making his point super clear. 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:41.360 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law. 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:44.720 You have fallen away from grace. 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:49.519 These verses have caused a little bit of confusion over the years. 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:56.480 So some Christians over the years, and I'm not saying these people were evil or wrong or not saved. 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:03.039 I'm not saying that at all, but some Christians over the years have said that this verse means that you can lose your salvation. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:08.639 That these people had trusted in Christ and they had fallen away from grace. 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:11.679 I want to be clear, that's not what this verse is saying. 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:16.240 Jesus elsewhere says, All who the Father gives to me will come to me. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:20.559 Not a single one will fall out of my hand, so we know that's not what this means. 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:37.759 Rather, what he's saying is that if we if we trust in the law, if we look at the law and we trust that our own works save us, what we are doing is we are getting close to grace. 00:09:38.320 --> 00:09:39.759 We are looking at the gospel. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:42.159 The law testifies about Christ. 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:44.720 That was the whole point all along. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:53.039 And so to trust in the law, we are looking at Christ and we are deeming him insufficient. 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:56.559 We are falling away from grace. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:06.720 We are getting right up against the gospel, looking at its blessed truth, and we're saying that isn't enough if we trust in ourselves. 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:11.440 We're saying, God, you need my help. 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.320 You've fallen away from grace. 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:19.279 You're severed from Christ, meaning you're not part of his family. 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:35.360 If you're here this morning, and this is a very traditional, maybe maybe not, but from my understanding, a very traditional Southern way of thinking, that Christianity is all about what you do. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:49.600 If you think you get to heaven by being a good person, what God through the Apostle Paul is saying here is that if you die believing that, you're going to be separated from God. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:52.639 You will be under his wrath. 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:57.200 I'm not telling you that to scare you or to discourage you. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:02.000 I'm telling you that because there's better news than that. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:07.440 Christ lived a perfect life when you couldn't. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:09.679 He fulfilled the law. 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:14.080 The law was to point to him, the one who would be perfect. 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.039 And he died on a cross when he did that. 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:22.159 He took the penalty that you deserved. 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:31.759 God's wrath that you rightfully deserved was placed on the one sinless man to ever walk the face of the earth. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:40.879 Because of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, God credits Christ's perfection to you. 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:49.120 It was as if you followed the law, just as he did. 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:52.879 And we don't have to work for this salvation. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:55.200 We don't have to strive. 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:58.000 We're not saved by works of the law. 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:03.360 We have access to this salvation through faith. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:12.720 He says, but through the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:21.679 For in Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision count for anything, but only faith working through love. 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:33.519 In contrast with someone who trusts in the law for salvation, Christians have faith in Christ, and it says we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:34.799 I love that phrase. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:38.240 The wording here can sound a little confusing. 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:41.679 That's because it doesn't actually translate well in English. 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:48.159 Most of the New Testament was written in Greek, and so sometimes they have words that we don't really have. 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:57.360 When he says hope, that word that we have in English, it's not what it means in Greek. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:03.039 When we say hope, we we generally mean wanting for something that's unsure, right? 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:05.919 I really hope it rains next weekend. 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:09.039 I really hope my football team wins. 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:12.799 I am a Titans fan, so that never comes true, right? 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:14.720 But it's horrible. 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:16.000 Don't do it. 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:20.080 That's not what the word hope means here. 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:26.879 In the Greek, that word hope means a strong assurance of something. 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:34.399 He's saying we have a hope of righteousness. 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:38.159 In other words, we have an assurance of righteousness. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:48.799 We can know for sure that because Christ lived a perfect life, died, and was raised, we can know for sure that we will have access to his righteousness. 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:56.960 There is a day coming where we will be perfect if we believe in Jesus. 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:02.960 Where there will be no more sin, no more pain, no more death. 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:09.840 By saying we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness, he's saying we eagerly wait for heaven. 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:14.559 That day when we're made like Christ is. 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:54.080 Well, when that happens, we can say, God, this is just a foretaste of what's to come. 00:15:56.559 --> 00:16:03.039 There's going to be a day where we are totally victorious, where there is no more battle. 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:09.519 In the book of Romans, Paul talks about how he still fights with sin. 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:13.200 He finds himself sinning even though he hates his sin. 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:19.679 And he says, Wretched man that I am, who will rescue me from this body of death? 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:27.120 Who will rescue me from this life of fighting and of failing? 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:33.279 Praise be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, he will rescue us. 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:35.200 He has rescued us. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:38.480 We have an assurance of righteousness. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:47.840 If we trust in the law, if we trust in our works to save us, we will be crushed by the weight of it. 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:51.759 We will never live up to the standard, that's the whole point. 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:56.559 But as Christians, we can eagerly wait for heaven. 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:01.679 We have an assurance of righteousness. 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:06.160 Christ conquered sin and death by his life, death, and resurrection. 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:17.200 And if we have faith in him alone, we can be sure that we will be perfectly righteous one day, either when we die and are with him, or when he returns. 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:25.359 So we walk in freedom by hoping in Christ alone, not the law. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:30.079 We also see that we walk in Christian freedom by guarding our freedom. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:32.079 He continues in verse 7. 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:34.799 You were running well. 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:37.440 Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:40.400 Paul is using an athletic metaphor here. 00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:43.200 He's comparing the Christian life to running a race. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:49.920 We have a ton of people in this church who really love running, and then there are others of us in this church who have common sense, right? 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:53.759 You're like, it's a billion degrees outside in Alabama right now. 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:56.240 What are you guys trying to prove to yourselves? 00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:00.000 I see Chris and Matt looking at me, like, man, what are you doing? 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:01.599 Why are you calling me out like this? 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:15.519 But no, you can imagine the frustration is if you were running a race, you were running a marathon, you were doing well, you were making good time, and someone came beside you and kicked your legs out from under you. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:19.519 That's what he's saying happened. 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:24.880 He's saying you were running this race well, you were following Jesus. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:32.559 You were on your way to win the prize, and then someone came by and kicked your legs out from under you. 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:33.839 Who is that? 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:48.160 He also important, it's also important rather to notice that the end of this question is who hindered you from obeying the truth? 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:57.759 Paul relates not believing in Christ, not trusting in Christ alone, as disobeying God. 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:10.559 Paul is making it clear that accepting salvation by any other means or adding something onto the gospel, it's not a small issue. 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:15.519 It's disobeying God, it's not running the Christian race. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:16.960 He continues on. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:19.920 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:23.519 In other words, what you're believing now, it's not from Jesus. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:25.680 I don't know who's telling you these things. 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:27.279 I know it isn't God. 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:30.640 He then says a little leaven leavens the whole lump. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:34.000 Uh, it's this is another illustration here about making bread. 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:36.559 Uh they would, when they made bread, they would use leaven. 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:38.480 It's pretty similar to what we would call yeast. 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:44.559 They would use a little bit, and this leaven would spread throughout the whole loaf, and that was part of the bread-making process. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:50.240 He's comparing false teaching, that you need to be saved by your works. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:52.720 He's comparing that to leaven. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:54.240 It spreads. 00:19:54.799 --> 00:19:56.799 It's not a little thing. 00:19:57.039 --> 00:20:03.279 Just a little bit corrupts the whole being of your belief, the whole being of your faith. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:13.440 A buddy of mine says it this way: that heresy is a perfectly good glass of water with one drop of cyanide in it. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:21.519 It may look insignificant, it may be small, but really we are drinking death. 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.440 To trust in our works, it's to drink poison. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:28.960 It's to condemn ourselves. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:38.160 The reason he's saying this, the reason that he's telling the Galatians this is he's saying, hey, don't mess with this stuff. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:39.920 It's not small. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:42.880 It may seem insignificant, it's not. 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:48.720 He then says in verse 10, I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:55.759 He means he's sure that the Galatians will believe in the true gospel and not the false gospel. 00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:58.640 It's so funny because he's warning the Galatians. 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:00.799 He says, Don't mess with this stuff. 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:02.319 It could kill you. 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:05.599 And then he says, but I know you won't. 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:13.759 I have confidence in the Lord that you'll complete this race, that we'll be together in heaven. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:16.559 And notice that his confidence isn't in them. 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:19.519 He doesn't say, I have confidence in you guys. 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:20.559 You guys are really smart. 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:21.839 You'll figure this out. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:24.240 He says, No, the Lord will keep you. 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:29.200 We can trust that God will sustain us. 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:33.680 If we have faith in Christ, there are many false teachers. 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:42.319 There will be people who threaten us, who try to teach us things that quite frankly aren't the gospel that would condemn us. 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:49.839 We can have faith, we can trust in the Lord, have confidence in him, knowing that he will bring us home if we are his. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.880 He is. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:13.599 Just as Paul is confident that the Galatians will believe in Christ, that they will run the Christian race, he's just as confident that these people who are teaching salvation through works will be punished. 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:18.480 In other words, that they will be under the wrath of God. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:32.480 I certainly don't want to be known as someone who is a fire and brimstone preacher, who is who is all wrath and never grace. 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:37.279 But we have to know how serious this is. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:52.480 If we subscribe to, or God forbid, even teach that salvation is through anything but Christ, we have a penalty waiting for us if we don't repent. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:55.680 God's wrath is real. 00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:58.319 We can flee from it. 00:22:58.640 --> 00:23:00.000 We have an escape. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:01.680 Jesus Christ. 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:07.039 But if we do not trust in him, there is a true penalty. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:08.240 There is wrath. 00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:17.440 Paul is not saying that if you have ever taught this or believed this, you're outside of the grace of God. 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:25.279 Christ's life, death, and resurrection cover all sins, even false teaching, even self-righteousness. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:28.240 Repent and turn to Christ. 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:35.279 He then says, but if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:38.480 In that case, the offense of the cross has been removed. 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:42.559 These false teachers, they were likely claiming that Paul backed their message. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:47.519 Paul is refuting this by citing his persecution. 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:57.839 If you read the book of Acts, Paul pretty regularly will go preach a gospel in a town and then get beaten like almost half to death, and then they'll leave them for dead outside the town. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:01.599 He's saying, I'm not doing this for fun, right? 00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:05.119 I don't just really enjoy getting the snot kicked out of me. 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:18.880 I'm preaching something that is offensive, that salvation is not through you, that you cannot be good enough, that would offend people and would cause persecution. 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:28.720 He ends this paragraph by saying, I wish those who troubled you would emasculate themselves. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:34.079 In other words, if circumcision makes you right with God, go ahead and take the whole thing. 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:39.680 That sounds harsh, right? 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:42.880 Like, man, I didn't know the Bible talked like this. 00:24:46.559 --> 00:24:50.640 Look, this shouldn't be like our normal attitude as Christians. 00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:56.960 Paul is writing in such extreme languages to get us to the point. 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:10.000 Trusting in our works, trusting in anything else other than Christ, or adding something onto the gospel, it is dangerous. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:12.880 We should guard against it. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:19.599 We are a new church, relatively. 00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:21.359 I think we're still considered a new church. 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:24.160 I don't know what the line is, but I think it's been like a year and a half, right? 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:26.000 So I'd say that's still pretty new. 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:28.079 And I've only been here for six months now. 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:32.480 I feel like at this point I can say pretty confidently, like I love you guys. 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:36.160 I think we are running this race pretty well. 00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:42.000 We are striving to follow Jesus. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:45.440 We're striving to follow his commands, to believe in the true gospel. 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:49.200 God's encouragement for us here is hey, watch out. 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:52.319 Guard yourselves. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:53.920 Guard your doctrine. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:26:01.440 There are things that we can disagree on as Christians, that's true, but how we are saved, who we are saved by, is not one of them. 00:26:02.079 --> 00:26:13.519 That is of the utmost importance, and we need to guard, we need to be careful with what we accept, with what we allow into our homes and into our hearts and into our heads. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:23.759 But even as we guard our freedom, we don't have to be scared. 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:27.519 We can have confidence in the Lord. 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:31.599 He has confidence in the Lord that they'll take no other view. 00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:33.759 And we can say the same thing. 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:37.519 We should guard our freedom. 00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:40.960 We should guard our doctrine closely. 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:45.519 We should have our wits about us, but we we are not to be fearful. 00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:47.359 We have a heavenly assurance. 00:26:50.559 --> 00:26:54.720 So we see that we walk in freedom by hoping in Christ alone. 00:26:55.119 --> 00:27:02.079 We walk in freedom by guarding our freedom, and lastly, we see that we walk in Christian freedom by serving one another. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:04.240 Verses 13 through 15. 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:13.359 He says, For you are called the freedom, brothers, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:15.119 I have a three-year-old daughter. 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:16.400 Her name is Charlotte. 00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:26.000 Uh, and one of the things that we are trying to teach her is whenever she gets in trouble, we tell her, hey, you can go to God, and if you ask for forgiveness, he will forgive you. 00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:28.000 He's faithful and just to forgive. 00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:30.720 It's something we try to say to her every time she gets in trouble. 00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:41.119 Well, recently she's been doing this thing where she'll do something wrong, like say she uh she took her brother's toy or something, and she knows she did something wrong, but she doesn't really care. 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:50.799 But then when I walk in and say, you know, all right, like we we have consequences for her actions, she really doesn't want that consequence. 00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:58.319 So what she'll do is she'll immediately drop whatever she's doing, and she'll go, dear God, please forgive me. 00:27:58.960 --> 00:28:00.559 Which is really cute. 00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:05.839 You still have a consequence for your actions, but it is really cute. 00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:11.519 See, at this point, she isn't really repentant. 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:13.039 She just doesn't want the consequence. 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:16.160 Paul's saying, as Christians, we can't live like that. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:22.640 We're not to use our freedom from the law as an opportunity for sin. 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:28.240 We can't just go and strive after sin and follow sin and want sin. 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:29.680 That's not repentance. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:31.599 That's not true Christianity. 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:41.519 Instead, we are to use our freedom as an opportunity to serve one another, rather, through love. 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:46.720 That's really paradoxical. 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:53.119 He says, you've been freed, so now serve. 00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:54.400 What? 00:28:55.279 --> 00:28:59.359 Isn't serving someone being like the opposite of being free? 00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:01.279 That's what he says. 00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:05.279 You're free, now go serve others. 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:13.839 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:21.519 The whole book he's been telling us that we're free from the law. 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:24.079 We're no longer under the law's condemnation. 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:32.000 Then he says, now that we have freedom from the law, serve others, and by doing so, fulfill the law. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:34.720 Why? 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:38.400 Because that's what Christ did. 00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:44.000 Christ had freedom, true freedom, no condemnation. 00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:46.640 He fulfilled the law. 00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:52.480 And he used his freedom to serve others. 00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:59.519 He then says, but if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. 00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:07.759 What he's doing here is he's comparing a Christ-like philosophy, a Christ-like view of others to a worldly view of others. 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:18.880 You're not to be combative, you are not to bite one another, not to be harsh with one another, or to use one another for your own gain, because it'll destroy you. 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:22.000 Instead, you are to have the mind of Christ. 00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:23.920 You are to serve. 00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:26.880 That's the point of the law, the law. 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:34.799 God gave it to us so we would know how to love him and love others, knowing that only Christ could do that perfectly. 00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:40.240 Philippians 2 puts it this way. 00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:58.000 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God, a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men, he became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 00:30:58.160 --> 00:31:04.559 The good news of the gospel is that Jesus selflessly served when he was free from all consequence. 00:31:05.839 --> 00:31:09.680 He had no reason, it was of no benefit to himself. 00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:13.759 Yet he served. 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:22.960 Paul here, he's saying that the call of a Christian is the humble call of Christ. 00:31:25.039 --> 00:31:33.599 One of the great lies of our age is that you need to get what you want by whatever means possible. 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:39.839 We're often told it's all about it's all about us. 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:41.119 It's all about what we feel. 00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:43.440 Do what you want, live your life. 00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:45.680 Do what makes you happy. 00:31:46.319 --> 00:31:48.480 And look, we're not against happiness. 00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:59.680 But we should not live our lives only concerned with ourselves, doing whatever we want, not caring what it does to other people. 00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:01.519 That's not what Christ did. 00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:06.079 Christ died for you. 00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:10.960 He laid down his life for you when you were his enemy. 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:14.319 That's the model. 00:32:15.359 --> 00:32:19.519 We've been freed from the law, so now we can follow that model. 00:32:20.960 --> 00:32:23.039 We can love one another. 00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:30.000 When we go throughout our days, how often are we thinking of others? 00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:35.119 When we make decisions, how often are we thinking of others? 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:41.359 Are we really thinking, God, what's going to honor you? 00:32:41.440 --> 00:32:42.960 What's going to serve others best? 00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:59.680 When we choose our house, what we do for work, what to do with our Saturdays, what to spend our money on, any other decision, our thought should be, God, how can I glorify you in this, and how can I serve others with this? 00:33:00.319 --> 00:33:04.079 That is the radical message of the gospel. 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:05.680 That's what Christ did. 00:33:08.799 --> 00:33:12.799 Back to that Philippians 2 passage, two verses before that. 00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:18.799 He says, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others as more important than yourselves. 00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:20.880 That's what Christ did. 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:23.119 He loved his enemies, he served them perfectly. 00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:30.720 We should use our Christian freedom to do the same. 00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:41.839 Should follow the model of our Savior, who loved us even when we hated him, who served us, even when we crucified him. 00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:50.720 We've been called to a great Christian freedom. 00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:54.480 We've been set free from condemnation. 00:33:55.680 --> 00:33:58.319 We don't have to fear God's wrath. 00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:00.319 Christ has set us free. 00:34:00.880 --> 00:34:02.559 We're to guard that freedom. 00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:04.480 We're to run carefully. 00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:12.880 We're to use that freedom to serve others, and all the while we look forward in assurance. 00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:16.239 We will not be perfect. 00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:19.119 But we know one day we will be. 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:27.440 We can trust God that we will finish this race and that one day we will be with him. 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:34.559 If you're here this morning and you have not trusted in Jesus, I pray today is the day that you would turn from your sin. 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:40.880 Trust in his life, death, and resurrection, and experience true freedom in Christ. 00:34:41.119 --> 00:34:42.079 Let's pray. 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:45.280 God, we thank you so much for the gospel. 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:51.840 We thank you that you lived, died, and was and were raised for us. 00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:58.000 We praise you for the freedom we have. 00:34:58.159 --> 00:35:01.679 We pray that we would fix our eyes on you and only you. 00:35:02.800 --> 00:35:21.599 That as we run this race, as we go throughout this life, we would be guarded, we would have our wits about us, we would try to serve others, but all the more, God, we would look to you and we would trust in you, knowing that you are good, that you have fulfilled your promises, and that one day we will be with you and we will be like you are. 00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:23.119 It's in your name we pray. 00:35:23.360 --> 00:35:24.000 Amen.