Galatians: Jesus Is Our Liberty
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PREACHING CHRIST THROUGH THE BIBLE |
Galatians: Jesus is our Liberty
Good morning BCI. Thank you allowing me to stand up here and speak to you this morning. For those of you who don’t know me personally, I have deep roots here at BCI. My mother, Rechie Albano, was Bishop Jerry’s classmate at BBS&I and my father pastored a few churches here in NJ before we moved out west to California. While growing up, I was able to be around some of the most spiritual and theological minds in the Filipino community. Our neighbors were The Villamaters, The Sera Josefs are my ninong and ninang (my godparents), The Moreno’s are my cousins, The Lepasana’s were our closest of friends, along with many, many more. With all that being said, even though I grew up in the church, I have NEVER ever found myself behind the pulpit. In my family, we are either in the ministry or the medical field and I am an accountant. So please bear with me as I work these nerves out.
I remember a lot of my firsts, and as I was writing and prepping for my 1st ever preaching opportunity today, I realized I reference what I love the most. So, it’s easy to understand why Paul was so passionate about his epistles and Galatia, specifically.
See, Paul visited Galatia on his 1st missionary journey through Asia Minor AND because he loved them, he wrote this epistle to help them understand that Faith in Jesus is our Liberty. According to the Oxford Languages, Liberty is defined as; ‘the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views.’ If our liberty is in Christ, that means our freedom lies with Him. Paul’s close relationship to the churches in Galatia helps to explain the extremely strong tone he took with them from the very beginning of the letter. The Galatians were being told by the false teachers that their salvation isn’t just dependent on faith but ALSO by adhering to the Mosaic Law. Paul wanted to remind the Christians at Galatia that this wasn’t true. Rather, they should focus on faith in Christ. Living by faith and NOT law is how you will be justified.
Galatians 5:1 – 6, ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.’
Paul is saying if you’re living for anything that is finite, like tradition and law, then you are burdened and enslaved to that, BUT if you live by faith, you are liberated in Christ
I’m not going to speak to you today about following God’s law or why you should obey Him. The message I want to convey is HOW living in Hope, Love, and in the Spirit is liberating. How living in those is living a life of freedom in and of itself.
1. Living in Hope is Liberating (v5 – ‘For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.’)
a. The Greek translation of ‘Hope’ according to Strong’s Concordance is ‘Elpis’ which means expectation, trust, and confidence. The root word ‘elpo’ means to anticipate (with pleasure) and to welcome. Elpis is an expectation of what is guaranteed.
b. There is NO uncertainty when living in Hope. Because we live in Hope, this includes our ultimate glorification. (Romans 8:18-25, 1 Peter 1:3-4, 13). With our salvation, we eagerly wait for our deliverance or Christs’ return, whichever comes first. I’m impartial to either.
2. Living in Love is Liberating (v6 – ‘For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.’)
a. Circumcised : Moral Achievement :: Uncircumcised : Debauchery. (NOT TRUE)
i. When we disobey, God still loves us. When we obey, God still loves us… God doesn’t love me because I obey Him, the only reason I obey Him is because God loves me. God doesn’t love you less because you’ve failed or disobeyed, He loves you so much he’s given you the foresight to see that you have. His love has allowed us an opportunity to evaluate ourselves and to be humble AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD FOR THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE (Romans 8:28). That is why I obey, because God loves me, and not the other way around.
b. God’s love NEVER fades.
3. Living in The Spirit is Liberating (v16 – This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fufil the lust of the flesh.)
a. If you’re doing ‘good works’ for/to others for yourself you aren’t loving others, you’re loving yourself.
b. Your freedom lies in the Spirit ONLY when you’ve come to the realization that you have never done anything good to merit salvation. You are a sinner saved by Grace.
c. Walking "by the Spirit" means living moment by moment, submissively trusting in the Holy Spirit rather than in self.
i. 'Walk by the Spirit' means let your conduct be directed by the Spirit.
ii. Regulate your lives by the rule of the Spirit.
iii. To 'Walk by the Spirit' means to be under the constant, moment-by-moment direction, control, and guidance of the Spirit.
iv. Our flesh is characterized by lust (v17 – For the flesh lusteth 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 the ye would.)
1. The Works of the Flesh
a. Sexual sins (v19)
b. Religious sins (v20)
c. Societal sins v20-21)
d. Intemperate sins (v21)
e. Other sins (v21)
2. The Fruit of the Spirit
a. Mental or God-ward qualities (v22)
b. Interpersonal or other-ward qualities (v22)
c. General or self-ward qualities (v22-23)
v. Paul made clear that justification—an act of grace through faith—need not result in a sinful lifestyle. Because Christians have been freed from bondage to the sinful nature, we now have the path of holiness open to us.
Conclusion:
Freedom isn’t about obligation, it’s about liberty and the ability to experience Jesus in Hope, Love, and in the Spirit. Galatians 3:11, ‘But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.’ Use Paul’s words in Galatians as an encouragement to pursue a life of holiness, not in your own strength but in the knowledge of God’s empowering grace in your life. When we have the assurance of Heaven, how do you live while here on Earth? If you don’t have the pleasure of knowing Jesus as your personal Lord and saviour, it is my prayer that you reach out and ask. It is my hope that you are curious enough to know what true freedom feels like to reach out to Bishop Jerry, the Pastors, the deacons, or the person next to you and ask about Jesus.
-Bro. James Albano