Galatians

Salvation by grace! Justification by faith! Sanctification by faith!

The Life Of Christian Liberty!

1. Living without the Law – 5:1-12

2. Living without License – 5:13-15

3. Living by the Holy Spirit – 5:16-26

Galatians 5:1-15

Living without the Law – 5:1-12

Verse 1:

Positive – “keep standing firm”

Negative – “do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

Verses 2-4 - Four consequences of accepting circumcision

1. It is of no profit

2. It puts you under obligation to the whole Law

3. It severs (renders inoperative) your relationship with Christ

4. It causes the believer to fall away from grace

“…you have fallen away from grace.”

Highlights the total incompatibility between the grace-faith way for justification and the law-

works-merit way. It is impossible for a believer to fall out of grace; it is possible for him to fall

away from grace!

Verses 5-6 – Values of the grace-faith walk

1. Expectation – “the hope of righteousness”

Hope in the Bible is a settled confidence.

Titus 2:13 – “The blessed hope”

Ephesians 1:18 – “The hope of His calling”

Colossians 1:23 – “The hope of the gospel”

“the hope of righteousness” means “the confidence of righteousness by the Holy Spirit.”

Verses 5-6 – Values of the grace-faith walk

1. Expectation – “the hope of righteousness”

2. Faith – Our motivating factor

3. Ritual Free – Rituals do not produce righteousness

4. Productive – “faith working through love”

Verses 7-10 – Condemnation of legalists

1. They are a hindrance to the Christian life!

2. Their message is not from God!

3. Their message endangers the whole church!

4. They will bear judgment!

Verse 11 – “preach circumcision” - Timothy - Acts 16:3

Titus – Galatians 2:3

“the stumbling block of the cross”

The offense of the cross is the humiliating fact that man can add absolutely nothing to the efficacy or value of Christ’s death and the grace of God it manifests. The cross, properly understood, always puts legalists out of business.

Verse 12 - If you think circumcision is necessary then don’t stop there…. apokopto – to cut off, to

amputate

Living without License – 5:13-15

“You were called to freedom…”

As Christians we are not free to sin, but by the power of the Holy Spirit we have become free not to sin!

“…an opportunity…”

- A favorable circumstance

- A base of operations

“…for the flesh…”

- A synonym for the sin nature or the seat of sin in mankind

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We are free in order that we may serve one another. True liberty expresses itself in mutual love and service.

The Spirit’s desire – service to others

The Flesh’s desire – lordship over others

Two applications:

1. Christ-like love fulfills the whole Law

2. Legalism inflames the flesh which produces strife