But here in today's passage, as Sam has already pointed out,
Paul talks about a freedom that is really very, very different.
This freedom sets us apart from the rest of the world.
It's what is behind discipleship.
It's what will allow Christ's people to reflect the love of Christ
to each other and also to the world.
And if we understand it clearly, it will assist us in growing as disciples of Jesus
and it will transform how we live each day.
And dare I say, it will also make a difference
as to where the Lord takes this church here at Chatswood.
Now, we've been exploring over the last weeks how Paul is challenging the Galatians
to not fall for the wrong teaching by the Judaizers,
not to go back to the way that they were.
They were to remember what they were saved from
and to keep their eyes on Jesus who saves by grace alone,
not by any extra rules or traditions we've seen
where they needed to perform with perfection
because we've also seen time and time again
that to do that you have to be perfect
and it is impossible for any of us to do that.
And we saw in chapter 4 that the Galatians were slaves
but they are now free in Christ,
meaning that everyone who is trusting Jesus is free.
We are no longer slaves.
Colossians 2 tells us that Jesus is no ordinary person.
Many of you will know that already.
He is the Son of God who came to save.
He came from the heavenlies and he broke into this world as a man
because we needed a saviour,
a God who saves us from our sin,
the sin that was taken on himself on the cross
so that we could receive the righteousness
that we did not deserve
and he took the punishment that we did deserve.
This was all to make us free.
Romans 8 tells us that what the law couldn't do,
Jesus did in being a sin offering for us.
And in Corinthians we read,
we implore you as on God's behalf,
be reconciled to God.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Or in verse 17 it says,
therefore if anyone is in Christ,
he's a new creation,
the old has gone and the new has gone.
Tim Keller says,
freedom is both the means and the end
of the operation of liberation.
And in Luke 4,
Jesus says,
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 to the captives
and recovering sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.
And in Galatians now,
in verse 1 it says,
it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm then,
and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Now this verse is really a summary of the entire letter to the Galatians.
For freedom,
Christ has freed you.
And then Paul says,
because you have been set free in Christ,
stand firm.
Well, stand firm is a military term.
It means to guard your post,
keep alert,
be strong,
resist attack,
and stay together,
hold the line.
And we do this by Christ-centred Bible saturation,
a core value here at St. Paul's,
and for very, very good reasons it's a core value.
It is standing on,
advancing with,
fighting for,
and resting in God's word,
the word that saves and rescues.
The word sets us free.
Now I know about this truth that we're talking about now.
I know that Jesus has set me free,
and I'm sure many of you also know this with all of your heart as well.
I love the Lord.
I have a good idea,
be it not a complete idea,
that my sin was taken on the cross.
What I have done wrong,
Jesus suffered for it.
My heart's desire is to serve the Lord until my dying breath.
My heart's desire is to be very flexible
and to hold very loosely to any ministry
that I have the pleasure of being part of.
My heart's desire is to see others grow
into being better at any of the ministries,
ministry roles that I am currently involved in.
My heart's desire is to always shine for Jesus
in my thoughts,
in my actions,
in my deeds.
Hmm.
But I don't.
I fail on all of those accounts at various times,
and I'm absolutely certain that you would also.
Now, let me explain something.
Many of you know the word sanctification.
It's a great word.
It rolls off your tongue very nicely.
I like saying it.
But sanctification is that process of being made new in Christ.
And when we acknowledge that we need a saviour
and we repent of our sins
and become part of the family of God,
a great miracle occurs.
We're taken from spiritual darkness
of this world into the light of God.
Our spirits are brought to life in Jesus,
where we were once spiritually dead.
That is called personal sanctification.
This aspect of sanctification
speaks to our being set apart
from the world for God.
It's an instantaneous act of grace.
And we're declared right before God
and we are set apart for God to use.
Ephesians 1.4 says,
For he, God, chose us in him
before the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in his sight.
1 Corinthians 6 says,
And that is what some of you were,
but you were washed and you were sanctified.
You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
and by the Spirit of our God.
This is positional sanctification.
It's set.
It doesn't change.
But then there is progressive sanctification.
And as the word suggests, it moves.
It is living out what that positional sanctification,
it's about living that out.
It's the process whereby we daily
become more and more like Jesus Christ
through the death of our sin in our lives
as we endeavour to live according to the grace in the gospel.
But we're aware that we all fail.
Romans 7, this is a famous passage
that you would all have heard most probably,
where Paul shares,
I do not do what I want to do,
but what I hate to do.
And if I do what I do not want to do,
I agree that the law is good.
As it is,
it is no longer I myself who do it,
but it is the sin living in me.
So this sounds a bit like a riddle.
But if Paul is confessing that he struggles with sin,
I take it that it's really okay for us also to confess
that we too struggle with sin.
The third sanctification,
I'll come back to the other,
but the third sanctification is perfect sanctification.
It's the glorification of which happens
when Jesus returns
and he makes us perfect to be with him.
And oh, how good will that day be
when Jesus returns
and we are made perfect to live eternally with him.
So we have positional sanctification,
we have progressive,
and we have perfect.
We live in this progressive section here.
The Galatians were saved by grace
and now they are needing to live out
what that looks like.
That's what this middle section is all about.
For the Galatians to obey the law
as being encouraged,
they would be turning away from Christ,
as Paul is suggesting in verses one to four.
But does it mean
that if they obeyed the law,
does that mean
that they would lose their salvation completely,
as it might suggest in verse four,
where Paul says,
if you follow the wrong teaching,
you have fallen away from grace.
Now, interestingly,
Paul knows these Galatians really well
and he has great confidence
that they are not going to turn
their backs away completely.
because we see in verse five,
he says,
but by faith,
we eagerly await
through the spirit,
the righteousness
for which we hope.
He knows that they're going to be
to turn back to Christ.
He has such a confidence
in the Galatians
that they will follow
the gospel of Jesus.
Now, this is a situation
that many of us know
only too well.
We have friends
and we have loved ones
who have declared
a saving faith in Jesus
at some stage in their life,
but they have lost their way
and seemingly lost their faith
and they are far away
from Jesus today.
We want to know,
are they saved?
When Jesus returns,
will Jesus know their name
and call their name
to be his own.
Now, let me say,
first of all,
nobody knows
what really is in the heart
of any individual.
Only God knows that.
But what we do know
is in Romans 8,
for I am convinced
that neither death
nor life,
neither angels
or demons,
neither the present
nor the future,
nor any powers,
neither height
nor depth,
nor anything else
in all creation
will be able
from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
But scripture also tells us
that we have a purpose.
Our progressive sanctification,
that middle bit
that I told you about,
will indeed confirm
if the first bit,
the positional sanctification,
was real.
Okay, so it's important.
What we're living in right now
is really important.
That is,
the way we live
reflects
if we are truly saved.
Now, let me state
very, very clearly
that that does not mean
that a person
cannot turn back
to the gospel
they heard once
when they were younger
or whenever
and that stops them
from repenting
of living far away
from God.
That can happen.
The story of the prodigal son
is a typical case in point.
That son,
he turned away
from his father,
you'll remember.
He lived a wild life,
but he realised
he was foolish
and he returned
to the father
with a heart
filled with repentance
and was welcomed
with open arms.
You see,
there are many
who live
as if it doesn't matter
what they do.
They believe
that once
they said a prayer
to Jesus,
a prayer of repentance,
and because Christ
offers forgiveness
and freedom,
they think
it's okay
to live
in any way
they would like to
from that moment on.
I certainly have friends
who live that way.
I have friends
who believe
that they are Christians
because they said a prayer
and they were baptised,
but they choose
not to fellowship
with any other Christian people.
They choose
not to actually
read their Bible.
They choose
to live a promiscuous life,
and yet
they still
are living
under
the wrong
attitude
of thinking
that the grace
that God
actually had given them
that that will cover
all of their sin
for all times.
Now,
earlier I mentioned
the older brother
of the prodigal son.
Well,
the younger brother
equally
fell for the trap
of living
how he wanted to.
he had a hard heart
and had
an expectant heart
of having everything
come to him.
He too
was under sin,
and he took advantage
of the grace
that was given
to him
by his father
as well.
This
taking advantage,
this living
as if it doesn't
matter
what I do,
this is called
living by licence.
It's
by rejecting
the call
to live
a holy life.
Verse 13
in our passage
says,
you, my brothers,
were called
to be free,
but do not
use your freedom
to indulge
the sinful nature,
rather serve
one another
in love.
Freedom
in Christ
is not
a freedom
to sin
as we saw
before,
but it's a freedom
from sin.
It's not
a freedom
to ignore
Christ
and his word.
John 14
says,
if you love
me,
you will
keep my
commandments.
Anyone
who loves
me
will obey
my teaching.
My father
will love
them,
and we
will come
to them
and make
our home
with them.
Anyone
who does
not love
me
will not
obey
my teaching.
These
words
you hear
are not
my own.
They
belong
to the
father
who sent
me.
The
Galatians,
on the
other
hand,
were being
encouraged
to live
by legalism
and add
rules
and regulations
to the
gospel.
Licence
and legalism
are different
sides of
the same
coin.
They are
both enemies
of the
gospel of
freedom.
Living
either by
license
or by
legalism
will not
save you.
There
is only
one
sure
way
to
live.
It
is the
gospel
of
freedom.
That
is freedom
from our
sin but
it is
also
freedom
to
something.
What
is this
freedom
to?
Well,
it's a
freedom
to love.
Verse
6 says,
for in
Christ
Jesus
neither
circumcision
nor
uncircumcision
has any
value.
The
only thing
that counts
is faith
expressing
itself
through
love.
The
saving
gospel
doesn't
give us
license to
live how
we want.
It gives
a freedom.
It gives
ability and
desire to
live how
God wants.
As
Christians,
we do
not attempt
to produce
perfect
righteousness
in our
own lives
by our
own
efforts.
hope is
not in
ourselves.
It is
in Christ
and Christ
alone.
More
than that,
the
Christian
life is
hoping for
what we
already
have.
This
sounds
really
very
strange
to the
world
because
worldly
hope is
not a
gospel
hope.
Worldly
hope says,
oh,
I hope
this works
out.
I hope
it doesn't
rain
tomorrow
because I
want to
do
something.
Gospel
hope says,
I know
that this
will work
out.
It means
that we
have total
assurance.
Paul uses
it in
verse 5
simply
meaning
that we're
awaiting
this
righteousness.
We don't
work or
strive for
it.
We know
that it
is coming
so we
can wait
eagerly
and not
anxiously.
What is
it that
we're
awaiting?
It is
a
completely
right
record
and right
relationship
with God.
Paul is
saying that
we can
live
today
in the
light
of our
certain
hope,
a
guaranteed
future,
a
glorification
and be
welcomed
by
God
and his
open arms
one day.
God
has
made
us
heirs.
It
doesn't
mean
that we're
left
sitting
on our
hands
doing
nothing
though.
By
faith
the
Holy
Spirit
enables
us
to
experience
the
presence
of
Christ
in
the
here
and
now.
By
faith
the
Holy
Spirit
enables
us
to
enjoy
the
commands
of
Christ
and
these
commands
are not
burdensome
but they
are free.
Freedom
in Christ
is
demonstrated
through
love
and
selfless
service
to
others.
Gospel
truth
is never
limited.
Gospel
truth is
never
intended
to
only
be
believed.
Gospel
truth
is
always
intended
to be
obeyed
and
shared.
Let me
say it
again.
Gospel
truth
is never
intended
to just
be
believed,
to just
be head
knowledge
that you
hold on
to
for
yourself.
Gospel
truth
is always
intended
to be
obeyed
and
shared.
Love
for God
shows
itself
in our
love
for
others.
The
two
are
inseparable.
Verse
14 says
the entire
law
is summed
up in
a single
command,
love your
neighbour
as
yourself.
How do
we do
this?
Living
in freedom
to
love,
loving
others
is
serving
others.
It's
about
not
wanting
everything
to be
about
me.
Now
many of
you know
that I
have a
six-year-old
grandson,
gorgeous
Lincoln,
and I
had the
joy of
having
Lincoln
stay with
me for
a couple
of days
in the
holidays.
Now
Link
is a
typical
six-year-old.
His
world
revolves
around
him.
He
wants
everything
for
himself,
be it
food,
be it
time,
be it
goods,
be it
anything,
he's a
typical
six-year-old.
He's a
gorgeous
boy,
but he's
a typical
six-year-old.
The sad
thing is
many of
us
adults
want to
live like
the
six-year-old.
I want
to live
like a
six-year-old
sometimes.
I want
to
actually
but that's
not what
this is
about.
Gospel
freedom
actually
helps us
to grow
up to
be the
adult,
not the
six-year-old.
Our
world
doesn't
revolve
around
just
us.
Now
being
free in
Christ
calls for
something
radically
different.
Christ
empowers
a change
in us
to love
in such
a way
that is
counter
cultural
to what
society
thinks.
Christian
freedom
is about
discipleship.
It allows
the world
to see
Jesus
in us
because of
the way
that we
love each
other and
the way
that we
love the
world.
That is
an awesome
responsibility
my friends
but let me
say the
great thing
is that
God doesn't
leave us
to do it
all on
our own.
We have
the Holy
Spirit to
help us.
Christian
love is
saying that
you would
deny
yourself
and give
whatever is
needed to
another
person.
There are
plenty of
ways that
we can
do this.
It can
range from
a simple
smile that
you might
give to
somebody who
serves you
morning tea.
It might
be a smile
for a
shopkeeper.
That's
Christian
love.
But it
might be
bigger than
that.
It might
be offering
to provide
a meal to
somebody who
is having
a tough
time and
just to
give them
a little
special treat.
It might
actually be
coming and
helping with
kids here
at Kids
Church.
It might
be helping
with kids
at ESL
or even
helping with
ESL.
And let me
just plug,
ESL desperately
needs a
helper on
Friday mornings
because we've
now got
two families,
so three
children,
coming to
ESL and
we cannot
actually have
the second
mum come
if we don't
have a second
person looking
after the
kids.
So that
would be
terrible if
we had to
tell that
mum that
she can't
come.
But we
can do
things that
would actually
help in
many and
different ways.
Here at
St Paul's,
you will find
in our
vision series
an abundance
of ways in
which you
can serve
here at
church.
But it's
not just
serving here
at church
and loving
here at
church,
it's about
loving out
in the
world also.
So there's
many,
many ways.
Might I
also say
that we
are also
encouraged
to love
and to
love means
that we
will resolve
any conflict
quickly so
that sin
does not
fester and
we do
not get
a bitter
heart.
Now,
we have
set as
one of
our core
values,
humble
authenticity,
where we
want to
deal with
hurt quickly
and appropriately
and with
the appropriate
people.
And so
that is
another way
that we
actually show
that we
love.
If we
cannot
resolve
conflict
here in
our church
at St Paul's,
we have
absolutely no
chance of
being able to
reflect how
to solve
conflict out
in the
world.
So we
need to
do it
well here.
That's
humble
authenticity,
one of
our core
values.
And,
you know,
sort of,
there is
no end
to how
we can
love and
serve,
my friends.
We need
to understand
that this
freedom we
have is
because we
serve a
new king.
We are
not obligated
to return
to our
old ways
of living.
to be
fooled into
living by
license or
by legalism
as the
Galatians were
being encouraged
to do is
just truly
foolishness.
We need to
understand that
we are going
to be tempted
because Jesus
hasn't returned
just yet
to take us
home.
And so in
the meantime,
when we're in
this middle
section, we are
going to be
tempted.
and when
Jesus
returns, he
will make us
totally new,
he will make
us totally
perfect,
he will
sanctify us.
But for
now, we
live in this
world where
temptation exists
and at the
same time, we
live with the
hope of
heaven.
But we
cannot stop
that temptation,
but we
can choose
what we do
with any
temptation.
temptation
because King
Jesus has
called us to
be holy.
It's about
being alert
to the fact
that we
all have
weak spots
and if you
don't know
your weak
spots, you
need to go
home and ask
the Lord what
your weak
spots are.
Where do you
get tempted
most?
What lies do
you believe
in your head
that make you
cause you to
live in a
different way?
Because once we
know our weak
spots, then we
can resist the
temptations when
they come.
Well, these
last verses of
our passage help
us with how
we are to
live.
You need to
believe.
You need to
know what you
believe.
Okay?
We need to
read God's
word.
We need to
pursue Jesus.
Be active in
our response to
the freedom that
Christ has won
for you and he
has won it on
your behalf.
It's about this
active pursuit,
being alive to
Christ.
If you are not
actively pursuing
Christ, then you
will be sliding
back either into
legalism or
into license or
maybe both,
depending on how
you wake up on a
particular day.
Friends, we don't
grow by accident.
If we never read
our Bible, we
never pray, we
never apply what
we learn, if we
limit when we're
around Christian
community, we
will focus on what
are worldly
things and we
will not focus on
Jesus.
You won't grow
because you are not
pursuing Christ.
Christ.
You can allow sin
to reign or you
can choose to
confess and to
grow.
Trying to deal
with sin on your
own will just get
you into trouble and
you will constantly
fail.
You need to
confess to the
one who has taken
it on the cross for
you.
But remembering the
gospel, preaching it
to yourself day by
day, you will
know that the
Spirit of God
will empower you
to receive the
grace of God,
to not only
confess the sin
when needed,
but will give you
a heart to
serve, a heart
to love, a
heart that will
live not wanting
there to be
anything that
stands in the
way of you
encouraging,
and loving
others as
Christ desires
for you to be
doing.
Why can we be
confident in this?
Because Jesus in
his death and
resurrection gave
up his life and
by this life gave
us a freedom to
love to the
full, to be
loved and he
gave us a
heart to serve
others beyond
anything that we
would naturally
choose by
ourselves.
The world will
have different
views on what
freedom is really
about and what
it looks like.
But friends, we
have freedom to
love.
It's a freedom
that comes with
the gospel.
Let's be the
church that
reflects the
freedom that
Christ has given
us.
Amen.