Title: Christ or the Checklist
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00:00 - Does the Christian Life Feel More Like Slavery or Freedom?
01:49 - Reading Galatians 5:1-13
03:24 - For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free
05:59 - The Pull Away From Freedom
08:35 - You Were Running Well, Who Hindered You?
12:12 - Why Is Slavery Persuasive to Us?
13:29 - The Mindset of Performance Poisons Our Relationship with Christ
16:54 - Paul's Strong Language Against the False Teachers
19:19 - You Can't Mix Christ and Your Checklist
20:17 - Potential Response One: My Performance is Still Tied to My Acceptance
21:50 - Potential Response Two: Freedom, Not Slavery
23:53 - Depend on the Law, Christ is of No Advantage to You
28:50 - Resting in the Promise of God
31:14 - Our Approval is Not Connected to Our Performance
33:19 - God is Still Pleased When We Fight Sin
36:17 - Our Faith Energizes Our Love
38:37 - Does Your Walk With God Feel like Slavery or Freedom?
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Galatians 5:1–13
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
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.
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, 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!
For you were called to freedom, brothers. (ESV)
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Jed Gillis shows how Paul’s message in Galatians 5:1–13 is a call to live in the freedom Christ has already purchased, rather than slipping back into the slavery of legalism. He explains that the false teachers in Galatia were persuading believers to tie their acceptance with God to circumcision and law-keeping, and Paul warns that any attempt to gain or protect God’s favor through performance makes Christ of no advantage and cuts us off from grace. Using the image of leaven, Jed explains how even a small dose of self-reliance spreads through the whole Christian life and turns joyful obedience into a heavy burden. In contrast, the Christian life is meant to be resting in God’s promise that righteousness and approval come through Christ alone, by the Spirit, through faith. From that rest, faith expresses itself through love, so that obedience feels like something we get to do rather than a checklist we must keep. Jed closes by urging listeners to examine how they relate to rules, success, and failure, and to stand firm in gospel freedom so that walking with God feels like freedom rather than slavery.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.