Village Church Annandale (Sydney) sermons

The Christian life is one of conflict, a conflict between the way or walk of the Spirit and the way or walk of the flesh.

There is a civil war within ourselves. As Luther says 'Christians are not stocks and stones.'

As we walk in the Spirit, flesh becomes increasingly subdued, but the conflict remains and it is fierce and unremitting.

Paul lists four broad realms of the life where the sinful nature impacts us - sex, religion, society and drunkenness.

Galatians 5:16-21 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.

If we love one another … we shall fulfil the law!

Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbour as yourself. 

We are not to use Christian freedom to indulge our flesh and as an opportunity for the flesh. Our freedom in christ is not an opportunity or pretext for self indulgence.  Christian freedom is freedom from sin not freedom to sin.  It is an unrestricted liberty of approach to God as his children not an unrestricted liberty to wallow in our own selfishness. 

Galatians 5:13

13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 

In these next two verses Paul makes it crystal clear that he is in a different world.  He goes as far as to stay that he would rather the teachers of legalism be castrated. 

Bottom line.  Think how awful it would be to be castrated.  Then think well it’s very very important that I don’t teach legalism. 

Galatians 5:11 Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offence of the cross has been abolished. 12 I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated!

It’s easy to see how the legalisms of the distant past like circumcision could get in the way of really trusting that it was faith in Christ Jesus.

And then there are legalisms of past generations, like no smoking, no drinking, no dancing, and even no tattoos. 

But, today what are the legalisms that Christians could get caught in.

It could be a specific program campaign like ‘Daily Bible Reading’ - that could become a legalism.  Or it could be a specific giving campaign like the ‘Intergenerational Gift campaign.’ 

Now they might be things that people like me (Dominic) think are good things.  But if they were to become ‘you must’ in anyone’s mind then they are terrible legalism. 

We need to jealously believe verse six, that what matters is faith working through love. 

Galatians 6:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.  7 You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion did not come from the One who called you. 9 A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough. 10 I have confidence in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.

What matters is faith working through love. Having celebrated that we have been set free by Christ for freedom, Paul explores the temptation to slip into the trap of legalism. His example is circumcision. But there are large number of contemporary legalisms that could be applied equally. All of them if they are seen as markers of faith are legalism traps. And if you give in then Christ is of no value to you at all.

Galatians 5:1 For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. 3 Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we eagerly await through the Spirit, by faith, the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.

As we arrive at the first verse of Galatians 5, we get to the climax of the argument of Galatians:

5:1 Christ has liberated us to be free ...

There is a freedom in Christ. This is the teaching of Grace, liberty, comfort and hope. It's not a freedom fro the government, or given by a foreign national power. But it is a freedom from God's judgement.

And if we have this freedom the need to be careful not to fall into the slavery of legalism on the one hand or libertarianism on the other.

There is a knife edge of truth to be walked that we will explore the next few days on Daily Bible TIme.