Galatians Chapter 5

Christ Has Set Us Free

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 7  You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9  A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10  I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

 .

This brings us to the third major division in Galatians. The first section was personal, and it was important for us to know the personal experience Paul had had. Following this was the doctrinal section of justification by faith in which Paul insisted that our salvation must rest upon God’s salvation and that there is only one gospel.

We come now to the practical side, which is sanctification by the Spirit. Justification is by faith; sanctification is by the Spirit of God. JVM

.

 1. Freedom implies what?

The concept of freedom implies the existence of bondage and slavery. Logically if there is freedom, then there must be lack of freedom.

 We were created in the image of God. God is the most maximally free person. He created us to make freewill decisions consistent with His character. His purpose is to create a race of beings who think and act like He would and who will function as His agents in the future Kingdom of Heaven. We will not be sitting on clouds playing harps. We will be busy and active and involved in the expansion and maintenance of the Kingdom. Adam thought he would obtain greater freedom by rebelling against God when in reality he lost his freedom and came into slavery to the forces of evil. Truth is freedom, the lie is bondage.

.

2. How do we resist believing the lie and falling back into slavery to sin?

 “through the Spirit”. The previous two chapters were dealing with the concept of justification. Justification being that God has declared me “not guilty” based on the fact that Jesus has “paid in full” my sin debt I owed to God.  This again is looking at me from God’s perspective, while in reality from my perspective I am still a mess.

This is where the Holy Spirit begins the work of sanctification. Sanctification is the renovation process in which begins to mold my thinking, personality, habits, and behavior into being conformed to the image of Christ.

For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Romans 8:29 (HCSB)

 We are not saved so we have “fire insurance”. We are saved for a purpose.

 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.   Eph 2:10 (ESV)

.

 3. Ok you’ve given me a bunch of theology, but what should I do?

 a. Stand firm

The choice is yours to control your thinking and not be deceived. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.   Romans 12:2 (ESV)

b. Do not submit

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (ESV)  James is not talking about some guy in a red suit with a long tail and a pitch fork. He is talking about the thoughts which Satan is able to inject into our minds.

 c. Do not become circumcised

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”

It’s a waste of time, just as anything we try to do to get God to look upon us with favor. Going to church, giving to the poor, Wearing a suit and tie, carrying a big black King James Bible, none of it impresses God. The only thing that impresses God is the blood of His Son.

 d. Do not fall from grace.

severed from Christ … fallen from grace. The Gr. word for “severed” means “to be separated,” or “to be estranged.” The word for “fallen” means “to lose one’s grasp on something.” Paul’s clear meaning is that any attempt to be justified by the law is to reject salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Those once exposed to the gracious truth of the gospel, who then turn their backs on Christ and seek to be justified by the law are separated from Christ and lose all prospects of God’s gracious salvation. Their desertion of Christ and the gospel only proves that their faith was never genuine.

.

4.” A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” How does this apply?

A small bit of leaven or yeast has a great effect on whatever it comes into contact. Paul is making the point that you cannot mix a little law, works, flesh etc. with grace.  Even a little bit of “This persuasion” is destructive.
There is a story of an old couple who lived way out on the Scottish moors. For 40 years they had lived by the light of kerosene lamps because they had no electricity at their isolated little farm. Finally the utility company installed power lines out to their little cottage and the big night came for the old couple to turn on their new electric lights. They flipped on the switch and basked in the new illumination. They were so excited, the electric light would make it easier to find the matches and light the wicks on the kerosene lamps.

.

5. So is love your neighbor as yourself a New Testament concept?

The ethics of the former OT law are the same as those of the NT gospel as indicated in the quote from Lev. 19:17-18 You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18  You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. When a Christian genuinely loves others, he fulfills all the moral requirements of the former Mosaic Law. This is the ruling principle of Christian freedom. MSBN

.

 Walk by the Spirit

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another

.

 6. Exactly what does “walk by the Spirit” mean and how is this contrary to “the flesh”.

All believers have the presence of the indwelling Holy

Spirit as the personal power for living to please God. The form of the Gr. verb translated “walk” indicates continuous action, or a habitual lifestyle. Walking also implies progress; as a believer submits to the Spirit’s control—that is, responds in obedience to the simple commands of Scripture—he grows in his spiritual life.

The flesh. This is not simply the physical body, but includes the mind, will, and emotions which are all subject to sin. It refers in general to our unredeemed humanness.  The flesh opposes the work of the Spirit and leads the believer toward sinful behavior he would not otherwise be compelled to do. Take your choice; these are mutually exclusive. Either you live by the power of the Holy Spirit which results in righteous behavior and spiritual attitudes or by the law which can only produce unrighteous behavior and attitudes. MSBN

7. How does the difference between the Spirit and the flesh manifest itself?

There is a warfare that goes on in the life of the believer. Once the spirit has come alive, now there comes this striving for the mastery of me. Will I be mastered by the Spirit or will I be mastered by the flesh? If I am mastered by the flesh, then I have the mind of the flesh. That is, my mind is constantly upon fleshly things. And the mind of the flesh is alienated from God; it cannot know God. The mind of the flesh is death.

But if my life is dominated by the Spirit, then I have the mind of the Spirit. And I’m thinking of God, and I’m thinking upon spiritual things, and the result of life and joy and peace in the holy Spirit. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and joy and peace. The warfare going on. Am I going to yield to my flesh, or am I going to yield to the Spirit? And this comes up every day in many situations, and I have actually the choice in this situation. CSTTB

Paul was personally very aware of the struggle, indeed the warfare, which rages between the Spirit and the Flesh.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ………………… For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?   Romans 7:15-25 (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, ……………..5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. Romans 8:1-9 (NKJV)

.

8. How does Paul define the works of the flesh?

These sins characterize all unredeemed mankind living under the impotent commands of the law which produces only iniquity, though not every person manifests all these sins nor exhibits them to the same degree. Paul’s list, which is not exhaustive, encompasses 3 areas of human life: sex, religion, and human relationships.

a. sexual immorality    The Gr. word is porneia, from which the Eng. word “pornography” comes. It refers to all illicit sexual activity, including (but not limited to) adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, bestiality, incest, and prostitution.

b. impurity—(akatharsia) impurity, sexual sins including pornography

c. sensuality,

d. idolatry worship of idols (this includes money and everything that takes the place of God)

e. sorcery, The Gr. word pharmakeia, from which the Eng. word “pharmacy” comes, originally referred to medicines in general, but eventually only to mood-and mind-altering drugs, as well as the occult, witchcraft, and magic. Many pagan religious practices required the use of these drugs to aid in the communication with deities.

f. enmity Enmities, quarrels, hatred (Gr. echthrai, hostilities)

g. strife, discord, variance (Gr. eris, antagonism)

h. jealousy, Jealousy, envy, emulation (Gr. zelos, self-centered animosity)

i. fits of anger, Outbursts of anger, fits of rage, wrath (Gr. thymoi, temper eruptions)

j. rivalries, Disputes, strife, factions selfishness, selfish ambition (Gr. eritheiai, putting others down to get ahead)

k. dissensions, Factions, heresies, party spirit (Gr. haireseis, divisions over issues or personalities)

l. divisions, seditions (Gr. dichostasiai, disputes over issues or personalities)

m. envy, , jealousies (Gr. phthonoi, wrong desires to have another’s possessions)

n. drunkenness, In the OT, wine was associated with joy and celebrationbut when abused was seen as being highly destructive, and drunkenness is consistently condemned throughout Scripture.

o. orgies, Probably a specific reference to the orgies that characterized pagan, idolatrous worship. Generally, it refers to all rowdy, boisterous, and crude behavior.

p. and things like these… these are just examples of a very long list.

9. So if you do these things you are lost and going to hell?

 “will not inherit the kingdom of God”

Habitual action. Although believers undoubtedly can commit these sins, those people whose basic character is summed up in the uninterrupted and unrepentant practice of them cannot belong to God. The unregenerate are barred from entering the spiritual kingdom of redeemed people over whom Christ now rules, and they will be excluded from His millennial kingdom and the eternal state of blessing that follows it.

10. How does Paul define the evidence of the Holy Spirit within us, “the fruit of the Holy Spirit”?

a. love. One of several Gr. words for love, agape, is the love of choice, referring not to an emotional affection, physical attraction, or a familial bond, but to respect, devotion, and affection that leads to willing, self-sacrificial service

b. joy. A happiness based on unchanging divine promises and eternal spiritual realities. It is the sense of well being experienced by one who knows all is well between himself and the Lord. Joy is not the result of favorable circumstances, and even occurs when those circumstances are the most painful and severe. Joy is a gift from God, and as such, believers are not to manufacture it but to delight in the blessing they already possess.

c. peace. The inner calm that results from confidence in one’s saving relationship with Christ. The verb form denotes binding together and is reflected in the expression “having it all together.” Like joy, peace is not related to one’s circumstances.

d. patience. The ability to endure injuries inflicted by others and the willingness to accept irritating or painful situations.

e. kindness. Tender concern for others, reflected in a desire to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats all believers.

f. goodness. Moral and spiritual excellence manifested in active kindness. Believers are commanded to exemplify goodness.

g. faithfulness. Loyalty and trustworthiness.

h. gentleness. Better translated “meekness.” It is a humble and gentle attitude that is patiently submissive in every offense, while having no desire for revenge or retribution. In the NT, it is used to describe 3 attitudes: submission to the will of God, teachability (Jas 1:21), and consideration of others.

 i. self-control. This refers to restraining passions and appetites.

.

11. “against such things there is no law”? Would it be possible to write a law defining how much kindness people must exhibit and the penalties for not being kind enough?

 Who would be the kindness judge?

• ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Notes

• MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
• NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
• JVM ….J Vernon McGee,
• ACC …. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
• BN …..Barnes Notes
• WBC……   Wycliffe Bible Commentary
• CN …… Constables Notes
• IC……….Ironside Commentary
• NET………Net Bible Study Notes.
• JFB…………..Jamieson  Fausset  Brown Commentary
• VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
• CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark

• BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
• Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
• Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
• NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary:  Matthew and Mark. 

         CSTTB……………………………………Chuck Smith Thru the Bible

 “Fair Use “ Notice – Title 17 U.S.C. section 107

The above post may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, social justice, for the purpose of historical debate, and to advance the understanding of Christian conservative issues.  It is believed that this constitutes a ”fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the Copyright Law. In accordance with the title 17 U.S. C. section 107, the material in this post is shown without profit to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.