Galatians 5:13-18
\nPreached Wednesday Evening March 21, 2012<\/p>\n
Introduction:<\/p>\n
Like a bird out of prison
\nThat has taken its flight;
\nLike a blind man that God
\nGave back his sight.
\nLike a poor wretched beggar
\nThat\u2019s found fortune and fame,
\nI\u2019m so glad that I found out
\nHe could bring me out
\nAnd show me the way<\/p>\n
Thank God I am free, free, free
\nFrom this world of sin.
\nI’ve been washed in the blood of Jesus,
\nI\u2019ve been born again.
\nHallelujah, I\u2019m saved, saved, saved
\nBy His wonderful grace.
\nI\u2019m so glad that I found out
\nHe could bring me out
\nAnd show me the way.<\/p>\n
We sing this great gospel song. Glory to God I am no longer a slave! The Blood of Jesus has loosed the chains of sin, broken the fetters of guilt, and opened the prison of dead works. I am free! The Apostle Paul has been clearly preaching the freedom of anyone who has received the Gospel. Paul has been warning of those who would seek to entangle you again to try to merit favor through works, rules, and ritual. You don\u2019t have to be bound by that, you are free! You do not have to keep the Old Testament dietary laws, you are free! You don\u2019t have to be circumcised or keep the Sabbath, you are free!<\/p>\n
Ok, so I am free, what am I supposed to do with this freedom? Last week we learned that Satan is a wrestler who tries to get you off balance. If he cannot push you, he will push you, waiting for you to push back, then he will pull you in a different direction, but off the mark none the less. We started to discuss this strategy last week. Perhaps Satan would try to enslave you into a works mentality, a legalistic approach to your Christian life. If you resist, now he will step aside and let you go into a completely opposite direction, license.<\/p>\n
We must be vigilant as believers and keep out attitudes and actions in check. We must steer clear of the slavery of legalism while avoiding the pitfall of license. In our passage this evening Paul gives some very clear instructions about avoiding this latter problem. You see, Satan hates your liberty and wants to move you from it into some kind of slavery. Tonight we are going to see what we are to do with our freedom. We will see how we can use our liberty wisely.<\/p>\n
I.\tDo not squander your liberty on your flesh.
\nGalatians 5:13 (AV)
\n13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.<\/p>\n
A.\t\u201cBrethren\u201d \u2013 this message is to fellow believers<\/p>\n
B.\tAs a believer you are called to liberty<\/p>\n
1.\t We have been warned to guard that liberty
\n2.\tWe have been extensively warned about those who would change the gospel, adding something to either obtain or maintain salvation.<\/p>\n
C.\t\u201cOnly\u201d \u2013 Paul is putting a qualifier on this freedom, a warning about Satan\u2019s push\/ pull wrestling style. Freedom from the law should not make you lawless.<\/p>\n
D.\t\u201cOccasion\u201d = military term referring to a base of operations, a springboard or launching pad.<\/p>\n
E.\tFlesh = unchecked affections and passions reflecting a \u201cme first\u201d attitude.<\/p>\n
1 John 2:15\u201316 (AV)
\n15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
\n1.\tLust of the flesh \u2013 physical desires
\n2.\tLust of the eyes \u2013 fantasy, covetousness
\n3.\tPride of life \u2013 self promotion<\/p>\n
?\t Liberty + Love = service to others
\n?\tLiberty \u2013 Love = slavery to sin.<\/p>\n
John 8:34 (AV)
\n34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
\nII.\tUse your liberty to fulfill the Spirit of the Law
\nGalatians 5:13\u201315 (AV)
\n13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
\nA.\t\u201cBut\u201d alla- strong contrasting connective \u2013 the opposite of using your liberty as a launching pad for your fleshly desires it to use it to serve one another selflessly.<\/p>\n
B.\t\u201cServe\u201d douleo = serve as a slave, no room for self promotion<\/p>\n
C.\t\u201cLove\u201d agape = highest form of selfless, Godly love.<\/p>\n
D.\tTo choose to selflessly love is to continue in the freedom you have been given.
\nRomans 6:1 (AV)
\n1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
\nRomans 6:15 (AV)
\n15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
\nE.\tTo selflessly love is to fulfill the law.
\nRomans 13:8\u201314 (AV)
\n8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.<\/p>\n
F.\tAre you here primarily to be ministered to or to minister?<\/p>\n
1.\t\u201cBite and Devour, Consume\u201d = words used in classical Greek depicting wild animals in a life and death struggle.
\n2.\tConsume = spend wastefully, use up<\/p>\n
III.\t Use your Liberty to walk after the Spirit.<\/p>\n
Galatians 5:16\u201318 (AV)
\n16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
\nA.\t\u201cThis I say then\u201d = concluding connective. Paul is summing it all up by telling us the best way to use our liberty wisely.<\/p>\n
B.\tWalk in the Spirit<\/p>\n
1.\tWalk = day by day decisions to obey the Spirit of the law which is to love others \u2013 constantly choosing to serve others above yourself. It is a day to day renewal.<\/p>\n
2.\tIt is impossible to fulfill the desires of the Spirit and the desires of your flesh at the same time.<\/p>\n
3.\tIf you seek to fulfill the desires of the Spirit, the desires of the flesh will be weakened and rendered powerless.<\/p>\n
Romans 12:2 (AV)
\n2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
\nC.\tIt takes constant effort to walk after the Spirit because the Flesh and Spirit are at war with each other.
\n1.\t The inner conflict is actually an evidence of your salvation. With no Spirit, there would be no conflict.
\n2.\tIt is your choice as to which one you will choose to obey at any given moment.
\nD.\tThis is your freedom. You are no longer enslaved to the law, you are free to choose to follow the Spirit or to voluntarily enslave yourself back to your flesh.
\nRomans 6:11\u201314 (AV)
\n11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.<\/p>\n
Conclusion:
\nSatan is subtle. On the one hand he can get us to think that we need to do something to obtain or maintain salvation. On the other hand he can get us to use the freedom we have selfishly. I am free! I don\u2019t have to quit smoking\u2026 so you become a slave of tobacco, no longer free. I am free! I don\u2019t have to do any more ministry in church. Other people have to pick up the slack, and you have ignored the calling of the Holy Spirit only to be a slave to the selfish pursuit of your own leisure.
\nIt is no accident you are here tonight. You needed this message. It is no accident that this message dove tails with Sunday Morning\u2019s message, although I did not know it would when I preached Sunday\u2019s message. God the Holy Spirit wants you to be free, but not to waste your freedom by using it as a launching pad to pamper your flesh. If God has put His finger on an area of your life, get it right before we continue in our prayer service. If you are a Born Again Christian, you are free! Use that liberty wisely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Galatians 5:13-18 Preached Wednesday Evening March 21, 2012 Introduction: Like a bird out of prison That has taken its flight; Like a blind man that God Gave back his sight. Like a poor wretched beggar That\u2019s found fortune and fame, I\u2019m so glad that I found out He could bring me out And show me … Continue reading Use Your Liberty Wisely<\/span>