September 17, 2023

GALATIANS: WALKING IN FREEDOM

September 17, 2023

Charles Billingsley

 

As Charles opens our sermon this morning, he reminds us, as Christians in today’s world, we have a battle to fight, and a commander-in-chief to serve. Being in the Commonwealth of the state of Virginia, our heritage is deep in the history of slavery, with the Civil War being the final chapter that ended the fight against that terrible blight on our country. But just as slavery was at the center of the war in the lives of the people of America then, a different slavery still exists as we decide whether to choose evil, with Satan leading the forces of darkness, giving ourselves to him as slaves, or choose Jesus Christ, and live in freedom to serve our King as bondservants of Jesus Christ. May we have the wisdom to choose Christ and live forever.

Focal Passage: Galatians 5

You Are Free:

  • Before we begin with Galatians 5, let us review several terms used often in the book of Galatians, as understanding them is essential to comprehending what Paul’s heart, passion, and burden for the people of Galatia is all about: what was the “Law” he spoke of? What is Grace? What is Justification? What is Faith? What is Freedom in Christ?
  • Read Gal. 5:1. Paul begins this chapter telling us that God has given us freedom; what have Christians been freed from? In enjoying our freedom from the yoke of bondage to the Law, are there restrictions or boundaries we have to apply? What are some of those? If we abuse them, what can happen? Read Matt. 11:28-30. Why is God’s yoke easy? What does He ask us to do?
  • Read Gal. 5:2-5. What happens if you decide to get entangled with legalistic laws after salvation? At that point, what have you done to the grace of Jesus Christ?
  • Read Eph. 2:8. Does true liberty ever gravitate toward legalism? Read Gal. 3:10-14. What did Paul say in this passage regarding Law and grace?

You Are Free Because of Faith:

  • Read Gal. 5:5-6. What do we who hope in heaven base our hope on? How are we declared righteous? What is a summary of our faith? Did you include genuine repentance?
  • Can righteousness be gotten by works? What does James mean in Jas. 2:26 (entire ref. is vv. 14-26). Will God cast us away if we mess up?

Your Faith is Expressed in Who You Love:

  • Why does faith working through ________ accomplish anything (Gal. 5:6)? How?
  • Read vv. 7-11. What happens when you start believing the doctrines that the false teachers perpetrate? Once you have begun, and friends join you, what eventually happens to the work of the church? How can you stop it?
  • If the Law could save a person, why was Paul willing to be persecuted by the Judaizers? And why would Christ have had to die?
  • Read 1 John 3:7-10. Why is John saying it is so important that you love God, not the world, yourself, or the devil? Who else should we love? Who does that include?

Your Love is Expressed in How You Live:

  • Read Gal. 5:16-18. Paul now gives some “marching orders” as to living in freedom, not in legalism and not as a license to sin; how do we live in the Spirit? Read Rom. 6:1-4. Because God has declared us justified, does that give us license to sin outside the boundary of His grace? Read 1 John 2:16. What are the lusts of the flesh? If you live by the Spirit, are you obligated to fulfill the Law?
  • What is the secret to living in freedom within God’s boundaries?

Our Walk and Our Fruit:

  • How do we walk in the Spirit? Is one hour a week enough time to give to God to learn how to develop a loving, close relationship with Him? Read Gal. 2:20 and Luke 9:23. What advice is given so that our walk creates closeness?
  • If we say our Christian life is a “walk,” and not a “run,” what do we mean? Is it constant or casual? Consistent or haphazard? Explain your answers.
  • Read Gal. 5:19-21 and Rom. 8:2. What is fruit? Can it be both holy and rotten at the same time (Jas. 3:11-12)? What are these examples of bad (rotten, evil, sinful) fruits? Who are they from?
  • Read Gal. 5:22-26. What are the fruits that you will produce when the Holy Spirit is living in you? Will these fruits be beneficial to others?
  • FRUITS: Will our fruit be visible to others? A plant grows and produces fruit “of its own kind”: will it produce fruit contrary to its plant? What is the reason a plant produces fruit?

Close:

The last question is a very important one! Around it, you can tie the entire gospel of Jesus Christ. He lived, He died (was planted), He rose (came out of the ground), and began reproducing disciples through the apostles and disciples who saw Him alive again. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation, so that we would become believers who produce fruit, not only for our own enjoyment but to add more lives to the Kingdom of God, as well as to edify and encourage God’s church. A circle. A healthy plant produces healthy fruit, not evil, rotten fruit; a bad plant produces rotten fruit. A law of reaping and sowing. What are you producing? How are you living your life in Christ? Is your freedom enjoyable or is it so legalistic that you have no life left? Are you so busy trying to do good works and fix other people that you feel frustrated that you do not enjoy God and His exciting, wonderful, beautiful creation? Do you see yourself like Charles described himself as a young person—so vigilant that others meet his standards that he was causing others to reject Christ, rather than love Him? Let us LOVE others into the kingdom!

 

By Sandy Day

September 17, 2023

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