Inner Freedom The Only Thing That Counts Religion Essay

The gag is told about a man of affairs who boards an aeroplane to happen that his neighbor in first category is a parrot.A They take off and the air hostess asks what they would wish to drink.A “ I ‘ll hold a lemonade, ” says the parrot.A The man of affairs besides orders a drink.A After waiting two or three proceedingss, the bird starts shouting, “ Where ‘s my drink? ! A Stop fooling about and give me my drink! ”

The air hostess runs to him with his glass, go forthing the man of affairs still thirsty.A Half an hr subsequently the air hostess makes a 2nd unit of ammunition.

The bird orders another lemonade and a Wall Street Journal.A The man of affairs asks once more for his drink.A Again, after waiting a twosome of proceedingss, the bird shriek, squawking, “ Are you lazy or stupid? A I want my drink, and do n’t bury my paper! “ A The hapless air hostess about trips over herself acquiring the parrot his drink and the newspaper. The man of affairs still has nil, and after ten more proceedingss he decides to take his cue from the bird.

“ Hey! A Bring me my drink right now! ” he shouts.A Out of nowhere the air hostess, the captain and two riders grab the man of affairs and the bird, open the hatch and throw them out of the plane.A At 30,000 pess, the two are falling side by side.A The parrot says to the panicky adult male, “ Wow — that took a batch of backbones for a cat with no wings! ”

It takes more bravery for some people to make some things than it does others.A For illustration, it does n’t take a batch of bravery for me to acquire up and prophesy Jesus as the Christ on Sunday morning.A The worst effect I face is a cernuous caput in the pew.A There are those in the universe, though, at this really minute who face really serious effects for making the same thing.A They risk penalty, even to the point of death.A The bravery of others is an inspiration to the remainder of us.

That ‘s why the Hebrew author told about some of the tests faced by the saints of the Old Testament: A “ Others were tortured and refused to accept their freedom so they could be raised from the dead to a better life. “ A

Person has said, “ Courage is merely the willingness to be afraid and act anyhow. ”

Very likely, there is something which God is naming you to make that scares you to death.A May you blessed with the bravery you need to move anyhow.

GNB

Thank you for fall ining us for today ‘s edition of Word Alive with Derek Stringer. I ‘m Brenda Critchley. You know, many wireless Stationss around the universe take this programme – and we know that for some people listening right now – it ‘s the lone manner to acquire Bible instruction. If that ‘s the instance for you – we want you to cognize that we at the Good News Broadcasting studio here in England are praying for you and will go on to make so. Thank you for listening. Our supplication is that today ‘s bible message from Galatians 5 versus 1 to 12, will be a existent aid to you.

And for those of us for whom life is comfy – and we can acquire to a church and read a bible without fright of imprisonment – good – may we do the most of this privilege.

I ‘ll bit in from clip to clip – but over to Derek as we continue to research Paul ‘s Galatian epistle.

Darmstadtium

Thank you Brenda – and may be you could assist me out instantly by reading the first 12 poetries of Galatians 5.

GNB

Okay – here we go –

“ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand house, so, and do non allow yourselves be burdened once more by a yoke of bondage.

Darmstadtium

Mark my words! I, Paul, Tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every adult male who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole jurisprudence. You who are seeking to be justified by jurisprudence have been alienated from Christ ; you have fallen off from grace.

GNB

But by religion we thirstily await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The lone thing that counts is faith showing itself through love.

Darmstadtium

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and maintain you from obeying the truth? That sort of persuasion does non come from the 1 who calls you.

GNB

“ A small barm works through the whole batch of dough. ” I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other position. The 1 who is throwing you into confusion will pay the punishment, whoever he may be.

Darmstadtium

Brothers, if I am still prophesying Circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that instance the offense of the cross has been abolished.

GNB

As for those fomenters, I wish they would travel the whole manner and castrate themselves! ”

Darmstadtium

A sermonizer took the same text, John 3:16, every Sunday for five back-to-back old ages and ne’er preached the same discourse. Well, I could be accused of prophesying the same message for the past few broadcasts, merely from a twelve different transitions. And in a sense that ‘s true.

Virtually every paragraph of the Book of Galatians from the first poetry through today ‘s text has employed a different manner of stating the same thing, viz. that we are saved by believing, non by accomplishing.

Paul has marshalled statement after statement against the dissident legalists who had gained a bridgehead in the churches of Galatia-churches which he had established on his first missional journey.

GNB

But merely as we are non to turn weary in well-doing, so we should non turn weary of hearing the truth.

Darmstadtium

True!

I do n’t believe the Bible of all time repeats itself without ground. If Paul takes most of five chapters to do his point, it ‘s likely because we need five chapters before the point sinks into our thick skulls.

But before we go any farther, I think we need to look once more at poetry 1. Because it is the theme poetry of the full book, it is indispensable that we hear what it has to state:

GNB

“ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand house, so, and do non allow yourselves be burdened once more by a yoke of bondage. ”

Darmstadtium

Notice the unusual repeat: “ Jesus set us free for freedom. ” And so he says the same thing negatively to do certain we do n’t lose the point: “ Do non allow yourselves go slaves once more. ”

The freedom that Christ purchased for us includes freedom

From the wrath of God,

From the power of wickedness,

From the expletive of the Law,

From the dictatorship of Satan and his devils,

From the fright of opinion,

And from an impeaching scruples.

It besides includes

The freedom to populate with a new sort of power,

The freedom to love and give oneself to others,

The freedom of immediate entree to God the Father,

And the freedom to loosen up in God ‘s presence and truly enjoy life.

Let ‘s merely specify what freedom is for a minute because it will assist us to see what we have through Christ.

Full freedom is what you have when no deficiency of chance, ability or desire prevents you from making what will do you happiest in a thousand old ages.

The freedom of chance to make what we can.

The freedom of ability to make what we desire.

The freedom of desire to make what convey us ageless joy.

Suppose you want to travel and make some Sky-Diving.

You take a coach to the airdrome but a Sur blows out – so you miss out. You do n’t hold freedom of chance.

Let ‘s state you make it to the airdrome but you have n’t studied sufficiently to be cleared to sky-dive. Now you miss out because you do n’t hold freedom of ability.

So – you get to the airdrome on clip ( so there ‘s freedom of chance ) and you have the ‘know-how ‘ ( freedom of ability ) But all of a sudden you do n’t desire to flip honkytonk. You prefer terra-firma and the more steadfast the less panic! Here you lack freedom of desire.

The interesting thing is this. You might travel in front and leap because of equal force per unit area. But it ‘s non truly a free act because you do n’t hold the desire for it. You are like King Herod when his measure girl asked for the caput of John the Baptist. He did n’t truly desire to make it but did it anyhow. That ‘s non existent freedom.

You have freedom of desire when you do what you love to make.

But there ‘s one last demand for full freedom. You get to the airdrome with no obstructions. You have the know how for the honkytonk. You ca n’t wait to make it. You have freedom of chance, ability and desire – and you jump.

As you free-fall unbeknown to you the parachute has non been packed right. Are you free? In three senses yes – but in a critical 4th sense, no! Because you are non free to set down safely.

This is why it ‘s naA?ve for a Christian immature individual to envy person outside of Christ. They may hold the freedom of chance, ability and desire to make many things the truster does non experience free to make. They may make them but they are non free – because finally it will non hold worked out good.

You see, true freedom is non merely the chance and ability, cognition and desire to make something and so make it. But the ability, cognition, desire and action which will take to cognize declinations everlastingly.

Therefore echt Christians are the freest people in the universe.

GNB

Free from disapprobation, guilt. Free to entree God and bask Him everlastingly.

Darmstadtium

Absolutely – and these are great freedoms, but why does Paul travel to such lengths to emphasize the importance of keeping them? Simply because they are so easy surrendered.

We are prone to allowing the heavy yoke be placed back on our shoulders. We can be seduced by any figure of different voices. Religious leaders may bear down that we are non populating up to the “ existent ” Christian criterion ; the universe tells us we are worthless ; friends tell us we disappoint them ; parents say they will love us if we do better ; partners point out our mistakes and keep back their fondness. When we hear these voices, we instantly are tempted to prosecute the work-ethic engine that insists, “ I can make it ; I can make it. I think I can ; I think I can. ” We put our cervixs back in the yoke and seek to gain blessing through public presentation, puting ourselves under jurisprudence one time more.

Paul sees this as a really existent danger and he urges us to stand house and resist with all our might. We must non purchase into the impression that we have to win credence with God or anyone else by agencies of our public presentation. We must remind ourselves daily that Christ has set us free for freedom.

GNB

Eugene Peterson remarks really perceptively,

“ Freedom. . . can non be taken for granted ; it must be smartly guarded. It is non something that can be put in a bank vault and kept safe. It is non a privilege conferred, like an academic grade, that certifies entree to privileges and honours. Each twenty-four hours we must take up the stance of freedom once more. If we fail to stand intentionally and consciously, the freedom will be lost. ”

Darmstadtium

Verse 2 underscores this with a proposition:

Any attempt to obtain redemption by jurisprudence or works leads necessarily to four grave effects.

First: “ Jesus will be of no value to you at all. ”

That ‘s precisely what he says: “ Mark my words! I, Paul, Tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ”

Notice the peculiar legalistic issue he focuses on is Circumcision. In Acts some Judaizers had come from Jerusalem to Antioch and had begun learning the Christians, “ Unless you are circumcised harmonizing to the usage of Moses, you can non be saved. ” That ‘s legalism in its most blazing form- ” you have to maintain this jurisprudence or you ca n’t be saved. ”

Now Paul uses the issue of Circumcision because that was the chief legalistic issue of his twenty-four hours.

If he were composing in our twenty-four hours I believe he would utilize some other issue. No 1 I know of is learning redemption by Circumcision today, but there are plenty learning redemption by good character, redemption by church rank, or redemption by societal activism.

These things in and of themselves will non render Christ of no value ; in fact, they are all good things which Christ Himself urged his followings to prosecute. But if they are viewed as agencies of redemption, so that alterations everything. Good workss can really maintain you off from God ; so can anything else that is added to the forfeit Christ made. That add-on is equivalent to denying the sufficiency of His decease.

A 2nd effect of any attempt to happen redemption by Law or Works is that. . .

“ You are obligated to obey the whole Law. ”

GNB

Verse 3 provinces, “ Again I declare to every adult male who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole jurisprudence. ”

Darmstadtium

The favorite subject of the legalists was Circumcision, but Circumcision was merely one little portion of the Mosaic Law. There is no logical manner one seeking redemption by Law can halt with Circumcision. To be consistent he besides has to maintain the dietetic Torahs, the ceremonial Torahs, the tithing Torahs, the spiritual banquets, the Torahs on frock, the Torahs about how to handle certain animate beings, etc.

Break one nexus in a concatenation and the whole concatenation is broken. It ‘s no good a stealer stating, “ But I ‘ve been sort to my mother-in-law, and I have n’t kicked the cat one time this hebdomad. ” He ‘s broken a jurisprudence. And it ‘s no good expression, “ Oh I ‘ve been baptised ” if you do n’t love God with all your being.

A mirror with merely one cleft is still a broken mirror. We do non hold the authorization to pick and take among God ‘s Torahs.

GNB

I like William Hendriksen ‘s observation:

“ If redemption is by Law, why should one be obliged to maintain merely one ceremonial commandment, or even two or three, and non the remainder? If the tract to redemption is thought to lie in that way one should go it to the really terminal. He will detect, nevertheless, that the base from which he started was located in enemy district. . . and that the finish for which he is really headed is “ the expletive. ” ”

Darmstadtium

There ‘s a 3rd effect which sounds even more serious. If you seek redemption by plants, non merely is Christ of no value to you at all and non merely are you obligated to maintain the whole Law, but besides “ You have been alienated from Christ. ”

GNB

That ‘s what verse 4 says: “ You who are seeking to be justified by jurisprudence have been alienated from Christ. ”

Darmstadtium

Now whenever transitions such as this are read, some people instantly want to cognize whether they teach that a individual can lose his redemption.

And the same inquiry arises automatically out of the 4th effect, mentioned in the concluding phrase in verse 4: “ You have fallen off from grace. ”

Is Paul stating a individual can be saved by grace and so fall off from grace and lose his redemption?

I think we make a error when we take every transition that is hard to accommodate with one of our favorite philosophies ( in this instance, the philosophy of ageless security ) and rub down it until it fits. Would n’t it be better for us to acknowledge the awful, desperate effects of legalistic Christianity and to shiver at even the idea of seeking to lend to our ain redemption? That ‘s what this transition ought to make for us.

What is ‘grace ‘ ? The well known definition is first-class – G. R. A. C. E. – GOD ‘S RICHES AT CHRIST ‘S EXPENSE. But ‘grace ‘ is besides God ‘s action for now. So here is another manner of understanding it built on G.R.A.C.E. – GOD ‘S RESCUING AND CARING EXTERTION.

GNB

In 1 Playboies 15:10 Paul writes, “ I worked harder – yet non I, but the GRACE of God that was with me. ”

Darmstadtium

Grace is God ‘s effort in our lives to assist us.

GNB

Romans 5:21, “ As wickedness reigned in decease, so besides GRACE might reign through righteousness to convey ageless life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ”

Darmstadtium

Grace is like a powerful male monarch exercising His reign over us.

And we can lose God ‘s particular aid in our lives when we start believing Christianity is what we do FOR Him instead than what He has in and through us.

Having laid these four heavy effects upon us, the Apostle, in verse 5, contrasts the life style of the individual who lives by grace with the life style of the legalist.

Listen to versify 5 and 6:

GNB

“ But by religion we thirstily await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The lone thing that counts is faith showing itself through love. ”

Darmstadtium

In my sentiment Paul is stating through these two poetries that while personal attempt to go a Christian is hopeless and counterproductive, attempt as a Christian is really utile, so long as it is n’t geared toward gaining God ‘s favor or lauding oneself.

I truly necessitate to halt here for a minute. I think there is a flagellum of dead orthodoxy in the Christian church. Pews are filled with people who believe the right things, say the right words, and, for the most portion, avoid the worst of wickednesss. But that does n’t cut it in God ‘s eyes. “ The lone thing that counts is faith showing itself through love. ”

Does our religions make a difference in how we respond to our enemies?

Does our religions make a difference in how we drive ( route fury ) ?

Does our religions make a difference in how we treat our partner or kids?

Does our religions make a difference in our attitude toward the hapless and needy?

All attempt in the Christian life ( if legalism is to be avoided ) must be tempered by four factors: the Holy Spirit, religion, hope, and love.

Any attempt that is n’t generated by, motivated by, and exhibited through these four elements is about necessarily traveling to take to legalism.

The Holy Spirit is the One who motivates all positive attempt in the Christian life. Make you see the words in poetry 5, “ through the Spirit ” ?

Faith is the 2nd factor.

GNB

Romans 14:23 Teachs that “ everything that does non come from religion is sin. ”

Darmstadtium

Abraham and Sarah were weak in religion and decided to utilize human attempt to accomplish God ‘s promise. The consequence was Ishmael, the male parent of the Arab people. In a sense the ground we ‘ve had that atrocious muss over in the Middle East for the past 50 old ages is that Abraham did n’t let religion to take precedency over work. But when he and Sarah allowed religion to hold precedency, their attempts became really productive. Whenever religion works, great things are accomplished, the universe is shaken at its foundations, and God ‘s power is apparent.

Third there is hope.

GNB

Verse 5 once more: “ But by religion we thirstily await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. ”

Darmstadtium

“ Hope ” in the Bible ever refers to that which, though certain, is non yet to the full realized. It ‘s a equivalent word for “ assurance. ” Complete righteousness will ne’er be realised here ; we must wait for it with assurance until we are ushered into infinity with Christ in Eden. In the interim, we do non conceive of we can gain it by maintaining the jurisprudence or practising spiritual rites.

And eventually, there is love. Ultimately whether one is circumcised or baptized is non the issue. What is the issue is whether his religion is a religion that expresses itself in love-love for God and love for his fellow-believer.

Here we get our first intimation of the push of the last two chapters of Galatians, which is that grace does non supply freedom to make whatever we want-it provides freedom to make what God wants.

All attempt in the Christian life must be tempered by the Holy Spirit, religion, hope and love. If it is n’t, it degenerates rapidly into legalism.

GNB

You are listening to Word Alive with Dr Derek Stringer learning on Galatians 5 the first 12 poetries. We are doing the recordings of this series available and there are besides free transcripts we ‘ll direct to an electronic mail reference. I ‘ll give you reach inside informations at the terminal of the programme. Over to Derek as he continue with poetries 7 to 12 of Galatians 5. Derek!

Darmstadtium

Brenda – thank you. Now in poetries 7 to 12 the Apostle comes back to the legalistic unorthodoxy and indicates by his ain illustration that every attempt must be made to deliver those who are in danger of falling from grace.

The tone of this subdivision is one of strong persuasion. Paul is eager, in one last baronial attempt, to travel the Galatians off from the threshold of catastrophe.

He tries by first undertaking the affair of The Source of the legalistic unorthodoxy.

Verse 7:

GNB

“ You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and maintain you from obeying the truth? ”

Darmstadtium

The Galatians had had a good beginning in their Christian experience. They had shown marks of growing and adulthood. Then something had gone awfully incorrect. Person had cut in on them.

One can visualize a main road scene in which one driver cuts off another and sends his auto into the ditch ; or a scene on the inclines in which one careless skier cuts off another and sends him into the trees. Ultimately the 1 who did this to the Galatians was Satan, working, of class, through the false instructors.

One thing is certain. Their legalism did non arise from God. Verse 8: “ That sort of persuasion does non come from the One who calls you. ” Legalists are great at God-talk, but their philosophy does non come from Him.

The 2nd thing Paul does to seek to deliver the Galatians is to cast light upon The effects of the legalistic unorthodoxy.

First, there ‘s a tragic consequence on the church.

GNB

Verse 9 says, “ A small barm works through the whole batch of dough. ”

Darmstadtium

Yeast is about ever a symbol of immorality in the Scriptures. Its chief feature is that it spreads and permeates. So does false instruction, particularly, legalism.

The chief point here may be that the spirit of legalism does non all of a sudden overpower a church. Like barm it is introduced in secret, it grows mutely, and before long it poisons the whole assembly.

There ‘s an consequence besides on the false instructor.

Expression at the last half of verse 10:

GNB

“ The 1 who is throwing you into confusion will pay the punishment, whoever he may be. ”

Darmstadtium

Merely because immorality is distributing does n’t intend God will allow it to prevail finally. Fortunately we do n’t hold to presume duty for the judgement of the false teachers-God will cover with them.

There ‘s even an consequence on the Gospel itself.

That consequence is expressed by the words in verse 11:

GNB

“ the discourtesy of the cross has been abolished. ”

Darmstadtium

That may sound like a positive thing, but it ‘s non. When the discourtesy of the cross is removed, so is its power.

In verse 11 Paul seems to be covering with an accusal from the Judaizers that he excessively preached Circumcision. Paul did so at one clip, of class, in his pre-Damascus yearss.

He even encouraged his half-Gentile co-worker Timothy to be circumcised so that he might hold a more fruitful ministry among the Jews-an action that was twisted to intend far more than Paul intended. But whatever the beginning of the rumor, he surely preached Circumcision no longer.

And to turn out the point he asks, “ If I am still prophesying Circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? ”

GNB

I love the manner Eugene Peterson puts it: “ If I were prophesying that old message, no 1 would be offended if I mentioned the Cross now and then-it would be so watered-down it would n’t count one manner or the other. ”

Darmstadtium

There are so many churches that mention the cross now and so, but it ‘s so moire down, it does n’t pique anyone.

You see, to prophesy Circumcision is to state evildoers they can salvage themselves by their ain attempts ; to prophesy Christ crucified is to state them they can non and merely Christ can salvage them through the cross.

The message of Circumcision ( or any other sort of legalism ) exalts human attempt and is hence by and large popular ; the message of Christ crucified leaves no room at all for human pride, and therefore is by and large unpopular. Peoples hate to be told they can be saved merely at the pes of the cross, and anyone who tells them so will confront resistance.

Now the concluding affair Paul addresses in his attempt to deliver the Galatians is the awful earnestness of the legalistic unorthodoxy.

Verse 12:

GNB

“ As for those fomenters, I wish they would travel the whole manner and castrate themselves! ”

Darmstadtium

In consequence he expresses the desire that these false instructors, who loved to utilize the knife in Circumcision, would allow the knife faux pas so they would be rendered unable to reproduce themselves. I admit, it ‘s sort of awful for Paul to state such a thing, but what we must gain is that he is covering with a really awful unorthodoxy. Better to pique the esthesias of his audience than to see them follow these misbelievers into a Christless infinity.

I wonder if Paul were talking today whether he might state it a small otherwise, possibly something like this: “ Would that those who preach redemption by plants, would merely work themselves to decease. ”

To many in our twenty-four hours Paul ‘s look sounds class and his wish condemnable. But we may be certain he did n’t talk out of a malicious spirit or ill temper. He spoke out of a concern for the truth of the Gospel of grace.

GNB

Charles Swindoll one time said, “ Often we do n’t acquire angry plenty about the right things. ”

Darmstadtium

I agree. Some people blow a gasket when they hear of person mistreating animate beings and yet oscitance when told that 1000000s babes have their lives snuffed out every twelvemonth in our state through abortion. Some are scandalised when a tree is cut down but shrug at 1000s of people killed each twelvemonth by rummy drivers. We in the church can acquire all set out of form over a Bible instructor who is excessively Calvinistic, excessively magnetic, excessively dispensational, or even excessively long-winded, but we barely pay attending as to whether or non he ‘s a legalist.

Do we truly value our freedom in Christ?

Are we basking it? Are we willing to defy holding it stolen from us? Freedom should ne’er be a peripheral concern to us. It is cardinal ; it can non be taken for granted ; it must be smartly defended.

I want to do one concluding entreaty to anyone who might be swearing in anyone or anything but Jesus Christ to salvage him. If you died today and stood before God, and He asked you, “ Why should I allow you pass infinity with me? “ , would you seek to appeal to your ain achievements or your ain attempts or your baptism, or would you meekly bow beneath the cross of Jesus?

A sketch has a adult male standing at the concluding judgement. God had seemingly asked him, “ Why should I allow you pass infinity with me? “ , and he had given his reply. But God had one more inquiry. Make you cognize what it was? “ Is that your concluding reply? ” Let me inquire the inquiry one more clip: If you died tonight and stood before God, and He asked you, “ Why should I allow you pass infinity with me? “ , would you appeal to anything you have done, or would you appeal to what Jesus did on the Cross? A individual ‘s religion remainders on Christ entirely or non at all.

Stand house in that.

Make Jesus your concluding reply and the Gatess of Eden will swing unfastened for you.

GNB

Amons. Thank you Derek.

Today ‘s Word Alive has explored Galatians and it ‘s all about Inner Freedom – and by the manner – we truly do like to hear from you. If you have been helped by today ‘s message do allow us cognize. If we can pray for you it will be our privilege. Let me give you our contact inside informations – and do n’t bury – we ‘ll direct you free transcripts of this series if you give us an electronic mail reference. The Cadmium ‘s are available merely for the cost of our handling and acquiring them to you.

Word Alive is a Good News Broadcasting Association production with Derek Stringer and I ‘m Brenda. Phil Critchley has been our Producer – thanks for listening. I hope that you ‘ll be after to fall in us once more following clip.

Good pass for now and God bless you.