1. Introduction
a. Freedom 1
b. Scripture Reading
2. Christ’s Freedom (v 1)
a. Verse 1: It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
b. Precious Liberty
i. Its Source
ii. Its Richness
c. Danger! Shackles Ahead!
i. Be Steadfast
ii. Be on Guard 2
3. Sneaky Circumcision (vv 2-3)
a. Verse 2: Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
b. A Strong Statement
i. Paul Takes Full Responsibility
ii. Paul Cashes in His Credits
c. A Harmful Action
i. Circumcision Symbolic 3
ii. It Hinders Christ’s Work
d. Verse 3: And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
e. The First Fatal Step
i. A Small Step
ii. A Dangerous Result
f. From Benefit to Impediment
i. Seemingly Slight
ii. A Great Obligation
4. The Thin End of the Wedge (v 4)
a. Verse 4: You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
b. The Relationship Severed 4
c. A Misplaced Trust
5. The Christian’s Five Life Elements (v 5)
a. Verse 5: For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
b. Five Words
i. The Holy Spirit
ii. Faith
iii. Eager Anticipation
iv. Hope
v. Righteousness
6. How Should We Act? (v 6)
a. Verse 6: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
b. The Pointless Externals
i. Those Illustrated Here
ii. Other Forms of Legalism
c. Biblical Good Works
i. The Great Commandments
ii. Our Guidance 5
1 Galatians 5:1-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danger to Freedom in Christ
1. Introduction
a. Freedom
i. John, chapter 8, records Jesus teaching on the Mount of Olives
(1) it was to a mixed group of people
(2) there were some Pharisees there seeking to trap Him with words
(3) there were some who followed Jesus at various stages of belief
ii. to this crowd, John writes that, ‘31 Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”’ (John 8:31-32)
(1) and then, ‘They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You shall become free’?”’ (John 8:33)
(2) now this they said knowing full well that as a nation they had been for the past six centuries ruled over in turn by the Chaldeans, the Persians and Medes, the Greeks and the Romans
(3) but Jesus was talking about a longer and fuller form of slavery, that had been evident from the first day of the nation under Moses and all through the OT: their slavery to sin
(4) then He makes this wonderful statement: ‘”If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”’ (John 8:36) and later adds, verse 39, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.”
iii. in the letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul has made use of much the same form of argument, for indeed, the bondage to the Law and the bondage to sin are two sides of the same coin
b. Scripture Reading. Galatians 5:1-6 (NKJV) – 1 ¶ Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
2. Christ’s Freedom (v 1)
a. Verse 1: It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
i. some translations make this verse one long command
ii. but in my opinion it is better rendered as the NASB does here with a statement followed by a command
iii. it begins by describing a very …
b. Precious Liberty
i. Its Source
(1) was from Jesus Christ Himself
(2) in fact it was a purpose of His work of bringing salvation
(3) that man who had been enslaved since Adam and Eve should be restored so as to have freedom to approach God
ii. Its Richness
(1) can be assessed by that fact: it has taken us out of the prison house of sin into the heavenly palace of the Creator
(2) this is what underlies our speaking of Jesus as our Redeemer
(3) that he paid the price to bring us into this freedom
c. Danger! Shackles Ahead!
i. Be Steadfast
(1) it is the richness of that freedom for which we have been saved
(2) that brings in the last part of verse 1 the warning command
(a) we are to keep standing firm in that new status and position into which we have been placed
(b) we are to avoid the slippery slope that would return us to our former state
(c) but to keep ourselves planted on the firm foundation of faith in our Saviour
ii. Be on Guard
(1) lest we slide back into man-based, that is, self-based, religion
(a) with our dependence on the merit of our own works
(b) rather than upon God’s grace made known to us in the gospel
(2) for if in any way we should return to “circumcision” which in our day stands for any form of “Christian” legalism
(a) then we are back in the shackles again
(b) bearing once more the heavy yoke of slavery
(c) when Christ’s invitation and desire for us is stated as, “For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” (Matthew 11:30)
3. Sneaky Circumcision (vv 2-3)
a. Verse 2: Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
i. this verse begins with a command: “Behold!”
ii. which tells us that we should mark very carefully what follows
iii. it’s as if someone were to call out to you, “Look out!”
b. A Strong Statement
i. Paul Takes Full Responsibility
(1) the next two words in this verse are also emphatic: “I, Paul”
(a) more so in the Greek original, perhaps, than in English
(b) Paul consciously directs attention to himself
(2) first of all, these words draw attention to his apostolic authority which has already been made clear earlier in this letter; then
ii. Paul Cashes in His Credits
(1) with these Galatian Christians Paul has other reasons that they should listen to him, halt what they are doing and pay attention
(2) which he has explained in the preceding chapters
(a) he is the one who first brought the gospel to them
(b) and there has existed a mutual tenderness between them
(3) and now they should attend to him for those reasons
c. A Harmful Action
i. Circumcision Symbolic
(1) it is not likely that anyone in this day and age is going to pursue you in an attempt to have you circumcised
(a) that was a mark on males that indicated they were a part of God’s OT people
(b) but in Christ, the relationship of God’s people is much deeper
(c) and it is devoid of gender connotations for as has been stated earlier in Galatians 3:28, “…there is neither male nor female…”
(2) but circumcision does represent that which is very prevalent today, as mentioned before, legalism in Christ’s church
(a) a real Christian must dress in an unfashionable fashion
(b) or there are certain activities which are forbidden
(c) or as someone has said, “Christians aren’t allowed to have fun”
(3) such rules define how we can merit our salvation
ii. It Hinders Christ’s Work
(1) “Christ will be of no benefit to you” – that is very strong language
(a) if you voluntarily take back upon yourself good works as the means of assuring your salvation
(b) it is as though for you Christ never died
(2) this is not a matter of our security, our eternal salvation
(a) but we are failing to enjoy that salvation and the liberty of it
(b) salvation that does not completely trust Christ is without profit
d. Verse 3: And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
e. The First Fatal Step
i. A Small Step
(1) from a physical point of view, circumcision was a very minor item
(a) why quibble over it if it would make the Judaizers happy?
(b) so are some of the rules of legalistic churches
(c) and their advocates can point to OT chapter and verse
(2) so why not give in to preserve peace? Because there is …
ii. A Dangerous Result
(1) having owned a house for many years I have become very aware that a very small problem if not attended to can lead to extensive repairs becoming necessary
(2) the same is true of our bodies if an injury or illness is ignored
(3) and here, there is a danger to our spiritual well-being
f. From Benefit to Impediment
i. Seemingly Slight
(1) there are two Greek words used in the previous verse and this one
(a) one is translated “benefit”; the other, “obligation”
(b) in Greek, they sound very similar and if one did not listen carefully, then misunderstanding will result
(2) so, seemingly slight things may make a great difference
ii. A Great Obligation
(1) i.e., debt, results from capitulating to such a minor requirement as circumcision; or to some other act to secure our salvation
(2) the Galatians are warned
(3) the result of this minor thing is that they will no longer benefit from the freedom of the gospel but instead become subject to the entire Mosaic Law, a burden which the Jews could not keep
4. The Thin End of the Wedge (v 4)
a. Verse 4: You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
b. The Relationship Severed
i. now I do not believe that this verse, first or last, is speaking about a Christian’s losing their salvation, that their eternal security is in danger
(1) just as Paul writing to Timothy (I Timothy 5:8) speaks about a Christian who does not provide for his family as having “denied the faith” and being “worse than an unbeliever”
(2) so is the one who turns from faith in Christ to faith in one’s self
ii. the words “severed from” can also be rendered as “unaffected by” or “estranged from”
(1) they develop the truth of verse 2 of Christ being no benefit
(2) since according to verse 1, justification by faith in Christ was for our freedom, then we fail to reap its benefits
(3) that is a separation from Christ which is worse than that of any unbeliever, for it is to turn aside from the trust relationship he or she once knew; to …
c. A Misplaced Trust
i. the last phrase is literally “fallen out of grace” and does not mean what “fallen from grace” has come to mean in English which is the loss of one’s salvation
ii. for the picture drawn in this verse is that of two contrasting spheres
(1) there is the lower sphere of Law, as given in the OT, whose purpose was to lead a person to Jesus Christ by showing him to be a sinner
(2) there is the higher sphere of grace to which we are raised in Christ
(3) if one then having been justified by faith
(a) which is in the sphere of grace
(b) to mistakenly seeking further merit in the sphere of law
(c) one has taken a downward plunge from grace to law
iii. that is not the direction in which a Christian should travel
iv. and circumcision – legalism – is the thin, sharp edge of the wedge that comes between, cutting our freedom with God, our peace in Christ
5. The Christian’s Five Life Elements (v 5)
a. Verse 5: For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
i. so then, if we cannot be pleasing to God by keeping the Law
ii. how then should we live? For this we are given …
b. Five Words
i. The Holy Spirit
(1) by whose indwelling holy presence our lives are directed
(2) and by whose holy power we may walk so as to please God
ii. Faith
(1) complete removed from any self-trust
(2) and placed entirely on the finished work of Christ on the cross
iii. Eager Anticipation
(1) whereby the things of this world grow “strangely dim”
(2) and the sense of Christ’s return motivates our thoughts and actions
iv. Hope
(1) which is not the very human wishful emotion
(2) but the solid expectation of the arrival of what has been decreed
v. Righteousness
(1) not the self-righteousness of the law, but that which comes by faith
(2) will be fully experienced when “53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54)
vi. and on these elements the rest of this letter to the Galatians will enlarge
6. How Should We Act? (v 6)
a. Verse 6: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
i. so by way of conclusion of the passage we have considered today
ii. let us get things in their right perspective and proper priority
b. The Pointless Externals
i. That Illustrated Here
(1) was the matter of Jewish circumcision, a mark of the old covenant
(2) which invariably brought with it the OT Law of Moses
(3) and an impossible means of justification, which is the achieving of a right relationship with God
ii. Other Forms of Legalism
(1) to which we should append all those rules established by men
(2) which form a “Christ-Plus” religion supposedly to please God
(3) that are based upon our own strength and abilities
(4) which are but mere dust and chaff compared to Christ’s work
(5) for all such things, if done for that purpose — be it circumcision or uncircumcision – adherence or not – are meaningless in Christ
c. Biblical Good Works
i. The Great Commandments
(1) so it is faith working through love that really matters
(2) and we are left with what Christ described as the greatest laws
(3) Jesus was asked, “36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”. (Matthew 22:36-40)
ii. Our Guidance
(1) if we should set our compass by those words
(2) which are reflected in the portions on practice in the NT as here
(3) then we would do well
© 2021 by Garth Hutchinson, Faith Fellowship Baptist Church of Aurora (Ontario): may be distributed or quoted freely, only let this be done to the glory “of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ” (Titus ii.13). Except as noted otherwise, quotations are from the New American Standard version, used by permission. Various other English versions of the Holy Bible may be used in this sermon. Explanatory additions to the Bible text are shown in braces. Version identifiers are:
AV Authorized (King James) Version of 1769
NAS New American Standard version © 1960, 1995 The Lockman Foundation (usually the 1995 edition)
NIV New International Version © 1984 by the International Bible Society
NKJV New King James Version © 1979 Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers
NLT New Living Translation
NRSV New Revised Standard Version © 1989 Division of Christian Education of national Council of Churches of Christ
JBP The New Testament in Modern English, J. B. Phillips, Geoffrey Bles Ltd
UBS Greek text of the United Bible Societies; particularly ast published by The British and Foreign Bible Society, 1954; et alii
WEY The New Testament in Modern Speech © 1902, 1912 R. F. Weymouth
Some of the commentaries and resources used in the preparation of this message are identified as follow:
Barnes – Notes on the New Testament by Alfred E. Barnes
Calvin – Commentaries on the Bible, by Jean Calvin; translated into English & published in the Online Bible.
CB – Cambridge Bible, Galatians edited by A. Lukyn Williams, B.D. – Cambridge at the University Press 1921
EBC – The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, © 1986 Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 49530, MI:
EGT – The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Hodder & Stoughton; 1903
Gill – Exposition of the Old Testament, Exposition of the New Testament, by John Gill, D.D.
JFB – Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Jamieson, Fausset & Brown; S. S. Scranton & Co. 1872
Lightft – Commentary by John Lightfoot (1602-1674)
Kerux – The sermon & illustration data base compiled by Revd David Holwick at the web-site, www.holwick.com.
RWP – Robertson’s Word Pictures of the New Testament, by Dr. A. T. Robertson
Stott – The Message of Galatians by John R. W. Stott – IVP, 1968
TYN – Tyndale New Testament Commentaries – Galatians – R. Alan Cole – IVP (reprint of Tyndale Press, 1965)