Last Thanksgiving I went pheasant hunting for the first time. As is typical when you go bird hunting, we took bird dogs. Now, as a novice hunter, there is a lot to learn and more experienced hunters love to tell you what they know. So, as we were eating breakfast, the more experienced hunters loaded me up with a lot of important information about pheasant hunting – a lot of truth. At some point in the lecture somebody said something like, “Hey man, all this information is important and here is one thing that you need to do with it: just don’t shoot one of the dogs.” The one thing I had to do with all the information, all the truth, about pheasant hunting was “just don’t shoot the dogs.”

Friends – for the past few months as we’ve journeyed through Galatians, you’ve received a lot of information, a lot of glorious truth about what Christ has done for you that you could never do for yourself. All that information can be summarized in five words right in the middle of Galatians 5:1 – “…Christ has set us free.” I love the way that the Westminster Confession of Faith describes our freedom in Christ – Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel freedom from the guilt of sin, from the condemning wrath of God, and from the curse of the moral law. He has also freed them from the evil world we live in, from enslavement to Satan, from the dominion of sin, the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and from everlasting damnation. In Christ believers have free access to God and can obey him, not out of slavish fear, but with a childlike love and a willing mind.” Christ truly has set us free. And just like me right before my pheasant hunt began, it’s time for you to learn the one thing that you must do with the truth you’ve learned. Galatians 5:1 – For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. The one thing novice pheasant hunter Matt must do: don’t shoot the dogs. The thing the person Christ has set free must do is the big idea of our passage: Stand firm in your freedom. Stand firm in your freedom. Now, to help us stand firm freedom, our passage will show us: 1. The purpose of freedom (vv. 1a) 2. The enemy of freedom (vv. 1b-4) 3. The way of freedom (vv. 5-6) 4. The confidence of freedom (vv. 7-12).

THE PURPOSE OF FREEDOM (Verse 1)

Galatians 5:1 – …Christ has set us free… Because you can never hear it enough: “Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel freedom from the guilt of sin, from the condemning wrath of God, and from the curse of the moral law. He has also freed them from the evil world we live in, from enslavement to Satan, from the dominion of sin, the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and from everlasting damnation. In Christ believers have free access to God and can obey him, not out of slavish fear, but with a childlike love and a willing mind.” If Christ has set you free, you are free indeed. Now you’re ready to see the purpose of it!

Galatians 5:1 – For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore… Circle the words “for freedom” in your Bible. Christ set you free to live free. That’s the purpose of your freedom. Christ set you free so that you can live free for the glory of God. Christ has set you free so that when you blow it and give into lust, pride, anxiety, anger, gossip, or laziness, you don’t judge your ok-ness with God by how you’re doing, but instead you fly to the cross of Christ and revel in his forgiveness – that’s living free. Christ has set you free so that when you’re someone brings a grievance or criticism against you, you’re neither crushed nor calloused, but so free from condemnation that you can receive the truth of it, even if it’s just a grain, with humility and joy – that’s freedom. Christ has set you free so that you can believe what he says even if it puts you on the wrong side of history, family, or friends – that’s freedom. Christ has set you free so that you can love one another earnestly without always turning things back to yourself – he’s got you – that’s freedom. Christ has set you free so that you can take the risk and invite that person to church or share the good news of Jesus with them because you have God’s approval – that’s freedom! Stand firm in the purpose of your freedom. Christ set you free to live free for the glory of God! This kind of free living doesn’t come easily to us because there is an enemy of our freedom. That’s where we turn next.

THE ENEMY OF FREEDOM (vv. 1b-4)

Christ is, as it were, in the business of setting us sinners free so that we can live free. The enemy of our freedom is inviting business partners to join Christ in helping you feel right with God, others, or even yourself. Christ will not have business partners in saving you. Galatians 5:1b-4 – …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. The enemy of freedom is whatever you’re tempted to look at and say, “if only I have that, do that, or avoid that, then I’ll finally feel right with God, others, or myself.” The particular enemy of freedom that the Galatians were tempted by was circumcision. They were being tempted to believe Jesus + circumcision, Jesus + a dash of Jewishness = right with God, others, and myself. Circumcision isn’t the problem, but Paul says that Jesus + circumcision for justification = the enemy of freedom. Paul’s warning could not be more urgent and severe: if you accept circumcision, you’ll be severed from Christ. If you want to be right with God by circumcision, then you’re obligated to be right with God by keeping every law of God, and you’ll be lost forever because no one can keep the law of God perfectly, except Christ. Charles Spurgeon helpfully explains why anything we add to Christ to for justification is an enemy of freedom, “If Christ is not all to you He is nothing to you. He will never go into partnership as a part Savior of men. If He be something He must be everything, and if He be not everything He is nothing to you.” Illustration: Touch the ceiling. The enemy is jumping. Christ – I can’t carry you while you’re jumping. Brothers and sisters, the Bible is clear: accept additions to Christ and you’ll be severed from Christ.

These verses raise an important question: can a genuine believer in Christ actually be severed from Christ? I believe that the answer is no. Jesus himself makes crystal clear that he keeps all whom he saves. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37). “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day” (John 6:39). “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). Ok – If Christ promises to keep all who come to him in faith, why does God warn us that if we accept circumcision, or any other addition to Christ for justification, we’ll be severed from Christ? God warning us is one of God’s ways of keeping us. In other words, God warns us that if we embrace Jesus + anything for justification, then we’ll be severed from Christ, so that we won’t add anything to Jesus and be severed from Christ. Jesus doesn’t lose any that the Father has given him and warning is one of his ways of keeping us. Like when Andrea yells stop and I slam on the brakes just before I back into our neighbor’s car, Jesus’ warning keeps genuine Christians from being severed from Christ. Citylight Church – see the danger of just a dash of legalism. If you consistently relate to God on the basis of Jesus + something, eventually you’ll find yourself in the same position the Galatians were in: on the brink of making Jesus + their official doctrine. If you relate to God by Christ +, eventually you’ll find yourself gravitating toward Roman Catholicism, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or some other religious group that embraces Jesus + theology. Jesus + for justification is the enemy of freedom. Don’t dabble in it. When you see it rising up in the way you relate to your Father in Heaven, confess it, and stand firm in your freedom. That’s the enemy of your freedom. Now Paul will show us a more excellent way.

THE WAY OF FREEDOM (vv. 5-6)

The way of freedom is faith. The way we walk and stand firm in freedom is by believing in Jesus instead of believing in ourselves. The way of freedom is faith; moment-by-moment looking away from how we’re doing and trusting in what Christ has done for us. And the way of freedom, the way of faith has a future tilt to it. Galatians 5:5 – For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. The hope of righteousness = the Christian’s confident expectation that he or she will be declared not guilty and right with God finally and forever at the final judgment. The Christian is declared right with God now through our union with Christ, and that declaration will be made visible at the final judgment. The way of freedom is living everyday in light of our hope, our certain expectation, or righteousness at the final judgment. The way of freedom is through the work of the Holy Spirit, by faith, living in the confident expectation of our future righteousness. No matter our sins, no matter our suffering, no matter what anyone says about us, in Christ we live in a constant state of certain expectation because our future is unspeakably bright. That’s the way of freedom!

What does the way of freedom look like in the present of our lives? Galatians 5:6 – For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. The way of freedom looks like our confident expectation about our future reaching back into the present and producing love! We live by faith alone, but the faith we live by is never alone, it produces love for our neighbor. When faith is working, it’s love producing. As Martin Luther used to say, “God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does.” The way of freedom is faith. By faith in Christ you have (WCF) freedom from the guilt of sin, from the condemning wrath of God, and from the curse of the moral law…from the evil world we live in, from enslavement to Satan, from the dominion of sin, the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and from everlasting damnation. In Christ believers have free access to God and can obey him, not out of slavish fear, but with a childlike love and a willing mind. Since you have all this freedom, you’re free from self-concern and, therefore, are empowered to give yourself to other-concern. Question: who in this church can your faith move you to love in word and in deed? God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does. That’s the way of freedom! Stand firm in your freedom. Stand firm. Ok, what I am about to say now is really important – the way you’re going to go – freedom or law – isn’t in question. That brings us to our final point…

THE CONFIDENCE OF FREEDOM (vv. 7-12)

At the 2004 Olympic Games, Vanderlai Lima was leading the men’s marathon. While Lima was running his way to Olympic gold, a crazed man named Cornelius Horan emerged from the crowd, sprinted over to Lima, and tackled him to the ground. Spectators frantically worked to free Lima, but his gold medal bid was ruined all because this one man cut in and hindered him. I don’t mean to sound dramatic, Cornelius Horan’s are all around you; People, institutions, and religions that subtly or overtly tell you that to really be right with God, to really be accepted by the right people, to really be the truest you, you need Jesus + something else. The dangerous ones seem so well-meaning and don’t even know they’re doing it. That exercise guru, social media influencer, or well-meaning therapist who says that if you’ll just master this technique, then you’ll be ok – that’s your Cornelius Horan. They may seem harmless, but they’re like leaven: just a little will ruin you and your church. Galatians 5:7 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. Cornelius Horan’s are all around you, and one lives inside of you, but I, like Paul, am confident that you’ll choose the way of freedom.

Galatians 5:10-12 – I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, 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! Paul is confident that the false-teachers have no future. Therefore, Paul wishes they’d just go a little too far with their obsession with circumcision and emasculate themselves. Like Paul, I’m confident that those who trouble you have no future. But I am also confident, as Paul was, that you’ll take no other view than Jesus + nothing = right with God. Citylight, I am confident that Christ has set you free to live free and that you’ll stand firm, and never submit again to a yoke of slavery.

CONCLUSION

Do you want to know how the pheasant hunting went? Simple: I didn’t shoot any of the dogs. It’s the one thing I had to do. Christ has set you free! “Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel freedom from the guilt of sin, from the condemning wrath of God, and from the curse of the moral law. He has also freed them from the evil world we live in, from enslavement to Satan, from the dominion of sin, the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and from everlasting damnation. In Christ believers have free access to God and can obey him, not out of slavish fear, but with a childlike love and a willing mind.” Stand firm in freedom.