​Staying Free: A Letter to Recovering Pharisees (13)
Sermons on St. Paul's letter to the Galatians 
​Reading: Galatians 5:25-6:6

When Paul talks about being spiritual in this section of Galatians, he is not talking about self-discovery but how we love others. He has in mind the fruit of the Spirit flourishing in our everyday relationships & Christian community. He has in mind in how we deal with sinners & the burdened, how we view ourselves in relation to others & even how generous we are toward those who teach us God’s word. Paul wants us all to be spiritual people & in Christian terms spirituality is the Spirit's fruit in our lives & in our reading Paul gives five marks of how this fruit works it way out in Christian living – five marks of spiritual maturity!

In this section of Galatians St. Paul wants us to understand there is a kind of 'mortal kombat' going on within every Christian, a battle between the flesh & the Spirit! He introduces this idea in 5:16-18. The flesh symbolises our old sinful nature & the Spirit empowers our new righteous nature. In the following verses Paul then goes on to describe the works of the flesh in contrast to the fruit of the Spirit before finishing the Christian’s ‘fatality move’ on the flesh in verse 24. Along the way Paul encourages us, warns us & envisions us so that we accurately understand the spiritual reality we find ourselves in today as Christians.

​Paul has been writing to convince the Galatians not to give up their spiritual freedom in Christ for the spiritual tyranny of legalism! Galatians 5:1 expresses the heartbeat of Paul’s whole letter to the Galatians; “For freedom Christ has set us free..” Yet in this section Paul also wants his readers to understand that they are not only free from something but are also free for something. So in essence says; “Don’t lose or misuse your freedom.” For in Christ we are set free to truly love. This is what true freedom is for, this is what true freedom is & this is what true freedom looks like! 

​In this section Paul turns his readers back to the story of Abraham, but this time he focuses on a different part of the story (Gen 21:1-14). His purpose is to highlight that Abraham had two sons, one to a free woman & one to a slave woman. Firstly, he introduces this story as an OT account (21-23), then secondly, he uses it as powerful allegory (24-27) & thirdly he applies its truth directly to believers (28-31). So, we have the account, the allegory & the application. His whole point here is that we might see who we are in Christ & the freedom that is ours in him so that we “do not submit again to the yoke of slavery” (5:1)!

​In this section of Galatians, Paul is concerned the Galatian believers are returning to spiritual slavery. In the previous section he walked them through how God gloriously brought them from slavery to sonship; but in this section he expresses deep concern that they are falling back into slavery again. We find Paul asking three questions, which along with the verses around them, help us understand the situation troubling him. We also find three important values that will help us stay free from legalism. Things we can all personally prioritise as we begin a new year & new decade in Christ.    

In these verses Paul is continuing his argument that no one can be justified by works of the law but only through faith in Christ. He introduces the illustration of a covenant made between two human parties, which no one could change once ratified. He then brings his readers back to the story of God’s promise to Abraham. Paul’s argument is that, what holds true in human terms is even more true when it is God who does the ratifying. He wants believers to understand they are no longer imprisoned under law; instead, through their faith in the Promised One, they are now children of the promise! To help us understand he explains the power of the promise, the purpose of the law & the priority of faith in Christ. 

Chapter 3 of Galatians opens with an advertising term from the ancient Greek world. Paul uses the term to highlight that his ministry had been successful in winning the Galatians believers over to the gospel. However now they are foolishly falling for a rival message & Paul’s basic point is to challenge them to stay with the message they initially received. For the gospel is not only how you become a Christian but also how you continue to live the Christian life! In other words, the gospel is for life! To underline this Paul points back to the core message the Galatians had believed, then he asks five questions, before leaving his readers with two options.

In this part of Galatians the Apostle Paul recounts a time when he had to confront the Apostle Peter because his conduct was out of step with the gospel. We learn it is only by keeping in step with the truth of gospel that we are kept safe from the venomous snake of legalism & from getting lost along the trail of licentiousness. We're encouraged to keep in step with the gospel in three ways: 1. By standing for the gospel. 2. By remembering the gospel. 3. By living the life of the gospel.

When it comes to Christian faith & practice “Where does authority reside?” If we are to be those who fight for the freedom of others in Christ as well as our own, then we need to know the answer to this question. Freedom from legalism & spiritual abuse, or from domineering religious hierarchies, systems or leadership is found in answering this question correctly! Paul’s answer to the question is that ultimately it resides in the gospel itself, not so much in those entrusted with it! This is one reason preserving the gospel is to be a primary priority of true Christianity. Also, it is only in the gospel that true Christian freedom & partnership can continue to exist & flourish. 

Paul uses his own story of God’s Life-Changing Gospel to help point to its origin! It is not man’s life-changing gospel but God’s Life-Changing Gospel! In fact, it’s only because it is God’s Life-Changing Gospel that it has the power to eternally transform those who receive it! So, Paul firstly underlines the origin of the gospel, then he talks of its transforming power in his own life. His whole purpose being to underline the genuineness of his apostleship so the Galatians stick with God's Good News!

In Paul’s other letter’s we find thanksgiving & blessing at this point, but here in Galatians we find holy frustration & the warning of a curse for those who preach ‘another gospel’. This is because the Galatians are right in the middle of being scammed out of the true gospel! One of the purposes of Paul’s letter is to save them from this. The letter continues to serve this purpose. There are three things that stand out very clearly in in this section of Galatians: 1. To turn to another gospel is to desert the God who called us. 2. When the Gospel is distorted Christians become troubled. 3. The gospel is the supreme authority – even over apostles & angels! All point to the fact there is no other gospel!

​Paul’s letter to the Galatians is written to professing Christians. It’s written to help kill off our ‘inner Pharisee’ & to help ensure we never allow ourselves to be subject again to the yoke of pharisaic teachers or leaders & their distorted gospel, which Paul says is no gospel at all. The true gospel is both the highest authority & most liberating reality of the Christian’s life. It is so because it speaks God’s final verdict & liberating truth over God’s children. This is why as Christians we must not let anyone, or anything turn us from it! Yet one of the dangers in Christian circles is that we can become familiar with gospel language without truly understanding the gospel itself. So, it’s important to ask, ‘What is the Gospel’? The whole of Galatians helps answer this question. Yet, even in Paul’s opening greeting we find a clear & simple answer to this vital question!