Galatians: Chapter 5

Freedom Brings Obedience and Success

We have learned that: We are Free from the Law (Romans 8:2) We are Dead to the Law (Galatians 2:19) We have been delivered from the Law (Romans 7:6) Jesus Christ is the end of the Law (Romans 10:4)

The ‘Law’ serves as a reminder of the moral standards set by God. Yet, we as Christians must seek to build our character traits on those of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, who is far above the Law. We seek to follow Jesus and be Holy and Blameless before God. So, Paul exhorts the Galatians, and us, to stand firm in the Faith and Freedom given by our Lord and Savior. We must exercise our Supernatural Faith through obedience to the Holy Spirit.

5:1

Therefore, stand fast in the Christian Freedom provided by Jesus Christ. Notice the “therefore” refers to the Truths we have learned in the previous chapters. Paul gives us practical applications on the ‘How To’ of standing firm in our faith. We have been freed from the bondage of sin and must strive to maintain our freedom. Our choices determine our remaining in freedom or falling back into slavery (bondage). Our choice to obey the Holy Spirit within us affects us, and all those we encounter. You are a Living Witness to the Truth of the Gospel. How does your witness look? Are you a Living Example of True Faith and obedience? Or are you a stumbling block? Does your life encourage others to accept Jesus or reject Him? These are powerful and eternal reasons to begin each day in prayer, seeking to obey and be faithful to Jesus, who died for us.

5:2

Notice that it is I, Paul, who tells you that if you receive circumcision (as a religious act of ‘works’), then Jesus Christ is of no value to you. Notice that Paul did not oppose circumcision UNLESS it was tied to the Judaistic theology which insisted that circumcision was absolutely necessary for salvation. Anyone who was circumcised for the reason of being saved; then they added ‘works’ to faith and demonstrated that they had NOT exercised saving faith in Jesus alone.

5:3

Paul strongly states again that anyone who submits to circumcision for the sole purpose of trying to earn salvation, was deceived. If a man believed that the rite of circumcision was necessary, then they were under obligation and bound to obey ALL the Law and its ordinances. They placed themselves under the bondage of the Law. (See Romans 11;6, Romans 4:4,5. James 2:10, etc.) It is either a free gift: GRACE; or salvation is “by works” which is futile!

5:4

Paul continues to warn them that IF they seek to be justified and declared righteous before God through the Law; then they are brought to nothing and are then separated from Christ. No one can ‘straddle the fence’ and ‘say’ they accept Grace and still attempt to adhere to the Law. These are two separate ways of salvation: Grace is God’s Way, a guaranteed method. Man’s way, the Mosaic Law system, is ‘by works’, a method that is guaranteed to fail! Again, all false religions attempt to use rituals, rules, and various ‘laws’, to try to work their way to God, all the while rejecting God’s sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus, on the cross! Think of it this way; you tell your family member or friend; “I love you.” Then you ignore, neglect, and refuse to even acknowledge their existence. Do your actions match up with your words? Hardly. If we say “I love you” to God, then we must seek to know Him and honor Him by obeying His commands.

5:5

Paul continues, telling us: For we, not relying on the Law, but through the Holy Spirit’s help, eagerly await the return of Christ. At the coming of Christ Believers will be completely conformed to all the requirements of God’s Will. We will be Glorified. By our faith, we anticipate and wait for the blessed Hope. The inward righteousness began at Justification, by obedient faith; now our transforming Sanctification is by faith through the transforming power of the holy spirit. Only when we leave our earthly bodies, will we be completely transformed into an outward righteousness at our Glorification; and that is at the appearance of Jesus.

5:6

How does True Faith work? Only by True Love. Our Faith is always shown by our Love. Any type or kind of ritual is meaningless and counts for nothing. Man’s way is Law. God’s way is Love. A man who deeply loves his country is not the same as a man who is simply ‘law abiding’. One person is a servant, the other a Lover. A Believer knows and understands that salvation is by Faith alone. Yet he also knows that the ‘proof’ of his faith shows itself through Love; works that honor God and His creation. Faith without works is dead. (See James 2: 14-24)

5:7

Paul uses the example of running a race with the intent to win stating they were running the race nobly. They were on the right tract ~ then ‘someone’ ‘sidetracked’ them and threw them off course. Are we thrown off course, or sidetracked by someone or something? Something ‘comes up’ that distracts us from our intended course of following what the Holy Spirit has led us to do. Something “urgent” or “important” or very appealing, you name it. Can you think of times you are thrown off course? Sometimes it is something ‘good’ but not what is “best”. Someone appeals to us to help them ~ I need your help! Be careful to seek God’s guidance in these areas; otherwise, we are not doing His Will ~ sometimes we are enabling someone else to avoid responsibility, or avoid seeking God themselves. We can quench the Holy Spirit by “bailing someone out” of a mess they got themselves into by disobeying God.

5:8

This evil persuasion is NOT from God! Whatever causes us to go ‘off course’ is never of the Holy Spirit. Anything that mixes works of the Law and Grace is never of God. Our freedom is in hearing and obeying the Holy Spirit. We must be careful not to let other voices convince us of ‘another gospel’.

5:9

A little leaven causes the entire ‘lump’ to be leavened. When we add yeast to the dough it spreads and permeates into the entire lump of dough and causes it to puff up. So, it is with lies and errors. A few false statements, or teachers, will lead an entire congregation in the wrong direction, away from Grace, into Law or a cult. Just accepting one false statement can cause the whole conception of Faith by Grace alone to be lost, the result is disaster. Remember, that the lies (yeast) causes the ‘puffing up’ this refers to the erroneous concept that we, of our own power, have something of value, or can follow some ritual, to contribute to our salvation and sanctification. This is not true, only the Holy Spirit can bring us to righteousness and holiness. The ‘puffing up’ is a reference to our pridefulness. If we feel proud of ourselves over something we have ‘done for God’ it is a sure sign of self-pride and we have deluded ourselves. We are on the wrong track.

5:10

Yet Paul assures them that he is confident and optimistic about the outcome. He believes that in the Lord they will correctly access the situation and not have an antagonistic view, but rather that they would think the matter through carefully and prayerfully, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and agree with Paul. The person, or persons, who are attempting to lead them astray will have to bear the penalty of their false teaching.

5:11

Paul once again calls them Brothers, referring to their standing as brothers in Christ. He appeals to them to reason carefully and think the facts through. If I, Paul, still preach circumcision, as some accuse me of doing as necessary for salvation, then why am I still persecuted? If that were true, then the cross of Jesus Christ would be meaningless and worthless, and no longer a stumbling block. Why was it a stumbling block? Because the cross means man is totally unable to contribute anything to his salvation. The Jews found this ‘offensive’. “What? You mean I am a worthless sinner! Me, a Law-abiding Jew?! I can’t accept that!” That is EXACTLY the problem all self-prideful people have with the True Gospel message! In other words, IF we, or anyone, could save themselves, then Jesus’ death on the cross would mean nothing and be worthless!

5:12

Now Paul really uses strong language and states that he wishes that those men who are pushing for circumcision would go all the way and ‘cut themselves off.’ The polite King James translation fails to convey what Paul is saying here. He is stating that he wishes they would castrate themselves! Perhaps Paul is using this illustration to emphasize that those who are impotent cannot produce new converts. There were also pagan priests of the cult of Cybele in Asia Minor that did castrate themselves. Although circumcision had been a religious rite to show that the Jews were obeying God, it no longer had any meaning for believers.

5:13

Remember, Brothers, that you have been called to Freedom in Christ. Not freedom to do whatever you want, but freedom to love one another. He reminds them that their freedom was not to be used in selfish worldly ways but was to be used through obedience to the Holy Spirit to serve the body of Christ. Each day we must ask God “Is what I am planning to do today bringing you Praise, Honor and Glory; or is it a selfish endeavor?” Asking God to guide, direct and instruct us and give us His Wisdom in our daily life, will bring Him Praise, Honor and Glory. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit leading us. Even if we think we are to do something God is leading us to do, we need to be careful and seek Godly counsel to make certain we are doing it with love and in a Godly manner. In our whatever current circumstances, you are in, it is easy to blame others for our own failures. Be honest, ask God to reveal to you your failings, then seek forgiveness. We are tempted to place blame on others or think ‘someone’ should be doing something to help us out of our problems. But maybe we are the problem. Maybe we, the Believers, need to spend more time praying and seeking God’s power and might in our lives. Are we really living for Jesus, or for self? Maybe we need to take the counsel of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and apply it to ourselves regarding our own Family: “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Then in verse 15, God says, “Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.” verse 16 “For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My Heart will be there perpetually.” The land and house can be applied to your own life and home. We all desperately need God to bring us into a Godly Bible-Believing lifestyle. Are you studying the Bible daily to learn what blessings God has for you? Yet, we must seek God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

5:14

Paul goes on to summarize that the whole Law concerning human relationships is completed and fulfilled in one precept: “You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (See Lev. 19:18 and then confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 22:39; Luke 10:25-28) How do we do this? Jesus tells us in Romans 13: 8-10. 8: Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, EXCEPT to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor, who practices loving others, has fulfilled the Law relating to his fellow men, meeting all its requirements. 9: The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, …not kill, not steal, not covet, or even have an evil desire, and any other commandment, is summed up in one single command; you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. 10: Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor, it never hurts anyone. Therefore, loves meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law.

5:15

Now Paul issues a strong and grave warning: But, if you bite and devour one another in strife, be careful that you and your entire fellowship are not consumed and destroyed by one another. Wow! We need to pray for and work with one another and persevere in these difficult times or we will destroy our own family relationships. Perhaps God has allowed this difficult time for us so we will seek His Wisdom and Guidance for our personal relationships. We need to be less critical of others and more prayerful. We need to pray about being part of the solution for our family hurts, and not part of the problem.

5:16

Paul continues his admonition: But I say to you, walk and live habitually in the Holy Spirit; being responsive and controlled and guided by the Spirit. Then you will not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh. We won’t react in a worldly way, giving in to our human nature without God. Nowhere in Scripture does God tell us He will sanctify the old nature. Our heart is never cleansed: It is replaced with a new one. Thus, no believer will ever be entirely free in this life from the evil desires of our old fallen human nature. We must live in this human body, with its evil desires. It is so easy to blame somebody else, rather than say “God show me what I can do to serve the body of Believers.”

5:17

Then Paul clearly tells us how we work. Part of our being, our very soul, is driven by our human nature, and part of us is guided by the Holy Spirit. The desires of the flesh, our human nature, are opposed to the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. There is a war going on! These two forces are antagonistic to each other, continually withstanding, struggling and in conflict within us! So, we are not entirely free, but are prevented from doing what we desire to do. Do you feel conflicted inside? No wonder, that’s because we inherited a sinful nature at birth; then we received a new nature at our conversion. Both these natures have desires; one for evil and one for holiness. This conflict results in a believer being kept from doing what he wants to do! We can’t be free from the human nature until we leave our earthly bodies. That is the reason we know we will not be Glorified and made perfect until we leave earth!

5:18

However, IF you are guided and led by the Holy Spirit, you are not subject to the Law. Just as Justification is not possible by works, so Sanctification cannot be achieved by human efforts. We must continually strive to follow the Holy Spirit. Are you seeing the crucial importance of obedience to God’s Word?

5:19

Now Paul gives us a list of human nature sins; it is as if he wants us to understand that no one can always be completely guided by the Holy Spirit: The first group of sins are all sexual in nature. Adultery: anything that breaks the purity of the marriage. Fornication: this is ANY kind or type of sexual activity (except within marriage). Uncleanness: this is any kind of impurity in thought, word, or deed. Lasciviousness: this refers to lust, wantonness, shamelessness, insolence, debauchery, any brazen display of these evils.

5:20

Paul continues with the next group of sins: Idolatry; putting anything in priority before God. Sorcery: this word comes from the Greek word, pharmakeia, from which we get pharmacy, or drugs. Drugs were used to create trances. This evil will be prominent in the Tribulation period. (See Rev. 9:21: 18:23.) Hatred or enmity; ill will between people. Strife or discord; Evil actions, the result of hatred. Jealousy: wanting what others have, thinking only of self. Wrath and Anger; fits of rage, seething, calculating how to hurt others, seeking to ‘get even’. Selfishness: seeking to use others for selfish purposes, refusing to give or share. Divisions and Heresies; dissensions and factions, peculiar opinions not Biblical.

5:21

As if this were not bad enough, Paul ends with the action sins we all know are evil and self-destructive. Envy: jealously wanting anything we do not have, yet see others have. Drunkenness, Carousing: excessive use of alcohol, drunken actions, acting foolish. Then Paul adds, ‘and the like’, letting us know other actions can be added to this list. His final warning is that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Paul warns us that if we live like this it is a strong indication that we are not truly a child of God.

5:22

Now Paul gives us the Contrast of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. The work which the Holy Spirit within us accomplishes is: The first group is Personal Fruit of Love; listed first because it is the foundation of all other fruit. God is Love. Joy; a deep and abiding inner rejoicing, a sense of knowing God is in Control despite circumstances. Peace; an inner repose and quietness, an internal calmness even in the face of adverse circumstances. The second group is an outreaching fruit, reaching out to others: Patience, Longsuffering; the quality of forbearance under provocation, never considers retaliation even when wrongfully treated. Kindness: benevolence in action, just as Jesus is kind to sinners. Goodness: uprightness of soul and action reaching to others even when it is not deserved.

5:23

The final three guide the general conduct of a Believer who is truly led by the Spirit. Faithfulness: this is the character trait and quality that renders a person trustworthy and reliable, they keep their word. Gentleness, Meekness, Humility: this person is submissive to God’s Word and is considerate of others when discipline is needed, humble in actions and attitudes. Self-Control and self-restraint; this person chooses to curb fleshly impulses and forces themself to control their actions and attitudes and consider others. Paul assures them that obviously no one would make laws against people who practice these things.

5:24

Paul concludes by telling us that those who truly belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh, the godless human nature, with its passions and desires. What exactly does this mean? Christians are identified with Jesus in His death and resurrection. Therefore, our sin nature has been judged. So victory over the sinful nature’s evil desires has been provided by Jesus Christ in His death. True Faith must continually grasp this Truth, or a believer will be tempted to try to secure victory by self-effort. Example: Thank God, I avoided that sin. Wrong! Thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit enabled me to avoid that sin. See the attitude difference? We must always recognize that God, through the Holy Spirit within us, enabled us to avoid sin; we can’t do it ourselves!

5:25

Conclusion: IF we live by the Spirit, then let us also walk by the Spirit. Our actions will follow our belief system. So, since we have our life lined up with God’s Will, then we will progress in thought and actions that give Praise, Honor and Glory to God. We will live in God’s perfect Will. If we falter, then we have chosen to ignore or subvert our belief system. IF we REALLY BELIEVE Jesus died for our sins, how do we act? Our lives reflect our True Beliefs. We can SAY we believe in Jesus all day long, BUT our lives WILL reflect our True Beliefs!

5:26

Then almost as a postscript. Paul mentions attributes that we should NEVER have IF we are truly hearing and obeying the Holy Spirt. Do not become vainglorious, self-conceited, competitive, challenging, and provoking and an irritation to one another; envying and being jealous of one another. Do we complain and gripe? Or do we rejoice with others in their success? Do we encourage others and praise God when they do well? Are we pleasant, humble, hardworking, and lifting others up? Our words and actions will reflect our attitudes, thereby showing our True Beliefs.

We seldom can really fool others, and we certainly can’t fool God. God’s Mercy and Grace will bring us Freedom; yet True Freedom will ALWAYS bring us to joyfully obeying God’s Word! So how do we Really know IF we are obeying God’s Word? Read back over the list of walking and living in the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’. Do YOU have those Godly characteristics in YOUR life? If so, then you are obeying God and bringing forth all the Successful Godly character traits listed! Remember your Goal: You want the VERY BEST God has for you; and that means YOUR Character traits and attitudes MUST change!