Living in the Grace of God: Freedom!

April 5, 2015

Living in the Grace of God

Freedom!

Galatians 5:1-16

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Introduction

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“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Ice Road Truckers…

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• It is a TV show that follows a group of seasonal truck drivers.
• They deliver supplies to oil rigs and companies in Alaska.
• Here is the catch...the roads they travel are frozen lakes.
• There is only a 4 month span when they are able to deliver supplies this way.
• As the spring time comes, the roads melt and become unsafe for the weight of the trucks.

Paul is telling the Galatians that spring has come to the people of God.

• The old frozen route to salvation (i.e. the law) is not there, it has gone away.

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• The ‘spring time’ is good and the new way through the blood of Christ!

While not a perfect example it might help us to understand what Paul is talking about.

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Text

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, 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. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. Galatians 5:1-6

Your way to salvation is no longer available!

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• If you choose to go back to the old way (i.e. circumcision) then you are obligating yourself to the entire law.
• This is an absolute choice...you can’t have both.
• Christ’s gift is not beneficial if you chose the old way!
• You have “fallen away from grace.”
  

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It is through the Spirit….BY FAITH that we wait for the “hope of righteousness.”

• This is faith that is working through love.
• It is not a matter of ‘flesh’ but of heart & soul!

True faith does not bare credence to a set of beliefs.

• True faith, seen as we live in God’s grace, is not through the law.
• If is a faith that through love we serve one another!

Lesson

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On March 3, 1775 Patrick henry gave a speech convincing the Virginian House to commit troops to to the Revolutionary War.

• During that speech he made this statement, “Give me liberty or give me death?”
• The outcome was that Virginia did enter the war and it ended with England’s defeat and the establishment of the United States.

We want freedom...in fact we seek out freedom don’t we.

• Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, etc.
• In our society, the worst punishment a person can receive is to have their freedoms removed through imprisonment.

We like to think that we live in a land that is free.

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• But do we know what freedom really is?

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The Believer’s Freedom

It is Christ that sets up free.

• But what does this mean?
• We are free to be alive to live the way God intended from the start.
• True freedom is a freedom that serves one another under the guidance of God.

How does God guide us?

• Scripture indicates that that God is watching us:

“The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” Psalm. 145:20

• Jesus taught that we too need to be watching:

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Mark 14:38

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One Direction

The more that we follow God the better our relationship is with Him.

• The more prepared we become for the grace filled life we are called to live in!
• This is a ‘perfect life.’

How are we perfect?

• Instead of trying to never sin, which is impossible, Jesus said “I’ll make you perfect!”
• “I’ll get rid of your sins; I’ll forgive them; Completely erase them and rid you of the guilt.”
• I will set you free!
• This is part of our freedom in Christ.

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Embracing Freedom

We must cherish the freedom that we have in Christ.

• What do you do with something that you cherish?
• We protect it!

In an effort to live in the grace of God and better embrace or freedom we should avoid selfishness.

• Instead of selfishness we should try to serve one another in love.

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” - vs. 13

It is ironic that our society places so much emphasis on personal freedom.

• To do what we want we we want to do it...exactly how we want to as well.
• This is not the freedom that God designed...it is not to indulge ourselves.
• It is summed up in this:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” - vs. 14

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This is living in the grace of God!

Conclusion

On a day when most American remember the resurrection of Jesus it is important for us to remember…

• The freedom that we can experience in Christ can only happen ‘because He lives.’

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• The grace of God that we can live in can only happen ‘because He lives.’

God Sent His Son;

They called Him Jesus;

He can to love, heal and forgive!

He lived and died to buy my pardon;

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

We can have freedom...real freedom today...why?

• Because of Christ.

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• Because He died, but also because He lives.