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Very good morning, and welcome to our journey in the book of Galatians today.

We're looking at chapter 5 and verses 1-13, a passage really about freedom. When I think about freedom, I think about this movie in 1995, "Braveheart", where Mel Gibson's character was kind of like the liberator for the Scottish people. He led the Scotsmen to fight against England, and he shouted that iconic shout, "Freedom!". He was willing to lay down his life, he was willing to do everything, so that his people could be free.

Freedom is the cry of our day and age, as well, everybody longs for freedom. Maybe, if someone in Ukraine is watching, they would want freedom, everyone there wants freedom from the war. People in Israel, in the Palestine region, they are also longing for freedom — freedom from pain, from tragedy, from casualties.

Someone lying in a hospital bed may be crying out for freedom, freedom from sickness, from pain, from suffering. Those who struggle with mental struggles long for freedom too, and there are those who long to be free from financial debts. And there are those who want to be freed from a bad marriage. I read recently that in Philippines, they are contemplating the legalization of divorce. It is still not legal there, but they are longing for that freedom from a bad marriage.

Maybe if you are a child here, a kid today, you are longing for freedom from your exams. PSLE is coming up, and you say, "I want to be free from my exams so that I can play my computer the whole day." Well, we are talking about freedom, but what exactly is freedom?

If you search out the dictionary, it would say: it is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Interestingly, the book of Galatians for the past months, we are saying is a book about freedom, it's about being free at last. And I think, there is no other passage that displays this more than the passage we have just read this morning.

Galatians 5:1 starts off with this statement, "For freedom Christ has set us free."

And I chose to read all the way to verse 13, because it also repeats, "For you were called to freedom, brothers." So, this morning clearly, we're going to look at the meaning of true freedom. So, let's start, let's dive right into these 13 verses.

[1] SECURING
The Apostle Paul reminds us, first of all that this freedom we have is given by the Lord Jesus Christ. So number one, we're looking at the securing of this freedom.

Who brings this freedom to us? Who secured this freedom? Who purchased this freedom? Paul says, "For freedom Christ has set us free." [Gal 5:1]

It is Jesus and Jesus alone who gives His people true freedom.
You see, the law can never give freedom, He tells us earlier in Galatians 3:10, "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse."

Technically, there are two ways to God. The first way is believe in Jesus Christ, the second way is you earn your way to Jesus Christ by obeying the law on your own. But Paul says the second way is a hopeless way, because "All who rely on the works of the law are under a curse ..." Why? Because "It is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law."' [Gal 3:10]

If you want to come to God on your own terms, by your own strength in obeying the law, the standard is absolute perfection. But because we are weak, because we are sinful, we can never do it, this is mission impossible! So if you want freedom by obeying the law, you're doomed, you're cursed, because you cannot obey all things written therein.

And that's why the law becomes a kind of a prison master, "It imprisons you," [Gal 3:23] it does not set you free.

On the other hand, as we have mentioned throughout Galatians, the Apostle Paul is the ... is the one who reveals to us very clearly, "Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age." [Gal 1:3-4] The law cannot do that, only Jesus can.

And in chapter 3:13, it makes it even more obvious that, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us."

The word, "redeem" is a common word in the Bible, it means to pay in order to set free. So Christ redeemed us, He paid for us, sets us free. How did He pay for us? He became a curse for us. He went to the cross and paid with His life, suffering the curse, the condemnation that we deserve for our sins.

And again, Paul repeats, "God sent forth His Son to redeem those who are under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." [Gal 4:4-5]

Now, I hope you remember last week, we kind of looked at a very interesting passage of the allegory between Hagar and Sarah. And we said that there were some 9 or 10 differences, distinctions between the two.

I will not recap that because it's a long thing to do, just reminding you that Hagar, Paul says, "Corresponds to the covenant at Sinai." At Mount Sinai, God gave the laws and said to Israel, "If you will obey My laws, I will be your God and you will be My people." So the agreement is, "Keep My laws and I'll be your God, you'll be My people." But actually, that is mission impossible! All it could produce are people who are slaves, who are always enslaved to the law, who will never be able to make it.

On the other hand, God actually before the giving of the law, had already said to Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant, "In your descendant, in your offspring shall all nations be blessed." So there is a blessing to all people not based on Sinai Covenant, but based on the Abrahamic Covenant. "This is a ministration of death, cannot save, it engenders to slavery," Paul says. So it all could only produce slave children, but the Abrahamic Covenant, in Christ, the Offspring is Christ, in Christ you will truly be set free.

So, a recap of all that reminds us, Christ, not the law, not you, not your efforts, Christ has set us free. For what? For freedom. What is this freedom? We'll look at that later, but let's trace the developing thoughts of Paul in these verses.

Number one, there is a securing of freedom by who? By Jesus. Not by you, not by your pastor, not by anyone else, Jesus.

[2] STANDING
Now, whilst we cannot secure for ourselves freedom, we cannot purchase this freedom by ourselves, there is a responsibility to stand in this freedom.

I can't secure it, but I can stand, and I must stand in this freedom, because Paul goes on to say, "Christ set you free, you stand firm therefore... " [Gal 5:1] That means don't waver, don't shift, don't move away from this freedom. "... Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

So, what it means to shift away is to think to yourself, "Oh, Jesus is not enough, I need to do more, I need to keep the law to keep myself saved." Paul says, "Don't do that!" Huh, he's saying in my own words here — stand firm in the grace of the Gospel of Jesus, and do not be enslaved by legalism.

Just for those who are here for the first time, it's a technical jargon, what in the world is legalism? Legalism is obeying the law in our own flesh to find a right standing before God, that's justification. So, legalism is trying to get a right footing before the Holy God on our own. Paul says, "Eh, don't go there lah, it never saves you lah, it's only a slave master. Stand firm in the finished work of Jesus Christ, the Good News of Jesus Christ."

The "yoke" here that is referred to is this structure that you place on animals. Yoke is Y-O-K-E, just in case, because it is not Y-O-L-K. The egg yolk of the law is not meaningful, the burden of the law is meaningful. So Paul says, "Do not submit again to the yoke of legalism." [Gal 5:1]

Because a yoke is something you place on animals so that they will pull the plow to till your ground, and it is something that is heavy and burdensome and which controls you. So Paul says, "Legalism, the law is like this, it's a yoke." Notice how the early church referred to the law, or legalism, in exemplified in circumcision.

"Some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." [Acts 15:1]

And the early church leader says, "Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear." [Acts 15:10]

So this is a yoke, trying to arrive at a righteous standing by being circumcised, keeping the festivals, obeying in the ... all the law, it's a heavy burden none of us can live up to. So Paul says, it makes sense now, "Stand firm therefore, do not be submitting again to a yoke of slavery." [Gal 5:1]

The problem for the Galatians is not how they start, they start right, they believe Jesus, but now they are tempted to turn away from Jesus to follow the law, or to submit to the law to find a righteous standing. This is the problem repeated throughout Galatians, I'm reminding you, it's not how they start, it's how they continue. They keep desert, or "They are tempted to desert God by turning to a different gospel." [Gal 1:6]

In chapter 2:4, we read that there are, I think, "Those men from Jerusalem who came to spy out the freedom of the Galatians and of the apostles, Paul in particular."

The word, "spy out" means to inspect with a view to overthrow, they don't want them to live in the freedom of Christ, they want to bring them into slavery, to the Mosaic law as a means of justification.

Peter himself was tempted to draw back because there was pressure for him to shift away from that freedom. Chapter 3:3, "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" You see, it's not how you start, it's how you continue, you start by believing in Jesus by receiving the Spirit, why do you now go on in the works of the flesh, according to the law?

"How can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles and whose slaves you want to be once more?" [Gal 4:9] It's not how you start, it's how you continue, and Paul says, "Stand firm therefore."

I share with you a story of a polytechnic student, his name is JC, just in short, he got to know a girl online called Ling Fei. And it was on Tinder, he swiped right, she swiped right, they got to know one another, and they connected on WhatsApp, not WhatsApp, WeChat.

And on WeChat, they chatted and soon, the girl says, "I really love you, I really like you, shall we get married on the online game?" So, they got on this online game to chat further, and they said, "Let's get married on the online game." And to get married virtually, he has to pay $300, I think ROM at Fort Canning, not so expensive, but the virtual one, you've got to pay $300. And so he paid $300, and they chatted further, and she said to him, "Let's meet up, let's meet at Farrer Park MRT station at 7 P.M." And to which he gladly agreed.

So he waited there at 7 P.M, but she didn't turn up. So he called her, and she said to him, "Well, if you want to meet up, you've got to show your sincerity, and I want you to buy for me 999 virtual roses on the online game, then I know you're sincere and I will meet up." So, of course he paid for 999 roses online. He said, "I paid for it." She said, "I didn't receive it." "OK, never mind, I pay again." "Hello, I paid for it." "No, I have not received it." So never mind, he pay again, she again ... she again said, "Never receive it."

Fourth time — never receive it, fifth time, no money to buy now, he's a student. So, what does he do? He asks for money from his friends, his friend lent him the money, he paid the fifth time, and she said, "I never receive it." It's at this fifth time that he came to his senses, and realized he had been scammed.

It appeared in the papers, "Student lost ..." you think I tell you a fake story, is it, huh? "Student lost $2,100 in love and game scam after sending 999 stalks of virtual roses 5 times." JC remarked, "I was angry at myself, because I felt that it was my fault for giving in and not being able to stand my ground. It taught me to stand firm and not let people influence me easily."

He, I think knew from the start it could be a scam, but he didn't want to allow himself to believe it, he wanted to hope for the best. The false teachers were coming to the Galatians, and they were bewitching, seducing, beguiling the Galatians. I think they probably knew this could be a scam, but they allowed themselves to do so.

So Paul, their spiritual father wrote to them to remind them, "Jesus secured this freedom, Jesus and Jesus alone. Whilst you cannot secure this freedom, you can and you must stand firm, therefore, and do not be seduced to legalism."

[3] STRAYING
What happens if you do stray away? What happens if you do shift away from the grace of Christ?

Well, Paul goes on to tell us what happens when you stray. The straying from this freedom is going to bring some consequences. Paul says, "Look: I, Paul, say to you." [Gal 5:2]

Now, this is serious language, you've got to sit up and take notice. "Look: I, Paul ..." It's like ... it's like a principal grabbing a student and saying, "Look: I, Miss Tan, say to you." "Wah, very different ah, Miss Tan talking to me, no, Miss Tan."
Well, Paul is saying, "I master all my authority as an apostle, and I say to you, this is really serious, ".. that if you accept circumcision ..." [Gal 5:2]

Now, immediately we may think, "Oh, circumcision is a bad thing. No one should get circumcised." No, no, no, no, that's not the point, circumcision is not a bad thing, it's given by God. But circumcision becomes a bad thing if you do it as a means to be justified by the law, as a means to get right with God. Ah, then that becomes a problem!

So Paul, I think looking at verse 4 contextually, is referring to circumcision as a means to justification. So Paul says, "I'm saying to you really seriously that if you depend on circumcision as a means of justification, "Then Christ will be of no advantage to you." [Gal 5:2]

You can't have Christ and legalism at the same time! Ishmael and Isaac cannot live in the same household! So, if you turn to the law as a means of justification, then righteousness, the Holy Spirit, justification, spiritual life, inheritance, that is all found in Christ will be forfeited. Christ will be of no advantage to you, you are on your own.

In fact, Paul says, "I testify again." [Gal 5:3]

This is the courtroom witness language, serious in court. "I testify to you that if you accept circumcision again ..." [Gal 5:3] contextually, as a means for justification, then because Christ is not of advantage to you, "... he is now obligated to keep the whole law."

That means, you have to fulfill everything in the law, in order to get right. You have to fulfill all 613 Old Testament laws, you are on your own, "Because you are severed from Christ." [Gal 5:4]

You're cut off from Christ. Christ is the Source of every spiritual blessing, but you want to be justified by the law. You now are cut off from Him. You're fallen from grace, like what Paul would say, "You nullify the grace of God in Christ." [Gal 2:21]

I think about citizenship here in Singapore, you know that our country does not allow for dual citizenship. You can't be a Singaporean and an American at the same time, you choose if you are a Singaporean, you are no more an American, if you're an American, you're no more a Singaporean. You can't have two! And it's the same when it comes to justification, you cannot be justified by Jesus and the law. You can't! If you choose to be justified by the law, Jesus will be of no advantage to you. No blessings there whatsoever, you are completely on your own.

So, the way of Christ is the right way, the way of Christ would be the way of the Spirit, would be the way of faith. If you believe in Jesus, you believe in His grace, His Spirit lives in you, you keep on believing and in such way of living — believing, loving, obeying, serving, ultimately, "You have this glorious hope, anticipation, expectation that you will be declared righteous on the final day." [Gal 5:5]

I think that's what Paul is saying, for those who belong to Christ, we live in the Spirit as contrast, as contrasted with we live in the flesh. We live by faith as contrasted with according to the works of the law, such ones are the ones who can joyously anticipate and expect that final vindication on the last day when we stand before God. Christ is the only way you can have this glorious hope, and if you are not in Christ, then you are ... you are left with no hope.

So, "For those who are in Christ, it doesn't matter whether you are circumcised or not," [Gal 5:6] really! For those who are in Christ, it only matters whether you believe, you keep on believing. And those who keep on believing will be evidenced by a life of love. That faith will be very productive, and it will express itself with love.[Gal 5:6] Something that Paul just hints off here in verse 6, but will develop further in verse 13 onwards.

We come back to verse 2, Paul says, "Look, I'm serious about this, if you accept circumcision as a means of justification, you stray from Christ, and Christ will be of no advantage to you, be very careful to stand firm therefore."

[4] STEALING
Paul has spoken quite a bit about the Galatians, now he's going to speak about the false teachers who are influencing the Galatians. These are people who came to spy out their freedom, these are the people who came to rob them or to steal their freedom. So, let's look at the stealing of this freedom in Christ.

The false teachers are people who hinder these Galatians, "You are, you were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" [Gal 5:7] So he uses a metaphor, a picture of a race, and false teachers are stumbling or tripping the Galatians up in this race of faith.

I remember a story, or rather I came to read about this story about Liú Xiáng [刘翔]. You know who is Liú Xiáng [刘翔]? Not Qín Xiáng Lín, [秦祥林, famous ex-actor] or whatever, 刘翔 [Liú Xiáng] is a Chinese hurdles champion. So in 2011, in the World Champion ... World Championship of Athletics, he was in this race, together with the favourite from Cuba, Robles.

And in that race it happened not just once, but twice, that as his competitor ran, he held back Liú Xiáng's [刘翔] hands twice. This is a ... this is clear evidence lah ah. Twice! And as a result of that, of it, he who actually came in first was disqualified, and Liu Xiang who came in third is promoted to second. I thought about someone who hinders, beats back his arm, so that he cannot run the race he's supposed to run.

But I came to this because I ... I read in the Paris Olympics, there was this skater who also used a dirty trick to hinder her opponent in skating. Take a look at this clip. Flick ... oops, she fell! jué zhāo [绝招] you know, I mean slow motion is easy but when it's at that speed it's quite quick you know.

Okay， “You were running well but who hindered you ..." [Gal 5:7] Who is that Robles or this lady who threw the cone along your path to hinder you? That did not come from God, "... that persuasion is not from Him who calls you." [Gal 5:8]

Obviously he's referring to the false teachers who were not sent by God! And he says, "They are people who trouble you," [Gal 1:7] people who bewitched you [Gal 3:1]. And they are very dangerous, because even though they are a small group of people, likened here to a small dose of yeast. "This small dose of yeast can spread throughout the whole lump," [Gal 5:9] and in and affect everyone, influence everyone.

So Paul says, "Be very careful about these people." "However I have confidence in the Lord ..." [Gal 5:10] that you will not ultimately be swayed. My confidence is not in you per se but in the Lord who will keep and preserve you. "... And the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty whoever he is." [Gal 5:10]

False teachers will never get away, scammers in God's kingdom will never get away. Just as Paul says, "Let him be accursed," in chapter 1 and verse 8. Anyone who wants to influence God's people adversely, you have to answer to God one day. It's a scary thing to be a false teacher, I'm sure.

Now, we then come to this rather puzzling statement in verse 11, "But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?"

Now, I think the best way to explain this is that the false teachers are probably saying to the Galatians, "Get circumcised. Why? Because even your apostle Paul also say get circumcised." Paul is being misrepresented by the false teachers, so, that's why Paul says in response to that false allegation, "Hey, if I still preach circumcision as the false teachers' claim, then why am I still being persecuted. It makes no sense!"

So he is simply saying, "They are lying, I'm not preaching circumcision as a necessity for salvation at all, because I'm being persecuted. The reason why I'm persecuted is because I'm not preaching anyone can save himself by circumcision, anyone is saved only by the grace of God because of the cross." That's why , "In that case the offense of the cross has been removed." [Gal 5:11]

"If I still preach circumcision, then there is no need for the cross, and there is no offense of the cross. And the offense of the cross is saying to man — you cannot save yourself. That's why I don't preach circumcision!"

So we come to the last verse, "I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!" [Gal 5:12]

Now, this is very strong language, and clearly I think Paul did not write this without due consideration. Clearly, I think there are good reasons why. Number one, uh, he probably wants to convey the gravity or the severity of the situation. He is deeply emotional, he cares for the Galatians and he uses strong language to convey that.

Number two, I think he's using a play of words. Those who insist that you cut off your foreskin, should really cut off their genitalia. That's a play on words, that's pushing the imagery to the extreme.

And I think a third reason is in the Old Testament, in the Mosaic law, Deuteronomy, those who cut off the genitalia or those who have their genitalia crushed are not allowed to approach the assembly of the LORD. So, it's almost saying, Paul is saying here, "Let those who trouble you, teach you false teachings be cut off from God." I suppose that's why he would use a language such as this.

So, we have learned spiritual freedom is secured by Jesus, whilst we cannot purchase it, we are to stand in it, because to stray from it would be disastrous. Be careful about people who are here to steal this freedom from you.

[5] SERVICE
And finally, I've only time left, a short time left to deal with the most important point and that is the service of freedom.
But, but don't worry, I'm going to come back to this verse next Sunday. The service of freedom, what is freedom all about? One word, "service".

Paul says in verse 13, "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh."

Now, this means you're called to freedom but don't use your freedom in Christ, "Oh, I don't have to obey the law for justification anymore." Don't use that to say, "Hey, that means I can indulge and live in any sin I want." Don't do that! "But through love, serve one another." [Gal 5:13]

So, notice in Galatians, we are warned against legalism. Legalism is a bad thing! Don't be enslaved by it, because, "You have been called to freedom, my brothers." [Gal 5:13] On the other hand, some people sway from legalism to the other extreme which is licentiousness, which means a mindset or an attitude that says, "I can sin all I want since I am forgiven anyway."

Paul says, "Don't you do that! Do not use your freedom as an occasion or opportunity for the flesh." [Gal 5:13] Instead of going to this extreme of legalism, or that extreme of licentiousness, come to the biblical centre of love. "Use your liberty to love and serve one another." [Gal 5:13]

What is Christian liberty? It's not doing whatever I need to do to save myself. Christian liberty is also not doing whatever I want to do to please myself. Christian liberty is doing whatever I need to do to serve God and His people. You see that? That is a huge paradigm shift, and God has done all this for you.

Christ gave Himself to free you from legalism, then He sends His Spirit into you to free you from the flesh. We are going to read that in Galatians 5:16, "Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh." And Christ and the Spirit are given so that we today may be freed, in order to slave for others. I didn't use the word, "serve" because that's the word there, douleuo - to slave, to be a slave, to enslave yourself for others.

Real freedom is not serving the law to save yourself, it's not serving yourself to please yourself, it's serving others for the glory of God. Do you believe that? Do you see that? That's what Paul is saying.

Freedom, it's a noun to say that it is the power or act or right to act, speak or think as one wants without restraint or hindrance. But if I may say biblically, I may add, : as one wants not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. I think that's what freedom is, to do as the Spirit leads us, not to indulge the flesh. Or if you like it a bit more simply, it is : the power or right to act, speak or think as God wants. Because that's how God made us, to live in His image, to love and to serve as He is love.

I like what Keller said, he said, "Because a fish absorbs oxygen from water, not air, it is free only if it is restricted to water. If a fish is 'freed' from the river and put out on the grass to explore, its freedom to move and soon live is destroyed ... Real freedom is finding the right [restrictions]."

Real freedom is not serving the law to save yourself, it's not serving yourself to please yourself, real freedom is found in the right restriction of fulfilling the great commandment — to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, strength and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

You see, Jesus came to live a free life. How did He do that? He came to give His life a ransom for many. Jesus came not to be served but to serve, He lived the truly free life, you see. He came for others, and I think that's the meaning of true freedom.

I close with two statements from Piper, "To be fully free, we must have the desire, the ability, and the opportunity to do what will make us happy forever."

You know what's enslaving? Living for your sin, because it will make you happy for a while. It will make you happy for that few minutes, few hours, few days, few weeks, maybe few months, but you will soon enough regret over that sinful choice you made. But when you choose to live right, when you choose the right restriction to love God and to love man, you may have to forfeit the joy of sin, the pleasure of sin for a season, for a moment, but you will truly be happy forever. Think about that! That's what real freedom is! And he said again, "Freedom is to do what you want to do and have no regrets in a thousand years," because it's the right thing to do."

My friends, Christ came to set you free from the law, His Spirit dwells in you to set you free from yourself and from your lusts. Today, you and I can begin to explore real freedom in loving others. I tell you this is the paradox of the Christian life, to deny ourselves, to take up the cross, to serve others. Freedom is found in slavery to others, think about this this week and we'll come back again next Sunday.

Let's bow for a word of prayer together.

I hope for those who are here today and do not know Jesus as yet, it will be crystal clear to you that the only way you can be saved is if you humble yourself, swallow the offence of the cross, and look to Jesus who died and rose again. We pray that God will grant to you repentance and faith, that you might be forgiven, you might be saved, you might be freed.

And I pray for all Gospeliters, stand firm in this freedom and steward this freedom to serve. I pray we will be a serving church, because that means we will be a loving church, because that means we will be a truly blessed church. We will enjoy true freedom when we give ourselves in God's power to serve one another.

So dear God, this morning we plead for the work of Your Spirit to bring light and life and liberty to souls as they hear the Good News of Jesus. And we pray for the church, for one another today, that we will have the wisdom to choose to live within the right restrictions of the great commandment. We remember Jesus when He said, "My meat or My food is to do the will of My Father." That is real freedom, and may we be wise to choose that true path of freedom.

Thank You for Your Spirit, Thank You for Your Son. Thank You, out of all the people in the world, we can be truly free. May we taste of this, grow in this and be marked out by this freedom. Thank You, we pray all this in Jesus' Name. Amen.


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