CHAPTER 5

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

What exactly is a "yoke?"
The Greek word is zugos and means a coupling for servitude.

The Old Testament laws were a yoke of servitude.
They were cumbersome.

But Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matt. 11:29)

The yoke Jesus was talking about is like the one a student wears.
It does hang around the neck, but it symbolizes being a student of a teacher.
In other words, it means LEARNING.

Jesus coupled the word yoke with "...and learn of me."

So let us learn how to be FREE in Christ!
He has given us LIBERTY from yoke of "bondage" to rites and cermonies.
The LAW is still our schoomaster, but we are SAVED from sin by our Lord Jesus!

We can go to Christ anytime, when we feel guilty of sin, and plead forgiveness.
We are assured that He has already paid the price for sin, and that He will CONTINUALLY
forgive when we plead. (See 1John 1:9)

If you want to know more about practicing Christian LIBERTY, read my commentary
on Matt. 5:3-17.

2-4
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

When Abraham was circumcised (which started that rite), it symbolized a SEAL of God, and
the righteousness he had ALREADY received through faith in God.

Later, the Jewish nation looked at circumcision became a seal of attending to ALL the law!

Keep in mind, Paul is speaking to the church in Galatia, where most are Gentiles.
Some folk had entered and said they were not truly God's people because they were
not circumcised.

The words "ye are fallen" come from the Greek ekpipto which means
to drop away or become inefficient.
Paul is not asserting here that they have lost their salvation!!!!!
He is saying if they revert to the law instead of liberty, they become unable to
pracitice their freedom in Christ properly.

Paul's argument here is that being circumcised reverts one back to obedience in the
rites and ceremonies of the Old Testament.
He is quite adamant about the fact that Christians are under GRACE and not LAW!

One cannot be JUSTIFIED by the LAW!
One can only be justfied by CHRIST!!

5-6
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision;
but faith which worketh by love.

FAITH in Christ is the "gift of God!"
It is a gift given by grace to those who receive Christ as Lord.
That faith is the ability to love Christ and to cling to Him all our lives.
Faith works because of the love He has for us, and the love we have for Him.

Circumcision does not HELP that faith.
Our clinging to the truth of Christ as our Savior in all circumstances is what increases and helps our faith to grow.

As Christians, we are on a journey through this life.
We are WAITING for "the hope of righteousness by faith!"

One day, at our death, or at the appearing of Christ, we will SEE
what we have hoped for!

7-10
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded:
but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

Through the entrance of those who proposed they MUST be circumcised,
they had been persuaded to not obey the truth of LIBERTY!

Notice Paul says, "This persuasion cometh NOT of Him that called you!"

In verse 5, Paul is saying be careful who you listen to, because a little yeast
will change the infrastructure of a whole barrel of flour; and,
a small deviance from the truth will cause a Christian to wander from the truth!

Christians, through love for Christ, have been called into LIBERTY!
Let's be sure and check the words of some so-called preachers, and make
sure their statements align with the truth of God's Word.

11-12
11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution?
then is the offence of the cross ceased.
12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

Paul did not preach circumcision.
And, he suffered persecution from the Jews because of it.
If he had, the "offence of the cross" in His preaching would have CEASED!

Now, I pray you can see the irony in verse 12.
Circumcision entails CUTTING OFF part of the body.
Paul says he desires those promoting circumcision be CUT OFF from
the body of Christ (the church).

13-15
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion
to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

The conflict of those urging circumcision caused some to be at odds with others.

But the admonishment is: they are called to LIBERTY in Christ.
However, be careful not to MISUSE that liberty.
Love and serve one another.

16-17
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:
and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Our flesh and our spirit are continually working against one another.
For an example, let's say you are at a church luncheon.
You walk by the desert table and see a beautiful coconut cake.
Your body says: I want some of that!
Your mind says: But it has cholesterol and carbohydrates which are damaging.
Then, your spirit must DECIDE!
But if our spirit is truly joined to Christ's Spirit, then we will decide according
to HIS WILL and not ours.

That's a simple illustration of how we should react to ALL of life's temptations!
LIVE clinging to Christ and let His Spirit GUIDE you in what is right.

18
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

When a person surrenders to Christ as Lord, he/she is "SEALED with the
Holy Spirit."

He is with us always to help us overcome the desires of the flesh!

He will ALWAYS direct us in understanding the truths of God and to be
striving in accomplishing God's will in our lives!
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
(Philippians 2:13)

19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before,
as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Note that the "works of the flesh are manifest."
They are made known by our ACTIONS!!

Paul is NOT saying that those actions will keep us from the kingdom of God!
He IS saying that CONTINUING in those actions exhibit the fact one is NOT in the kingdom
of God!

That brings up a thought in my mind.
Can those who profess to be lesbian or gay be in the kingdom of God?
It depends on their ACTIONS!!

A person can confess those actions as sin, and surrender to Christ.
Surrender to Christ as Lord will PREVENT those actions.

22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Again, note that "the fruit of the Spirit" is known by ACTIONS!

CONTINUING in those actions exhibits the person is IN the kingdom of God!

"...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness and
temperance" are WORKS of the Spirit THROUGH the life of the believer!!

Christians, let our ACTIONS show the works of the Spirit, and NOT the works of the flesh!

24-26
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Remember Pauls statement in Galatians 2:20?
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Being crucified with Christ is an act of self-will.
It is exemplified in the act of baptism.
1) I am dying to self,
2) I am being immersed in Christ,
3) I am being RAISED by Him to walk in a NEW WAY of life!

So, if we have done this, "...let us also WALK in the SPIRIT!"

Again, it is continually committing the ACT of living for Christ.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.
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