In Galatians 5 Paul moves back to encouraging them to stand firm in Christ's freedom. However he is also going to explain why freedom in Christ does not mean free to do anything you want (i.e. sin purposely). Freedom is a concept that, if only spoken about in general terms, many will agree that it is good. Similarly to talk about "connecting with God" in general terms sounds good to over 90% of the world. But the Bible always details and gives specificity to what God means by what he says. God is not vague. He couldn't be more clear about sin than when his son's bloody corpse was hanging on a cross. Thus Paul is going to get into the details of what it means to live in the freedom of Jesus.
Paul clearly commands the Galatian believers to quit going after the "Law-Persuasion" and stand firm in the Freedom of Christ. He also reminds them that Christ set us free so that we could live freely, not go back into bondage. Part of the purpose of Christ's death on the cross was to purchase our freedom. Thus to go back under the Law would be to make Christ's death meaningless. When Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 and says that he has come to set the captives free he meant it. This would be equivalent to special forces breaking out a prisoner of war only to have the prisoner of war pull an alarm and run back into his jail cell, locking it. It is not just nonproductive to the mission, it questions the very mission itself.
Paul continues to keep the imagery of freedom next to bondage. As any who have tried to keep the law or any group of laws know, it is impossible to perfectly keep them and we ultimately come to despise them.
Now Paul makes an interesting point about circumcision that some would say contradicts what he says later in vs. 6. First he will make the point that if they circumcise themselves then they will get zero benefits from Christ. Ouch! That would include salvation. However in vs. 6 he says that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision can accomplish anything. Is this a contradiction? Of course not. It is only a contradiction for those who have their fingers in their ears and don't want to hear the truth. Vs. 6 represents the principle of Truth: circumcised or not circumcised means nothing when it comes to accomplishing God's will. That's right, they are irrelevant. However, in the case of the Galatians, they are being persuaded that circumcision is not just something, but something so big that they won't be saved if they don't do it. This is only one issue. Days of worship, feasts, and foods are other issues that are irrelevant for the believer in Jesus. However, they can become part of a persuasion that says, you must obey the laws in order to obtain any benefit from Jesus. In that context, the Galatians would no longer be embracing Jesus in faith. Rather they would be putting their faith in the Law and more specifically their own works. Thus he warns them. For them circumcision was an act that was coming not from faith in Jesus, but faith in the Law and their own ability to keep it. This is like trying to mix oil and water, Gospel and anti-gospel, Christ and anti-christ. You can't do it! Thus the warning that they will forfeit the benefits of Christ.
However, as a point for us today, here is the truth. You do not need to circumcise your children nor do you need to fret if you were circumcised. In fact, in WWII, many soldiers were required to be circumcised by the miltary as a way to help avoid diseases (not to say that it worked). It is not some kind of unpardonable sin. It just doesn't matter. What does matter is why you do it. If it is for medical reasons, whether actually helpful or not, then you are free to circumcise. But if you think for a moment that a "good christian" really should be circumcised then watch out. You are treading on dangerous ground. Because that idea is counter to the gospel.
So in verse 3 Paul warns them that they can't pick and choose parts of the Law. If they are putting their faith in the law then they are obligated to keep the whole law. This is a clear challenge to them. Theya re not free to mix the part of the law they want with the part of the gospel they want. It is either or. Though it is popular to say "both and" today, in this case that would be spiritual suicide.
In case he hasn't been understood up to this point, Paul makes his case stronger. Some of them were already alienated from Christ and had fallen from grace. I am not going to get into the theological battles that can wage around verses like this for Calvinists and Arminianists. However, he is making the statement that they haven't just sinned and need to repent. He says they have become foreigners to Christ and fallen out of grace. Picture if you will a Sumo wrestling match. The object of this sport is to stay within a circle in spite of the attempts of your opponent to knock you out. Thus the earlier command to stand firm in the freedom is also a command to stand firm in the Grace of Christ. Don't let the enemy through whatever means knock you out of Grace and away from Jesus. In their minds they weren't denying Christ but in reality their actions were actions of unfaithfulness, and spiritual adultery.
Paul reminds them in vs. 5 that the true believer is waiting for the Hope of Righteousness by faith. Now Paul surely understands and has taught that we are made righteous in God's sight at salvation, because of our faith in Christ. However here he is looking forward (Hope) to a future time. Paul understands that part of the "persuasion" of going back under the law is that we don't trust grace. We like the false sense of security that comes from attempting to keep laws. Especially when we can compare ourselves to others who aren't as good as us at keeping the laws. Paul is saying that if they are true believers they will not only realize that their attempts to keep the law are pitiful, but they will also realize that God has offered to make us righteous in actuality. Let me be clear hear. At salvation we are righteous because of our faith but we all feel the inadequacy of our actions. We are given the freedom to fight against sin in this life because it's threat over us has been neutralized. We find that our own flesh is our worst enemy in this battle. Its lusts continually spring up no matter how much weeding we do. In the resurrection God will purify this flesh as he brings forth our glorified bodies and makes us righteous in faith and in deed, that is, like Christ. This is the true Hope of every believer. Not that I can do it now that I have Jesus. But rather, Praise Jesus that he has provided for me the Hope that one day I will stand before Him and be like Him. Praise be to God alone!
This leads to a statement of the Gospel Truth: Our actions in the flesh are not what justify us, only our faith in Christ. However Faith in Christ will always express itself in loving actions towards others. Thus, in many things, it is not the action that is sinful or righteous, but the faith or lack thereof that is. So quit looking for the things that you are supposed to do and start trusting Jesus to teach you how to truly love and serve others. Follow him, be his disciple.
Paul then goes back to warn them about those who are stirring them up towards the Law. Paul had given them the gospel and they were running well, the long distance race of faith. But, vs. 7, someone not only cut in on them, but did so in such a forceful way that it has knocked some of the Galatians off the track and now they were like Charlie Brown who thought he was winning the race, but in reality he had run off the track and was out in the woods. Paul asks the question of Who is the cause of this tragedy? Who is persuading you in another direction? They are not being led nor sent by God. They have at best sent themselves and at worst are willing tools of satan.
In verse 9 Paul uses the analogy of yeast or leaven. Just as only a little yeast is used for a whole batch of bread, so a little antichrist doctrine, if not removed, will puff up and ruin the Galatian believers. These false teachers will be judged by God, no matter who they are. Jesus warned about this in Matthew 18:6-7, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes."
Paul reminds them that if he taught this same perverted gospel he would no longer be persecuted. The message of the cross offends people, but it especially offends those who think they are something in the flesh. The cross says "God died that you might live: that's how bad your sin was. Now walk in his righteousness, not your own." We must be careful not to remove or ameliorate the offense of the cross. All who come to God must do so through the scandal of the cross. It cannot, nor dare not be avoided.
Paul's passion in this matter is so great that he takes the picture of circumcision and wishes those who teach such things would not only circumcise themselves but also castrate themselves. Paul is clearly not talking literally here. He doesn't wish them bodily harm. Rather, he is speaking spiritually. A castrated person would be unable to produce offspring and herein lies the problem. These guys are not content to circumcise themselves and leave others alone. Instead they want to "have children" or followers who believe in their teachings.
At this point Paul begins to detail out what it means to walk in the Freedom of Christ.
Paul first starts out in verse 13 by describing the purpose of freedom and how it can be abused. It should not be used to give our flesh opportunity. Jude vs. 4 refers to this as changing the grace of God into ungodliness. The lusts of our flesh seek to be satisfied whether they are sexual, social, religious, or whatever. It is always looking for leverage against our will to get its way. We must not think that it is acceptable to use the freedom that we have in Christ to satisfy those desires. Do we fail at times? Sure. Is there forgiveness in Christ? Of course. But that is not Paul's point. He is speaking to the purpose of our freedom and it is clearly not in order for us to freely sin.
Rather, we are to serve one another through love. Although he doesn't mention faith at this point it is the basis by which we can love one another. If we have no faith in Christ then we will have no ability to truly serve each other through love. Here he reminds them of the "2nd Greatest Command," love your neighbor as yourself, and the fact that their Lord had commanded them to do so. If their is a law we should obey it is the law of Love.
Paul warns them with the grotesque imagery of canibalism to not destroy each other. It is clear that he intends them to understand this as a result of giving opportunity to the flesh. It will not only destroy you but others around you. So to satisfy the lusts of your flesh leads to obeying the command, Consume one another. But God has called us to Love one another.
So the purpose of our Freedom is clear, to serve one another through love. Now Paul speaks to our motivation. What is driving how we use our freedom? In verse 16 he commands them to walk in step with or in agreement with the Holy Spirit. If they do this it will protect them from satisfying their flesh and consuming one another. So our motivation isn't to stamp out all our fleshly desires, but rather to go after the godly desires promoted by the Holy Spirit. The life that results from this motivation will keep us from satisfying the lusts of the flesh. Notice he doesn't say they will cease to exist and you will never have a problem again. Nor does he say it will be an easy battle. However, in the end our motivation in expressing the freedom of Christ needs to be walking as the Spirit directs us.
Now Paul points out that the Spirit of God and our Flesh are opposed and hostile to one another. You cannot trust your desires. No matter how good they may look to you they are vicious enemies of God and will lead you away from him. You need to go to God's Word and the Holy Spirit to see what you should desire. It is a work that the Holy Spirit does in our life as we crucify our desires and yield our will to the desires of the Spirit. So that when I don't want to forgive someone who has offended me, I must crucify that desire and yield my will to forgiving them. That doesn't mean we can't confront them, but we must do so as the Holy Spirit would have us, not how our flesh would have us. If we let the flesh lead it will destroy us. If we let the Spirit lead he will heal us. This brings us to two lists. The first one demonstrates the fruit or works of giving opportunity to our flesh. If you listen and satisfy the desires of your flesh it will lead to these types of activities. Paul's main point is that this isn't rocket science. It is not a mystery whether we are following our flesh or the Spirit. Each believer can clearly see the evidence of what he or she is walking with, flesh or Spirit.
Adultery,
Fornication (basically sexual immorality-any sex outside of marriage)
Uncleaness (another general term that all of the list would be)
Idolatry (Faith in anything above God/Jesus)
Sorcery (any attempts to connect to the spirit world outside of God himself)
Hatred (hostility, enemity)
Contentions (quarreling and strife)
Jealousies (hot desires for the things of others)
Outbursts of Wrath (hot-headed, quick tempered)
Selfish ambitions (literally politicking or electioneering)
Dissensions (causing divisions and disunity)
Heresies (factions and camps around individuals and their interpretations)
Envy
Murders
Drunkeness
Revelries (drinking parties, carousing)
This list is clearly not exhaustive as he ends with, "and the like." Paul makes the clear warning that those who "practice" these things WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God. Even if you say you believe in Jesus and his blood covers your sin, you cannot then continue to practice these kinds of things which are evidence that you are rejecting the leading of the Holy Spirit and letting your flesh lead. Our eternal salvation is at stake. So you are free in Christ. But if you use your freedom to satisfy the flesh and reject the Spirit then you will end up destroying yourself. Unless, of course, you repent and turn back to the Holy Spirit and Jesus. This same point is made in other letters by Paul. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolates, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
Now Paul shows us the difference of the life that is being led by the Holy Spirit. It has different kind of fruit.
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
When Paul says, "there is no law against these things," he is showing the Galatian believers that Freedom in no way means being lawless. If we use our freedom to follow the Spirit we will see the fruit of God's righteousness growing in our life. Not by our power but by the power of the Spirit as our faith trusts and follows him.
Now the bottom line for Paul is that those who truly belong to Christ have crucified their flesh. That is they have come to a place where they agreed with God that their flesh deserved to die. Of course we must put it to death daily, even moment by moment as its desires surface in our life. His point being that no one can belong to Christ who hasn't turned their back on the flesh. Again, I say, do we fall to temptation at times? Sure. Is there forgiveness? Of course. But Paul's earlier use of the word "practice" implies more than a one time mistake here and there but a pattern of giving ourself to it. What is the arrow of your desire? Do you desire the things of the Spirit or the things of the Flesh? More importantly which of these two is in the driver seat of your will? If you continue to let the flesh drive it will destroy you.
In verse 25 Paul challenges them. If you live in the Spirit, that is say you are spiritually born again, then walk with the Spirit, that is let the Spirit direct your desires and actions. Don't just talk about Jesus but walk with the flesh. Let your walk match your talk. You might think, how is this different from following the law? Well first of all much of the law dealt with the sacrificial system and ceremonial cleanliness. They weren't commanded because they were morally right but because they were symbolically right. The sacrificial laws were intended to teach us about what Jesus did for us at the cross. The ceremonial cleanliness laws were symbolically to teach us that things in this life can make us unacceptable to God. Even the part of the law that was moral and ethical, you shall not murder, could only work on actions. How do you enforce a law that says, you must not think murderous thoughts towards your brother? You can't. At least science isn't there yet. We are not obligated to keep the symbolical laws of the Old Covenant. But we are free to obtain wisdom from why God designed them that way. But even if you say, "Yes, but we must keep the ethical commands of the Law." Herein is the problem, if you focus on the law you will be obligated to it and condemned by it. But if through Christ you listen to the Spirit he will begin to change you from the inside out. A far more powerful work that produces real righteousness not fake righteousness. And, that is why Paul ends with the exhortation.
Do not become conceited and envy one another. The law promotes a system of conceit in those who are better at keeping it and an envy in those who are not. These are obvious works of the flesh that destroy us even as we attempt to please God through our own strength.
Christian, don't be troubled by those who say you should be going to church on Saturdays not Sunday. Don't fear those who say if you worship on Sunday you have taken the mark of the beast. Don't be persuaded by those who say you are in error if you don't keep the feast days of the Old Testament and other such remnants of the Law. Instead, continue to follow Jesus and serve others through the Love that God has given us in Christ. As Christ has sacrificially love you, so you should sacrificially love others in your life. Through that the Spirit will make you over until you eventually stand before him and look like him. Amen!