Skip to content The True Meaning of Liberty Found in Galatians 5-6 Sep 24 · 14 min ...more
The True Meaning of Liberty Found in Galatians 5-6
September 24, 2025 · 14 min
Learn how true liberty in Christ empowers us to serve others in love, not serve the flesh.
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Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
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Living in Liberty Through the Spirit 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Alright. Today, a very powerful and practical passage as we look at the final 2 chapters of Galatians chapter 5 and 6. Verse 1 of chapter 5, stand0:22 fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. It starts off with a very fundamental and, I think, life altering0:34 truth. For freedom, Christ has made us free. Free to do what our fallen nature would lead us to do? No. Free from that nature to do what0:45 God created us to do, and that is to glorify him, which is where true liberty is found. Verse 2, indeed, I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ0:57 will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. We can't pick and choose. Either we're going to live by faith or by the works1:09 of the law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace. For we, through the spirit, eagerly1:21 wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. Now the outward1:33 signs of the law matter not in Christ Jesus. Okay? Paul asked again, where did this come from? It wasn't for me, and it was not from the Lord. Whoever it was1:45 from is going to be held accountable. I mean, this is a warning that we heard in James in James chapter 3. Look what he he he says here in verse 7. You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? Where did this1:56 come from? This persuasion does not come from him, that is the Lord who called you. He warns a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Doesn't take much to get you off course. I have confidence in you in2:08 the Lord that you will have no other mind, but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. Now look at verse 13 because this is very important.2:20 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty. Okay. Only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve 1 another. Okay. We've been made free2:31 from the law, but not to do whatever we want. Alright? And and notice that he he he writes that we're called the liberty. He does not use the word freedom.2:43 Freedom is the absence of the absence of restraint. Liberty is structured freedom within the framework of God. Now this is a very important concept because our founding fathers used the word liberty2:55 much more than they did freedom. Ordered liberty is the idea that set the American experiment apart. Okay? Especially when you look compare it to the French Revolution that occurred after the American3:07 Revolution. Liberty is the ability to do what we ought, not what our fallen nature wants. K? Very, very important concept that's that's3:19 at the center of a lot of public policy debates today. For instance, in recent years, I'm sure you've heard the phrase, the slogan that they use, the freedom to marry the 1 you love. Alright? The3:31 freedom. See, liberty can sustain liberty. Freedom cannot sustain freedom. Okay? Because the absence of3:42 moral restraints, which is what is meant today by the freedom by the freedom to do whatever you wanna do, ends in bondage. That is exactly what Paul is saying here in this passage.3:55 Look at verse 14. For all the law is fulfilled in 1 word, even as you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Right? It's still guided by the moral law of God. But if you abide and devour 1 another,4:06 beware lest you be consumed by 1 another. Paul is saying, if you demand freedom rather than walking in liberty, you will lose your freedom to walk in liberty. So how4:18 do we prevent this from happening? Right? Well, here's the answer. He provides a verse 16. I say then walk in the spirit, lust of the flesh. For the flesh lust against the spirit, and the spirit against4:30 the flesh, and these are contrary to 1 another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Next, Paul goes into a literal4:43 spiritual laundry list. Alright? He's taking inventory. Look at verse 19. Now the works of the flesh are evident. This is our human nature. This is what is in the nature of4:56 man. They are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambition, dissensions, heresies.5:08 Let me pause just a moment. Let me make a note on sorcery. This is the use of drugs in magical portions. I mean, this was happening back then, so it's not new. But what is new in our5:19 time is that our government is now condoning and actually promoting the use of mind altering drugs that open people up to demonic encounters. Right?5:33 Now this, let let's continue here. Oh, I lost track of my notes. Verse 21, he continues with this list. Envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries,5:45 and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in times past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of god. We still talk about the salvation. And when you talk about the5:56 kingdom of god, walking in the kingdom of god in the fullness of life that Christ came to provide for us. Jesus said that I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly. We have the6:08 abundant life when we're walking in the kingdom of God in the fullness of the spirit. Now I I I want you to stop for just a moment. Okay? We just went through this list of the6:19 the, the works of the flesh, the the part of the the the human nature of man, the fallen nature. Stop. You might wanna push pause here and and take inventory. Ask the holy6:31 spirit to show you if any of these things are in your life. I did. As I was studying, preparing for this, this in this passage, I stopped. And it didn't take him long to show me.6:43 Alright? And then we we need to we need to we need to pray. So then what do we do? Well, he goes on here. You see, the life of liberty is marked not by the6:55 absence of the works of the flesh, but by the presence of the fruit of the spirit. You know, it's 1 thing you you just to remove the bad, but you can't you gotta fill it with something. The vacuum7:07 is gonna be filled, and we've read about that in scripture. Jesus used that illustration that the the house was clean, and it wasn't filled with anything else. And so the demon that was driven out came back with 7 of his7:17 friends. So the the the what Paul is saying here is we need to replace the work of the flesh with the fruit of the spirit. Look at verse 22. But the fruit of7:29 the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Again, such there is no law. So look at the contrast here. Okay? I mean, you7:41 could actually take and and match them up. Just take, for instance, the the the issues related to relationships, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,7:53 envy. That's countered by the fruit of the spirit, love, peace, patience, kindness, and gentleness. You see, the spirit when we're walking in8:05 the spirit, that produces unity and reconciliation among believers, where the flesh when we're walking in the flesh, it breeds division and hostility in the body of8:16 Christ. Galatians 5 24, and those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and its desires. Okay? Verse 25,8:28 though, if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. What's he saying there? Now these things we've we have died to the world. These things are crucified if we're crucified with Christ. And so8:40 when we are when we come to know the lord Jesus Christ, our spirit is made alive. And so we we live in the spirit, but Paul says we also have to walk in the spirit. You see, it's a choice that we make in in8:52 Ephesians in Ephesians chapter 4. I believe it is. He said, be filled with the spirit. You see, it's a choice we make. If if we are believers in Christ, we must have the spirit.9:04 I mean, we have the spirit, but we must be choose to be filled with the spirit and walk in the spirit to experience the fullness of our liberty. Alright. Let's go to verse 6. Brethren I mean, chapterBearing Burdens and Sowing in the Spirit 9:16 6 verse 1. Brethren, if a man has overtaken any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a 1 in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear 1 another's burdens,9:28 and so fulfill the love of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each 1 examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing9:39 in himself alone and not another. So he's he's warning against, actually, pride because you're looking at what other people are doing. You're criticizing others. This echoes what9:51 Jesus told Peter in John chapter 21 when Peter was asking Jesus about what was gonna happen to John. And in verse 22 of John 21, Jesus said to him, that is Peter, if10:03 I will that he, that is John, remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow me. We're to keep at verse 5, for each 1 shall bear his own load. Just alright.10:15 We've got enough to worry about as we follow Jesus and accomplish and seek to do and accomplish what he's given us to do. Verses 6 through 10 talks about sowing into the kingdom of10:27 God, that it is a good investment. You know, when the question is where are you being spiritually fed? You should invest, tithe, so that others will benefit from that work. And I would10:39 encourage those that are being fed through the stand on the word, to to stand with FRC and help us expand, the reach of stand on the word. Verse 6, let him10:51 who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the11:03 flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reach reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good. For in due season, we shall reap if11:14 we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Alright. Drop down to verse 12. As11:26 many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised. Alright. He's going back as he closes to draw this contrast between himself and those who were trying11:38 to bring the Galatians into the bondage of the law. So he says let me read that again. He says, as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised11:49 only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. So he he's saying that, you know, they they wanted their cake, and they wanted to eat it too. They wanted to to to promote Christ, but they also wanted12:00 to avoid the reproach that came from aligning solely with the cross. But it doesn't work that way. You gotta stand on 1 side or the other. Verse 14. But God forbid that I should12:12 boast except in the cross of our lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. It's all about the cross. And then he goes on as he12:24 closes, from now on from now on, let no 1 trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. So he says, you know, you wanna see the12:35 evidence of where I stand, the fact that I am an apostle of the Lord. Look, the evidence of my is on my body as I bear the marks of the persecution12:47 that I have faced. Verse 18, brethren, the grace of our lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. What a great passage. Very practical. So I do encourage you to meditate upon12:59 this. Don't just read it. Let the holy spirit minister to you through it and and and pray through it and ask the lord how he would have you apply the truths that you see in these passages13:11 each and every day to your life. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word. And, lord, just reminded of the of the work of the flesh that is in our human nature. It's there, but it's gotta13:23 be replaced with the fruit of the spirit. It is crucified in Christ as our spirit is made alive in Christ, but we have to choose to walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. So, lord, help us do that by the power of the13:35 holy spirit and by your word, and may the fruit be evident in our lives, and may unity be the result among believers. For we pray and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me13:47 this morning, and until next time, keep standing on the word.13:54 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan, available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you14:06 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at f r c dot o r g slash bible.In this video 0:00 Living in Liberty Through the Spirit9:13 Bearing Burdens and Sowing in the Spirit
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