Galatians 5:1-9 - Stand Firm, Stand Free

To set up Galatians chapter five let's get the context. Paul has just concluded his theological argument against his opponents. Now in these final two chapters he will apply that correct theology, as well as answer this important question--if we are justified by faith without the law, how then are we to live our Christian lives?

Since then we are free and have been made free by Christ's perfect obedience to the law and substitutionary death and life-imparting resurrection, then . . .

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

Christ set us free to be free, not to be slaves. So don't return to your slavery. Don't go back to pretending you have to keep that law to earn God's favor when God's favor has already been poured out upon you through Christ.

Here we see in Paul both the indicative and the imperative.

The indicative is that we have been set free from the law by Christ. The imperative is that we should stand firm in that freedom and not go back and enslave ourselves to it again.

(2) Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 

This is me. Paul. An apostle. Listen to me. I am telling you. Don't think that keeping the law can be accomplished by some token compliance with this or that requirement. If you are going to embrace the law, you're embracing it all. And you are rejecting Christ in the process.

Understand that what Christ did was to fulfill the law for us--in our place--as our representative head, our substitute. To go back to the law thinking you have to do it yourself is to reject that representation.

As commentator F. F. Bruce said: "Christ will provide unlimited help to those who place their undivided trust in him, but no help at all to those who bypass his saving work and think to become acceptable to God by circumcision or other legal observances."

In this Bible study we covered the first nine verses of Galatians 5 and began to see how our Christian lives are to be lived--what Paul means when he says we are to stand firm in our freedom and liberty in Christ. You will find the audio to this bible study linked below. Just click the link to listen. God bless.

Click here: Galatians 5:1-9 - Stand Firm, Stand Free


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