Galatians 5
Randy ®
Theme: Salvation is by grace, not works.
3. Because the Spirit gives victory over sin (5-6)
A. Through the Spirit, we wait for righteousness (1-12)
B. Through the Spirit, we bear the fruit of love (13-26)
Having shown the gospel of grace came from God (1-2), and
faith in Christ alone frees us from the penalty of sin (3-4),
chapters 5 - 6 now show the Spirit, by faith alone, frees us
from the power of sin in daily life.
Through the Spirit, we wait for righteousness (1-12). Far
from keeping us saved, trying to complete salvation by adding
works to faith renders Christ of no benefit. This does not
mean you can lose your salvation, for even Abraham, after
being justified by faith alone, when he failed to see the
fulfillment of God's promise in his life, attempted to obtain
it through the strength of his flesh (Galatians 4; cf. Genesis
16:1-7; 17:15-29).
Rather, one who insists on achieving God's
blessing by adding works to faith, takes a course which
obligates him to keep the entire Law, and will therefore be
excluded from the benefit of salvation which comes through
faith in Christ alone. Believers are saved from the penalty
of sin the moment they trust Christ (justification: Romans
3-5). They are saved from the power of sin in their daily
life by the Spirit, through faith in Christ's death and
resurrection (Sanctification: Romans 6-7), and will be
delivered from the presence of their sinful nature and body
when they enter the presence of Christ (Glorification: Read
Romans 8:23-30). Through the Spirit, by faith, believers bear
God's fruit of love, and wait for the hope of glory.
Through the Spirit, we bear the fruit of love (13-26).
Although Christ frees us from the obligation and curse of the
Law, our freedom is not a license to sin (13). Rather, we
should use our liberty to serve one another in love (13-14).
By faith, the believer is so united to the person and work of
Christ, he is said to have died with Him to sin, and been
raised with Him to newness of life (Romans 6:1-11). Knowing
this position, and counting it to be true, the believer is
free, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to yield his
members as instruments of righteousness to God (Read Romans
6:12-14; 8:2-23). Although our flesh desires to bear the
fruit of "immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,
enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,
dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, etc.
(17-21), the Spirit desires to bear the fruit of "love , joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control, etc., in the believer's life. We should yield
ourselves to this ministry of the Spirit in our lives.
Believers should stand fast in Christ's liberty by rejecting
merit gospels, waiting for the hope of righteousness, and
loving their neighbor.
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Have you heard Christ died for our sins, and God raised Him
from the dead? Did you know God saves you from hell and
gives you eternal life through faith in this finished work alone,
not your merits (Jn. 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-3; Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Thess.
1:8-9)? This is so man cannot boast, and God alone gets the
glory (Eph. 2:8-9).
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