‘May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God. ‘ Galatians 6:14-16
Pastor Jeremy Smith completed the Sermon Series, Freedom today at Crosspoint Church in Niceville, Florida. Here are the posts from the previous messages for this Sermon Series. All I can say is what a great ending to a beautiful series.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians was written to warn them and us all about the dangers of “religion” over “freedom.” The saving grace that God provided through the cross of Jesus was a gift to those who accepted it.
Before receiving this gift from God, we lived by the flesh and the way of this world. As for me, I enjoyed the way I felt when this happened to me. And I find peace in that.
But from the beginning in the garden, Satan has planted that seed of doubt that affects us all. And that perfect gift from God can’t be enough. Or can it?
So the question is, regarding our salvation, what is the believer’s responsibility in all of this?
The Jewish believers were coming in behind Paul and teaching that having faith in Jesus was not enough. And they were trying to get the believers to do something they couldn’t even do. And that was to follow the Jewish laws concerning circumcision, dietary restrictions, and observing certain Jewish holy days.
And so the battle begins.
For the believer, this battleground is located between the ears.
‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ‘ Ephesians 6:12
This battle would be easy if it were simply trying to get the world and those around us to change. We could do this through mental manipulation or force. But that flys in the face of the choice that God gives us. It would be easy for God to have us in lock step with what he would want us to do. But He has given us the dignity of choice.
‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ‘ 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NLT
“Love does not demand its own way.” God created us to worship Him, but He gave us a choice. He was looking for us to do this independently, not by force.
When we take that step of faith to accept Jesus, we are free from sin’s bondage. So why is it that we struggle with this?
“Getting free and staying free are two different things.” Jeremy Smith
Two things have to change for us to remain free:
- Change in the community – past relationships, friends, family, and acquaintances
- Change in identity – what we think of ourselves as defined by God’s Word
A saying says, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting things to change.”
My pastor from my old church in MA, Kevin Whitacre, would say that “Jesus will receive us as we are, but He loves us too much to keep us there.”
When we accept Jesus, there will be a desire in our hearts to change. If this desire is absent, please get on your knees and pray to God to change this in you.
‘Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.’ Galatians 5:26
‘Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. ‘ Galatians 6:1-10
There is both personal responsibility and collective responsibility in the Christian community.
Personal Responsibility:
‘If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ‘ Galatians 6:3-9
These verses break down to these personal attributes:
- Don’t be conceited
- Test your actions (not the actions of others)
- Don’t compare (this will stop growth)
- Carry your load
- You reap what you sow
- Don’t give up
Collective Resposibilty:
‘Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ‘ Galatians 6:1-2
‘Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. ‘ Galatians 6:6,10
These verses break down to these community attributes:
- Practice “gentle” accountability
- Carry each other’s burdens
- Learn from each other
- Take the opportunity to do good for someone
A harmonious nature starts to work when we practice these attributes. It begins with hearts submitted to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, followed by a supernatural desire to get to know Jesus through His Word with the Word working its way from our heads to our hearts and will manifest in how we treat those around us.
This work comes from allowing the supernatural work of the Spirit to take place in our lives through the new identity we find in the Word of God.
God will not force us to do this, so our spiritual growth will be dependent on the time we spend in God’s Word and the time we spend around God’s people.
The great news about this is that God controls time and will bless the time you spend growing closer to Jesus and serving God’s people.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Your Word does not return void.
Please let Your Word penetrate my brain and affect the thoughts I have and let them influence what I do in service to those around me.
I pray that my thoughts and actions glorify You and help others see You in me.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
