Galatians: Justification by Faith Alone
“Freedom in Christ and Walking by the Spirit”
June 30
July 7
July 14
July 21
July 28
Greg Chao
Henry Pritchett
Henry Pritchett
Greg Chao
Greg Chao
Galatians 1:1-2:10
Galatians 2:11-3:29
Galatians 4:1-5:12
Galatians 5:13-26
Galatians 6:1-18
Gregory Chao
July 21, 2013
Intro., Paul & His Defense of the Gospel
Christ is Sufficient
Returning to the Old is Futile
Christian Freedom & Walking by the Spirit
Live by the Spirit
Galatians 5:1, 13-15 – 1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…13 You, my brothers and
sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve
one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will
be destroyed by each other.”
What is this freedom? - “Our conscience is free and quiet because it no longer has to fear the
wrath of God. This is real freedom…Who can adequately express the blessing that comes to a
person when he has the heart-assurance that God will nevermore be angry with him, but will
forever be merciful to him for Christ's sake? This is indeed a marvelous freedom, to have the
sovereign God for our Friend and Father who will defend, maintain, and save us in this life and
in the life to come.” --- Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians1
Note that freedom (5:1-13) is the second great theme of Galatians built on the foundation of
justification by faith alone (“faith plus nothing”). Note also that justification by faith is one of
the foundational principles of reformed theology shared by Lutherans and Reformed thinkers.
Reformed thinkers oppose both legalism (you have to do something in order to be saved) and
nomism (you have to do something to stay saved).
How do we prevent people from abusing their freedom? Method 1 (not recommended) – go
back to a system of rules and warn people that they are in jeopardy of losing their salvation if
they do wrong. Method 2 (recommended) – Teach freedom (your salvation is solely based on
faith) and teach the people about the principle of love. Freedom and love go hand in hand.
Without love, freedom can be abused.2 Moralist vs. Gospel - Method 1 (Moralist) is the model
1
Martin Luther, Commentary on Gal., http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/gal/web/gal501.html
2
Ibid - “Christians are glad to hear and obey this teaching of love. When others hear about this Christian liberty of
ours they at once infer, "If I am free, I may do what I like. If salvation is not a matter of doing why should we do
anything for the poor?" In this crude manner they turn the liberty of the spirit into wantonness and licentiousness.
We want them to know, however, that if they use their lives and possessions after their own pleasure, if they do
not help the poor, if they cheat their fellow-men in business and snatch and scrape by hook and by crook
everything they can lay their hands on, we want to tell them that they are not free, no matter how much they
think they are, but they are the dirty slaves of the devil… As for us, we are obliged to preach the Gospel which
offers to all men liberty from the Law, sin, death, and God's wrath. We have no right to conceal or revoke this
liberty proclaimed by the Gospel. And so we cannot do anything with the swine who dive headlong into the filth of
licentiousness. We do what we can, we diligently admonish them to love and to help their fellow-men. If our
admonitions bear no fruit, we leave them to God, who will in His own good time take care of these disrespecters of
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of “tit for tat” we find in the workplace. Method 2 (Gospel) is the model of permanent
relationship that we find in the family. One is based on performance and uses the motivation
of fear and the other is based on relationship and uses the motivation of love.
What does it mean “love you neighbor as yourself?” – The love that we naturally hold for
ourselves should be the guide that regulates our love of others. It is a very ancient saying
(chronologically: Lev. 19:18, James 2:8 (50 A.D), Galatians 5:14 (55 A.D.), Romans 13:9 (57-8
A.D.), Mark 12:31 (60 A.D.), Matthew 22:39 (61 A.D.) & Luke 10:27 (63 A.D)3). Its focus is on
love that has the power to “fulfill”4 the law (not disregard it or abolish).
Notice that the attempt of the Galatian believer to attain spiritual perfection by keeping the law
had resulted in “biting and devouring each other.” Paul asserts a better way…
Galatians 5:16-21 - 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the
flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to
the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are
obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred,
discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness,
orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit
the kingdom of God.
What does it mean to walk by the Spirit? – Notice that we are not left alone to follow the
commandment to love; otherwise, we would go back to the moralist position and fail. We are
to “walk by (5:16),” “be led by (5:18),” “live by (5:25),” and “keep in step with (5:25)” the Spirit.
It is dynamic and personal. “Walking” or “keeping in step” involves active determination to
follow the direction of the Spirit. It is a lifelong process of transformation (Romans 12:1-2).
Notice the second argument against abusing freedom. The Spirit is in conflict with the flesh.
They are incompatible. As one walks with the Spirit, he/she will not desire to abuse their
freedom. There is an inherent struggle among Christians…
Notice the reminder of our freedom, “if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
Doing right is no longer the criteria for our standing before God. Calvin boldly writes, “You will
then be free from the dominion of the law, which will act only in the capacity of a kind adviser,
and will no longer lay a restraint upon your consciences.” John Calvin, Commentary on Gal.5
What are the acts of the flesh? - They are “obvious” because “acts” are plain for all to see and
we have a common moral compass. Notice the groupings; illicit sex, religious heresy, social
His goodness. In the meanwhile we comfort ourselves with the thought that our labors are not lost upon the true
believers. They appreciate this spiritual liberty and stand ready to serve others in love and, though their number is
small, the satisfaction they give us far outweighs the discouragement which we receive at the hands of the large
number of those who misuse this liberty
3
There is debate over the precise dating and more agreement over the chronological order.
4
Richard N. Longenecker, Word Bible Commentary on Galatians, p. 242., “For Paul it is important to say that
Christians “fulfill” the whole law, and thus to claim that their conduct (and theirs alone) fully satisfies the “real”
purport of the law in its entirety…”
5
http://biblestudyguide.org/ebooks/comment/calcom41.pdf
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conflict, and personal sins (see table below). It is not a complete list (indicated by the phrase
“and the like”) giving an indication of what was going on in the Galatian church.
Category
Illicit sex6
Religious
Heresy
Social
Conflict
Personal
Type of Sin
Sexual immorality
Impurity and debauchery
Idolatry and witchcraft
Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish,
ambition, dissensions, factions, envy
Drunkenness, orgies
Description
All kinds of immoral sexual relationships
Sexual looseness and/or perversions, recklessness
Worshiping images of other gods, temple feasts.
Witchcraft relates to drugs, sorcery, etc
Largest group of sins probably addressing directly the
Galatian church community.
Wild drinking parties
Galatians 5:22-25 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become
conceited, provoking and envying each other.
What is the fruit of the Spirit? — Notice that “fruit” is singular; that is, you get all these
characteristics at once. The first three are inward; the next six are outward.
Fruit
Love
Joy
Peace
Forbearance
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
Description
“Foundational, first and foremost. Selfless, sacrificial giving of oneself. All other moral
qualities flow from love.”7
“Joy is the result of healthy relationships. When relationships fall apart because of broken
commitments, there is a loss of joy (see 4:15). When there is conflict and bitterness, as there
was in the Galatian churches, there is no joy. But the first result of true love in relationships is
the renewal of joy.”
“Peace is also the result of relationships built by loving service. Instead of "hatred, discord . . .
dissensions, factions" there is harmony and order in relationships.”
“Opposite of “fits of rage.” Staying with people even when wronged or irritated with them”
“Kindness and goodness are joined with patience to teach that a sweet disposition and doing
good toward people (see v. 10) is the way to stay with them in love.”
“Faithfulness is the quality of keeping commitments in relationships. The Galatians had proved
to be fickle in their attitude toward Paul (4:13-16). Only the Spirit can produce the quality of
loyalty no matter the cost.”
“Gentleness is the opposite of "selfish ambition." Gentle people are not "conceited, provoking
and envying each other" (v. 26). Gentleness is an expression of humility, considering the needs
and hurts of others before one's personal goals.”
“Self-control is the opposite of self-indulgence. Those who are Spirit-led…will have the strength
to say no to themselves, to the desires of their sinful nature.”
Summary - “The Law attempted to require love, but failed. The Spirit alone can produce love.
The Law restrains — flesh; Spirit constrains (compels) — new nature. What God required under
law, the Spirit produces. The Christian life is not moral correctness, which is negative. It is the
fruit of the Spirit, which is positive. Law made a slave — fear; Grace makes a son — love. Grace
frees the believer to do right.”8
6
The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ivp-nt/toc
The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ivp-nt/Freedom-MoralTransformation, This reference applies to all quotations from this table defining moral qualities.
7
8
J. Vernon McGee, http://thruthebible.ca/notes/Galatians.pdf
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