WEBVTT 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:06.599 Let's pray together once more. Heavenly Father, 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:12.000 we do thank you for your help thus far, for meeting 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.240 with us and guiding and directing the time for 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:19.160 your glory and our good. We come to express our 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:22.539 need of you once again, our weakness and our 00:00:22.539 --> 00:00:26.320 frailties, our inabilities. But we come with 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:29.739 confidence indeed as well that you will fill 00:00:29.739 --> 00:00:35.320 that void. for us today, that you would own your 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:38.520 word, that you would open our hearts and our 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:42.159 minds to receive it, that you would grant to 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:47.439 us faith to trust you and to put this blessed 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:52.920 word into action into each of our lives. We ask 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:55.420 again for the loss that they might be found of 00:00:55.420 --> 00:01:01.829 you, and we pray in Christ's name. Amen. Well, 00:01:01.829 --> 00:01:04.489 I thought it'd be good just to spend a few minutes 00:01:04.489 --> 00:01:09.510 this morning reflecting on our liberty in Christ. 00:01:10.469 --> 00:01:13.730 We spent yesterday celebrating the liberty that 00:01:13.730 --> 00:01:18.969 the Lord has given us as a country. And so that 00:01:18.969 --> 00:01:22.890 is a great blessing, one that we should all be 00:01:22.890 --> 00:01:26.030 thankful for. We live in the greatest country 00:01:26.030 --> 00:01:29.469 in the world. There's no place else on earth 00:01:29.469 --> 00:01:32.310 like it. There never has been. There probably 00:01:32.310 --> 00:01:36.469 never will be again. But all that pales in comparison 00:01:36.469 --> 00:01:40.950 to our liberty in Christ. We don't have to live 00:01:40.950 --> 00:01:44.370 in America to have liberty in Christ. Our brothers 00:01:44.370 --> 00:01:49.969 and sisters in China and Russia, in Iran, they 00:01:49.969 --> 00:01:55.230 equally are at liberty with us in Christ. The 00:01:55.230 --> 00:01:59.010 liberty of Christ is a glorious reality. One 00:01:59.010 --> 00:02:02.010 that we need to be aware of, we need to be conscious 00:02:02.010 --> 00:02:07.569 of, we need to put it into practice in our lives, 00:02:07.769 --> 00:02:11.330 in the way we think, in the way that we speak, 00:02:11.509 --> 00:02:16.189 in the way that we do. So I'd like us to turn 00:02:16.189 --> 00:02:33.750 to Galatians, chapter 5. And as I'm sure we're 00:02:33.750 --> 00:02:37.310 all aware probably that this is a book in comparison 00:02:37.310 --> 00:02:41.030 between the old covenant and the new covenant. 00:02:41.990 --> 00:02:44.729 And how the old covenant was totally inadequate 00:02:44.729 --> 00:02:50.469 to save men. It was a covenant of condemnation 00:02:50.469 --> 00:02:54.110 and death. The new covenant was a covenant of 00:02:54.110 --> 00:03:03.009 life. Abundant life. So, Paul's been working 00:03:03.009 --> 00:03:07.530 those comparisons in chapter 4. He builds up 00:03:07.530 --> 00:03:10.750 here to chapter 5, which is where we're going 00:03:10.750 --> 00:03:16.449 to read a few verses. And hopefully remind ourselves 00:03:16.449 --> 00:03:21.930 of what a privilege and blessing is ours in Christ 00:03:21.930 --> 00:03:25.689 Jesus. We've already been reminded. We've sung 00:03:25.689 --> 00:03:29.080 such wonderful songs today. Michael had such 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:34.080 a beautiful opening. David in the unity of the 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:39.740 church. We are in a blessed state, brothers and 00:03:39.740 --> 00:03:43.159 sisters. Something that the world knows nothing 00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:48.020 of. And can only be known in Christ through the 00:03:48.020 --> 00:03:52.740 power of the Holy Spirit. So Paul tells us then 00:03:52.740 --> 00:03:56.520 in the first verse. Stand fast, therefore, in 00:03:56.520 --> 00:03:59.460 the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. 00:03:59.939 --> 00:04:03.819 And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:07.740 So there's a vast difference between the old 00:04:07.740 --> 00:04:10.759 covenant and the new covenant. The new covenant 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:14.180 is liberty in Christ. The old covenant is bondage 00:04:14.180 --> 00:04:20.639 to the law. He says, behold. Behold here, listen 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:25.250 up, pay attention. I, Paul, say unto you. that 00:04:25.250 --> 00:04:28.470 if I be circumcised, Christ shall profit you 00:04:28.470 --> 00:04:32.449 nothing. For I testify again to every man that 00:04:32.449 --> 00:04:35.149 is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the 00:04:35.149 --> 00:04:39.930 whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto 00:04:39.930 --> 00:04:44.110 you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, 00:04:44.290 --> 00:04:50.389 or fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit 00:04:50.389 --> 00:04:53.750 wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:58.279 Or in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth 00:04:58.279 --> 00:05:02.360 anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:08.540 worketh by love. So you have it there. The position. 00:05:08.699 --> 00:05:12.120 The position that can only be attained in Christ. 00:05:12.779 --> 00:05:16.519 It can be attained through no other. It's not 00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:20.600 law keeping. It's not circumcision. If we would 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:24.480 for a moment here agree with our... Paedo -Baptist 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:27.259 brothers, that baptism has taken the place of 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:30.139 circumcision. So if that's true, then we would 00:05:30.139 --> 00:05:36.220 say baptism or unbaptized doesn't matter. Only 00:05:36.220 --> 00:05:41.019 faith matters. And obviously I don't agree that 00:05:41.019 --> 00:05:44.519 circumcision has taken the place of baptism. 00:05:45.379 --> 00:05:49.839 But whatever, if we bring this into our day and 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.600 time, is there anybody here that's going to... 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:57.019 trip on back into the old covenant? No, right? 00:05:57.300 --> 00:06:01.319 None of us would dream of doing that. But there 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:03.779 was attention in the early church because it 00:06:03.779 --> 00:06:06.240 was full of Jewish folk who were cultured Jews, 00:06:06.620 --> 00:06:10.959 loved their culture, loved the law, and believed 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:13.680 with all of their hearts that this was the way 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:17.439 to be right with God, and Paul was teaching antinomianism 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:23.660 by denying the need for the law. But we want 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:25.839 to look just briefly, as I said this morning, 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:29.639 in the liberty of Christ. Christ has given us 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:34.300 liberty. He set us free from the power and the 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:39.379 penalty of sin. We have complete freedom, liberty 00:06:39.379 --> 00:06:44.920 from sin and its power. We no longer have to 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:49.100 sin. We no longer are controlled by sin or by 00:06:49.100 --> 00:06:54.910 our sinful passions. Our sinful desires. That's 00:06:54.910 --> 00:06:59.149 gone. It's gone in Christ. We no longer fear 00:06:59.149 --> 00:07:02.949 the penalty of sin. The penalty of sin has been 00:07:02.949 --> 00:07:06.610 paid. But what is the penalty of sin? It's death. 00:07:08.350 --> 00:07:10.769 All the way back to the garden. What happened? 00:07:10.829 --> 00:07:14.750 God killed the animals and clothed Adam and Eve 00:07:14.750 --> 00:07:18.449 with their skins. A covering was given to Adam 00:07:18.449 --> 00:07:21.730 and Eve. by the animals that died for their sin. 00:07:22.230 --> 00:07:26.350 We have the covering of Christ. Christ's righteousness 00:07:26.350 --> 00:07:32.069 has completely covered us. That has made us free 00:07:32.069 --> 00:07:37.829 from death, from the penalty of sin, which is 00:07:37.829 --> 00:07:44.930 death. Can we even possibly forget that? Well, 00:07:45.050 --> 00:07:50.480 we have the Lord's Supper every Sunday. And it's 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:54.139 to remember Jesus Christ. That's what it's all 00:07:54.139 --> 00:07:58.620 about. Remembering that freedom that we have 00:07:58.620 --> 00:08:04.319 from our sin. Sin has no power over us. The penalty 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:08.420 of sin is completely paid. It's a beautiful place 00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:12.560 to be. Covered with the righteousness of Christ. 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:17.379 What do I bring? I only bring my old sinful self. 00:08:18.829 --> 00:08:22.490 That's what we all bring. And we leave it there 00:08:22.490 --> 00:08:26.569 at the cross. We agree with God that yes, we're 00:08:26.569 --> 00:08:31.189 sinners and we need Christ. Please save me. Save 00:08:31.189 --> 00:08:37.110 me, Father. Give me repentance and faith because 00:08:37.110 --> 00:08:41.389 I know I'm a sinner. And I know I'm undone. And 00:08:41.389 --> 00:08:44.409 I know I'm going to hell. And I know I'm not 00:08:44.409 --> 00:08:51.240 going to heaven unless you save me. My Savior 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:54.480 lives. We rejoice in Christ's resurrection. How 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:56.600 do we know that we're saved? How do we know that 00:08:56.600 --> 00:08:58.960 we're justified? How do we know that we're not 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:01.720 guilty? How do we know that we've been declared 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:05.240 by God of the universe, this ginormous God of 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:09.500 this ginormous universe? How do we know that 00:09:09.500 --> 00:09:14.600 he's declared us righteous, justified, not guilty? 00:09:14.879 --> 00:09:18.460 We know because Christ has risen from the grave. 00:09:19.159 --> 00:09:23.460 Death could not hold him. He rose victorious 00:09:23.460 --> 00:09:27.879 from the grave. Victorious over sin and death. 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:31.419 In other words, the sacrifice has been accepted 00:09:31.419 --> 00:09:36.340 by God. His wrath, we would say, has been propitiated. 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:44.679 We're free from the wrath of God. God is no longer 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:49.750 against us. Can we remember this? Can we come 00:09:49.750 --> 00:09:54.789 to the settled and final conclusion that God 00:09:54.789 --> 00:10:00.789 of the universe is for us? He wants us to prosper. 00:10:01.190 --> 00:10:06.789 He wants us to live a spiritually full life. 00:10:07.049 --> 00:10:10.230 He wants us to experience all of his goodness, 00:10:10.289 --> 00:10:15.389 all of his mercy. He's not stingy. He's not rationing 00:10:15.389 --> 00:10:18.419 it out. He's giving it all to us. He's pouring 00:10:18.419 --> 00:10:23.840 it all over us. He wants us to live and live 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:30.279 abundantly. He's for us. Get going. Do it. Step 00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:32.919 out of your comfort zone, whatever it is. I am 00:10:32.919 --> 00:10:37.700 with you. I am equipping you. I love you. I'm 00:10:37.700 --> 00:10:42.200 no longer against you. I no longer have my thumb 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:47.299 over you and to hold you down. No, I'm lifting 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:53.720 you up constantly. Can we remember these things? 00:10:55.080 --> 00:11:01.080 Can we live accordingly? Can we show the world 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:04.620 what a real Christian attitude is? What a real 00:11:04.620 --> 00:11:09.379 Christian person enjoys? Can we? Yeah, we can. 00:11:11.059 --> 00:11:15.370 That's what we call for. That's what the Lord 00:11:15.370 --> 00:11:19.029 is glorified in. He's not glorified in moping 00:11:19.029 --> 00:11:23.049 over our sins, folks. He's not glorified in, 00:11:23.129 --> 00:11:26.769 am I really forgiven? Am I really a Christian? 00:11:27.490 --> 00:11:32.049 All that is is sin itself. Doubting the Lord. 00:11:34.429 --> 00:11:37.990 Showing the world that you can't know. Showing 00:11:37.990 --> 00:11:39.990 the world that you're not confident there's a 00:11:39.990 --> 00:11:43.460 real difference between a Christian. and a non 00:11:43.460 --> 00:11:46.759 -Christian. And there is a mountain of difference. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:55.539 We're freed, as we know then, as I've said, from 00:11:55.539 --> 00:11:57.960 spiritual death. We're freed from the fear of 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:05.320 death itself. This is a difficult subject. It's 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:08.259 the most dreaded thing that's left for us, isn't 00:12:08.259 --> 00:12:12.720 it? To face death. To face the grand unknown. 00:12:13.860 --> 00:12:16.879 What is life possibly going to be like without 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:23.559 a body? Without a mouth to communicate? Just 00:12:23.559 --> 00:12:28.740 a spirit. We're going out into a spiritual world. 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:32.960 Something that's going to be altogether new. 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:37.379 And it's going to be altogether better than what 00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:42.159 we've got now. But yet we're still tentative. 00:12:43.019 --> 00:12:48.820 We still wonder. And that's, I'm not saying that's 00:12:48.820 --> 00:12:52.299 sin or anything else. I'm just saying. It's all 00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:56.779 part of the package. There's going to be physical 00:12:56.779 --> 00:12:59.000 death. There's going to be physical suffering. 00:12:59.700 --> 00:13:02.200 There's not going to be spiritual death. There's 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:04.940 not going to be spiritual suffering. None of 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:08.169 that. You may suffer spiritually, but it's not 00:13:08.169 --> 00:13:11.950 because God is lacking. It's because we are lacking. 00:13:14.490 --> 00:13:19.529 We should rejoice in all things, remember? We 00:13:19.529 --> 00:13:23.370 should rejoice in our weaknesses and our frailties 00:13:23.370 --> 00:13:27.309 and our aches and our pains and even our tribulation 00:13:27.309 --> 00:13:31.289 and suffering at the hands of other people. It's 00:13:31.289 --> 00:13:33.750 all for our good because we receive it all from 00:13:33.750 --> 00:13:36.429 the hand of God who loves us, who's lifting us 00:13:36.429 --> 00:13:41.009 up, remember? He's for us. Everything is good 00:13:41.009 --> 00:13:45.409 to us. Save those times when we get into sin. 00:13:47.330 --> 00:13:51.789 We're free from the fear of death. Convince yourself 00:13:51.789 --> 00:13:55.850 of it. It's in the scriptures. It's Bible. It's 00:13:55.850 --> 00:13:58.769 all throughout church history. Read some testimonies 00:13:58.769 --> 00:14:01.269 of the saints that have departed. The youngest, 00:14:01.450 --> 00:14:04.590 the youngest little kids have said the most sweetest 00:14:04.590 --> 00:14:07.169 and the most wonderful things in their deathbeds. 00:14:09.269 --> 00:14:12.549 You don't have to be a theologian to escape the 00:14:12.549 --> 00:14:17.629 fear of death. How about the authority of Satan? 00:14:18.750 --> 00:14:25.549 Satan has no authority over us. Satan gets authority 00:14:25.549 --> 00:14:30.220 over the Christian when we grant it to him. That's 00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:33.559 how he works, you know. He gets us thinking wrongly. 00:14:33.580 --> 00:14:37.559 He gets us experiencing things that we shouldn't 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:39.759 experience. In other words, he tempts us here 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:41.899 and he tempts us there and he gets us in sin. 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:44.480 And when we're all mixed up and confused and 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:46.559 we've totally lost our way, then he comes in 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:50.200 and strikes the final blow and gets you really 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:55.840 off track. And he's done that. He's doing it 00:14:55.840 --> 00:15:00.720 to the world. But he can't do it unless we grant 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:05.320 him the opportunity. So at the first sight, rebuke 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:07.639 him and he will flee from you. That's what the 00:15:07.639 --> 00:15:12.159 word says. Don't listen to his insinuations. 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:15.340 Don't let him whisper in your ear. Don't give 00:15:15.340 --> 00:15:18.519 him any inroads. Don't give him any inroads in 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:21.039 the church. Don't listen to what he's telling 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:23.320 you about somebody in the church. It's not true. 00:15:25.549 --> 00:15:27.990 And if it is true, it's nothing worse than what 00:15:27.990 --> 00:15:36.269 we are. Don't let him in here. He has no authority 00:15:36.269 --> 00:15:40.590 over us. We're in Christ. He who is in us is 00:15:40.590 --> 00:15:44.750 much stronger than him. That's Bible. It's true. 00:15:47.929 --> 00:15:55.830 We are totally been freed from Satan. We're free. 00:15:55.929 --> 00:15:57.990 I mean, we could go on. We're free from loneliness. 00:15:59.149 --> 00:16:01.929 Did you lose your father and mother because you 00:16:01.929 --> 00:16:06.230 became a Christian? You may have. Did you lose 00:16:06.230 --> 00:16:08.570 some brothers and sisters or some friends along 00:16:08.570 --> 00:16:11.049 the way? Maybe so. Maybe you didn't. Maybe you 00:16:11.049 --> 00:16:13.509 were the last one to be saved. So you didn't 00:16:13.509 --> 00:16:17.370 experience those losses. Again, the Bible tells 00:16:17.370 --> 00:16:21.570 us he made all that up to us. We have more brothers 00:16:21.570 --> 00:16:25.019 and sisters now than we ever did have. In Christ. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:29.259 We're all one family in Christ. We're all Christ's 00:16:29.259 --> 00:16:34.659 family. We're in a family. We're adopted children 00:16:34.659 --> 00:16:39.559 of the heavenly king. The child of the king. 00:16:39.659 --> 00:16:44.899 I love that hymn. I'm a child of the king. Remember, 00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:47.580 it's the king, regardless of what's in the hymn. 00:16:49.779 --> 00:16:55.350 We're king's children. Cause of Christ. Beautiful. 00:16:57.529 --> 00:17:01.389 So we saw, we said in the beginning, circumcision 00:17:01.389 --> 00:17:04.529 avails nothing. Uncircumcision avails nothing. 00:17:04.650 --> 00:17:07.750 The only thing that matters is faith that works 00:17:07.750 --> 00:17:12.430 by love. So we should gather that there is then 00:17:12.430 --> 00:17:17.450 a faith that works by love. That's what we need 00:17:17.450 --> 00:17:21.140 to know. We need to remember that. It doesn't 00:17:21.140 --> 00:17:25.279 work because of duty. It doesn't work because 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:29.339 somebody's beating me over the head. It doesn't 00:17:29.339 --> 00:17:31.599 work because somebody's finally convinced me 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:35.859 to do something. It works because you love the 00:17:35.859 --> 00:17:40.500 Lord. That's why we do what we do. Any other 00:17:40.500 --> 00:17:44.339 motive is false. Any other motive makes it not 00:17:44.339 --> 00:17:49.990 a good work of faith. The world is going to outwork 00:17:49.990 --> 00:17:53.009 us. We don't have a billion dollars to give away 00:17:53.009 --> 00:17:57.809 as a great philanthropist or whatever the case 00:17:57.809 --> 00:18:00.490 may be. But it's not a good work because it's 00:18:00.490 --> 00:18:03.410 not done to glorify God. It's not done out of 00:18:03.410 --> 00:18:10.950 a love for Christ. The liberty in Christ then 00:18:10.950 --> 00:18:16.789 gives us what? Liberty of service. We can serve 00:18:16.789 --> 00:18:25.690 the king. We can. And he delights in our service. 00:18:26.890 --> 00:18:30.089 And all of the frailty or all of the weakness 00:18:30.089 --> 00:18:38.549 that's in our service is made up by Christ. We're 00:18:38.549 --> 00:18:41.990 going to very seldom put ourselves to the task 00:18:41.990 --> 00:18:45.759 without messing up. In some way or another, we're 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:48.640 going to lose our temper. We're going to be just, 00:18:48.740 --> 00:18:52.380 something's going to happen. Well, that's where 00:18:52.380 --> 00:18:56.259 the Spirit and Christ step in and overcomes that 00:18:56.259 --> 00:19:02.400 failure. So again, our sin does not mar our work 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:07.799 of faith because Christ covers that up. And go, 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:11.579 it does go before the Lord as a good work because 00:19:11.579 --> 00:19:17.569 of Christ. Because we did it out of love. But 00:19:17.569 --> 00:19:20.529 we don't have to. It can be. It can be better 00:19:20.529 --> 00:19:25.430 or worse. We're in the body. We're in the flesh. 00:19:25.829 --> 00:19:30.170 We struggle. We all know it. We've all felt it. 00:19:31.650 --> 00:19:34.910 But again, there's no discouragement. We can't 00:19:34.910 --> 00:19:37.170 allow discouragement to get in because what? 00:19:37.230 --> 00:19:40.589 God is lifting us up. Christ is making up for 00:19:40.589 --> 00:19:43.759 our weaknesses. He's bringing a perfect work 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:50.039 before God. Even though we are imperfect. So 00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:56.000 take courage. Step out. Do it. Because you love 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:59.579 Christ. You love his service. You're set free 00:19:59.579 --> 00:20:02.079 from the service of sin and unrighteousness. 00:20:02.599 --> 00:20:08.740 Dedicate your members to righteousness. Because 00:20:08.740 --> 00:20:12.750 we're free in Christ. So then in verse 7, he 00:20:12.750 --> 00:20:16.410 says, you did run well. Who did hinder you that 00:20:16.410 --> 00:20:19.950 you should not obey the truth? This persuasion 00:20:19.950 --> 00:20:24.089 cometh not of him that calleth you. So in other 00:20:24.089 --> 00:20:27.970 words, there is, there are those who persuade 00:20:27.970 --> 00:20:33.589 us contrary to truth. That's just the way it 00:20:33.589 --> 00:20:37.990 is. You're going to have to be on guard. We all 00:20:37.990 --> 00:20:42.079 are, passively. On guard against those who would 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:46.279 take us off the truth. Lead us down some primrose 00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:51.619 path of baloney. They're still there. Just like 00:20:51.619 --> 00:20:55.359 the. He's again talking about those Pharisees. 00:20:55.359 --> 00:20:59.259 Those Jewish teachers. Rabbis. Whatever. That 00:20:59.259 --> 00:21:03.700 are teaching. Contrary to the truth. It didn't 00:21:03.700 --> 00:21:08.480 come from God. It's this longing for. The Old 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:11.460 Testament did not, or the Old Covenant did not 00:21:11.460 --> 00:21:14.500 come from God. It's not according to the truth. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:22.400 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. And 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:26.099 that's a good thing for us to remember. We're 00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:28.359 admonished, which I'll read in a minute, not 00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:31.460 to use our liberty for sinful purposes, but, 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:34.240 and this is really what it's talking about here. 00:21:35.210 --> 00:21:37.569 You take on a little sin, you've leavened the 00:21:37.569 --> 00:21:41.170 whole lump. Of course, he's got in mind the little 00:21:41.170 --> 00:21:44.009 sin that ruins the law for the law keeping for 00:21:44.009 --> 00:21:48.569 salvation. But we don't want any part of sin. 00:21:49.890 --> 00:21:53.230 I think part of the problem that we have in our 00:21:53.230 --> 00:21:57.190 day is that we have a hard time really coming 00:21:57.190 --> 00:22:01.589 to grips and to realize the sinfulness that is 00:22:01.589 --> 00:22:06.299 in us. We're just too blinded by it. We've just 00:22:06.299 --> 00:22:10.920 come to live with it. Perhaps. Look at it. I'm 00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:13.099 not saying it's true of anybody here in particular. 00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:16.240 But I am admonishing us all to take a harder 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:19.920 look. To evaluate ourselves in the line of scripture. 00:22:21.799 --> 00:22:28.859 To come to the truth that we do have sin remaining 00:22:28.859 --> 00:22:37.680 in our flesh. Of course, we're going to get into 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:40.539 this. This is really an introduction to the next 00:22:40.539 --> 00:22:44.579 sermon. But I'm not going to say any more about 00:22:44.579 --> 00:22:48.980 that at this time. But we will get into that 00:22:48.980 --> 00:22:53.839 again next week. So it says then in verse 10, 00:22:54.059 --> 00:22:57.440 I have confidence in you through the Lord that 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:01.559 you will be none otherwise minded. But he that 00:23:01.559 --> 00:23:05.880 troubleth you shall bear his judgment whosoever 00:23:05.880 --> 00:23:12.960 he be. So again, really this is the confidence 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:18.740 of the preacher. At any time, any time a man 00:23:18.740 --> 00:23:22.720 who is trying to faithfully present the word 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:26.420 of God, this is our confidence. We don't have 00:23:26.420 --> 00:23:30.109 any confidence in you alone. We have confidence 00:23:30.109 --> 00:23:33.670 in you and the Lord. But the Lord is going to 00:23:33.670 --> 00:23:36.630 take his word and accomplish his will in your 00:23:36.630 --> 00:23:40.289 life. That you are going to be able to live a 00:23:40.289 --> 00:23:43.430 happier, joyous, joy -filled life as a result 00:23:43.430 --> 00:23:46.029 of contemplating the truths of our liberty in 00:23:46.029 --> 00:23:52.470 Christ. Because Christ lives in you. The Holy 00:23:52.470 --> 00:23:57.619 Spirit empowers you, enables you. That's what 00:23:57.619 --> 00:24:00.440 Paul's saying. Paul's confident that these people 00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:04.059 are going to receive his word because his confidence 00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:07.640 is in the Lord and what the Lord is going to 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:13.319 work in them. And then in verse 11 and after, 00:24:13.460 --> 00:24:18.299 I'll read it, but he's really just trying to 00:24:18.299 --> 00:24:22.180 vindicate or show that he doesn't preach circumcision. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:26.359 where people were telling others that Paul's 00:24:26.359 --> 00:24:28.299 not preaching anything different than we are. 00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:32.220 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, 00:24:32.299 --> 00:24:36.839 why do I yet suffer persecution? This then is 00:24:36.839 --> 00:24:40.839 the offense of the cross ceased. I would they 00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:44.920 were even cut off which trouble you. For, brethren, 00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:49.359 ye have been called unto liberty. Only use not 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:53.279 liberty for an occasion to the flesh. but by 00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:59.339 love serve one another. So we see there again, 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:03.279 Christ, Paul's telling them, I'm persecuted because 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:05.339 I'm preaching the cross, not because I'm preaching 00:25:05.339 --> 00:25:08.079 circumcision. If I was preaching circumcision, 00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:12.660 I wouldn't have any Jewish persecution. So it's 00:25:12.660 --> 00:25:16.019 not true. The cross is the offense, not Paul. 00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:20.140 But then he goes on, what we want to look at 00:25:20.140 --> 00:25:27.140 just briefly here is that You have been called 00:25:27.140 --> 00:25:30.960 unto liberty. Use not your liberty for the occasion 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:34.859 of the flesh, but by love serve one another. 00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:40.640 So that's what we've talked about, I don't know, 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:43.400 probably ever since we started meeting here. 00:25:44.099 --> 00:25:49.900 We love God. We love Jesus. We love the Holy 00:25:49.900 --> 00:25:54.200 Spirit. God has poured out his love in our hearts. 00:25:54.990 --> 00:26:00.170 What's the result? We love one another. We serve 00:26:00.170 --> 00:26:05.369 one another. That's the result. Can you love 00:26:05.369 --> 00:26:08.970 God and not his people? You've heard it. You 00:26:08.970 --> 00:26:11.670 can testify how many times you've heard it. You 00:26:11.670 --> 00:26:16.230 can't do it. You cannot separate God and his 00:26:16.230 --> 00:26:20.690 people. When we look at one another, we should 00:26:20.690 --> 00:26:24.230 see Jesus. We should see the love of God in them. 00:26:24.809 --> 00:26:28.589 We should love and serve them because we can. 00:26:28.789 --> 00:26:32.829 We don't have to sin, folks. We don't have to 00:26:32.829 --> 00:26:37.269 hide. We don't have to be careful. We can be 00:26:37.269 --> 00:26:40.609 totally free in our service one to the other 00:26:40.609 --> 00:26:43.470 because what? We all love one another. Because 00:26:43.470 --> 00:26:46.990 why? Because God has loved us, poured out his 00:26:46.990 --> 00:26:50.809 spirit into our hearts, and tells us to love 00:26:50.809 --> 00:26:54.700 each other and serve each other. That's a beautiful 00:26:54.700 --> 00:26:59.319 thing. You don't have to, what are they going 00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:03.079 to think of me? I wonder if I'll be received. 00:27:05.500 --> 00:27:08.940 Well, you know, truthfully, sometimes you're 00:27:08.940 --> 00:27:12.000 not, right? Sometimes they don't want any help. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:17.200 But that shouldn't deter us. We should go on. 00:27:17.279 --> 00:27:20.599 We should be in each other's lives. We should 00:27:20.599 --> 00:27:24.950 be knowing each other better and better. That's 00:27:24.950 --> 00:27:27.609 what he's talking about. That's service. That's 00:27:27.609 --> 00:27:35.930 serving the Lord. Serving his people. For all 00:27:35.930 --> 00:27:39.809 the law in 14. For all the law is fulfilled in 00:27:39.809 --> 00:27:43.630 one word even in this. Thou shalt love thy neighbor 00:27:43.630 --> 00:27:51.950 as thyself. So there you have it. Pretty plain. 00:27:53.160 --> 00:28:01.079 It's not complicated. It's not 633 laws. It's 00:28:01.079 --> 00:28:04.539 love thy neighbor as thyself. Does everybody 00:28:04.539 --> 00:28:10.599 here know how to love themself? Well, I have 00:28:10.599 --> 00:28:12.319 three words. If you need help with that, come 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:16.220 and see me and I'll talk to you about it. I don't 00:28:16.220 --> 00:28:19.940 expect anybody to show up. That's how you should 00:28:19.940 --> 00:28:25.859 love others. That's all. It's simple. Don't withhold 00:28:25.859 --> 00:28:30.880 any good from anyone. Do all that you can, one 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:36.480 for another. Rejoice when someone else thrives, 00:28:36.500 --> 00:28:42.460 when someone else profits. That's a time for 00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:49.920 rejoicing. Love your neighbor as yourself. And 00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:53.579 then, finally then, I'm closing briefly with 00:28:53.579 --> 00:28:59.559 this. In verse 16. This I say then. Walk in the 00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:03.940 spirit. And you shall not fulfill. The lust of 00:29:03.940 --> 00:29:10.019 the flesh. So that's. The end of this. Message. 00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:13.000 Walk in the spirit. That's really what we've 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:16.859 been talking about. But we're realizing. That 00:29:16.859 --> 00:29:19.420 we're walking in the spirit. Because of the liberty 00:29:19.420 --> 00:29:24.180 that is ours in Christ. And if you do. then you're 00:29:24.180 --> 00:29:26.440 not going to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:29.079 You're not going to go back. You're not going 00:29:29.079 --> 00:29:31.160 to come under the authority of Satan. You're 00:29:31.160 --> 00:29:34.019 not going to come under the power of sin. You're 00:29:34.019 --> 00:29:37.460 not going to be cast around by every wind of 00:29:37.460 --> 00:29:40.579 doctrine. You're not going to be subject to doubting 00:29:40.579 --> 00:29:44.240 and dreariness and mourning and pouring over 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:47.740 your sin. You're going to walk by the Spirit 00:29:47.740 --> 00:29:52.700 and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. So again, 00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:56.900 That's the. We're going to pick that up. That 00:29:56.900 --> 00:30:02.460 theme next week. Of serving one another. And 00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:06.539 walking. In the spirit. So amen.