Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,438
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery… For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” (Galatians 5:1,13-15 NASB’95)
Yes, I skipped over verses 2-12, but I am going to summarize them and you can read them for yourselves. The situation at hand was that the Judaizers of the day were trying to convince the Christians that they had to keep to some of the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, and dietary laws, as well as the requirement of the circumcision of all males. And they were adding on circumcision to their salvation. So Paul was reminding them that God set them free from those requirements, and we are saved by grace, through faith, which is of God and is not of our own doing – not of the will of man.
Now some people read these words out of context and they teach that God no longer requires that we obey his commands. Not true! Yes, we are not under all the Old Covenant Mosaic laws, but God’s moral laws never went away, just the liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, dietary and circumcision laws of the Old Covenant. We still have to obey our Lord’s commands under the New Covenant which we can read about all throughout the New Testament writings. We are to put off that and put on this, etc. We must die with Christ to sin and now walk in obedience to his commands.
[Matt 5:27-30; Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; 1 Thes 4:1-8; 1 Tim 4:7; Titus 2:11-14; Heb 12:1-17; 1 Pet 1:14; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
So, Galatians 5:1, although I believe primarily was in the context of the Christians believing that they must return to coming under at least some of the Old Covenant ceremonial laws, serves both their situation and the situation we are faced with much today. And that is that so many professing Christians, who, if genuine, were set free from bondage (addiction) to sin, are returning to coming back under slavery to sin, some of them convinced that, because of their professions of faith in Jesus, and by his grace, that they can continue living in sin and that God will no longer judge them.
But, then what did Paul say? He said to the Christians of his time that, although they were no longer under the Old Covenant liturgical (etc.) laws, they were not to turn their freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, to serve the flesh. And sadly that is many people’s approach to salvation today, that it frees them from the punishment of sin, and God forgives them, and heaven is now guaranteed them, and so it doesn’t matter what they do. But that is a lie from hell! For what did Jesus’ death free us from? Our slavery to sin! And so that we will now honor God by obeying his commands.
And how are we supposed to be living as those who profess faith in Jesus Christ? Through love we are to serve one another, not sin deliberately and habitually against one another, for that is not love! For to love is to prefer what God prefers, and to choose his choices, and to obey them in his power. And love is righteousness, holiness, godliness, moral purity, uprightness, honesty, faithfulness, and obedience to our Lord and to his commands. And love will not deliberately do what is against God and what is harmful to other humans. Love will do what is best for others, in the eyes of the Lord.
For being saved by grace, through faith, which is not of our own doing, but which comes from God, is persuaded of God, and which is gifted to us by God, is not to be defined by human beings who are looking to get out of having to obey the Lord and to avoid putting sin to death in their lives. For biblical faith = obedience to God. If we do not obey God, we do not have faith. If we deliberately and habitually sin against God, we do not have faith, and we are not in fellowship with God. And God’s grace instructs us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
Freedom From Slavery to Sin
An Original Work / March 19, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Yes, I skipped over verses 2-12, but I am going to summarize them and you can read them for yourselves. The situation at hand was that the Judaizers of the day were trying to convince the Christians that they had to keep to some of the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, and dietary laws, as well as the requirement of the circumcision of all males. And they were adding on circumcision to their salvation. So Paul was reminding them that God set them free from those requirements, and we are saved by grace, through faith, which is of God and is not of our own doing – not of the will of man.
Now some people read these words out of context and they teach that God no longer requires that we obey his commands. Not true! Yes, we are not under all the Old Covenant Mosaic laws, but God’s moral laws never went away, just the liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, dietary and circumcision laws of the Old Covenant. We still have to obey our Lord’s commands under the New Covenant which we can read about all throughout the New Testament writings. We are to put off that and put on this, etc. We must die with Christ to sin and now walk in obedience to his commands.
[Matt 5:27-30; Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; 1 Thes 4:1-8; 1 Tim 4:7; Titus 2:11-14; Heb 12:1-17; 1 Pet 1:14; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
So, Galatians 5:1, although I believe primarily was in the context of the Christians believing that they must return to coming under at least some of the Old Covenant ceremonial laws, serves both their situation and the situation we are faced with much today. And that is that so many professing Christians, who, if genuine, were set free from bondage (addiction) to sin, are returning to coming back under slavery to sin, some of them convinced that, because of their professions of faith in Jesus, and by his grace, that they can continue living in sin and that God will no longer judge them.
But, then what did Paul say? He said to the Christians of his time that, although they were no longer under the Old Covenant liturgical (etc.) laws, they were not to turn their freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, to serve the flesh. And sadly that is many people’s approach to salvation today, that it frees them from the punishment of sin, and God forgives them, and heaven is now guaranteed them, and so it doesn’t matter what they do. But that is a lie from hell! For what did Jesus’ death free us from? Our slavery to sin! And so that we will now honor God by obeying his commands.
And how are we supposed to be living as those who profess faith in Jesus Christ? Through love we are to serve one another, not sin deliberately and habitually against one another, for that is not love! For to love is to prefer what God prefers, and to choose his choices, and to obey them in his power. And love is righteousness, holiness, godliness, moral purity, uprightness, honesty, faithfulness, and obedience to our Lord and to his commands. And love will not deliberately do what is against God and what is harmful to other humans. Love will do what is best for others, in the eyes of the Lord.
For being saved by grace, through faith, which is not of our own doing, but which comes from God, is persuaded of God, and which is gifted to us by God, is not to be defined by human beings who are looking to get out of having to obey the Lord and to avoid putting sin to death in their lives. For biblical faith = obedience to God. If we do not obey God, we do not have faith. If we deliberately and habitually sin against God, we do not have faith, and we are not in fellowship with God. And God’s grace instructs us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
Freedom From Slavery to Sin
An Original Work / March 19, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
