Would you turn to Galatians chapter five? If I didn't say happy Thanksgiving, happy belated Thanksgiving. Beginning in verse 13. For brethren, you have been called unto liberty. Only, use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word. even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another.

Let's pray. Lord, how Thankful and grateful we are for who you are. How grateful and thankful we are for how you save sinners by thy son for your glory and for our good. Lord, we ask that you would give us the spirit of worship that we might be enabled to worship you in spirit and in truth. We pray that your gospel would be preached in the power of your spirit. And that we might be given hearing ears. And receptive hearts. Lord, we confess our sins. We pray for forgiveness for cleansing for the Lord's sake. We pray for your presence in every place where your people meet together and you promised you would be there. We pray for those of our number that are sick. We pray according to your will for your healing hand to be upon them. Give us grace to love you more and love one another more. In Christ's name we pray, amen.

I've entitled this liberty or an occasion for the flesh. Look what he says, verse 13, for brethren, you've been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Liberty or an occasion to the flesh.

And for us to understand what Paul means in this statement, we need to understand what he means by the term flesh. You've been called unto Liberty only use not your Liberty as an occasion for the flesh. The word occasion. means a base of operations. It's a military term. Turn back to Romans chapter seven, verse eight, but sin taking occasion as a base of operation. Sin taking occasion by the commandment, it used the commandment as a basis of operation, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence, evil desire, a base of operations. Like I said, a military term, a place from which you work.

Now, what does Paul mean? by the word flesh, when he talks about, let not your liberty be an occasion to the flesh. Now this word is used 151 times in the New Testament, and it's used in three different ways. First, the soft substance of the living body, flesh, stuff you can touch, feel. The second meaning of the word flesh is the sensual nature of man, and that's not necessarily referring to something that's bad. Food tastes good to the flesh. Is there anything sinful in food tasting good? No. I hate it when they call something sinfully delicious. I think that's a very unwise use of the term sin. I'm thankful that food tastes good, aren't you? sensual nature of man, but most of the time it's talking about fallen human nature, and that's what Paul is referring to.

Even if we're believers, we have a fallen human nature. Do you still sin? Yes. Why? You have a fallen human Nature, it's the fallen human nature you were born with. This is what Paul is talking about when he's talking about the flesh.

Now, turn back to Romans again, Romans chapter eight. Verse three. For to be carnally that word carnally is the exact same word as flesh. For to be fleshly minded, to be carnally minded is what? Death. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. We have the carnal mind, we have the spiritual mind. Look what verse 7 says, because the carnal mind And once again, that word carnal is flesh. It's the exact same Greek word. I can't pronounce it. Paul, you could pronounce it because the R's are rolled or something like that. That's the way the whales speak, I think. But flesh, the flesh mind is what? Enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Look what Paul says in Romans seven, verse 18. We're there for, I know that in me, that is in my flesh, what dwelleth no good thing. Do you know that? In you, in me, in my flesh, there does not dwell one good thing. Original sin. You've heard the term. The original sin is the sin of Adam and his sinful nature is passed on to us in our birth. Totally depraved, this is what flesh means, totally depraved.

Now, total depravity does not mean that we're all out trying to become serial killers or ax murderers or something like that, although you could be, you know that, apart from the grace of God. There's nothing you and I would not do apart from his grace. But what total depravity means is the whole man The mind, the affections, the will, whatever is human is under the dominion of sin. That's why free will is such a ridiculous concept. It's not free from a sinful nature. That's why there's no such thing as free will. Total depravity means the whole nature is under the dominion of sin. Somebody says, follow your conscience. Your conscience is under the dominion of sin. There's no part of us that is not under the dominion of sin. That's what total depravity means.

And what comes out of that, total inability. I cannot do anything to save myself or to contribute in my salvation. The Lord put it this way in John 6, 44, no man can come to me. He lacks the ability. to come to me, except the Father which has sent me, draw him.

" 1 Corinthians 2.14, the natural man, the fleshly man, the man who doesn't have the Spirit of God, the man who has not been born again, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither indeed can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned.

Romans 519, by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. Born that way, that is the flesh.

Now even in the book of Galatians, let me see how Paul uses the word. Look in Galatians chapter two, verse 16. Knowing, I like that word, knowing. What we know, we know. We might not fully comprehend it, we realize that, but we know it. Paul speaks as a representative of every believer when he makes this statement. You'll know this too if you're a believer. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his side.

Chapter three, verse three. Are you so foolish having begun in the spirit? That's when you were born again, born of the Spirit. Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?

Look in Galatians 4 verse 23. But he who was of the bond woman was born after the flesh. But he of the free woman was by promise.

Look in verse. 29 but as in he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit Even so it is now there's flesh and spirit

look in chapter 5 verse 16 I Say then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh This is what we're going to be looking at Lord willing next week for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit. Now, in my Bible, Spirit is capitalized. Is that talking about the flesh lusting against the Holy Spirit? And the Holy Spirit lusting against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that you can't do the things you would? No, that's talking about the spiritual nature every believer possesses.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. And so this is talking about that spiritual nature that every believer is given in the new birth. Remember when the Lord said, the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He's talking about those two natures. I have a spiritual nature and it's willing. to will this present with me. It's willing to be perfectly conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what he wants.

The flesh, that word weak, it's also translated without strength, powerless, impotent. The sinful nature you were born with It has not left you. It's not improved. It's not become better. It's as bad as it ever was. Now, if someone would make the statement, that's not me. I'm better. Either I'm not saved or you're not saved. We're not both saved. If that is your experience, well, I've become better. I become better. Well, I haven't. And I know that. And so does every other believer. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.

Now, flesh and spirit. The new man, the old man. The flesh that lusts against the spirit, the spirit that lusts against the flesh. Now, he says, For brethren, verse 13 of Galatians chapter five, you have been called unto liberty, unto freedom. What a glorious thing to be set free by Christ. Now, when we talk about liberty or when the Bible talks about liberty, It's talking about liberty from and liberty to. Freedom from, freedom to. Very simple.

Freedom from. I'm free from the law. The law is absolutely satisfied with me. It can't condemn me. I don't owe it anything. Perfect in Christ Jesus. Free from the law. Oh, happy condition. Jesus has died and there is remission. Cursed by the law, slain by the fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all. Free from, free to. Because I've been delivered from the dominion of sin, I can now believe. There was a time when I couldn't, didn't even know what it meant. I do now.

Now, while I'm believing, I'm also aware of what the man said in Mark chapter 9, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. That's talking about the two natures right there. My new man always believes. My old man never believes. And there we have those two people at odds in one person. Remember, both natures are funneled through this one personality, through this one man. And that's why it's really difficult to distinguish. I can't say, well, that part was the new and that part was the old. No, I can't do that.

This is something we believe because it's what the Bible teaches. We don't fully grasp it, how that can be, but it's what the Bible teaches. And he says, don't use your liberty, that blessed freedom that you have, thy people willing in the day of thy power. I'm now free to believe because I got a nature that does. I'm free to repent. I'm free to love God. I'm free to come to Christ. Liberty from things, liberty to things.

Now, one of the things I love about, one of the things, I love everything about the word of God, I believe. I know I do. But something that I think is glorious when The Lord said to Rebecca, the elder shall serve the younger. Esau, the elder, is going to serve the younger Jacob. My old nature, the elder, is going to serve the younger. My old nature. that I'm always aware of, my sins ever before me, makes me always aware that Christ is the only righteousness that I have. And that is the elder, my old nature, serving the younger. God brings good out of evil. Even my evil nature makes me look to Christ alone. I have nowhere else to look.

Now, when Paul says, brethren, you've been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh as an a base of operations to do what the flesh does. Now, what does he mean by that? Use not liberty as an occasion to the flesh. Evidently we're in danger of doing this because Paul's warning us about this. Don't just overlook this. This is something I can fall into. This is something you can fall into. Do not use the freedom you have as a basis of operating for the flesh, using it as an excuse for sinful behavior. Now, do you hear that? This understanding of the flesh is never a way to excuse yourself for sinful behavior. I can't help it.

Turn with me to Romans 5 for a moment. Last two verses of Romans chapter 5. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might be restrained. No. The law entered that the offense might abound. Overflow. Tori, that's all you see. When the law enters into your conscience, if it really does, the sin abounds. It doesn't restrain it. Sin abounds. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but Where sin abounded. Would you be a place where sin abounds? Where you see from the law that sin just gushes out of you like a waterfall and that that's all you are? Where sin abounded, what? Grace did much more abound. Now, the only place that grace much more bounds is the place where sin abounds.

Verse 21, that as sin hath reigned unto death. Now. Rain. Can you say no to death? No, you're going to die. And there's no way you can prevent it. Now that's the way sin reigns. It reigns just as powerfully as death reigns in the sense that you can't prevent death. You can't say no to death. You can't say, I'm not going to die. I've heard people say that. I'm never going to die. Yeah, you are. You got no choice. Sin reigning unto death. That as sin has reigned unto death, even so in the same manner might grace reign. You can't say no to grace. You can't stop grace. This is, I think, maybe the best definition of sovereign grace in the Bible. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so in the same manner might grace reign. And I love the next word, through righteousness. This is righteous grace. This grace of God altogether exalts his righteous character. He saves me in a way that his righteous law is honored and his righteous character and his righteous law demands my salvation because I'm righteous in this scheme of the gospel. How God can be just and justify the ungodly. Grace reigns through righteousness. This is not, nothing unclean about this. Nothing that excuses sin in any way. It reigns through righteousness unto eternal life. By Jesus Christ, our Lord. He's the author of this. He's the cause of this.

Chapter six, verse one. What should we say then? I love the way Paul always anticipates these things that he knows will come up in our hearts. Well, what should we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? I mean, if grace reigns, only where sin abounds, let's keep making sure the sin of abounding sin goes on. So grace will keep going on. Is that what we're going to conclude from this? Let sin continue. So grace will continue. Go ahead and keep on in sin full force. And that way grace will continue. The only way you can have grace continue is if your sin is continual, nonstop. That'll make grace abound. What should we say then? Should we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. I love the strength of that answer. God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?

There's liberty. There's licentiousness. There's legalism. Those three L's. Remember those. Don't let your liberty give you a reason for licentiousness. Sinning without restraint, don't need to worry about it, grace covers it. Oh, never even think like that. You know, some people are even legalistic about their liberty. Legalism, self-righteousness. There's liberty, and then there's licentiousness and legalism. Grace leads to one thing, liberty. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid.

Back to our text. Galatians chapter five. For brethren, you've been called unto Liberty. Stan, look in verse one, Stan fast. Therefore in the Liberty where with Christ has made us free. and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. You've been called to liberty. You, right now, you don't owe anything. You're debt-free. And you can look to Christ by his grace. That's what you want to do. You want to follow him. That's what liberty is, getting to do what you want to do. You've been called unto liberty.

Only use not liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word. That ought to catch our attention. All the law is fulfilled in one word. Even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. I love what is called the golden rule, and it's true in every instance. How you want to be treated, you treat others. How you want to be viewed, you view others that way. That's the Lord's word. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In every instance, I wish we would ask ourselves, how would I want to be treated? I wish we'd ask ourselves that question before everything. do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

But if you bite and devour one another, and that's what always takes place under the law, you bite and devour one another, acting like animals, being critical, being judgmental, being quick to censor, being harsh, being unloving. That's the result of law. Now, turn with me to Romans chapter 13. All the law is fulfilled in this one word. Now, Paul expands on that and beginning in verse five. Wherefore, you must need to be subject not only for wrath to keep from getting in trouble, but also for conscience sake, being subject to the law, human law, the rules in a society. For for this cause, pay ye tribute also. Pay your taxes. For they are God's ministers attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tributes do, custom to whom customs do, fear to whom fears do, honor to whom honors do, owe no man anything but to love one another. Now there's a debt men you have. Owe no man anything but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law for this. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it's briefly comprehended in this saying, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

You have been called unto liberty. Now, I want to end with this, by love serve one another.

This is a statement Martin Luther King made in that famous address he preached, I had a dream. But he said, with regard to being great, he said, you don't have to be intelligent to be great. You don't have to be educated to be great. You don't have to be rich to be great. He named several other things. How do you be great? To be a servant.

Isn't that what the Lord said? He said, the son of man came not to minister. to be ministered to, to be served, but to minister, to serve, to give his life a ransom for many. If I would be great in the kingdom of heaven, it would be by being a servant, doing what I do out of love. I hope every sermon I prepare Everything I do, it's done out of love. Love to the Lord, love to the people I'm preaching to. A sermon that's not prepared out of love won't be very good sermon. Will it just be dry? It'll be it'll be unaffectual, kind of like a meal prepared without love. Just get it over with, get it out on the table. No care, no.

May the Lord give us all grace to not use this glorious liberty as an occasion to the flesh, but by love to serve one another. Greater is he that is a servant, or he that serves, than he that is the one being served.