Galatians chapter 5. Galatians
chapter 5. Let's read two verses. The title
of this message is, By Love Serve One Another. Galatians 5 verse
1. We're instructed as believers
being set free by that sovereign mercy and grace in Christ Jesus. He has made us free. We are to
stand fast in that liberty wherewith He has made us free. And then
down in verse 13, he said, for brethren, you have been called.
We've been called by his sovereign grace. We've been called out
of darkness into light. We have been called sovereignly
by God with the means that he has ordained the gospel and the
preaching of the gospel. You've been called unto liberty,
freedom, freedom justified in Christ. Only don't use this liberty. for an occasion, for an opportunity
through the flesh, but uses liberty and freedom we have in Christ
Jesus by love to serve one another, to serve one another. Now listen
to me. Oftentimes, oftentimes this happens,
oftentimes those who clearly preach salvation by sovereign
free grace, the grace of God in Christ Jesus, being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus. Oftentimes, those who clearly
sound forth that message of free grace and complete justification
in Christ are wrongly accused by false preachers and the legalist
crowd of promoting licentiousness. And that's a big word that simply
means a license to sin. or freedom to sin. They would
often falsely accuse us. They would say, well, you know,
if I believed that salvation was all of grace, as you're saying,
well, that would cause me to lead a life dishonoring to God. My friend, just the opposite
is true. The grace of God, as we just
read in the book of Titus, the grace of God in Christ Jesus
is teaching grace. It teaches us denying ungodliness
and worldly lust that we should live soberly and righteously
and godly in this present world. But oftentimes the legalist crowd
would accuse us of giving people a license to sin. To be right
honest with you, I sin more than I want to now. Don't you? I wish I could stop. Someday
I will. The apostle had this same charge
thrown at him in Romans 6, 1 and 2, when he preached so strongly
in there in chapter 5, grace reigns through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ. And then he said this, what shall
we say then? Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? Well, if we're saved by grace,
let's just go on continuing sin. You know what he said? God forbid! How shall we that are dead to
sin live any longer therein? God forbid! I don't want to sin
one more time, but I know that's not reality. I'm a sinner. John said this and instructed
the church this way. He said this, when you sin, we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. the righteous." Now, there's
nothing further from the truth. The gospel of God's grace, now
listen to me, that works in the sinner's heart gives to the regenerated
believer new thoughts, new principles, new desires, a new direction,
new motives, new goals, new ambitions, New love, a new heart, a new
want to. He changes our attitude. He changes our want to. If any man be in Christ, 2 Corinthians
5, 17. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creation. Old things are passed away, and
behold, all things have become new. New. He's given us a new
heart, new desire. He's made us new creatures. Not
to go about to establish a righteousness by the deeds of the law, but
to live a life in conduct and character to the glory of Christ
and to the gospel, solely motivated, not by legal constraints, not
by legal constraints of the law, but solely motivated out of love
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look what it says here, back
over in 2 Corinthians 5. You see, the believer doesn't
need the whip of the law to motivate him. He's in love with Christ.
What greater motive could you have? You husbands who are married
to those sweet, sweet women. Do you need to pull out that
marriage license? Here's what the law says. No, you love your
wife. You don't need that certificate.
You don't love your wife. That's what the law says. No,
you love her. And therefore you care for her.
You take care of her. And that's what the believers
motivated. Motivated by, he's motivated
by love. I told you 2 Corinthians chapter
5, I hope. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Okay, look what it says in verse
14. The love of Christ. The love of Christ constraineth
us." Not the law, not legalism, not the bondage of a law. The
love of Christ constrains us. What greater constraint could
you have than this love of God that she had brought in the heart?
Because we thus judge that if one died for all, that is, all
for whom he died for, his elect, then we're all dead in sin, now
watch it, and that he died for all, all of his covenant people,
that they which should live, which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him, unto him which died for
them and rose again. Okay, now back to the text. Believers
have been set free from the curse of the law, from the condemnation
of sin, in Christ Jesus there is therefore now no condemnation. We have been called unto liberty,
only believers don't use that liberty for an excuse to excuse
our sorry attitude or conduct, not at all. But we use this liberty
as a motive by love to serve one another to the glory of Christ. We've been called out of darkness
to light. We've been called out of darkness
to liberty in Christ Jesus. We've been translated out of
the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son.
Listen to this scripture. Don't turn. Let me just read
it to you. 1 Peter 2, 9 and 10. He said, You're a chosen generation.
You're a royal priesthood. You're a holy nation. Made holy
by what? What I do? No, He is my holiness. A peculiar people that you should
show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light. Believers don't use and abuse
this freedom, this liberty we have in Christ, for an occasion
or opportunity to justify sinful acts, attitudes, or excuse the
wicked deeds of the flesh. Believers are called to liberty
and life, but not to lawlessness. You see, we're in love with Him,
and that love of God motivates us, guides us, constrains us,
energizes us, moves us, warms our heart, encourages us, over
and over and over. Now we are to use this liberty
for the good of men, for the fervent of the gospel, for the
glory of Christ, but not to gratify the flesh, but rather looking
for an opportunity, as it says there in verse 13, but by love
to serve the Lord. by serving one another. This
is a principle, listen to me, this is a principle of the gospel
and the commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ that's written on
our heart. Don't turn, let me just quote
this to you. Our Lord said this in John 13, you know it well,
a new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another,
love one another as I've loved you. As I have loved you, by
this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you
love one another. I'm thinking of another scripture
over here. Find 1 John. 1 John. We love one another. We are to
forgive one another, to love one another. As he says here
in 1 John 4, 7. But love hath let us love one
another, for love is of God. And everyone that loveth, he
is born of God. He that loveth not, knoweth not
God. God is love. And this was manifested,
the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten
Son into the world that we might live through Him here in His
love. Not that we love God. That's
not the example. The example is His example. Not
that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to
be the propitiation the satisfying, sin-atoning victim for our sin. Beloved, if God so loved us,
what are we to do? Look what it says, we are also
to love one another. Now here's another scripture
I'm thinking of over here in Ephesians chapter 4. Turn over
there. So don't use this liberty as
an excuse to sin. And believers don't. Believers
don't want to sin. They want to honor Christ in
every word, thought, and deed as much as we can in this flesh.
Look what it says here in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 32, Be you kind one toward
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven us. Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us and hath given himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling savor. Be ye kind one to another, forgiving,
and walk in love." Walk in love. "...but by love to serve one
another." Now back to the text. Thank God we've been called unto
liberty. Freedom. We've justified freely
by His grace. And this liberty motivates us
to love one another and to serve Him out of gratitude, out of
love, not duty and bondage, not by fear of punishment or promise
of reward, but out of gratitude and love to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Does that make sense? But by love serve one another.
Now look what it says in verse 14 in our text, Galatians 5 verse
14. For all the law ye take All the
law is fulfilled or summed up. The sum of the law is love God
and love one another. All the law is summed up in one
word. All those 800 precepts in that
law can be summed up with one word. I like that, don't you?
Simplicity. Simplicity. Love. Love. Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. Love. As Paul writes to the Corinthians
in 1 Corinthians 13, he said, love is a more excellent way.
Look right across the page in Galatians 6 verse 2, bear ye
one another's burdens and so honor the law of Christ. Bear ye one another's burden.
All the holy law of God has been fulfilled and completely honored
by the Lord Jesus Christ for us. He said, I didn't come to
destroy the law, I came to honor the law of God. We read this
in Romans 10, 4. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Believers in
Christ Jesus are not trying to establish a righteousness in
which to be justified before God by the deeds of the law.
We have a justifying righteousness in Christ Jesus. Blessed is a
man to whom God would impute righteousness with That's how
we're justified in Christ Jesus. But in the new birth, I can add
the word however, in the new birth and in regeneration, the
love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of
God, Christ in you, the hope of glory, which does inspire,
invigorate us to love one another, to demonstrate mercy and to forgive
others as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. This is honoring
to God and Christ and the gospel of the Lord Jesus. As it says
over here, look at Galatians chapter 6, verse 9 and 10. Let us not be weary in well-doing,
for in due season we shall reap if we do not faint. As we have,
therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all, especially
unto them who are believers, those who are of the household
of faith, the household of faith. Remember what it says back in
Galatians chapter 5, the last part of verse 6, Galatians 5
verse 6, but faith works by, what's that word? Faith works
by love. Faith works by love. It's motivated
by love. This love constrains us. This
is the evidence of being justified It's not the cause of being justified,
but it's the fruit of being justified. Galatians 5.22. You see, the
fruit of the Spirit, notice that singular, the fruit of the Spirit
is love, love, love. Love for God, love for His gospel,
love for His Word, love for one another. This is the evidence
of salvation in us. Now look at verse 15. Now, here's
the flip side. Here's the flip side. And I believe
this is what legalism and what works religion leads to, verse
15. But if you bite and devour one
another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another. Biting and devouring one another
is in stark contrast, is it not? to loving and forgiving one another. The first product, the first
is a product of legalism, of the flesh and of self-righteousness.
You remember the Pharisee prayed that way in Luke 18. God, I thank
you. I'm not like that old guy over
there. You see, he had the wrong measuring
stick. He was measuring himself by someone
who was fallen, he thought. But God said that man was justified
rather than the other. One bragged on himself and was
condemned, the other condemned himself and was justified. You
see the way of grace in Christ Jesus? That's the way of grace. Legalism, self-righteousness,
leads to biting and devouring, not love and forgiving. And I'll
give you a good example of that. Saul of Tarsus. He was a very
strict religious Pharisee. But it says of him that he was
breathing out threatening and slaughter against the Lord's
disciples. You see what it leads to? Biting
and devouring one another. The flip side of that, the fruit
of the Spirit, which we just talked about, love and joy, the
second is the product of the work of God in the sinner's heart.
God who has begun a good work in you will, will perform it. Sinners saved by grace are eager
to forgive even as they have been forgiven. They're eager
to forgive one another because they understand that God has
so freely and fully forgiven them. How can you not forgive
someone who has done you wrong? How can you not do that? God's
people do forgive. Let me tell you a story. There
was an old preacher years ago. You remember George Whitefield.
Whitefield came over here in the early 1700s. And also in those days, there
was another preacher that came over from England and preached
with Whitefield back in those early days, John Wesley. John
Wesley. Now let me tell you a story.
I heard this just recently. Back in colonial days, Now this
is back early 1700s, understand. There was a governor appointed
by the King of England to come over to this country and to govern,
to be the governor in the state of Georgia. And on this ship
as they traveled from England over here to these states, on
board that ship was this preacher, John Wesley. Now you can talk
about his theology later, but just This serves to illustrate
what I'm trying to say about loving and forgiving one another.
This governor that was appointed by the King of England, on board
that ship he had a special cabin, he had a special wine cabinet,
he had his servants, he had all these things headed for the US
to govern that state. Well, one of his servants got
into his wine cabinet. You heard this story. and stole
a bottle of the governor's wine." Well, the governor, needless
to say, was very angry and upset. And he said, well, I'm going
to just show the rest of my servants what kind of example and what
kind of a disciplinary I'm going to be. So he told the captain
of the ship what he said. He said, I want you to arrest
that man, tie him to the mast of that ship, strip his back,
and whip him. Whip him publicly. for stealing
my wine." Now, that man did wrong. But the governor of Georgia,
he probably went a little bit too far. Anyhow, this preacher,
John Wesley, came and interceded on behalf of that poor servant
who was about to take a thrashing. And he came and he told that
governor, Governor, please show mercy. Please show mercy to this
poor man. To which the governor replied,
My good sir, I never show mercy. To which the preacher said, Well,
I hope you never sin against God. I hope you never sin against
God because those who will not forgive, it's evident that they've
never been forgiven of God. Well, I don't know the rest of
that story, but I'm hopeful that The intercession of that preacher
spared that servant from being beaten, and the governor reconsidered
about beating that servant. You see, those who have been
forgiven are eager to forgive one another. That's what's being
said here. But if you bite and devour one
another, take heed that you be not consumed one another. Now
look at verse 16. walk in the Spirit, and you shall
not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Now here's a reminder that we
need to keep in the forefront of our thinking. As believers
in Christ Jesus, as believers in Christ Jesus, always walk,
and that's the tenor of our life. That is the tenor of our life.
Always walk and conduct your life and live your life and seek
God's will in all matters by the principles of grace. and
the principles of the gospel, and you will not be overcome
to fulfill the lust of the flesh." Now, you may have lustful thoughts
and wrong thoughts, but it says here, you will not be overcome
to fulfill the lust of the flesh. Now, I want you to find Romans
chapter 8. Walk in the Spirit. And this is not that holier-than-thou
attitude. I tell you what it is. It's an
attitude of humility. It's an attitude of humility,
it's a broken heart before God. In Romans chapter 8. It's the
mind of humility, broken heartedness. Romans 8, look what he says in
verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made us free. free from the law of
sin and death. For what the law could not do,
and it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the
flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us who walk not after the flesh." but after the Spirit. We're no longer seeking to establish
a righteousness by the deeds of the flesh, but we're walking
after the Spirit, seeking salvation in Christ Jesus. For they that
are after the flesh, they do mind the things of the flesh.
But they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For
to be carnally minded, fleshly minded, is death. But to be spiritually
minded, to be spiritually minded, is life and peace. Life and peace. Now back to the
text. This I say then, let's walk in
the Spirit. You could take that word walk
and look it up in your concordance and do a whole study on how believers
walk. That's their tenor of life, that's
their conduct, that's their attitude. It's one of humility and forgiveness. Walk in the Spirit, looking to
the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall not fulfill the lust of
the flesh. Now, look at verse 17. For the flesh, now what's he
talking about here? The flesh. That's talking about
more than just his body. That's talking about this fallen,
Adam, rotten nature that we're born with. For the flesh wars
against the Spirit, And the Spirit wars against the flesh. And these
two, these are contrary. They're opposites. Light and
darkness. Death and life. They're contrary
one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you
would. They're opposites. Now, what's
being said here? Now, keep this in mind. This
is written to believers. Within the believer, Now, this
is not talking about every person. This is talking about those who
are believers. This is talking about you if
you're resting in Christ Jesus as all your salvation. Within
the believer, there's a constant battle between this old Adam
nature and that new holy nature we have in Christ Jesus. Within
every believer is that old Adam nature that we're born with. that can do nothing but sin and
is nothing but sin, which is corrupt in its principles of
flesh and is nothing but sin, and all it can produce is sin. But also within the believer
there is that new holy nature created in Christ Jesus that,
you know what, cannot sin. Now let me show you that in Scripture.
You say, well, that doesn't make sense. Well, it does to the believer. Find I John chapter 3. Look at verse 9. I want you to
read it for yourself. For whosoever is born of God
doth not commit sin. That's that new holy nature that's
given in the new birth. Cannot sin, for his seed remaineth
in him, and he cannot sin, Because he's born of God. There's that new holy nature
that's implanted and imparted to the believer. That's the nature
of God in you. It's a divine nature. We're partakers
of a divine nature. Now here I have that old Adam
nature that I'm born with. That's nothing but sin. That
which is born of the flesh, what is it? Flesh. That which is born
of the Spirit, That is spirit. We are partakers of a divine
nature. Now I want you to find 2 Peter
chapter 1 verse 4. 2 Peter 1 verse 4. And this is
what he's saying here. 2 Peter 1 verse 3 and 4. According as his divine power.
Now get a hold of this. According as his divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain to life that pertain
to godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us,"
there's that call again, the call of God, it's irresistible,
it's effectual, it's a call to Christ, "...through the knowledge
of Him that called us unto glory and power," is the word, virtues,
power, "...whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises that by these ye might be partakers of a divine nature."
I have a new nature created that wasn't there before. I'm not
born with it. That's what happens in regeneration. He gives us a new holy nature.
That we might be partakers of a divine nature having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust. Now, one
other scripture on that, find Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4. So, therefore, I have that battle
going on. The spirit, that old Adam nature,
and then that divine nature. These are opposites, one to another.
They war against one another, so that you cannot do the things
that you would. Now, I told you, Ephesians chapter
4, verse 20, 23. Be renewed in the spirit of your
mind, and that you put on the new man.
This new man, which after God is created, that's what happens
in regeneration. Created in righteousness and
created in true holiness. Now see what he's saying here?
The flesh, verse 17, Galatians 5, wars against that spirit nature,
that new holy nature. And the spirit War is against
the flesh, and these two are opposites, the one to the other,
so that you cannot do the things that you would. Now, these two
natures are complete opposites, and every believer has this battle. Our Lord put it this way, I quoted
it a minute ago, but I'll repeat it. That which is born of the
flesh, that's all it ever will be. You see, in regeneration,
this old fleshly nature, this old sin nature is not eradicated.
Sin still remains. It doesn't reign. We're under
new management. He reigns. He reigns enough.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born
of the Spirit is Spirit. It's divine. It's given of God.
And it's holy. Holy. So that you cannot do what
you would. Look what it says, though, that
you cannot do what you would. Now listen to me, and I'll quit
here in just a minute. The old sin nature would run
wild and unchecked, giving over to all manner of evil, but it
cannot because of the reigning principle of grace in your heart. Aren't you glad that you're restrained
by God's sovereign grace, that you're restrained, that you're
kept by the power of God? The believer would do that which
is perfectly good all the time. To believe completely, to love
perfectly, this is what our desire is. To think thoughts without
any evil thought whatsoever. To have a holy motive. This is
our desire, to have a holy motive, to do everything for the glory
of God without any self-ambition. I'd like, that's what I want
to do, but I can't because of this old sin nature drags me
down. You see, it works both ways.
I would preach and preach and preach if I could at a sermon
that would exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. That's my desire, that's
my heart, but I'm so hindered. You feel that way? Sometimes
I feel like I'm just tied up. Lord, loose me, let me go, let
me preach the gospel, let me be done with this old sinful
body that drags me down. Oh, this flesh, this flesh. The new nature's been planted
within us, but that old nature's not eradicated. It will be one
day soon when we put it in the grave, put it in the ground,
and He's going to give us a new body. like unto His glorious
body, and we'll love Him like we ought to, like we will someday,
without any hindrance of sin." Won't that be glorious? You know,
this was common to the Apostle Paul, and I'll quit with this,
but find Romans 7. Romans chapter 7. When he said,
Oh, wretched man that I am. Paul? You're a wretched man? That's what he said. Romans 7,
let's read it. Romans 7, look at verse 18. For I know that
in me that is in my flesh, not the same flesh, that old Adam
nature, dwelleth no good thing. Nothing. For to will is present
with me. Oh, to will. Thy people shall
be willing in the day of His power. But how to perform that
which is good, I can't find it. I want to. For the good that
I would, I do not. And the evil which I would not,
that's what I do. Now if I do that I would not,
it's no more I that doeth it, but that sin that dwells in me. There's two I's. Old Robert Hawker
said in every believer there's two I's. That new I and that
old I in that one person. And that's what he's saying here.
I find in a law that when I would do good, I want to. That's my desire. Evil is present
with me. I delight in the law of God.
I delight in the law of God. Oh, I do. I delight in God's
law. As I see it honored in the Lord
Jesus Christ, as I see it fulfilled in Him, I delight in the law
of God. The law is holy and good and
right. I delight in the law of God after
that inward man, that new man, that holy nature. But I see another
principle, verse 23, I see another principle, another law in my
members, warring, there's that war again, warring against the
law of my mind, the principles of my mind, and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin and death, which is in my members.
I'm not through with that old nature yet. And then he throws
up his hand and said, O wretched man that I am. Paul, I thought,
no, O wretched man you used to be. No, that's not what he said. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this
body of death? I said, old Adam nature. And
he answers his own question. I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. So then with my mind, that new
nature, that new heart, that new principles, I serve the law
of God. What was it? By love to serve
one another. But with my flesh, there's that
principle of evil, the nature of sin that must be restrained
in the believer.