Sanctification by the Spirit Alone - Standing Fast !! (Galatians 5:1-6)

(Class Notes)

• "Stand ... in ... Liberty" (Galatians 5:1-4)
  • Paul EXHORTED the Galatian believers to "STAND FAST IN the LIBERTY wherewith Christ" had MADE them FREE and to "be NOT ENTANGLED AGAIN WITH the YOKE of BONDAGE" (Galatians 5:1):
    • The BELIEVER has been MADE FREE FROM SIN AND ITS "WAGES" by having RECEIVED "the GIFT of ETERNAL LIFE through Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:22-23)
    • The BELIEVER has been MADE FREE "the CURSE of the LAW" - by CHRIST Who BECAME a CURSE FOR the BELIEVER - ON the CROSS, i.e. ON the "TREE" (Galatians 3:13 cf. Deuteronomy 21:22-23)
    • It was the LAW that was "the YOKE of BONDAGE" (Galatians 5:1), i.e. "the SPIRIT of BONDAGE" - which ENGENDERED "FEAR" (Romans 8:15 cf. Deuteronomy 28:58)
    • By contrast - the BELIEVER has been GIVEN "the SPIRIT of ADOPTION" (Romans 8:15), i.e. "the SPIRIT of HIS SON" (Galatians 4:6) - which ENGENDERS NOT "FEAR", BUT "LOVE: (II Timothy 1:7)
  • Paul declared that "IF ye be CIRCUMCISED, CHRIST shall profit you NOTHING" (Galatians 5:2):
    • The SAME DECLARATION may be made CONCERNING BAPTISM - for Paul ALSO DECLARED that "CHRIST sent me NOT to BAPTIZE, BUT to PREACH the GOSPEL" (I Corinthians 1:17)
    • CIRCUMCISION and BAPTISM were LAW ORDINANCES (Leviticus 12:3; Exodus 29:4; Exodus 30:20) - BOTH of which were NAILED "TO HIS CROSS" (Colossians 2:11-12,14)
    • Paul's GOSPEL PREACHES FORGIVENESS AND JUSTIFICATION THROUGH CHRIST and NOT BY the MOSAIC LAW (Acts 13:38-39)
  • Paul declared that "IF ye be CIRCUMCISED" (or BAPTIZED) THEN you are "a DEBTOR to do the WHOLE LAW" (Galatians 5:3):
    • Paul CITES the "CURSE" in the LAW for NOT OBEYING ALL of its STATUTES (Galatians 3:10 cf. Deuteronomy 27:26)
    • James also affirms concerning the LAW - that IF you "OFFEND in ONE POINT" THEN you are "GUILTY of ALL" the LAW (James 2:10)
  • Paul concludes by saying, IF the BELIEVER SEEKS AGAIN to be "JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW" THEN the BELIEVER is "FALLEN FROM GRACE" (Galatians 5:4):
    • The REASON WHY is that the BELIEVER has become "ENTANGLED AGAIN WITH the YOKE of BONDAGE" (Galatians 5:1)
    • SALVATION is "BY GRACE THRU FAITH ... NOT OF WORKS" (Ephesians 2:8-9) and, thus, the SAME is TRUE ABOUT JUSTIFICATION (Romans 4:4-5)

• "Wait for ... Hope" (Galatians 5:5-6)
  • Paul declares that it is "THROUGH THE SPIRIT" that the believer is to "WAIT for the HOPE of RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Galatians 5:5):
    • It is the INDWELLING CHRIST via His INDWELLING SPIRIT (Romans 8:9-10) Who is the believer's "HOPE of RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Galatians 5:5 cf. Romans 5:17,21)
    • It is "the LAW of the SPIRIT" ("LIFE in CHRIST JESUS") that has MADE the believer "FREE from the LAW of SIN and DEATH" (Romans 8:2)
    • No matter how hard the sinner tries to "SERVE the LAW of GOD" with the "MIND" - the sinner still SERVES "with the FLESH the LAW of SIN" (Romans 7:25)
    • Thus, the sinner's NEED for DELIVERANCE from "the CAPTIVITY of the LAW of SIN" that operates in the sinner's "MEMBERS" (Romans 7:23) - hence, the sinner''s CRY, "Who shall DELIVER me from the BODY of this DEATH?" (Romans 7:24)
    • This is WHY God sent His Son (CHRIST) to be the SINNER'S DELIVERER from "the LAW" (which exposed the WEAKNESS of the SINNER'S "FLESH") - by CONDEMNING "SIN in the FLESH" of CHRIST (Romans 8:3) - "on the TREE" (I Peter 2:24)
    • Thus, the BELIEVER is able to FULFILL the "RIGHTEOUSNESS" demanded by the LAW - by WALKING "AFTER THE SPIRIT" (Romans 8:4) - for it is ONLY "THROUGH THE SPIRIT" that the BELIEVER is able to "MORTIFY the DEEDS of the BODY" (Romans 8:13)
  • Paul concludes by saying that "IN CHRIST JESUS" - it is NOT the LAW which AVAILS, BUT rather "FAITH which WORKETH BY LOVE" (Galatians 5:6):
    • FAITH is the BELIEVER'S TESTIMONY concerning CHRIST (Ephesians 1:15 cf. I Thessalonians 1:3,8)
    • LOVE is the EVIDENCE of the BELIEVER'S TESTIMONY as expressed in SERVICE toward the BELIEVING BRETHREN (Ephesians 1:15 cf. I Thessalonians 1:3,9)
    • HOPE is the BELIEVER'S PATIENT WAITING for CHRIST'S DELIVERANCE (Galatians 5:5) - PRESENTLY from the POWER of SIN (Romans 7:25; Romans 8:2) and ULTIMATELY from the PRESENCE of SIN (Romans 8:22-25 cf. Philippians 3:20-21; I Thessalonians 1:3,10)
  • "And NOW abideth, FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, THESE THREE ..." (I Corinthians 13:13 cf. Galatians 5:5-6)

Study Outline

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