Gal 5:1 For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.
We were under the bonds of sin once, those of us that are saved, and when we accepted the work of Christ on the cross we were released from that bondage and took up our place at the yoke of Christ. We therefore have the freedom to do anything we can do in the love of Christ. (Please remember that the love of Christ sent Him to die on the cross for us that we might prosper and not for His own good, indeed it was for ours.)
We must therefore remember that the grace we were saved of should always be extended to others that are taking the name of Christ for salvation. So many today wish to impose their rules upon you and the rest of the world but Christ works to make each of us exactly what He wishes us to be and that means that Christians are not stamped out with a cookie cutter. Your rules, like mine might preclude the drinking of any beer, (a good rule for someone with addictive tendencies) while another might come home each night and have a beer with supper, German Christian certainly do.
Others will demand that you speak in tongues even though the Bible teaches that of all the Gifts of the Spirit the speaking of tongues is the least desirable. We must always go to the scriptures and find what God has had recorded for us to live by and then realize that each of us is at a different point of growth in our Walk With Christ.
Gal 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.
Gal 5:3 Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Gal 5:4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.
Gal 5:5 For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.
Gal 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love.
When you allow anyone to start imposing their rules on to your walk with God you are beginning to walk away from God. Slowly but surely you inch yourself away from grace and love and slowly move into legalism and the yoke, the heavy yoke of men.
Gal 5:7 Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?
Gal 5:8 This persuasion came not of him that calleth you.
Be very careful that you listen to the calling of the Spirit and not to the pride of men.
Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Gal 5:10 I have confidence to you-ward in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
When a man leads another away from the calling of God and into legalism he has delivered himself into the hands of a righteous and jealous God, don't go there with him, he is not the leader, Christ is.
Gal 5:11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? then hath the stumbling-block of the cross been done away.
Gal 5:12 I would that they that unsettle you would even go beyond circumcision.
Gal 5:13 For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.
When I was walking in my former bondage I was a slave to my lusts, God forbid that I ever go there again. Today, instead of using others to satisfy my fleshly desires I work to allow the Spirit of God to work through me for the eternal well being of my fellow man and praise God I rejoice, always! I have the freedom to do the work that my Father has given me to do because my Lord showed mercy and through grace saved me. Why would I ever choose to follow these teachers today that would lock me into bondage once more? This time to their rules.
Gal 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Christians do not consume one another! When a Christian sees another stumble or fall he or she does not rush in for the kill. He or she should rush in but to lift the fallen one back to their feet and then to help them back to the path. We are given the ministry of reconciliation and not the privilege of killing the fallen.
Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.
I would give anything to be rid of the fleshly desires that overtake me in moments of idle thought but instead they persist. Why does God allow such a thing? It is a constant reminder to me that I cannot walk this walk without holding on to the hand of God. Left to my own devices I would be putting on a show for the world to see instead of quietly walking in the presence of my Lord. We must, each of us, hold tightly to the Lord and to do that we must read to study the Word of God.
Gal 5:18 But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties,
Gal 5:21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
I do not believe that much comment is required of this passage, it is self explanatory.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.
Ask yourself each time you are approached by others, are they exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit? If they try to intimidate you and demand that you follow their rules where is the longsuffering? Are they offering peace? Do they love you? And so on.
Gal 5:24 And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.
Gal 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.
Gal 5:26 Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.
Please remember, God has given you the rules you live by to make you a better person, don't attack others with them. If you see a brother that has a problem, go to him in private and give him a hand. God loves both of you.
We were under the bonds of sin once, those of us that are saved, and when we accepted the work of Christ on the cross we were released from that bondage and took up our place at the yoke of Christ. We therefore have the freedom to do anything we can do in the love of Christ. (Please remember that the love of Christ sent Him to die on the cross for us that we might prosper and not for His own good, indeed it was for ours.)
We must therefore remember that the grace we were saved of should always be extended to others that are taking the name of Christ for salvation. So many today wish to impose their rules upon you and the rest of the world but Christ works to make each of us exactly what He wishes us to be and that means that Christians are not stamped out with a cookie cutter. Your rules, like mine might preclude the drinking of any beer, (a good rule for someone with addictive tendencies) while another might come home each night and have a beer with supper, German Christian certainly do.
Others will demand that you speak in tongues even though the Bible teaches that of all the Gifts of the Spirit the speaking of tongues is the least desirable. We must always go to the scriptures and find what God has had recorded for us to live by and then realize that each of us is at a different point of growth in our Walk With Christ.
Gal 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.
Gal 5:3 Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Gal 5:4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.
Gal 5:5 For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.
Gal 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love.
When you allow anyone to start imposing their rules on to your walk with God you are beginning to walk away from God. Slowly but surely you inch yourself away from grace and love and slowly move into legalism and the yoke, the heavy yoke of men.
Gal 5:7 Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?
Gal 5:8 This persuasion came not of him that calleth you.
Be very careful that you listen to the calling of the Spirit and not to the pride of men.
Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Gal 5:10 I have confidence to you-ward in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
When a man leads another away from the calling of God and into legalism he has delivered himself into the hands of a righteous and jealous God, don't go there with him, he is not the leader, Christ is.
Gal 5:11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? then hath the stumbling-block of the cross been done away.
Gal 5:12 I would that they that unsettle you would even go beyond circumcision.
Gal 5:13 For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.
When I was walking in my former bondage I was a slave to my lusts, God forbid that I ever go there again. Today, instead of using others to satisfy my fleshly desires I work to allow the Spirit of God to work through me for the eternal well being of my fellow man and praise God I rejoice, always! I have the freedom to do the work that my Father has given me to do because my Lord showed mercy and through grace saved me. Why would I ever choose to follow these teachers today that would lock me into bondage once more? This time to their rules.
Gal 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Christians do not consume one another! When a Christian sees another stumble or fall he or she does not rush in for the kill. He or she should rush in but to lift the fallen one back to their feet and then to help them back to the path. We are given the ministry of reconciliation and not the privilege of killing the fallen.
Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.
I would give anything to be rid of the fleshly desires that overtake me in moments of idle thought but instead they persist. Why does God allow such a thing? It is a constant reminder to me that I cannot walk this walk without holding on to the hand of God. Left to my own devices I would be putting on a show for the world to see instead of quietly walking in the presence of my Lord. We must, each of us, hold tightly to the Lord and to do that we must read to study the Word of God.
Gal 5:18 But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties,
Gal 5:21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
I do not believe that much comment is required of this passage, it is self explanatory.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.
Ask yourself each time you are approached by others, are they exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit? If they try to intimidate you and demand that you follow their rules where is the longsuffering? Are they offering peace? Do they love you? And so on.
Gal 5:24 And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.
Gal 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.
Gal 5:26 Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.
Please remember, God has given you the rules you live by to make you a better person, don't attack others with them. If you see a brother that has a problem, go to him in private and give him a hand. God loves both of you.
