Bible Studies
You Are Not Under the Law (Gal. 5:18)
Series: Additional StudiesIntroduction:
1. All this past week we have studied Gal. 5:16-26.a. The young people’s classes focused on the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.
b. The adult study took a broader approach.
1) In that study consideration was given to the opposition that exists between the flesh and the spirit.
2) We learned that being led by the Spirit involves God’s presence with us and thus as the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night led the children of Israel so too we are led by the revelation of God.
3) Yet, there is a conflict. On the one hand we are being led by God and on the other the desire of the flesh is to go in a different direction.
4) When we are led by the flesh--immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these result.
5) When led by the spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control result.
6) And so, having crucified the flesh, we live and walk by the Spirit.
2. We have died with Christ and been raised to walk in newness of life. The old man has been crucified and our life is hidden with Christ in God. It is no longer we who live, but Christ lives in us. 3. The beginning of this life is marked by our baptism. Thus there is a moment in time at which we die and begin to live this new life. But this new life involves an on-going and constant putting to death of the deeds of the flesh. 4. We do not put to death the deeds of the flesh as if this is the means of our new life. Rather, having the new life by means of the power of God, we walk according to the new life that has been given to us by our heavenly Father. 5. There is a phrase in Gal. 5:16-22, particularly in v. 18, that we have not addressed in our study. It says, “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”Discussion:
I. Sometimes this is interpreted to mean that we are not under the Law of Moses.A. The idea is that we do not have to abide by the ten commandments any more, no more offering of animal sacrifices, no more temple services, no more Levitical priesthood, no more circumcision, etc. . . . and this is all true.
B. But I would like to suggest to you that there is more to “not being under the Law” than being free from the Law of Moses.
C. Not being under the Law involves not being under Law as the means to our justification.
1. It appears from the text of Galatians that some had the idea that by law keeping they would be justified. Their idea seems to have been that “If I keep the commandments of the Law of Moses then I will be justified by my law-keeping.”
2. Paul’s point is that’s not the way it works.
D. Some in the Lord’s church reason, “Well you can’t be justified by the Law of Moses, but you can be justified by the Law of Christ.”
1. While this may be a true statement . . .
2. It does not mean that one may be justified by law-keeping, the Law of Moses being exchanged now for the Law of Christ.
3. This whole idea involves a mind set that says, “I can be saved by doing the right things.”
4. It develops dependency upon one’s performance as the means to achieve spiritual life.
5. Interpreted in light of Gal. 5:16ff—I must stop the deeds of the flesh and do the deeds of the Spirit and then I will be saved.
6. Actually it is the other way around—I have been saved. I have the new life. The old life involved the deeds of the flesh, the new life involves the deeds of the Spirit.
7. The difference is, “Am I saved because I have done these things” or “Do I do these things as a result of having been saved?”
8. Note that the difference is not about whether these things are done, but about the motive of putting off the deeds of the flesh and instead being led by the Spirit.
a. In the first instance it is about achieving salvation.
b. In the second it is about living after having been saved.
II. For Paul living by faith is contrary to living by law.A. He says, “By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Gal. 2:16).
B. Instead we are justified by faith in Christ (Gal. 2:16).
C. He uses Abraham as an example (Gal. 3:6).
D. Is the Mosaic law itself contrary to faith? Certainly not! It said, “The righteous man shall life by faith” (Hab. 2:4). Many of the examples of faith in Heb. 11 are from the Mosaic period. The fundamental assumption of the Mosaic law is that men should have faith in God.
E. The purpose of the law was not to impart life on the basis of law-keeping, but to make people aware of their need for the life that God has secured through Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:19-22; 3:10-14).
F. Law does not impart life, but death (Gal. 3:21). Thus the necessity of the redemption made available through Christ (4:5).
G. Attempting to be justified by law cuts us off from Christ (5:3-4).
H. While being justified by faith in what Christ has done realizes grace (5:4; 3:13).
III. If led by the Spirit, you are not under the law, i.e., law-keeping is not the means of being saved.A. This does not mean that you can give yourself to the desires of the flesh so that you can do as you please (5:17, 19-21).
B. It means that you can fulfill the law (Gal. 5:13-15).
C. Law is given to restrict the rebellious.
D. There is no law against the good (Gal. 5:23).
E. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24). Thus having died with Christ and been made alive by the Spirit they now walk by the Spirit.
Conclusion:
1. Those led by the Spirit are not under the law as a means to their salvation. For law-keeping does not result in salvation but death. 2. Those led by the Spirit are alive from the dead. They do not continue in the deeds of the flesh. They have crucified the flesh. 3. They live and walk by the Spirit and thus fulfill the law (5:14; 6:2).
