REDEEMED AND MADE FREE vv. 8-18--GALATIANS 4b

GALATIANS 4b

REDEEMED AND MADE FREE vv. 8-18

A. Why Give up your Freedom in Christ? vv. 8-14; Romans 8:15, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

1. They were turning again to bondage, vv. 8-9.

a. Before they were saved, they SERVED false gods, v. 8; John 1:10, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”

b. They were now GIVING UP that freedom, v. 9.

1) They were giving up the POWER of the gospel for the WEAKNESS of the law, Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

2) They were giving up the WEALTH of the gospel for the POVERTY of the law, 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

3) The law could ONLY REVEAL a man's WEAKNESS and BANKRUPTCY, Romans 8:3, “For what the law could not do, in that 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:”

2. The proof of their return to bondage was in observing times and seasons of the Law, v. 10; Colossians 2:14-17, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

3. Many professing Christians are in the SAME CONDITION TODAY.

4. Paul was deeply concerned about what they did, v. 11; Isaiah 49:4, “Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.” Only a God-called preacher can understand the pain, when converts turn to legalism or to the world.

5. He calls upon them to return to the liberty and joy that they enjoyed when he first preached to them, vv. 12-14.

a. Paul had been received as an angel of God, v. 14; 2 Samuel 14:17, “Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.”

b. Imagine Paul's pain when he realized that the people now despised and rejected him, 1 Corinthians 4:10, “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.”

B. Why Give up Your Blessings in Christ? vv. 15-18.

1. They once rejoiced in the blessing of knowing Christ. v. 15.

“Their willingness to give Paul their very eyes, makes us to believe that he had serious eye problems. This view is reinforced by Galatians 6:11, where he speaks of “large a letter,” which may refer to the large size of the handwriting.” ---E. L. Bynum

2. Truth will sometimes make enemies, v. 16; 1 Kings 18:17-18, “And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.”

a. The kisses of the enemy, Proverbs 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”

b. Those with itching ears will turn away from the truth, 2 Timothy 4:2-5, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”

3. The legalists used affection to deceive, and the devil's crowd continues to do this today, v. 17; Romans 16:18, “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

--Lesson by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison