One Gospel, True Freedom-Galatians 5:1; 1 1-10
- Russ Kapusinski
- May 20, 2007
- Series: Galatians
Introductory Remarks. This past Lord's Day we began our study in the Book of Galatians with a general overview of where we'll be pitching our tent in God's Word over the course of the next few months. Our overview was summarized well in Galatians 5:1, which states,
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
There are a few important things that we learn from this verse. First, God's heart for us in salvation is "true freedom." In other words, God isn't some cosmic killjoy trying to cheapen our lives, but quite to the contrary. God's concern for those who love His Son Jesus is their joy, freedom and experience of the abundant life. Second, to not find this "freedom" in Christ leads to a life of bondage, a "yoke of slavery" life, and addiction. And finally, if we're going to experience the kind of freedom that God has purchased for us in Jesus we have a role to play, namely, we must "stand firm." In other words, while salvation is a free gift of God's grace, a major chord in Galatians, our experience of this freedom is contingent upon fighting those things that lead to bandage. And, exactly what are those things that lead to bondage? False gospels, false saviors and everything in this world that parades under the banner of "freedom" but in actuality places us firmly in the grips of a "yoke of slavery." (More on this in upcoming weeks)
"Freedom" That Leads To Bondage. The following is our contemporary dictionary's definition of freedom: a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any, or to any undue, restraints and restrictions (Encarta® World English Dictionary). One of the things that we looked at is how this concept of freedom, the one popularly held in our culture, in actuality places people into deeper bondage and sorrow. We looked at examples from our physical lives and how we eat, our emotional lives, how we function in relational dynamics and even how we approach the environment-to function with "freedom" in any of these areas without thought of consequences leads to death. And that's the missing component to this definition of "freedom," it doesn't consider consequences. One modern sage has quipped, "it's true that man has freedom of choice, but man is not free to choose the consequences of the free choices."
Part of our discussion followed the line of thinking that they're our "natural" laws that govern all aspects of life. If you have a poor diet then it will adversely affect your health. If you treat people in anger it will damage your relationships. If you dump toxic waste into a river it will destroy the environment. And, it's true of every aspect of life. Thus we see, freedom of choice and not of consequences. And even more, consequences that lead to bondage and death-in health, relationships, and in nature. The same is true when it comes to our "spiritual lives."
It's not different when it comes to our spirituality. The same holds true when we consider our spiritual lives and our relationship to God. There are certain things that hold true for all people everywhere in our relationship to God as it relates to ultimate freedom, life and joy. And, just like in every other aspect of life if we violate the truth connected to the reality we will find ourselves in bondage. God clearly tells us that the pathway to freedom and joy is through the gospel-and in no uncertain terms, he communicates that there is only one gospel that leads to life.
The Concept of Righteousness. The heart of the gospel is that it deals with the chief problem of all men, women and children without exception. Namely, we are out of a "right" relationship with God, our Creator and Redeemer, and in order to experience the life that we were created for we need to get reconnected to the source of life Himself, God. We need to be made "right" with God. Biblical righteousness can be easily remembered as that which makes us right with God and restores to us all that we then need to be put right with ourselves, the people around us and ultimately the world that we live in. We spent some time focusing on the fact unless we're in a right relationship with God we cannot ultimately be rightly related to anything else, including ourselves. And, it's only the Gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us access to this freedom. Consider the following diagram;
GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, RIGHTEOUSNESS, FREEDOM
One of the main things that God wants us to learn as we begin our study of Galatians is that IF we get the wrong gospel we will not receive righteousness and we will not know freedom! This is why Paul twice states that the one who preaches another gospel should be twice "eternally condemned" (as if one verdict of eternal condemnation wasn't enough).
Our study through Galatians is going to be a pathway to experiencing more freedom in the gospel, please pray to that end.
The following is Dr. Timothy Keller's abridged paraphrase of Martin Luther's preface to the Book of Galatians and is extremely insightful. Enjoy. I've also attached Dr. Keller's questions to the end of this brief introductory summary of Galatians.
Martin Luther's preface to Galatians
(Abridgement and paraphrase by Tim Keller; Copyright © Timothy J. Keller, and Redeemer Presbyterian Church 2003)
1. The most important thing in the world
The one doctrine which I have supremely in my heart is that of faith in Christ, from
whom, through whom and unto whom all my theological thinking flows back and forth,
day and night. This rock, which we call the doctrine of justification through faith, was
shaken by Satan in paradise when he persuaded our first parents that they might by
their own wisdom and power become like God. Every since then the whole world has
invented innumerable religions and ways through which, without the aid of Christ, use
their works to redeem themselves from evil and sins.
When Paul discusses the biblical doctrine of justification by faith he explains that there
are several kinds of "righteousness." First, there is political or civil righteousness- the
nation's public laws - which magistrates and lawyers may defend and teach. Second,
there is cultural righteousness- the standards of our family and social grouping or
class - which parents and schools may teach. Third, there is ethical righteousness-
the Ten Commandments and law of God - which the church may teach but only in
light of Christian righteousness. So all these may be received without danger, as long as
we attribute to them no power to satisfy for sin, to please God, or to deserve grace...
These kinds of righteousness are gifts of God, like all good things we enjoy...
Yet there is another righteousness, far above the others, which Paul calls "the
righteousness of faith" - Christian righteousness. God imputes it to us apart from our
works - in other words, it is passive righteousness, as the others are active. For we do
nothing for it, and we give nothing for it. We only receive it.
2. The need for Christian righteousness
This "passive" righteousness is a mystery that the world cannot understand. Indeed,
Christians never completely understand it themselves, and thus do not take advantage
of it when they are troubled and tempted. So we have to constantly teach it, repeat it,
and work it out in practice. Anyone who does not understand this righteousness or
cherish it in the heart and conscience will continually be buffeted by fears and
depression. Nothing gives peace like this passive righteousness.
For human beings by nature, when they get near either danger or death itself, will of
necessity examine their own worthiness. We defend ourselves before all threats by
recounting our good deeds and moral efforts. But then the remembrance of sins and
flaws inevitably comes to mind, and this tears us apart, and we think, "How many
errors and sins and wrongs I have done! Please God, let me live so I can fix and amend
them." We become obsessed with our active righteousness and are terrified by its
imperfections. But the real evil is that we trust our own power to be righteous and will
not lift up our eyes to see what Christ has done for us... So the troubled conscience
has no cure for its desperation and feeling of unworthiness unless it takes hold of the
forgiveness of sins by grace, offered free of charge in Jesus Christ, which is this
passive or Christian righteousness... If I tried to fulfill the law myself, I could not trust in
what I had accomplished, neither could it stand up to the judgment of God. So...I rest
only upon the righteousness of Christ... which I do not produce but receive, God the
Father freely giving it to us through Jesus Christ.
3. Law and grace
It is an absolute and unique teaching in all the world, to teach people, through Christ, to
live as if there were no law or wrath or punishment. In a sense, they do not exist any
longer for the Christian, but only total grace and mercy for Christ's sake. Once you are
in Christ, the law is the greatest guide for your life, but until you have Christian
righteousness, all the law can do is to show you how sinful and condemned you are. In
fact, to those outside of Christian righteousness, the law needs to be expounded in all
its force. Why? So that people who think they have power to be righteous before God
will be humbled by the law and understand they are sinners.
Therefore we must be careful to use the law appropriately. If we used the law in order
to be accepted by God through obedience, then Christian righteousness becomes
mixed up with earned/moral righteousness in our minds. If we try to earn our
righteousness by doing many good deeds, we actually do nothing. We neither please
God through our works-righteousness nor do we honor the purpose for which the law
was given. But if we first receive Christian righteousness, then we can use the law, not
for our salvation, but for his honor and glory, and to lovingly show our gratitude.
So then, have we nothing to do to obtain this righteousness? No, nothing at all! For this
righteousness comes by doing nothing, hearing nothing, knowing nothing, but rather in
knowing and believing this only - that Christ has gone to the right hand of the Father,
not to become our judge, but to become for us our wisdom, our righteousness, our
holiness, our salvation! Now God sees no sin in us, for in this heavenly righteousness
sin has no place. So now we may certainly think, "Although I still sin, I don't despair,
because Christ lives, who is both my righteousness and my eternal life." In that
righteousness I have no sin, no fear, no guilty conscience, no fear of death. I am indeed
a sinner in this life of mine and in my own righteousness, but I have another life,
another righteousness above this life, which is in Christ, the Son of God, who knows no
sin or death, but is eternal righteousness and eternal life.
4. Living the gospel
While we live here on earth, we will be accused, exercised with temptations, oppressed
with heaviness and sorrow, and bruised by the law with its demands of active
righteousness. Because of this, Paul sets out in this letter of Galatians to teach us, to
comfort us, and to keep us constantly aware of this Christian righteousness. For if the
truth of being justified by Christ alone(not by our works) is lost, then all Christian truths
are lost. For there is no middle ground between Christian righteousness and works-
righteousness. There is no other alternative to Christian righteousness but works-
righteousness; if you do not build your confidence on the work of Christ, you must build
your confidence on your own work. On this truth and only on this truth the church is
built and has its being.
This distinction is easy to utter in words, but in use and experience it is very hard. So I
challenge you to exercise yourselves continually in these matters through study,
reading, meditation on the Word and prayer, so that in the time of trial you will be able
to both inform and comfort both your consciences and others, to bring them from law
to grace, from active/works-righteousness to passive/Christ's righteousness. In times of
struggle, the devil will seek to terrify us by using against us our past record and the
wrath and law of God. So if we cannot see the differences between the two kinds of
righteousness, and if we do not take hold of Christ by faith, sitting at the right hand of
God (Heb.7:25) and pleading our case as sinners to the Father, then we are under the
law, not under grace. Christ is no savior, but a lawgiver, and no longer our salvation, but
an eternal despair.
So learn to "speak the gospel" to one's heart. For example, when the law creeps into
your conscience, learn to be a cunning logician -learn to use arguments of the gospel
against it. Say:
O law! You would climb up into the kingdom of my conscience, and there reign and condemn me for sin, and would take from me the joy of my heart which I have by faith in Christ, and drive me to desperation, that I might be without hope. You have overstepped your bounds. Know your place! You are a guide for my behavior, but you are not Savior and Lord of my heart. For I am baptized, and through the gospel am called to receive righteousness and eternal life... So trouble me not! For I will not allow you, so intolerable a tyrant and tormentor, to reign in my heart and conscience - for they are the seat and temple of Christ the Son of God, who is the king of righteousness and peace, and my most sweet savior and mediator. He shall keep my conscience joyful and quiet in the sound and pure doctrine of the gospel, through the knowledge of this passive and heavenly righteousness.
When we are assured of this righteousness, we not only cheerfully work well in our
vocations, but we submit to all manner of burdens and dangers in this present life,
because we know that this is the will of God, and that this obedience pleases him. This
then is the argument of this Epistle, which Paul expounds against the false teachers
who had darkened the Galatians' understanding of this righteousness by faith.
Discussion questions
1. What is the key difference between Christian righteousness and all other kinds?
2. What do we mean by passive righteousness?
3. Why is the difference between passive righteousness and active righteousness
so important?
4. What is the single best thing you learned from Luther? How would it make you
different if you really understood and applied it?
If you have any questions or would like to discuss these things further with Pastor Russ Kapusinski please contact Alicia Gastelum at .
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