What Does Being Set Free From The Law Mean For The Born Again Believer? Galatians 5 With John Gerstner

Welcome back to our study of the book of Galatians with the late Dr. John Gerstner. Today we’ll take a look chapter 5 and talk about what it means to be set free from the law. In our last two sessions, we talked about the main purpose and function of the law. And from the Scriptures, we came to understand that the Law was never meant to supplant but to show the need of the grace of God. In chapter 5, Paul will now emphasize what it means to be set free from the law. Some may interpret this freedom from the rule of law to mean freedom to do whatever one wants. Paul is sensitive to humans and their proclivity to distort God’s word, so in chapter 5, he will attempt to demonstrate the characteristics of the freedom the believer has in Christ.

Free From The Law For The Purpose Of?

Christ Has Set Us Free ( Galatians 5)

• verse 1: For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Paul is using some  key words in this particular verse, and it is imperative that we understand what he is trying to communicate to his readers ( the Galatians). Paul has already been saying to them that they were no longer under the Law, because Christ set them ( and us) free from the principle of sin and death. So Jesus Christ set the Galatians free from what? This is the question we have to answer. He set them ( and us) and anyone who believes in His work( on the cross) free from the bondage to the old nature. This is what Christ set them free from, the power of the old nature ( flesh), and we need to find some references in Scriptures. 

As we see in Romans 3:9-18 ( we were in bondage to the flesh, the sinful nature). And the LAW could not save us, it only highlighted our sinfulness. The Law was weakened by our inability ( due to our sinful nature) to love the things of God. So Christ set the Galatians (and  us) free from this wretched condition for a purpose. And that purpose is the Freedom that Paul is referring to. How do we define this Freedom. It is a condition that allows us to to obey delightfully the laws of God. This is the freedom to serve God. That is what Paul is referring to. He isn’t saying free to do whatever one wishes, but rather freedom to serve God. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 3:30-31

30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

This Freedom that we have now actually upholds the LAW ( positionally ) and practically ( it is the born again Christian’s desire to want to the will of God). That is the freedom Paul is referring to. This is why he was so devastated with the Galatians because they were being seduced back into legalism, a condition under which they were damned.

• verse 2-62 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified[a] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Paul is now going to issue a strong warning to the Galatians. There is nothing wrong with getting circumcised in keeping with the Law of Moses. But the problem comes when one thinks that circumcision is a means for salvation. This is what Paul was against, and it is important that we mention that. Paul and anyone who believes in the correct doctrine about the Sacrificial death of Christ understands that seeking to be made right with God by the observances of the commandments of the LAW as given to Moses leads to damnation.  And Paul is asking the Galatians to pick their poison. The problem with the traditional Judaizers was that they prioritized some of the commandments and disregarded others. Jesus makes mention of this in Matthew 23:23-24

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

Basically, the Law ( the five books of Moses) contained the 613 commandments , and they were meant to be obeyed thoroughly. So Paul is saying to the Galatians- since you want to be made right with God by circumcision, you are bound to keep the other 612 laws as well to the letter. And as we already saw it, no one could keep the Law of God perfectly. Let me make this point in passing. Paul called himself a Hebrew of the Hebrews prior to his conversion. His legalistic righteousness was flawless. But he struggled with coveting ( as mentioned in Romans 7). I’m saying all this to say that obeying the letter of the Law is one thing, but understanding the depth, demands and the Spirit of the Law is another thing. This is why Jesus said- unless one’s righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, he/she couldn’t enter the kingdom of God. This is why Paul says to the Galatians that they have fallen from Grace because they have been cut off from Christ. We need to remember that in all congregations, there are those who profess faith and those actually not only profess it but possess their faith. And Paul is addressing both groups here. Seeking to establish a righteousness apart from Christ puts a person on the broad road that leads to damnation. Being in the state of grace  means being led by the Spirit of God according to the Scriptures. To better understand what Paul is talking about in verse 5, let’s look at Romans 8:23-25

 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firs fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Those who live by faith are the ones eagerly expecting their final adoption as children of God. And the Spirit of God rests upon them as a guarantee of what is to come. Those are the ones who have fully put their trust in the work of Christ and that alone. This is why Paul adds verse 6:

“6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”

• Verse 7-127 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,[b] still preach[c] circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

We can learn a lot about how  to deal with heresies from Paul. He goes from presenting his argument against the heretics to showing his deep concern for the Galatians. He has been exposing the false teaching with Scriptures but there’s also a side of him that shows his genuine love for the Galatians. They had believed the right doctrine but as soon as the impressive, charismatic traditional Judaizers came around with their eloquent speech, the Galatians were seduced. So Paul was calling them back to their senses. There is nothing wrong with exposing heretics and even calling their names if we have to. Paul is showing us the pattern in this verse. This is a matter of life and death and Paul wasn’t  one to mince his words when it came to exposing false teaching. Paul was telling the Galatians that God who called them through His Spirit would never contradict Himself. The gospel that had been presented to them in the beginning wouldn’t suddenly change from one person to the next. And Paul had already proven to the Galatians that even the pillars of the Church in Jerusalem ( Peter, James and John) were preaching the same Gospel he ( Paul) had been preaching. And it wouldn’t suddenly change. Paul is also doing something else. He is pronouncing a judgment on the false teachers, and so should we. Paul also reminded the Galatians that he was being persecuted because he preached the true Gospel, the one that glorified the cross. The gospel was offensive to the traditional Judaizers who misunderstood the purpose of the Law. This is why they promoted righteousness by circumcision and thus persecuted Paul.

Practical Aspect Of the Freedom In Christ

• Verse 13-1513 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Paul had already told the Galatians that they were called to freedom. We have already defined the freedom that he is referring to in the early verses of this chapter. Jesus also makes mention of this freedom in Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

We need to know why Paul is mentioning this freedom again. Paul is well aware of the nature of man, especially gentile believers who did not know about the Law of Moses. The word freedom can mean something different for the person who isn’t acquainted with its biblical definition. Paul was anticipating that, and in these verses he will begin to introduce the practical aspect of the freedom one has in Christ.  Some Galatians might have misunderstood the meaning of this freedom the same way many people misunderstand it in our day and age. There are those who believe that Christ can be their savior and not their LORD. But the Salvation God wrought through Christ doesn’t teach that. This is why we read in Romans 3:31

31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

So the freedom the believer has doesn’t give the old nature the license to indulge in sin, but rather it wants to do the will of God by delighting in obeying the commandments of God. Paul says “through love, serve one another”. We need to understand what that meant for the Galatians ( and us today). Paul defines the love he is referring to here in the book of Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 13 :4-7

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Paul is essentially paraphrasing Jesus when HE says that For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

He contrasts this with living by the flesh ( the old nature). It isn’t hard to detect when a group of people are living by the old nature. It results in disunity, and this is what Paul is saying to the Galatians. Not only does accepting circumcision as a means for salvation leads to eternal damnation but it also causes conflicts because of the self centeredness of the old nature. In the next verses he is going to teach the Galatians ( and us) what it means to live and walk according to the desires of the Spirit.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

• Verse 16  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh

Paul is now going to teach the Galatians ( and all of us) how not to devour one another. We need to know why he is putting a huge emphasis on the practical aspect of the believer’s freedom in Christ. As we have already mentioned, this freedom doesn’t free us from the demands of the Law but it enables the believer to keep and uphold the Law. Paul knows human nature and man’s tendency to misinterpret the Word of God, so he is now teaching the Galatians what it means to be free. He is saying to them that if they walk by the Spirit , the outcome would be a denial of fleshly ( sinful ) desires. Walking is an action, it involves doing an activity. How does one walk by the Spirit? Psalm 1:1-5 gives us a picture of what it means to walk by the Spirit. Paul is telling the Galatians and any listener that those who walk according to the new nature ( created in the image of Christ) will not gratify the desires of the old nature, it is a certainty.

• Verse  17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do

We need to really understand what Paul is communicating to the Galatians in verse 17. He is giving them the reasons why they need to walk according to new nature ( the one under the control of the Spirit). The old nature ( the one created in the image of Adam) is diametrically opposed to the new nature, this is why both natures have desires that are contrary to one another. We need to make something clear at the outset. We need to understand that the Spirit of God could easily destroy the old nature in an instant. But for  reasons only God knows, the Spirit allows the old nature to continue to have its way to some extent, this is why the sanctification is ongoing. To understand what Paul is saying in this verse, we need to take a good look at Romans 7:7-25,

⁷ What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” ⁸ But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. ⁹ I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. ¹⁰ The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. ¹¹ For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. ¹² So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

¹³ Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. ¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶ Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ¹⁷ So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. ¹⁸ For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

²¹ So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. ²² For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, ²³ but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

What Paul is essentially saying is that even though the believer has a new nature ( after the Spirit of God), there is still residue of the flesh ( the old nature) that remains. Consequently, the believer finds himself frustrated constantly because  his/her every action is tainted by the old nature. The fleshly nature ( the will of man) even though crucified isn’t quite dead yet. Prior to the believer’s conversion, the flesh had total control of his/her decision making process, but now the Spirit is in control but the flesh won’t give up so easily, this is why the believer finds himself/herself constantly struggling with sin.

• Verse  18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law

Paul reminds the believers in Galatians that to be led by the Spirit is not to be under the Law. We’ve already explained what not being under the law means. But let us reiterate. The Spirit of God delights in the law of God, so being led by the Spirit means being free from the bondage to the old nature ( the old nature despises the law of God because it doesn’t want to submit to it). This is why Paul says that the person led by the Spirit is not under the Law. 

• Verse 19-21  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do[e] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Up to this point, Paul hadn’t given the Galatians a list of activities that would characterize anyone as being under the influence of the flesh ( the old nature), but now he does. He labels them as  the works of the flesh ( the by products of the actions of the person led by the sinful nature). This isn’t an exhaustive list, hence why Paul said “things as such” . He just gave the Galatians ( and us) a pattern to follow. And he gives us another very strong warning. I’m sure there were some in the Galatian church who would have fancied the idea of using the freedom Paul was talking about as a license to sin. And Paul has those people in mind and tells them- anyone who practices the works of the flesh is certainly on his way to hell. They will not inherit the kingdom of God. There is one thing to struggle with sin and fight it, and there’s another thing to be cavalier about living in sin and claiming the blood of Christ.

The redemption Chris offers saves us from Sin to obedience to the Law of God, not the other way around. Those who believe that they can continue to live in sin while claiming to be born again are self deceived. And their actions show that they actually haven’t understood the grace of God. 

• Verse 22-24  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruits of the Spirit so the Galatians ( and us) would learn to differentiate between that which is good and evil. He says that those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  The flesh being crucified means that it is on its way to ultimate destruction ( death). This is why the sanctification of the believer is a strong indicator that one belongs to Christ.

• Verse 25-26  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another

Paul goes back to an argument that he had already presented to the Galatians in the earlier chapters. The Spirit was the one that had saved the Galatians in the first place, and since the Spirit started the work, HE would also complete it. When Paul says that “if we live” by the Spirit, He means, if the Spirit is the one that has brought us this righteousness. And since the Spirit has made us right with God, we must partner with Him actively and totally depend upon Him to bring about the purpose of God in our life.

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PS: All the videos series from RC Sproul and Dr John Gerstner added to the website have been thoroughly listened to by myself. And I highly recommend them to anyone looking to deepen his/her faith in Christ. We live in the age of relativism and now more than ever understanding what we believe, and why believe what believe is not optional.