In today’s MONDAY MINUTES, I want to share an article by Elder Buddy Abernathy about the liberty we have in Christ.

May the Lord bless you is my prayer.

Elder Chris McCool, Pastor

CHRIST HATH MADE US FREE

by Elder Buddy Abernathy

As I was praying on the way to work this morning, some verses came to my mind: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. … Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. … For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (Gal 5:1, 4, 13 KJV)

Paul writes, “Christ hath made us free”. Most of the book of Galatians is contrasting the bondage of the law with the freedom we have in Christ. Chapter four teaches this using an allegory (v.24) and then chapter five begins with “Therefore”. The “therefore” is letting us know that what follows is drawn from what Paul has just written in Chapter four. He now instructs the Galatians to “stand fast” in something. This phrase is telling us, “don’t leave or move away”. In other words, “don’t stop believing this”. Believing what? Paul makes it clear that we need to “stand fast” in the following liberty: “Christ hath made us free”.

Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36 KJV). [Not the Son plus what you do]. The particular issue troubling the churches of Galatia was circumcision. Notice verse 4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” We know that we are not actually justified by the law (see Gal. 2:21). Paul is simply saying that those who think they are justified by the law have “fallen from grace”. They no longer believe they are saved by grace alone, which is what they had formerly believed (see Gal. 1:6-7). Peter addressed this same issue in the book of Acts (15:5-11).

How does this issue of circumcision apply today? I’ve never heard anyone preach that you must be circumcised in order to go to heaven. Look at verse four again, but this time replace the word “law” with a blank. Then fill in the blank with anything that someone says must be done in order to go to heaven. “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by ______; ye are fallen from grace.”  If you think you are justified by anything other than Christ, then he is “of no effect”. In the mind of the person who thinks they “are justified by ______”, Christ is not needed because they think they are saved by the action that fills in the blank.

Some people say they don’t believe salvation could be by grace alone because they are afraid people would say, “It doesn’t matter how I live because I’m going to heaven anyway”. Paul addresses this very issue in the fifth chapter of Galatians, immediately after he taught that salvation is by grace: “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (Gal 5:13 KJV).
Paul is essentially telling us not to say, “Since Jesus completely saved me by himself (see Heb. 1:3), I’m going to live as I please.” The expression “occasion to the flesh” means “an opportunity to sin”. In other words, don’t say, “This is a good opportunity to sin because I’m going to heaven regardless of how I live.”

Paul warned the church at Rome about this same issue: “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom 5:20 – 6:1-2 KJV). There would be no reason for Paul to warn the church about this matter unless he had already taught them that salvation was by grace alone!

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,,,” (Gal. 5:1). Notice the import of these words: Christ made us free! Anyone who adds to that is preaching, “…another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Gal 1:6-7 KJV)

Paul had taught the churches in Galatia that Jesus saved them. But they were drifting away from the good news of the gospel and being persuaded that they must also do something in order to be saved. I encourage you to carefully read the book of Galatians, because it is will help you “give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

-Elder Buddy Abernathy