Pastor Michael Talley | May 11, 2025
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Jesus Our Freedom – Galatians 5:1-15
Good morning. I want to wish all the mothers a Happy Mother’s Day! I learned a very important lesson on Mother’s Day about 10 years ago. I was on the schedule to do announcements, so I bounced up on stage after the first song & warmly wished the 2-300 mothers in the room a Happy Mother’s Day. I went back to my seat with my family & a horrible realization began to dawn on me: I had not yet wished my own wife a Happy Mother’s Day. We had little kids at the time & our mornings were crazy. It took everything we had just to get out of the house, so it was an honest mistake, but still… you can’t do that. Thankfully, the Lord allows us to learn from our mistakes. Over the past decade I have never wished several hundred mothers a Happy Mother’s Day before I wished my own wife a Happy Mother’s Day! Laura, I’m truly amazed by you, & I hope you are blessed today. To the rest of the mothers in the room: I hope you feel honored & cherished today. I believe that one of the strengths of this church is the number of godly mothers who are filled with grace & wisdom & courage. It is an honor to serve Jesus with you.
This would be a great time to ease into a Mother’s Day sermon, but I’m going to make an awkward shift. I hope you will come with me because I think it is very important, even if it is a bit awkward on Mother’s Day. I would like to draw our attention to the world’s most famous father, or papa, as they call him. This week the Roman Catholic Church elected a new pope & my goodness: it was a fascinating election with a shocking result. The Catholic Church, for the first time in history, has elected an American born pope!
This was only the 3rd conclave that has happened in my lifetime, but they are so intriguing. The whole process is shrouded in secrecy & the rituals are straight out of the Middle Ages with their colorful smoke signals, fancy robes, & sequestered cardinals. It all unfolds in the most beautiful room in the most beautiful city in the world. It is designed to catch the eye.
As I was preparing for this sermon, I fully expected that the attention would fade away once the new pope had been elected. We would all tune in for a few minutes, see the pope wave, & then get back to our lives. But I honestly don’t know what to expect now that an American pope has been elected. Over the past few years, there has already been a trend of Americas Evangelicals moving to the RC Church. I imagine the election of a Pope from Chicago will only fuel the conversation. Have you ever heard the pope speak your own language? He’s apparently a huge White Sox fan. That will make an impact in America. I believe it will be very important for Evangelical Christians to understand the core doctrinal distinctions in the RC Church so we can have compelling conversations. There are, of course, so many things we can celebrate. We are thankful for how they fight for unborn children, & for their reverence for God & their love of beauty. We are thankful that they believe in the Trinity & can quote the Nicene Creed. There are so many sincere men & women in the Catholic church. And yet, in spite of these good things, we must be aware of some core & foundational differences, especially when the Catholic Church deviates from the Word of God & the clear proclamation of the gospel.
I want to carefully address some of these concerns today. But before we jump in, I want to confess that this was a very challenging sermon to write. God has given me a burden to speak into some of these issues, & yet I realize that this is a deeply personal subject for many of you. I had actually been working on a different sermon, but it felt too technical & confrontational for a Sunday morning, so I scratched it. The last thing I want to do on a Sunday morning is to create any unnecessary controversy, or even worse – to push people away, because my heart is to bring people to Jesus. So, as I labored over this, God led me to simply preach the gospel. This is the best way to evaluate any teaching or system, anyway. So, if you have your Bible, please turn to Gal. 5. We are going to look at the first 15 verses.
As you are turning, I will prepare you that these are some of the strongest lines that Paul ever wrote. The gospel had been compromised by a group of false teachers, & souls were at stake. Paul defended the gospel with clarity & boldness. May we learn to cherish the gospel with the same passion. With that, hear the word of God this morning. – [1] For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. [2] 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 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. [7] 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, still preach 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! [13] 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.
This text is one of the most glorious passages in the entire Bible because it is all about the freedom that Jesus purchased for us with his blood on the cross. Paul will unleash his inner William Wallace & defend this freedom with all the force he can muster. He will proclaim 2 important truths about the freedom we have in Christ. First, Paul will explain the price of our freedom. Second, he will explain the nature of our freedom.
Let’s jump in. First, what is the price of our freedom? The great promise of Christianity is freedom. Sometimes people look at Christianity as a restrictive/oppressive religion, but the opposite is true. Jesus is the great liberator. If you have been following along in Luke, you know that Jesus sets people free! He frees us from our sin & bondage & fear & addiction. The specific type of freedom that Paul addresses in this text is the freedom that Christ gives us from the law. Jesus sets our troubled conscience free! Jesus brings us the most unexpected peace with God. If you are in Christ, God is no longer your accuser, but a comforter & advocate & friend.
In Gal 5, however, Paul knew that the freedom of this church had been compromised. They were chaining themselves back to the yoke of slavery. When Paul first planted this church, they had warmly received the gift of salvation through faith alone. But soon after he left, a group of false teachers crept into the church & began to teach a variation of the gospel. These guys were known as the Circumcision Party & they pop up all over the NT.
Their teaching was quite simple, & on the surface, it made a lot of sense. They basically argued that when dirty Gentile sinners converted to Christianity, they needed to obey some of the basic Jewish customs. They needed to be circumcised & conform to a few of the OT dietary laws. They had no desire to replace the gospel; they simply wanted to improve it. This new system – Gospel 2.0 – would clean up these dirty Gentiles & make the church more presentable. And it would also provide these converts with some tangible evidence that they were actually living a life that is pleasing to God! They could rest on their circumcision & spiritual disciplines as proof of their salvation. I know so many Christians who are looking for some tangible proof of salvation. What a gift… right?
Pay close attention: these false teachers never denied Christ or his atonement or his power to change people. They still preached the cross & spoke of faith & grace & forgiveness. They simply added a few works of the law on top. On paper it was the smallest adjustment, even an improvement. This shouldn’t have even caught Paul’s attention.
But it did catch his attention. And he went absolutely ballistic on them. I think this is one of the strongest paragraphs that Paul ever wrote. He understood what was happening. These men were not improving the gospel; they were destroying it. In v9 he warned that just a little bit of leaven ruins the whole loaf. A teaspoon of false teaching can change the entire substance of our religion. Their “improvement” of circumcision was destroying the simple beauty of the gospel & nullifying the power of Jesus’ blood. Listen to his warnings:
V.2 – If you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
V.4 – You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
His point is very strong, but we must hear it: if you add anything to the work of Christ, you lose Christ. Jesus gave his life to forgive you; what else could you possibly add to that? By adding something to Jesus, you’re essentially saying that Jesus isn’t enough. Jesus cannot coexist in a heart that also trusts in works. They are totally incompatible. There is no such thing as a partial gospel, where Jesus did most of the work, & we finish off the job. It doesn’t work that way. Here’s some gospel math. The cross + nothing = everything. The cross + anything = nothing. The gift of salvation, according to the Bible, is only found in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone.
This was the main contention that the Protestant Reformers had with the RC Church in the Middle Ages & it remains the main contention today. Some people may try to convince you that the Reformation is basically over, but it is far from over. After Pope Leo XIV was elected on Thursday, he held his first mass on Friday. If you heard some sound bites that came out of his speech, it was pretty good. He confessed sin & encouraged the people to grow in faith! He said that the church must be a light on a hill! He included core gospel elements. But as he closed the sermon, he offered an indulgence to everyone in attendance!
And you’re like, wait – the Catholic church still offers indulgences? Yes! If you’re wondering what indulgences are, they are special gifts of grace that the church gives to saints who perform some good deed. They can wipe away your sins or take off a few years of purgatory. You can apply them to your own salvation, or to a deceased loved one who is suffering in purgatory. According to Galatians 5, it is an offense to the gospel, & it is happening right now.
In fact, this is one of the reasons that our church is sending another team to Italy this year. If you have not heard, Pope Francis, before he died, declared the year 2025 to be a Year of Jubilee. The Catholic church has set aside a special Holy Year every 25 years going all the way back to the year 1,300. The ceremonies began this year on Christmas Eve when the pope flung open 4 doors in a few cathedrals throughout the city of Rome. If you make a pilgrimage to Rome this year & pass through these doors, you can earn a plenary indulgence. A total cleansing of your sin. They’re not trying to hide it: you can find the details on their website. The nation of Italy will welcome 35mil weary pilgrims who will pass through these doors looking for hope & freedom. But they will never find it that way. Jesus will not coexist in a heart that trusts in works. If you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no value to you. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law.
Will you please pray for Italy? The entire world was watching this beautiful country this week, but they do not understand the gospel. Less than 1% of the country belongs to an Evangelical church that preaches Christ alone. I know of a church planter who has been in Rome for 15 years & has never met a person in a Catholic church that had genuine faith in Christ. You are far more likely to meet sincere Christians in Catholic churches in America, but this category does not exist in Italy. It is a mission field, & my heart hurts for them.
But I want to be clear: this is not just a problem in Rome. This tendency to earn our salvation exists wherever humans are. I probably shouldn’t confess this, but the other day I was driving in the car with my daughter & I asked my phone to play inspiring country music. I’m sure I just lost a lot of respect from some of you, but sometimes you just feel like some country. My goodness, I was shocked to discover how many country songs mix faith in God with a good old-fashioned American work ethic. Listen, once you mix the gospel with anything, it becomes a false gospel. Our goal is to bring people to the foot of the cross where they will find more mercy than they ever could have imagined. They don’t need works; they need Jesus, because he is enough.
This is the 1st point. Paul tells us that we gain our freedom through Christ alone. But without missing a beat, he quickly addresses a question that would have been on their minds. It’s probably on your mind right now. If Christ has set us free apart from any effort of our own, does that mean that we can live however we want? Wouldn’t a free gospel invite chaos in the church? It’s a legitimate question that brings us to our 2nd pt: What is the nature of our freedom? This is found in v13-14. Look at them again: [13] 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.”
Paul has just defended the purity of the gospel in the strongest language. You cannot earn your salvation. You must rest entirely on Jesus. But what kind of Christian does that theology produce? This has been one of the biggest objections to Evangelical Christianity & often for good reason. If we are not careful, our theology can produce a type of disengaged, self-obsessed, lazy & licentious Christian. If Jesus has freely wiped my guilt away, I can do whatever I want, right? This was the main contention of the Circumcision Party. They were essentially saying: “Paul, if you don’t give these people the law on the front end, they will abuse their freedom on the back end.”
Paul’s reply is stunning. He said: “If you truly understood the nature of our freedom on the front end, you would fulfill the law on the back end.” So, what is the nature of this freedom? Paul explains 2 features.
First, in v13 we discover that Christian freedom is opposed to the flesh. You have been set free, but don’t use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. When Christ sets us free from sin, we run from sin. We learn to say no to our desires. This is counterintuitive because our world has conditioned us to believe that freedom means that you can do whatever you want whenever you want. But have you ever tried to live like that? It’s slavery! It’s fun at first, but your desires will lock you in a prison of indulgence.
So, we must fight against our flesh. This is Christian freedom. If you have ever been set free from a sinful addiction, you know this is how freedom works. You mark your newfound freedom by cutting off any access to your old obsessions. You walk forward in life with stronger boundaries & stricter limits, but it is freedom! This is what Christian freedom looks like. We are bound to Jesus. We learn to say no to sin through the power of the Spirit! As Paul will say just a few verses later in Gal. 5:24 – Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions & desires.
So, we kill the flesh! But we must go further. The 2nd feature of our freedom in Christ is that we get to actively serve other people. Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. This is one of the beautiful paradoxes of the Christian life. We will only experience the joy of our freedom in Christ when we serve other people. The message of the gospel is this: You are free! Now live like a slave.
This sounds like the opposite of freedom, but it a strange reality in Christ. The reason this works is because our freedom is found in a person, not our circumstances. Jesus is your freedom, not an easy comfortable life! When you do the work of Christ in the power of Christ, you will enjoy the freedom of Christ. (2x). Pay close attention: I did not say that if you do the work of Christ, you will gain your freedom. Your freedom is free. But you will experience & enjoy your freedom when you serve!
I believe that that this presents us with a tremendous opportunity. The Evangelical Church can be accused of producing a half-hearted Christian with one foot in the world & one foot in the church, as if Jesus set us free to enjoy our best life now. But that is an empty life. The gospel gives us something far greater, and we have an opportunity to show the world what true freedom looks like. I believe that are at our best when we serve one another in love as a demonstration of our freedom in Christ. For example, I have never been part of anything like the cleanup from Hurricane Helene. This church came together & we met needs sacrificially. We weren’t doing it to earn God’s favor; we were doing it because Christ had set us free to serve. It’s what Christians do. We got a powerful taste of what it was like to be part of a compelling community that was infused with purpose & meaning. I can’t tell you how many people I heard during the cleanup that said: “I feel like I was made for this.”
Let’s not stop serving one another until Jesus comes back. I suspect that we’ll keep serving one another throughout eternity. If Christ has set you free, use that freedom as an opportunity to serve other people. Men, serve your wives today with excellence! And not just because it’s Mother’s Day! Make it your ambition to serve her every day. Children, make it your ambition to serve your siblings. Students, make it your ambition to serve the people in your dorm room or apartment complex. If you are in a life group, you know the needs that exist within your community. Serve one another as an expression of your freedom in Christ. When you do the work of Christ in the power of Christ, you will experience the freedom of Christ. This is what the free gospel sets you free to do.
I’ll close with this. In Acts chapter 4, the church was so passionate about meeting needs that they literally ran out of needs. Don’t you want to be part of a Christian community that serves others like that? One of my favorite things to see when I drive around Boone is Karson Kimbro picking up trash on the side of the road. Nobody asked him to do that, and nobody pays him. What compels a person to do that? If you ask Karson, he will tell you that he serves because Jesus has changed his life. If every person in this church served Christ like that, our town would run out of needs! And we would be free! Let’s pray.
As you prepare your heart for this final prayer, I want to ask you to reflect on your own view of the gospel. When your conscience convicts you of sin, how do you defend yourself? Do you go straight to the cross? Or has your gospel been mixed with some form of law. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.