Freedom From Imprisonment
Sermon Audio
Sermon Notes
Intro:
Hey everybody my name’s Louis I’m the lead teaching pastor here at City Awakening, it’s great to be with you this morning. Today we’re continuing our series on a book of the bible called Galatians, and we’ve been exploring why life with Jesus is so freeing. What we’re gonna talk about in particular today is how Jesus can free us from the imprisonment of God’s laws. Jesus can free us from this feeling we sometimes get that we’re imprisoned by God’s laws, and there’s typically 2 ways we tend to feel imprisoned by God’s laws. We tend to feel restricted or convicted...We tend to feel either restricted by God’s laws, or convicted by God’s laws...
For example some of us feel restricted by God’s laws. We want to do our own thing, do whatever we want, and the thought of God telling us what to do makes us feel restricted. It makes us feel restricted, restrained, imprisoned like a prisoner sitting in a 6x8 foot cell, being robbed of joy and freedom. If God’s laws agree with our lifestyle we don’t have any issue with it, but if it threatens our lifestyle, if it threatens our freedom, we’ll have issues with it and want to dismiss it. It’s because we’re feeling restricted by God’s laws, we’re feeling like God’s laws are robbing us of our joy and freedom. But some of us don’t feel restricted by God’s laws, we feel convicted by God’s laws. We feel convicted of sin, convicted of breaking God’s laws, and we’ve become imprisoned with feelings of guilt and shame over our sin, over breaking God’s laws. We don’t just feel convicted, we feel convicted with a guilt and shame that imprisons us. Today we’re gonna talk about how Jesus can free us from both these imprisonments. He can free us from feeling restricted of freedom, and from feeling convicted with guilt and shame, so let’s turn to Galatians 3:15-26 and get into it. Galatians 3:15-26, it’s located in the back quarter of your bible. The title of today’s message is Freedom From Imprisonment, and here’s the big idea. Jesus can free us from the imprisonment of God’s laws...Jesus can free us from the imprisonment of God’s laws, to trusting and delighting in the good of God’s laws.
Context:
Here’s your context. In Galatians 3:1-14 Paul, the author of Galatians, is challenging the teachings of a group of people called the Judaizers, who are saying the Galatians need to follow Jewish laws to be saved. But Paul brilliantly points out in vs. 6 that Abraham was saved by faith, not by perfectly living out the laws of God. In fact the Jewish Laws, the Mosaic Laws, the 10 Commandments weren’t even around until 430 yrs after God already saved Abraham by faith. So Paul’s point is since Abraham was saved by faith before the laws even existed, that means the Galatians and anybody can be saved by faith too. He’s saying we’re saved by faith, not by living out the laws of God, and if that’s the case, then what’s the point of the law?..If we’re saved by faith, what’s the point of the law?..Is it to restrict us?..Is it to convict us?..Is it to imprison us?.. What’s the point of God’s laws?..Paul’s about to address that question now, so let’s check it out.
The Word:
Galatians 3:15-26 states this, “To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.” Notice Paul says two times you can’t “annul” a covenant once it’s been ratified, once it’s been made. He gives us a human example that I want to push a little further so we can better understand what he’s talking about. See what Paul’s talking about here is similar to a Last Will, not a Living Will, but a Last Will. So let’s say you write a Last Will in here today, whose name would you put on that will?..Whose name would you give all your assets to if something happened to you?..For simplicity let’s call that person Taylor. So in your Last Will it says if something happens to you, you want your house, your car, your money, all your assets to go to Taylor. But then 6 months later something happens to you and the judge reads the will to Taylor, but then says “Taylor, you can’t have any of these assets, unless you do get a doctorate, do some community service hours, and clean up your life.” Can the judge do that, can he annul or add to your Last Will if it’s already been ratified? No, he can’t. The will has to stand as is. In a similar way the Judaizers, like the judge, are adding to God’s covenant will, by saying we need to live out God’s laws, we need to first clean our lives up, before we can be saved and receive God’s inheritance. Paul’s saying they can’t do that, they can’t annul or add to God’s covenant will that says we’re saved by faith. God made that promise to Abraham 430 yrs before the law even existed, and that promise still stands for the Galatians and us today. It’s because God’s covenant will can’t be annulled or added to. We’re saved by faith, not by works of the law.
Vs. 18, “For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 19 Why then the law?” There’s our question, and it’s a great question. Since God promises to save us and give us His eternal inheritance by faith, then what’s the point of the law? Why did God give us the law, give us the 10 Commandments? Paul tells us.
Again vs. 19, “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions...” He says it was added “because of transgressions.” He doesn’t say it was added to save us. He doesn’t say it was added to be a requirement for having a relationship with God. He doesn’t say it was added to be a requirement for receiving God’s eternal inheritance. He says the law was added because of transgressions. Now there’s several reasons God gives us the law, but Paul’s only gonna give us 3 primary reasons in today’s text, and scholars believe 2 of those 3 reasons are right here in this phrase because of transgressions. They believe Paul’s saying the reason God gave us the law is:
#1 To Be A Cage = God’s laws were given to be a cage, to restrict evil, to hold evil back from being fully unleashed and devouring our world. Just like a cage helps restrict a lion from devouring people at a zoo, the law’s like a cage that helps restrict evil from devouring our world. I know some people want to dismiss God’s laws like I said earlier, because they feel God’s laws are restricting their joy, restricting their freedom. But what if God’s laws aren’t restricting your joy and freedom, instead they’re protecting it?..What if God’s laws aren’t restricting your joy and freedom, instead they’re protecting your joy and freedom?..I mean consider the alternative, consider a world without laws...Consider a world without laws, without the 10 Commandments, where people can lie, cheat, steal, murder, do whatever they want without consequences. How much worse do you think our world would be?..How much worse do you think our world would be if God’s laws didn’t exist, or if God didn’t put some moral law in our hearts to restrict evil from being fully unleased in our world?..It’d make our world so much worse than it is today, and not a single one of us would want to live in a world like that. So let’s not dismiss God’s laws, let’s thank God for His laws, because they’re restraining evil. Let’s thank God for His laws not restricting our joy and freedom, but for protecting it. God’s laws were given to be a cage.
#2 To Be A Mirror = God’s laws were given to be a mirror. Scholars believe when Paul says the law was given because of transgressions, he’s also saying the law was given to be like a mirror that reflects our own transgressions, and our need to be saved from our transgressions. In other words if you look at yourself in the mirror of God’s laws, its reflection will show you’re not as good as you think you are. Its reflection will show you’ve broken God’s laws too, which means you’re one of the transgressors God’s been holding back. You and I are transgressors who God’s laws have been caging, have been holding back so our sin doesn’t fully devour our world, our marriages, our families, friendships, relationships. I mean aren’t their moments when your sin robs your marriage of joy?..Aren’t there moments when your sin robs your family and friendships of joy?..It’s because you’re a transgressor too! We’re all transgressors!
But we don’t view ourselves like that do we? Maybe some of us have a Winnie The Pooh Eeyore complex, but most of us don’t view ourselves as transgressors, we view ourselves as good people. Why? Why do we typically view ourselves as good people?..It’s because we’re not looking in the mirror of God’s laws, we’re looking in the mirror of other people we think aren’t as good as us, and it makes us think we’re good people. “Well at least I didn’t kill anybody. At least I didn’t shank anybody. At least I didn’t gossip like her or lust like him.” We’re comparing ourselves to others we think aren’t as good as us, which makes us think we’re good people. But try comparing yourself to Mother Teresa...Try comparing yourself to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr...Try comparing yourself to Jesus...Where you at now?..Where you at on the moral ladder you’ve been climbing?..If we take an honest look in the mirror of God’s laws, it’ll reflect we’re not as good as we think we are, especially when we compare ourselves to Jesus who perfectly fulfilled God’s laws. The law has this way of bringing us back to reality, of reflecting we’re not as good as we think we are. We’re not good people, we’re transgressors who need saving from our transgressions. The law was given to be a cage that restricts our transgressions, and to be a mirror that reflects our own transgressions, and our need to be saved from our transgressions.
Again vs. 19, “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.” Paul says the law can’t give us life, it can’t change us or save us. It can be a cage that restricts our transgressions, a mirror that reflects our transgressions and need to be saved from our transgressions, but it can’t change us or save us from our transgressions. It can’t give us life. Think of the law like an MRI. An MRI can reveal you have cancer, but it can’t cure or save you from the cancer. It doesn’t matter how many MRI scans you get, it can’t cure or save you. In a similar way the law can reveal you have a problem, it can reveal you’re a transgressor who needs saving, but it can’t cure or save you from your transgressions. Paul’s saying the laws not the cure, it’s not the savior. Jesus is the cure! Jesus is the Savior! Jesus is the only one who can change our sinful hearts and save our sinful souls, because he’s the only one who lived a perfect life, and then died the death we deserved to die for our sins. The laws not the cure, it’s not the savior of our transgressions, Jesus is.
Vs. 22, “But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” Paul says the law was “our guardian,” which is the 3rd reason God gives us the law. Paul says it’s:
#3 To Be A Guardian = God’s laws were given to be a guardian. The Greek word for guardian can also be translated as “tutor” or “guide,” meaning the law is meant to be like a tutor, like a teacher who helps guide us through life. It teaches us about God’s character, about what’s important to God, and about how to express our love to God. For example when God’s law says don’t lie, it teaches us God’s character is honest, it teaches us honesty is important to God, and it teaches us we can express our love to God by living honest lives since honesty is important to God. The law teaches us about God, what’s important to God, and how to express our love to God. But the greatest lesson our guardian teaches us, the greatest lesson the law teaches us, is our need for a Savior, our need for Jesus. Paul says once we’ve learned that lesson, we’re no longer under the imprisonment of the law, because it means the law’s done its job. Listen to vs. 25.
Vs. 25, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” We’re no longer under a guardian, under the imprisonment of God’s law, once the law’s done its job, once it’s pointed us to live by faith in Jesus. But again, that doesn’t mean we’re to dismiss God’s laws once we’re saved by faith in Jesus, instead it means we’re now free to trust and delight in the good of God’s laws. Best selling author and scholar Tim Keller puts it like this, “Is it the design of child-rearing that when a child grows to maturity, he or she then casts off all the values of their parent or guardian, and live in a totally different way? No. If all goes well, the adult child is no longer coerced into obedience as before. But now has internalized the basic values, and lives in a similar manner because he or she now desires to.” Keller and Paul’s point is our faith in Jesus makes us sons and daughters of God, and as God’s children, we don’t want to dismiss God’s laws, because we know the laws are a good thing. So we want to trust and delight in God’s laws knowing they’re not restricting our joy and freedom, they’re a cage protecting our joy and freedom. They’re not convicting us with guilt and shame, they’re a mirror convicting us and pointing us to Jesus who died on the cross, to liberate us from guilt and shame. We want to trust and delight in God’s laws, because we know they’re a cage, a mirror, and a guardian that God gave, for our good.
The Big Idea:
Let’s get to the big idea. Here’s the big idea. Jesus can free us from the imprisonment of God’s laws...Jesus can free us from the imprisonment of God’s laws, to trusting and delighting in the good of God’s laws...So have you learned your lesson yet?..Have you learned your lesson from your guardian, from the law?..For those of you who haven’t, for those of you who are still thinking you’re a good person who can earn your way to heaven. Take a good look in the mirror of God’s laws, take a good look in the mirror of Jesus, and see how far from God you really are. You’re not as good and holy as you think you are. You’re a transgressor who’s nowhere near as good and holy as Jesus. But the good news of the gospel is Jesus came to die for your transgressions and give you God’s eternal inheritance. If only you’d learn the guardian’s lesson and put your faith in Jesus, you’d be able to receive that forgiveness, and God’s eternal inheritance...
For those of you who the guardian’s already taught you its lesson, don’t be weighed down with guilt and shame. Don’t be weighed down, don’t be imprisoned with guilt and shame over your sin, over not measuring up to God’s laws. Don’t keep going back to the scan if the scan can’t cure and save you. Instead let the scan keep pointing you back to Jesus who cured, saved, liberated you from guilt and shame through the cross. Keep going back to Jesus, and walking in the joy and freedom he’s given you. Walk in the joy and freedom of knowing God made you a promise...God made you a promise that if you put your faith in Jesus, you’ll receive the forgiveness of your sins and God’s eternal inheritance. By faith you received the promise, and that promise can’t be annulled...It can’t be annulled, so walk in the joy and freedom of Jesus.
Response:
In just a minute you’ll have a chance to respond to the message with communion, worship, and prayer. One of our codes here at City Awakening is we want prayer to be our 1st response, not just our 2nd, and so at the end of each message we want to start giving you a chance to receive prayer. If you need prayer or want to have a relationship with Jesus, some of our team members will be standing in the back left corner of the room to pray with you. You can go back there anytime you want during the worship. So at this time let’s have those serving Communion start passing the plates, and we’ll respond with worship, prayer, and Communion. Jesus told us to do this in remembrance of him, in remembrance of who he is and what he came to do for us when he died on the cross. So as the plates are being passed, use this time to remember Jesus and the freedom he’s given you. Use this time to repent of your sins, to repent for being a transgressor who’s broken God’s laws, then turn to Jesus and thank him for dying for your sins, for setting you free from your transgressions.
On the night Jesus was betrayed he was hanging with his friends, he took some bread, gave thanks for it, broke it saying “This is my body which is to be broken for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you eat it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done for you.” When supper ended he took the cup, blessed it, gave thanks for it, and said “This cup is a symbol of my blood which is to be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink of it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done for you.” City Awakening let’s respond by eating, drinking, and standing to worship Jesus, or by going to the back for prayer.