Lesson 399 - Senior
Memory Verse
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1).
Cross References
I Heirs of Christ
1. An heir is under bondage until he is of age, [GAL:4:1-3]; [LUK:2:51].
2. Christ was sent to redeem us from bondage, [GAL:4:4-7]; [JHN:8:36]; [ROM:10:3].
3. After being set free, why return to servitude? [GAL:4:8-10]; [ROM:6:2]; [2PE:2:19-22]
4. The Gospel preached by Paul was joyfully received, [GAL:4:11-15].
5. The false teachers confuse the Galatians, [GAL:4:16-21]; [GAL:1:6-7].
II Two Covenants
1. Abraham's two sons are used as an allegory, [GAL:4:22-24]; [GEN:17:15-21]; [GEN:21:9-13].
2. Ishmael is a type of the natural Jew, [GAL:4:25], [GAL:4:29].
3. Isaac is a type of the spiritual Jew, [GAL:4:26-28]; [ROM:2:28-29].
4. The spiritual Jew is free, [GAL:4:30-31]; [ROM:6:22]; [ROM:8:15-16].
III A Call to Freedom
1. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, [GAL:5:1-6].
2. False teachers hinder freedom, [GAL:5:7-12].
3. Love fulfils the Law, [GAL:5:13-15]; [ROM:13:8-10]; [1CO:13:4-7].
Notes
Heir
Oftentimes when a fortune is left to a son, he is not allowed to touch it until he becomes of age. While he is a child he goes to school, just as other children who might be very poor. As children there is no difference between them. Thus we find the Apostle setting forth the fact that when Christ came, we were as children becoming of age and realising the liberties of our inheritance. What liberties the son now enjoys! No longer does he hear: "Don't touch that!" "Leave that alone!" "You can't have that!" The old restraints are now removed; the inheritance is his; he has become of age.
Bondage of the Law
The Law with its many ordinances brought the people into bondage. This is because they did not know justification by faith. They went about to establish their righteousness by the works of the Law. "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" [ROM:10:3]). Some people today are also taking this course by not coming to Christ for forgiveness. They try to live up to the Golden Rule. They even force themselves to abstain from some of those things that are evil. All this but brings them into bondage. If they would come to Christ and be saved, their very nature would be changed and they would know the liberties of being sons of God.
This means that a Christian does not do the things that are sinful, for the desire for sin is taken out. The bondage of Satan is removed, and he finds himself at liberty to live, as he desires. This is true liberty. A sinner is in bondage to sin. He may find himself bound by the habit of drink. He wants to quit but is unable to do so. When he comes to Christ the chains of sin are broken. Thus being set free a man is able to live the way he wanted to when he was under Satan but could not because he was bound. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" [JHN:8:36]).
Should one whom Christ has set free be desirous of being in bondage again? Should one who has been bound by drink and set free desire again to try to live right in his own strength after knowing the liberty from evil desires?
False Prophets
"Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years." Could we not say this of those who observe the Jewish Sabbath today? They would bring us back under the bondage of the Law from which Christ has set us free. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" [ROM:10:4]).
When Paul first preached the Gospel to the Galatians they were very enthusiastic about it. They received him as an "angel of God." They were willing to pluck out their eyes and give them to him. Why the change now?
False prophets had come in and turned their hearts from the truth. Those who were zealous for the Law of Moses wanted to bring these Galatians into the bondage of the Law. "It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." But how sad it is to see one turned aside from the Truth and be zealous in a false movement! Jehovah's Witnesses are turning out their false literature by ton's-loads. Communism has printed enough of its devilish propaganda to put pages in the hand of every man, woman, and child in the world. Should not we as children of the King be zealously affected by and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Isaac and Ishmael
Abraham had two sons. Isaac was by Sarah and was a child of promise, being of miraculous birth. Ishmael was by Hagar (Agar), a bondwoman, and was by natural birth. This is a symbol of the natural and spiritual Jews. They, which are born of the flesh and are under the bondage of the Law are symbolical of the children of Ishmael. The spiritual children of Abraham are those under grace and are children of the heavenly Jerusalem and are not in bondage. "What saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." How thankful we should be for the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free! This freedom comes from a miraculous spiritual birth -" the new birth.
God said to Abraham: "I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore" [GEN:22:17]). The spiritual children of Abraham have been likened to the stars of the heaven, while the natural children of Abraham have been likened to the sands of the sea shore.
No Middle Ground
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." The Bible makes it very clear that we cannot "straddle the fence." If we are under grace we are not under the Law. If we are justified by the Law we have fallen from grace. Some people today are trying in their own strength by their own works to make Heaven. They need to be justified by faith -" that is, be born again -" in order to be saved.
"Ye did run well." What a pity that a good start should be fouled up by false teachers! We today must be on guard against any deviation from the true Gospel that was planted in our heart by those who have sown the seed of the Apostles' doctrine. On the Day of Pentecost God gave the Holy Ghost to those 120 who were of one accord. This was the beginning of the "early rain." He also poured out His Spirit upon a group of believers in Los Angeles in 1906, which was the beginning of the "latter rain." God set His seal of approval upon the doctrines of the Word of God as set forth by the Apostolic Faith. Since that time false teachers have endeavoured to set aside some of the cardinal truths contained in the Scripture. God has not changed, the Bible has not changed, neither has the Apostolic Faith changed its original tenets of faith.
Paul had no time for compromise. He said, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." "I would they were even cut off which trouble you." "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" [GAL:1:8]). Paul preached, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," but he did not extend a hand to the devil or any of his emissaries. Christian love and fellowship are wonderful but do not extend to false prophets or those who fail to give heed to the whole Word of God.
Love
True liberty is marvellous, but it is not a licence to walk after the flesh or earthly desires. With salvation comes not only liberty, but love. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour." "He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" [ROM:13:8-9]).
Questions
1. What is Christian liberty?
2. To what are the Jews under the Law likened?
3. How were they freed from bondage?
4. What was turning them again into bondage?
5. To what are Abraham's two sons likened?
6. How can the term "Christian liberty" be misconstrued?
7. Explain how all the Law is fulfilled in one word.
8. What happens to those who attempt to be justified by the Law?
9. Tell how zeal can be both good and bad.
10. What was Paul's attitude toward those who tried to get the Galatians to keep the Law?