Many a Christian is living a defeated life because they insist on going back under law. Dr. Tony Evans warns that trading grace for legalism only leaves you unsettled. The Bible says the law is good. The problem is you never know when you satisfied it.
This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans.
Some people think freedom in Christ means doing whatever they want. But the Apostle Paul has a very different definition. Today, Dr. Evans takes us to the book of Galatians to explore what it really means to be free in Christ and why we need to resist the pull to return to spiritual bondage. Let's join him.
We've explained to you that grace is not only a word, a theological concept, And A person, Jesus Christ, brought grace. Grace is an administration. That is a way of God. operating in the world. We are now to relate to God.
By grace. Grace does not mean there are no rules. Grace does not mean there are no demands and expectations. But what grace does is change our approach. to the rules.
That's why he says in verse 1 of chapter 5. It was for freedom that Christ set you free.
Now, what is freedom? Freedom is release from illegitimate bondage. Freedom does not mean The absence of laws or rules. In football, They're only free to play the game because they're sidelining goal lines. You remove the sidelines and go lines, and now the running back can run up in the stands and out into the concession area and out to the parking lot.
and come back in on the other end of the field talking about touchdown. That is not freedom, that is chaos.
So, when people talk about freedom, let's make sure we understand. You know, when we talk about freedom in America, we're not talking about there are no laws in America. There's certain boundaries. that allow freedom to happen. Once you remove boundaries, there's chaos.
Freedom does not mean no boundaries. Freedom means no illegitimate boundaries. Yeah. It was for freedom Christ set us free. Therefore, Keep standing firm.
And do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold, I Paul Verse 2. I Paul say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no Benefit. To you.
So he's talking about Christians. who were either slaves Or They were in danger of becoming slaves. Due to the Judaizers. Judaizers were Jews who were trying to get these people to come back underneath the law. to come underneath The Old Testament way of operating, the old administration.
But Paul makes an astounding statement. He says, if you go back there. For living your Christian life. Christ can't help you. He's of no benefit to you.
He has established a brand new way of operating. And you placing yourself Under the old administration. And he says, Christ is of no benefit.
So then, watch this: it's possible to be a Christian and not be benefiting from Christ because you've gone back under this. All the system. A simple way of understanding the old system. is that the old system is a have-to life. I have to do this.
I have to do this. I have to do this. The new system is a thank you life. It is my response. of gratitude to God.
Not my living under the threat of God. Christ will be of no benefit. to you if you go back under The law. He goes on. And I testify again to every man.
Who receives circumcision? goes back under the law. that he is under obligation to keep the whole law. You can't pick and choose which laws you keep and which laws you don't. It's amazing if you talk to a non-Christian.
They say, some will say, well, I keep the Ten Commandments. You got to be kidding me. First of all, you just broke one of them. Thou shalt not lie. Uh So he just broke that one.
Then, on top of that, Jesus comes later and says: keeping the commandments is not only what you do externally, it's what you think internally. Thou shalt not kill. But then Jesus says, But if you wish somebody was dead. You have broken the law. Thou shalt not commit adultery, but if you lust, you've broken the law.
So the law is not only an external act, it is an internal disposition.
So you can't just pick and choose. could you'd have kept three of them He says no. If you're gonna go under circumcision, that is underneath the law, then you have to understand it's all or nothing. It's all or nothing. You can't pick and choose.
Why? Because the law was a statement of God's holy character. And therefore. You don't want to go under law. Because all the law will do is condemn you.
Because once you keep that one, you're going to mess up on this one.
So the law, the law can't help you get better. It is a condemning. Oh, that's why they had to do all those sacrifices all the time in the Old Testament, because they were never free from it. They were never free from it. And as we saw in chapter four, the law was given temporarily.
It was a temporary provision. By the Lord.
So If you go back under. Then you're going to be judged by that law. He says You have been severed. from Christ. You are who are seeking to be justified.
Bala. You have fallen from grace.
Now, this is a lot here, so stick with me. When you cut an electrical cord You have something plugged in, but you cut the cord. You sever it, you have clipped it.
So now The power no longer can flow. to the other side. Because there's been a breach. There's been something that's clipped that thing.
So what is designed to flow, the life Source of electricity that's designed to flow cannot flow now because. You have been severed. From its connectivity.
So, whatever Christ needs to provide or wants to provide can't get through to you. Not because he's not there and the power's not there, but you've clipped it. You've disconnected it. And so it can't flow.
So you are severed from Christ. Going back, that goes back up to verse 2: crisis of no benefit to you.
So, the issue is not losing your salvation, it's losing the benefit of your salvation. Christ is of no benefit. You can't lose your salvation, but you can lose the benefits of salvation because it can't flow. Because you've been separate. And in this severing, He says You seek to be justified by the law.
This is an interesting phrase. Justification Is the process of being declared righteous. Justification is what sinners Seek when they come to Christ. But he's already declared these people to be saints. But he tells the saints you're seeking to be justified by law.
Well, that's the That's a conundrum. I'm already justified if I'm a saint. But now I'm still seeking to be justified by law. Even I'm already justified.
So, why would I be seeking to be justified by law if I'm already justified? There are a number of reasons. Number one, People may seek to be justified by law. is they may seek to be justified by law to make sure they're saved. I'm doubting my salvation.
I'm not sure I'm saved.
So let me keep more of these 10 commandments so I can make sure that I'm saved. Or A person can seek to be justified by law To make sure they are becoming spiritual. and being spiritual.
Now that they are saved.
So they're trying to be righteous.
So these people. Maybe some were doubting their salvation. And they were going back to do works. The works of the law. To make sure that they are safe, to make sure that they're not.
Save, but that they're really saved. That they're really, really, really saved? If they show enough saved.
So these people are being confused. And this confusion is summarized in verse four. It says you have fallen from Grace. In other words, you're no longer operating under the Grace Administration. You're no longer operating under the grace economy, under the grace dispensation.
You're no longer operating under this. Grace covenant. You're no longer operating under this new way that God is operating. You're not operating underneath that. When doctor Evans returns in just a moment, He'll explain why turning from grace leads to defeat, and how the law, though good, can't bring the freedom we need.
First, though, if you want to explore today's message more deeply, and discover how grace, freedom, and faith can strengthen your life. We have a powerful resource to share with you. It's Tony's in-depth sermon series on Galatians, an eleven-part journey through this foundational book, that unpacks Paul's passionate defense of the true gospel. This series is available for you to own and review whenever you'd like. It's our current thank you gift when you support the Ministry of the Alternative.
And for a limited time, we'll also include a bonus resource, Tony's book, Kingdom Prayer: Touching Heaven to Change Earth. This practical, inspiring guide. Will help you align your prayers with God's purposes and tap into the authority and intimacy that come with praying according to His will. Get both of these powerful resources today at tonyevans dot org or call our resource team at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two. That's one eight hundred eight hundred three two two two.
I'll share that contact information again after the second part of today's lesson. Here's Dr. Evans. Many a Christian Is living a defeated life because they insist on going back under law. And the problem is, like the problem with the Judaizers.
Is that the law is good? The Bible says the law is good. There's nothing wrong with the law. But the problem is. You never know when you satisfied it.
Or satisfied it enough. I satisfied it today, but I didn't satisfy it yesterday. Because the law is constantly telling you, you didn't do it. Look at what you did. The law will beat you to death.
So Paul sets the stage here. Verse 5. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. How does grace operate? Grace operates by the Spirit.
Through faith. In Righteous expectation. Hope is expectation in the Bible. Grace operates. Through the Spirit by faith.
with righteous expectation. The goal is righteousness. That's the expectation. But how you get there is not circumcision. The law.
See, in Christ, if you're a Christian, you're in Christ. In Christ. The ritual of law, circumcision or uncircumcision, doesn't mean a thing. No, it's a whole nother, it's a whole nother regime. It's faith working through Love.
You were running well, see? You were Christians. Y'all were doing a great job. You started off really good. You were growing in your faith.
You were doing well.
So he's. He's seen that they've They've been moving. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This principle of love for God and love for others. is to be the motivating force.
For Living the Christian Life. Loving God, loving others. Which means it's relationship driven. Not law-driven. It's relationship driven.
Not law driven. Keep that principle in mind.
So he's concerned. Who's tricked you? Who's duped you? This persuasion, the way you're thinking now, verse eight. did not come from him who calls you.
You didn't get this way of thinking from God. You got it from false teaching. The Judaizers. And it is spreading like wildfire. Verse 9: a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
Okay, to put it another way, a little yeast makes the whole dough rise. You get a little bit of false teaching. And it it permeates. The whole environment, the whole life. That's why Sound doctrine is so important.
When you start with false doctrine, you wind up in a whole different location. But I, brethren, verse 11. If I preach circumcision, That is, if I were to preach, get you back under the law. Why am I still persecuted? In other words.
The Jews still after me. If I was saying what they're saying, they wouldn't be mad at me. It's because I'm not saying what they're saying that they still persecuting me.
So don't let them Cause you to think what they're saying is what I'm saying. These folks have tripped you up. You've been sold a bill of goods. With folk using the Bible. Because they're using the law.
They're using the Bible, but they have tripped you up. And you have fallen from grace. Your spiritual progress. has been stopped. has been delayed because You bought into a system that is no longer operative.
And the way they're operating it. Making The cross of Christ. irrelevant. The abolitionist. In America.
We're passionate because the Constitution declare that men are free. The Declaration of Independence. declared that men are free.
So they fought and others fought and civil rights fought. For something that had been established that was not operating. Jesus Christ established freedom. But the spiritual folks in the hoods. And the white cloth.
With crosses on 'em. We're interfering with freedom. He says, I am passionate about this. For it is for freedom that you have been set free. And don't accept anything less than that.
But the risk of freedom. Is that you will use it wrongly. Freedom always has a risk. You give your teenager the keys to the car. That's risky.
Because they may not do what the intent says. Give them freedom to go out with their friends and they say this is where we're going, that's risky. Because freedom carries risk with it. That's why freedom has to have boundaries. He says, Do not use the fact that you are free.
to entertain the flesh.
So let me define the flesh here in a very simple term. What do we mean when we talk about The flesh. We're talking about Pleasing yourself independently of God.
So simple definition of the flesh. Is I want to please me outside of what God. Expects desires So I want to please me, but I don't want him part of this.
So, if you really want to just simplify the flesh. Pleasing oneself. independently of God because Something that belongs to the flesh is pleasurable to you. On some level, it's something you want to do. I don't want him involved with this.
So that's the flesh. I'm going to set you free, but I'm going to set you free. to function with freedom responsibly. Not irresponsibly. Because then you uh messing with freedom was supposed to do.
You are free. To remove yourself from illegitimate bondage. which is an exciting thing to do. But you don't free a criminal from jail for him to go commit crimes again. But he could.
Because he's free.
So don't use your freedom. Against what freedom is for. Yes, it's a bit spins. Bondage, you're free from that. Anything that holds you illegitimately in bondage, you're free from that.
People are free to their preferences. that you cannot hold another person hostage to your preference. If it's not sinful, It then is different. And they have a right to be different.
So, so don't Romans fourteen, Romans fifteen, that whole thing. It says, do not judge the opinions of another. Because they have a right to their opinion. As long as it doesn't eclipse. The Divine Standard.
So people can be different. It's okay. Yeah. It's okay. He says, so in love, serve one another.
So he brings in this love thing. As the way that the environment is supposed to work. Under grace. He goes deeper for the whole law. The whole law that you can't keep is fulfilled in one word: in the statement: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law. You can fulfill the whole 10 commandments by doing one thing. Let me define love. Love is the decision. Love is the decision.
It is a choice. You decide to love.
Sometimes, a lot of the times, love is accompanied with an emotion. But love can exist apart from an emotion. Because love is a decision. Love is the decision. to compassionately Righteously And sacrificially Seek the well-being of another.
Love is the decision. To compassionately, righteously, and sacrificially. Seek the well-being of another. It's a decision. He says When you Are living under grace, then you're living with love.
When you're living with love, You are seeking the best. For the one in this case who is being loved.
Now the best sometimes is correction. You love your child when you correct them.
So love is not just fluffy stuff but the goal of it is i want to make something better I'm not trying to make it worse. And it's a decision, compassionately, righteously. and sacrificially to seek the well-being of another. Dr. Tony Evans, sharing the important truth that freedom in Christ is living a life responsibly within the Lord's will.
Now, before we go, don't forget to request your copy of Tony's current series, Galatians, 11 powerful messages that unpack what it means to live in the freedom of God's grace. Along with it, we're including his practical, inspiring book, Kingdom Prayer, to help you align your heart with God's purposes. Both are yours as our thanks for your generous support. Just visit tonyevans.org to make your request or call us at 1-800-800-32-22. Again, that's tonyevans.org.
or call 1-800-800-3222.
Sometimes, even the most committed Christian feels torn between God's desires and the cravings of the flesh. Tomorrow, Dr. Evans helps us understand this inner battle. and shows how walking by the Spirit empowers us to overcome the war within. Be sure to join us.
