Gálatas 5
J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gálatas 5
Vernon McGee - He is saying here that not only are we saved by faith rather than by law, but law is not to be the rule of life for the believer. We are not to live by law at all. The law principle is not the rule for Christian living. Paul is saying that since we have been saved by grace we are to continue on in this way of living. Grace supplies the indwelling and filling of the Spirit to enable us to live on a higher plane than law demanded. This all is our portion when we trust Christ as Savior. It is in Christ that we receive everything––salvation and sanctification. Don’t tell me I need to seek a second blessing. When I came to Christ, I got everything I needed. Paul tells me that I have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus (Eph 1:3). Let’s believe Him and start trusting. Let’s stop trying some legal system or rote of rules. We have liberty in Christ. He does not put us under some little legal system. (Galatians 5) Life Application Study Bible Note - Christ came to set us free—not free to do whatever we want because that would lead us back into slavery to our selfish desires. Rather, thanks to Christ, we are now free and able to do what was impossible before—to live unselfishly. Those who appeal to their freedom so that they can have their own way or indulge their own desires are falling back into sin. But it is also wrong to put a burden of law-keeping on Christians. We must stand against those who would enslave us with rules, methods, or special conditions for being saved or growing in Christ. Phillip Ryken - Freedom has as many joys and struggles in the spiritual realm as it does in human society. Dr. King knew this, for he borrowed his famous words from an old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we're free at last!" The song's first and primary meaning was about freedom from sin through Jesus Christ. Freedom in Christ was the apostle Paul's concern as he wrote Galatians, a letter sometimes known as the Magna Carta of Christian liberty. Paul knew how precious spiritual freedom is. He knew the price that Jesus paid on the cross to gain it. He also knew how easy it is to squander that freedom and return to spiritual bondage. This is why Paul wrote to the Galatians with such urgency. They believed the Gospel of the cross and the empty tomb. They had gained true spiritual freedom by putting their faith in Christ crucified and Christ risen. But now they were under the spell of teachers who wanted to add the law of Moses to the gospel of Christ (see Gal. 3:1). As a result, they were in danger of becoming enslaved all over again (see Gal. 5:1). (Galatians Commentary) “Grace is the sweetest sound That ever reached our ears, When conscience charged and justice frowned, ’Twas grace removed our fears.” ILLUSTRATION OF THE DANGER OF BEING ENTANGLED AGAIN - In Brazil there grows a common plant which forest-dwellers call the matador or “murderer.” Its slender stem creeps along the ground, but no sooner does it meet a vigorous tree (ED: just like the "false brethren" who sneak in - Gal 2:4+), than it sends out an entangling tentacle, which cleaves and climbs up the tree, at intervals sending out arm-like tendrils that further entangle the tree. As the "murderer" ascends, these ligatures grow larger and their clasp becomes tighter. Up and up the rogue vine climbs until the last loftiest spire is gained and fettered. Then, as if in triumph, the parasite shoots a huge, flowery head above the strangled summit, and there from the dead tree’s crown, scatters its seed to begin its entangling work again. In a similar way listening to grace-killing teachers can entangle saints in effect neutralizing their effectiveness in the ongoing spiritual war with the world, the flesh and the devil.
Gálatas 5
Vernon McGee adds that "This verse states the great principle of Christian living—walk by means of the Spirit." (Galatians 5) Platt on Galatians 5:16 - This passage is very important in light of a Christian's desire to spiritually grow. (Exalting Jesus in Galatians) Keep the context in mind. What has Paul just been speaking about to the Galatians? On one hand he has advocated a God-like love of one another (Gal 5:13-14) and on the other hand he has warned against biting and devouring one another (Gal 5:15). The question arises as to how can one accomplish these things? And Paul says it is only possible in one empowered by the Spirit. Andrus summarizes the preceding context - Christian freedom is not the freedom to indulge the sinful nature; it is the freedom to control the appetites of the sinful nature. It's not the freedom to exploit one's neighbor; it is the freedom to serve and love one's neighbor. It's not the freedom to disregard the law of God; it is the freedom to fulfill the spirit of the law. (Sermon) But how? What is the secret to finding victory in this war within ourselves so that we can exercise true freedom without sliding into either legalism or moral anarchy? The key is found in Gal 5:16 and Gal 5:18....There is an active side–walking with Him–and a passive side–being led by Him. If we walk by the Spirit we will not carry out the desires of our old nature. If we are led by the Spirit, we will not be weighed down by the law. (Sermon) But - Term of contrast. Instead of consuming one another, motivated by desires of their fallen flesh. I say - Paul as an apostle speaks. He speaks in contrast to the persuasive false teachers who were speaking in the ears of the Galatian believers. Paul uses a common figure of speak with the word walk as the OT frequently described a person's life or lifestyle as a "walk". E.g. "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!" (Ps 1:1). Every person alive is on a path and traveling to their final destiny, either heaven or hell (Mt 7:13, 14). Paul calls on the saints who are on the path to Heaven to walk in the power of the Spirit, allowing Him to guide you. In context, the Judaizers were trying to get the Galatian believers off the narrow path of faith in Jesus by adding the laws from Moses. As we have repeatedly seen, that "hybrid" type of walk will never work, it will never lead to freedom (liberty), but will always lead to defeat, bondage, slavery. While the Law can give us directions much like a yoke directs the oxen, the yoke of the Law provides no power to carry out the directions. Only the internal working of the Holy Spirit can give believers a desire to obey and the power to follow through on that desire and in the preceding context the desire and power to show supernatural love to one another. Only the Spirit can produce this fruit in our hearts (Gal 5:22) and when He produces that love in our hearts, it is also a love toward God, and thus a love that motivates us to obey (out of love, not legalism) and walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord. Dan Duncan illustrates this love motivated obedience explaining that "There are really three ways to live: under the law, without law, or Paul's way, which is with the Author of the Law (THE HOLY SPIRIT). All three can be illustrated from three different kinds of dogs....I think anyone who owns a dog can appreciate the analogy. One dog lives on a leash. Whenever it goes out, it must be on the leash. And as he goes out, he pulls against the leash. He resists it, and doesn't like it. My dog doesn't like it and must be jerked back into line and put back on the path. Well, that's a picture of a person under the Law. The second dog lives without the leash. He wanders about freely in the neighborhood without a master, without guidance, getting into trash, getting into fights and ending up in the pound or run over by a car. That's a picture of a lawless person (ED: see antinomianism). The third is the ideal dog. He comes out of his house with his master and without a leash. He goes about freely, but returns at his master's command. He is bound by love to his master. That is the person who walks by the Spirit He or she obeys out of love. That's the position of the believer in Jesus Christ. So Paul says to these believers in Galatia, walk with Him. Go on with Him wherever He goes. Be under His control and guidance and the promise is "As we do, we will not carry out the desire of the flesh." (Sermon) WHY WALK IN THE SPIRIT? John MacArthur gives 3 reasons why believers should daily walk in the Spirit -- Now, there are a number of reasons why you have to walk in the Spirit - let me just give you three you can think about on your own. Number one, because of God’s impossible standard; because of God’s impossible standard. 1Pe 1:16: “... be holy, as I am holy.” I might achieve - I don’t know - some level of satisfaction in the religious community if I live a certain way. I might be accepted by moral people and religious people and even Christian people if I guard my life from certain overt kinds of sin. But the standard that is laid out for us in the Scripture is, “be holy (ED: aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey), for I am holy” - that great Levitical demand of God that is repeated by Peter in 1 Peter 1:16+. This impossible standard takes it way out of my power; way out of my power. So, we need to walk in the Spirit, because the standard is otherwise impossible. Secondly, our foe is formidable; our foe is formidable (ED: inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable). And what do I mean by that? The flesh - so, let’s say the flesh is formidable; the flesh is formidable. “There is in my flesh,” says Paul, “no (ED: "OU" = ABSOLUTE NEGATION) good thing.” (Ro 7:18KJV+) Formidable because it’s powerful, formidable because it’s ever-present (ED: cf 1Pe 2:11b+ - "wages war" = present tense = CONTINUALLY), formidable because it is easily activated (ED: EVEN AROUSED BY THE LAW - Ro 7:5+ and Ro 7:7-8+), and that takes me to the third reason for walking in the Spirit. First, because of God’s impossible standard, second, because of the formidable nature of our flesh, and thirdly, because of the relentless operation of Satan (ED: cf Eph 6:11+, 2Cor 2:11+, 1Pe 5:8-9+). Satan tweaks and turns the system to assault the flesh, which is the beachhead on which he lands his temptations. So, we have a serious battle facing us, and if we are going to win that battle, we need to walk in the power of the Spirit. 2Co 6:16+, you are “the temple of the living God... as God has said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk in them.’” It’s a case of God walking in us and we walking with Him, and walking always means daily, progressive conduct. The Spirit of the Almighty God of the universe lives in you. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit (ED: cf 1Co 6:19+). He is alive in you. (ED: THIS MESSAGE IS A "MUST LISTEN" or READ - The Essential Ministry of the Holy Spirit, Part 3 Galatians 5:16-25) Walk by the Spirit - Don't invert the order of this verse which your fallen (deceptive) flesh will tempt you to do. In other words, don't say "I will not carry out the lusts of my old flesh and in that way I will be able to walk by the Spirit!" You would be surprised at how many saints have misread this verse in that manner. And the result of course is that they continue to have the desires of the flesh. In fact when you tell the flesh "No," it's "natural" reaction is to rebel. As Ro 7:5+ says the sinful passions of the flesh are not suppressed but actually aroused or stirred up by the law (like saying "I won't do this" or "I won't do that again.") When you think like that, you actually place yourself under "laws" (of your own making, but laws nevertheless). Walking means we take one step at a time, moment by moment, for there is not one moment when our flesh is not seeking to carry out its sinful desires! This is why it is so critical to be careful to not grieve (Eph 4:30+) or quench (1 Th 5:19+) the Holy Spirit, for in so not we short-circuit His power in our lives! But walking is not just fighting off the negative (the lusts of the flesh), but it is also growing in the positive (growing more like Christ). Paul explains how the Spirit does this in Second Corinthians writing "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.." (2 Cor 3:18+) Paul is saying that as we behold the Lord's glory (and His glory is most clearly seen in His Word) and we walk in obedience (even this obedience enabled by His Spirit) to His revealed will (in His Word), the Holy Spirit does a miraculous internal work on our hearts, progressively changing us into the image of Christ from one degree of glory to the next. That's a simple summary description of how every believer should be living their Christian life! We don't grow in Christ-likeness by seeking to keep a list of rules which we will never be able to keep and which ultimately results in frustration and futility in our Christian walk. Remember that everything that God desires to carry out in and through us begins on the inside, not on the outside, which is where legalism seeks to work. So walk by the Spirit, not a set of rules you or someone else has made up ostensibly to make you more holy! Only by the Spirit will you gain victory over sin on a practical, daily basis.