{"id":3112,"date":"2009-01-11T14:12:00","date_gmt":"2009-01-11T19:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/?p=3112"},"modified":"2020-12-21T14:13:37","modified_gmt":"2020-12-21T19:13:37","slug":"have-it-your-way-sermon-talkback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/have-it-your-way-sermon-talkback\/","title":{"rendered":"Have It Your Way Sermon Talkback"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sermon Talkback<\/strong>\u2014January 11, 2009<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have It Your Way\u2014Pastor Lauren Ng<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Galatians 5:1, 13-25<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Context<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whole of Galatians is an argument by Paul against the influences of a group of law-oriented Judaizers\u2014teachers who insisted that Christians were obligated to keep the Mosaic law. In the first four chapters, Paul argued against the Judaziers who had apparently gained considerable influence over the Galatian Christians. Chapters 5 and 6 are the concluding arguments where Paul presents some positive remarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Text<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the face of his opponents\u2019 arguments about the law\u2019s continued centrality in a true believer\u2019s heart, Paul counters that Christ\u2019s gift to all his disciples is true freedom. In Gal. 5:1, Paul affirms this freedom as a deliverance from the \u201cyoke of slavery\u201d illustrated by the ritual of circumcision (5:2-12). This practice gives no special standing to those who truly seek Christ but what does matter, Paul declares, is \u201cfaith working through love\u201d (6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freedom in Christ is not a freedom toward the \u201cself-indulgence\u201d of licentiousness (disregarding accepted rules and standards), but rather the truest mark and measure of Christian freedom is the exercise of loving service. Love is demonstrated through service to others such as one\u2019s neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Gal. 5:14, Paul uses the word, \u201claw\u201d himself to indicate that he is committed to the \u201csecond table\u201d of the Mosaic covenant namely the ethical principles spelled out there. Another possibility is Paul is stressing the difference between the Judaziers\u2019 concern with doing the law and his own urgings that Christians fulfill the law. Apparently, there was some combative behavior of \u201cbite and devour one another\u201d among the Galatian Christians in what we would call today, backbiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFlesh\u201d and \u201cSpirit\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simplistic reading of verses 16-21 and 22-26 divides human behavior into that of \u201cflesh\u201d and that of \u201cspirit.\u201d Because of the weakness of the flesh that humans succumb to that long litany of un-Christian behaviors. Likewise, the Spirit is understood as living in the redeemed and is influenced to live out the positive behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another interpretation is to see \u201cflesh\u201d and \u201cspirit\u201d as redemptive-historical terms. For Paul, fleshly existence was something all people were trapped in until the events of Christ\u2019s death and resurrection. In this model, the Mosaic law was part of the old fleshly system that existed before Christ\u2019s redemptive death. Thus, when Paul argues against being \u201cin the flesh\u201d he is not simply citing \u201cflesh\u201d as an inferior human condition, but as a past standard that has been overwhelmed by the event of Christ\u2019s death and resurrection. Those still in \u201cthe flesh\u201d are the Judaziers whose teachings are causing confusion and dissension in the Galatian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those in \u201cthe Spirit\u201d are all those who live the light of Christ\u2019s redemptive acts. To live in \u201cthe Spirit\u201d is to experience the crucifixion of one\u2019s own flesh (v. 24) and thus enjoy the new freedom Christ offers. It is through Christ\u2019s freely given sacrifice that those living in his Spirit can expect the presence of the Spirit\u2019s greatest fruits\u2014love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do You Think?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we don\u2019t always have to have it our way, how might we begin to be \u201cin the Spirit\u201d so that we may have our lives living in God\u2019s way?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sermon Talkback\u2014January 11, 2009 Have It Your Way\u2014Pastor Lauren Ng Galatians 5:1, 13-25 The Context The whole of Galatians is an argument by Paul against the influences of a groupContinue readingHave It Your Way Sermon Talkback<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[115],"tags":[90],"class_list":["post-3112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-donald-ng-sermon-talkbacks","tag-galatians"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3112"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3113,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3112\/revisions\/3113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}