Amen. Thank you. I would invite you to turn with me in your copy of the Holy Scripture to Galatians chapter number five as was just read. Thank you, children, for your ministry to us in music. Thank you, orchestra, for your accompaniment and the choir singing that hymn. from the book of Revelation. Thank you, congregation, for your participation as we have worshiped the one who is worthy. So grateful for that. For the last many weeks, we have studied this Magna Carta, or this great paper on Christian liberty. We've now come to chapter five, specifically this morning, verses 13 through 15, Galatians five, verses 13 through 15. But up to this point, in Paul's epistle to the Galatians, We have learned that the Mosaic Law was never meant to save us. Chapter 3, verse 11 says, no one is justified by the law in the sight of God, for the just shall live by faith. We've also learned that the Mosaic Law was only meant to show us our sin and point us to Christ. Chapter 3, verse 24, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith. We've learned how that in Christ we are free from the curse of the Mosaic Law. Chapter 3, verse 13, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. And then furthermore, and finally now, we have learned that it is foolish to think that works. as in the Mosaic Law, or any self-righteousness of the flesh, can now sanctify us, chapter three, verse three, having begun in the spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? And you see, the Galatian believers were turning away from the grace of Christ to a different gospel, so Paul charged them, he charges us to stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free. Or as I explained last Sunday morning, get a grip on God's grace and don't let go. Chapter five, verse number four. So this morning now we've come to chapter five, verse 13, where Paul's manifesto on Christian liberty adds a disclaimer to all that he has written. And disclaimers can be funny things because sometimes disclaimers are so obvious they sound absurd to us. and we wonder if they even need to be said. Let me give you some examples of a few disclaimers that are printed on the packaging of consumer products, and perhaps you're familiar with these. On a McDonald's coffee cup, caution, contents may be hot. Of course, it was back in 1994, I remember this as a youth, there was a highly publicized lawsuit in 1994 when a 79-year-old woman spilled her coffee on herself, suffered burns. She received compensatory and punitive damages in the amount of $2.7 million because her McDonald's coffee was hot. Of course, now the disclaimer, caution, contents may be hot. Here's another one, on the label of Nyquil medicine, warning may cause drowsiness. Really? Here's another one, a box of Swanson frozen dinners. Remember the old TV dinners? Here it is, defrost before eating. On a Black and Decker clothes iron, do not iron clothes on body, it says. Have you ever tried that? How about an electric blender? Never remove food from blades while product is operating. Of course, I remember as a kid, of course, we'd want to lick the frosting off of those blades, not while it's operating. Here's my favorite. Disclaimer, warning label. on a toilet brush, do not use for personal hygiene. Really, now tell me, why are those disclaimers printed on those consumer products? Because along the way, some people have misused or abused those products, causing great harm to themselves. And for that reason, Paul wrote a disclaimer here in the book of Galatians. It's printed for you there at the top of your notes. Paul wrote a disclaimer to warn us that abusing or misusing our Christian liberty would bring bondage. Did you catch that statement? How can one's liberty, how can one's freedom bring bondage? So from Galatians 5, verses 13 to 15, I prepared a message titled The Bondage of Freedom. Let's go to the Lord in prayer, and then we'll study the scripture together. God in heaven, we bow our heads humbly before you, acknowledging that you are worthy. That you are worthy of all of the glory we can ascribe to you, all of the worth. all of the adoration and exaltation, all of the worship, and of course, your Son, Jesus Christ, is the one worthy to open the seals. And Lord, this morning, we acknowledge you as the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, the one who is worthy. God, we now come to the scripture text, and we intend to study it. and understand it, we pray for the illuminating ministry of your Holy Spirit to aid us in that task. Lord, I pray that you would reveal to us the danger of misusing and abusing our liberties and how it might, in fact, put us back into bondage. We commit our study to you now, in Jesus' name I pray, amen. Galatians 5, verse number 13. Galatians 5, verse 13, for you, brethren, have been called to liberty. And of course these last many weeks we've established that glorious truth, only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh. Number one in your notes, Christian liberty is not freedom, it's not freedom to indulge the flesh. And this is what we might call hedonism. Hedonism. Now the opportunity that Paul speaks of in verse 13 is a military term used to describe a place or a base of operation to launch an offensive attack. And our Christian liberty is not to be used as a platform or a staging area to practice the works of the flesh. The flesh there in verse number 13 is not the wrinkled or the freckled skin that's stretched over our human skeleton, but rather the flesh that Paul speaks of is our sinful human nature. and Christian liberty is not a freedom to indulge in the appetites of our sinful nature. Unless we misunderstand, Paul then identifies these works of the flesh later in this very context. Look ahead to verse number 19. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are, here they are, some of them anyway, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness. Verse 20, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath. Now things are getting really close to home. Selfish ambitions, dissensions, Heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like. There are many others. So that if it is the Christian hedonist, if I might use the term, the Christian hedonist who would argue, I'm free in Christ. I have the liberty to experience what my flesh enjoys. I have liberty to watch what I want to watch. I have liberty to listen to what I want to listen to. I can go where I want to go. I can touch what I want to touch. I can act like I want to act. I can eat like whatever I want to eat because I am free. I am free for myself. I am free to enjoy the pleasures of life without restraint. I am free to indulge my flesh. I have Christian liberty." The problem with that is that is not Christian at all. It's quite the contrary. In fact, it's simply hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure. And in this we become fleshly minded. Romans 8 says that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. But those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirits. Romans 8 goes on to explain that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. In fact, all of Romans chapter eight is a perfect companion passage or parallel passage here to Galatians chapter five. You might jot that in your margin. Romans chapter eight, we're gonna go there in just a moment. But let me tell you what will happen if you wave the banner of Christian liberty as a license for every point of recreation and entertainment and pleasure and perceived right that you choose to enjoy. Are you ready? Here it is. This is what will happen. you will find yourself in bondage to the very same thing. This is the disclaimer that Paul was giving us here. The abuse of Christian liberty ultimately brings us back into bondage to our flesh, to the desires of our flesh, and you will argue that those things are your right, but it is my rights. as a Christian, not under law, to experience or experiment or indulge in these things. And anyone who desire, I'm sorry, anyone who denies you your desires causes you to react as if in withdrawal because of a bondage that you may experience. That's why I've titled my message The Bondage of Freedom. Maybe a bit of an oxymoron as is Christian hedonism. The bondage of freedom and there are many illustrations that we could use. The desires of our hearts that are indulged may become a vice. The appetites of the body that are satisfied may become an addiction. The personal agendas that are pursued may become a right. And all of this, mind you, is within one's liberty. But if one's liberty of those things animates the flesh to the point of bondage to them, what promised freedom may actually bring bondage. Listen here to Peter's description of those who preach this hedonistic liberty from 2 Peter 2. They speak great swelling words of emptiness. They allure through the lust of the flesh, through lewdness as things that satisfy our senses. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption. For by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. if you are overcome by those things as a vice or as an addiction or as a demanded right. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, we could talk till kingdom come about what is really the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and have overcome. And the latter is worse for them than the beginning. What this is teaching us folks is that we must be careful not to turn our freedom in Christ back into bondage to the flesh. Look at the end of verse number 13, the end of verse 13, but through love serve one another. Jump to verse 15. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another. So Christian liberty is not the freedom to do as I please in the indulgence of myself. That was Roman numeral number one, the hedonism. Nor is it the freedom to do as I please irrespective of my neighbor. This is now number two. Christian liberty is not a freedom to exploit my neighbor. What would we call that? We'd call that anarchy. Anarchy occurs when everyone does what is right in their own eyes at the expense of those around them. And in the end, the freedom to do whatever brings bondage to everyone because my rights trample your rights and your rights trample my rights, you see. And as verse 15 suggests, we end up consuming one another in conflict over our own rights to do, to be, behave however we want. Turn with me to Romans chapter 14. Will you go with me there? Back to Romans chapter 14. I'd like to read an extended portion of scripture. Really it's the classic case study of the law of liberty versus the law of love. It's not about you. And I debated whether or not to read this extended portion, but in that it is the scripture, I think it's worthwhile for us to read. Romans chapter 14, you follow with me in your copy of the scripture as I read. Romans 14 verse one, receive one who is weak in the faith. but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let him who eats despise him, I'm sorry, let not, that's important, let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats. For God has received him just as we ought to receive him, beginning at verse number one. Who are you to judge another servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand. For God, the master, is able to make him stand. Folks, this is the principle of individual soul liberty. The idea that each one of us is responsible to God, our master, for doubtful or disputed areas of life and lifestyle. For example, verse number five, one person esteems one day above another, another esteems every day alike. The observances of designated holy days, we call them holidays, and you could even insert recent holidays. modern holidays. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day observes it to the Lord. He who does not observe the day to the Lord, he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. And he who does not eat to the Lord, he does not eat and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself. No one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. He is our master. We're accountable to him. For to this end, Christ died and rose again and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living, but why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? I might say from Galatians 5 verse 15, why do you bite and devour and consume one another is the idea. For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, for it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, every tongue shall confess to God, so then each of us shall give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this. And this is the disclaimer that Paul is using in his argument with the Galatians, chapter five. to not put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. It doesn't mean we don't do something only because others don't like it. It's that we don't do those things that are gonna cause another to sinfully practice in what would violate their own conscience. Verse 14, I know and I'm convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself. But to him who considers anything to be unclean, this is of course illustrating the meat that had been previously offered to idols, To him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. That's Galatians 5, verses 13 through 15. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Let me give you some sub points, two sub points, and perhaps I have these in backwards order, but I'll give them to you as I've prepared them and presented them. First, love limits my liberty. Love for you limits my liberty. I don't do whatever I want to do because I can. If it's harmful to you, my brother, my love for you limits that liberty. It's what Paul wrote to the Corinthians. I've given you that reference there, another parallel or companion passage. Paul says all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful. I have liberty in everything, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each the other's well-being." And I know what you're thinking. You're saying, well, Pastor Matt, does that mean that we can't do anything anymore because it may bother someone else? Well, Paul became a vegetarian out of his love for his brethren and for Paul. I'm sorry, for his brethren. And Paul said, although I'm free, I'll be servant of all, and I'll even become weak in only eating vegetables. I confess to you, I do not love you that much. I will not forfeit my preferred diet for you. But that was Paul's limitation of love. It was radical. It's even ridiculous. Are you kidding me? Really? He says, I'll become a vegetarian. That's 1 Corinthians. You say, I think that's crazy. I agree, but it's what we're called to do. But then secondly, love accepts my brother. And this is going back to Romans as I've read, and we're gonna read here in a few moments. You could also put Romans 14 there. I've given you Romans eight, but really Romans 14, one to 15 is what it ought to be. We'll go to Romans eight in a later point. But love, not only limits my liberty, but love accepts my brother, and I don't judge you for what you do or you don't do. Okay, now this is all so hard. Pastor, are you saying that I should just accept my brother even if he has no conscience regarding an important issue, like music or movies, or masking or vaxing, or Halloween, Should I accept my brother even if he's a paranoid prude regarding some important issues like music and movies and masking and vaxxing and Halloween? You see where I'm going with this? Love for one another and our service to one another is the only thing that will keep us from cannibalizing each other. Because if you're judging me, right back at ya. and we will destroy each other over doubtful or disputed issues. I am mindful, regularly mindful, of the diversity of conscience and convictions that are represented here among us at Fourth Baptist Church. We are sinners saved by grace. We have covenant together as members of Fourth Baptist Church, but you know what? We do not all agree on everything. And different positions, different practices, we would have a feeding frenzy if we could not limit our liberty on one hand and accept our brother. On the other hand, turn back to Galatians chapter five. Galatians chapter five, here's the disclaimers. The notion of Christian liberty, as Paul has championed it, absolutely, has been and it is misused at times, abused at times, to the hurt and the harm of one another. Chapter five, verse 15, if you bite and devour one another, beware, lest you be consumed by one another. So Paul has to issue this disclaimer. Christian liberty is not freedom to exploit my neighbor. That is anarchy. But love for one another. And here's really just a big idea, folks. Love for one another ought to make us the most considerate, sensitive, caring, understanding, patient, forgiving, gracious people on the planets. We're proud of our strong convictions. I have some very strong convictions. We're proud of our strict conscience. I have a very strict conscience in a number of areas, but we must exercise grace and love toward one another as others differ from us is the disclaimer that Paul is giving. Look at verse number 14. For all the law, Galatians 5 verse 14, for all the law, and that's really the big theme, right? The struggle that the Judaizers or these Galatian believers who are turning away from a gospel of grace, they're concerned about law, so let's fulfill the law after all, let's get it done. Verse 14, for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And so if Christian liberty is not freedom to indulge the flesh, that's hedonism, number one. It's not liberty to exploit my neighbor, that's anarchy, number two. Number three, Christian liberty is not freedom to disregard the law. So we're not dismissing the law, we're replacing, or better, we're fulfilling the law in this way. So Christian liberty is not, I'm sorry I put it there on the screen, to disregard the law. It is not the liberty or freedom to disregard the law. That's antinomianism. Antinomianism, anti-law. But that is not what's happening here. Rather, Paul is saying we can fulfill the law in these ways by love. You remember in Matthew 22, Jesus declared, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment of the law, and second is like to it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You wanna be a law keeper? You wanna fulfill the law, Jesus says? Love God and love others. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Furthermore then, it is the law of Christ that governs us. So we're not antinomian, we're not casting off any law, but rather we're adopting the law of Christ. As I mentioned, Romans chapter eight, and I gave you that reference there just a moment ago, but consider Romans chapter eight. We went to Romans 14, now go to Romans chapter eight. Go to Romans chapter 8 with me and consider the law of Christ and how the law of the Spirit of Christ now governs us so that we aren't disregarding the law, we're not antinomian. Romans chapter 8 verse number 2, I'll pick up there. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ has made us free from the law of sin and death. And so there's a replacement, there's a fulfillment. Verse number three, Romans eight verse three, for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemns sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. Those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind, the mind of flesh is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be. So we cannot allow our flesh to govern us, but rather the spirit to govern us. For those who are in the flesh cannot please God, but you who are in the flesh, but you who are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you, verse number nine, Romans eight, verse number nine. So, let me summarize it this way, and maybe we can simplify it this way. Our Christian liberty is expressed not in these ways, Christian liberty is not a freedom to indulge the flesh. It's not a freedom to exploit our neighbor. It's not the liberty to disregard the law. This is before you there on the screen. But rather, let me frame it in these ways. It is expressed in these ways. Number one, it is control of self. control of self. Do not use your liberty as opportunity for the flesh, Paul said in verse 13. And I hope you can identify the parallelism of Roman numeral number one with, at the bottom of your notes here, number one, the control of self. Secondly, our liberty in Christ is expressed secondly in love for one another. Do not use your liberty to exploit one another but rather limit it and accept your brother, your neighbor, your brother, and I hope you see the parallel to Roman numeral number two. And then third, number three, our liberty in Christ is expressed in obedience to God. Do not use your liberty to disregard what God's Spirit teaches. Rather, we submit ourselves in obedience to the law of Christ as His Spirit indwells us. Here's the disclaimer. And I'm not rebuking you. I don't know that you're guilty of these things. I think, I would hope that in the spirit of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5, I'm warning us or cautioning us with the disclaimer, the misuse and abuse of liberty in Christ will be harmful to ourselves and others. So how do we navigate this? This is difficult. This is a point of conflict among believers always. We must submit to the law of Christ and the spirit of God ruling our hearts and dwelling within us. and then we will guard ourselves from the bondage of freedom. Let's pray. God in heaven, I pray for my brothers and sisters here at Fourth Baptist Church. I pray God that we would be a people who don't abandon our Bible convictions and do not forfeit our Bible conscience. but Lord, that neither are we those that indulge our flesh and defend our rights to the hurt of one another or Lord, even to the bondage of ourselves. Lord, I pray that we would be sensitive to your Spirit leading us and guiding us and confronting us and convicting us. Lord, I pray that the Spirit of God might control all that I do and say. Thank you, Lord, for the liberty we have from the Mosaic Law. Thank you, Lord, for the liberty we have from trying to seek righteousness in the works of the flesh. Lord, may we be governed by your Spirit, for I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.