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“A lady asked Dr. Franklin Well Doctor what have we got a republic or a monarchy – A republic replied the Doctor if you can keep it.”

LSB  Galatians 5:13 -15  
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

“A lady asked Benjamin Franklin, Well Doctor what have we got a republic or a monarchy – A republic replied the Doctor if you can keep it.”

Have you ever run into a christian, or someone who claims to be a christian, and they have a lifestyle that is a daily consistent breaking of God's moral law, and they tell you something to the effect that;  "well, we aren't under law, we're under grace."

Most of the problems we would speak about are about a thousand times more common now than they were 60 years ago.  Is marriage necessary for christians.  That's just one area in a thousand, but it's so common now for people who claim they are christians to be living together having never been formally and ceremonially married.

60 years ago our culture was right on the cusp of what is full bloomed now.  The culture changed.  In 1963 it was culturally taboo to live together outside of marriage.  In 2023 the culture is almost accusing married people of institutional rape.  Everything is different now.  

That shift is universal.  I only chose marriage as a vehicle to get you thinking about the broader scope of cultural shift.  The culture claims to be progressive.  Progress towards what?  Freedom.  Freedom from what?  Freedom from any so-called God that would inhibit us by rules.  Laws.  Freedom from any set of morals given in the Bible.

Let's chase this down a little bit.  What does this book require in this area of people engaging each other sexually.  If there is a God, and this book is revealed truth, and that God has standards that are holy, and this book is authoritative in what it says, where does that leave christians in regards to human sexuality as compared to what our culture claims is perfectly OK?

I set up several pre-requisites there, didn't I.  In my pre-requisite framing I began with a premise that answers the obvious question;  Who says so?  Who says so?  Who gets to make the rules?

God actually begins His revelation to us by defining the answer to that problem.  Who gets to make the rules.  Genesis 1:1  In the beginning, God created the heavens, and the earth.  He made everything that is.  In fact John the apostle tells us this in the prologue of his book;

Jn. 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

We live in a Word based universe where everything that is, was spoken into existence, ex-nihilo, out of nothing.  It kind of sounds like a big bang theory.  Suddenly, out of nothing, the universe is there.  It only took science 6000 years to discover what the first verse in God's book says.

Nothing made everything.  Except nothing isn't nothing, it is the eternal God, pre-existing before the universes and galaxies, a triune God who speaks the universes into being, from nothing, through His Son, Jesus the Christ.

That answers several of our premise questions.  Who says so?  Who has the authority to make the rules of morality?  A Holy God who created everything says so.  He not only owns it all, He holds all things together through His power.  He gets to make the rules.

And over the long centuries, He has chosen to reveal Himself through first some individuals, the Patriarchs, and then a chosen nation, a people, the jews, and then through His Son who came and dwelt among us.  We accept this book of combined authorship over millenia as His authoritative revelation to all men.  That answers the authority question.  God reigns and He speaks.

OK, with that premise in place, what are His rules.  Not all of them, what are His rules about human sexuality?  We'll narrow down to just that issue for the purpose of comparing our culture and our current moment and what is and is not freedom.  Remember freedom, our passage is about freedom, that's why I'm on this rabbit trail.  

⦁    The book says male and female, created He them.  1st premise.  Procreation by God's binary design.
⦁    It says a man shall leave father and mother and cleave to a wife.
⦁    It says you shall not commit adultery.  
⦁    And it says abstain from fornication.

The rule laid down by God is one man, one woman, in the bonds of marriage, for as long as they both shall live, is the single realm where you can enjoy God's gift of human sexuality.  God designed it.  Marriage is His gift to us.  

Last week I quoted this quote to my grandson from a sermon about the marriage Jesus blessed at Cana by making them 150 gallons of the best wine anyone ever tasted on this earth;  

Any society that honors marriage, any society that elevates marriage--a life-long commitment openly; a covenant made and kept between a man and a woman who rear children in the bond of that love--any society that honors marriage will be blessed temporally. It will prosper. It will be safe. It will be secure. It will know peace. It will have a minimum of crime. Jmac

God doesn't make rules to spoil everyone's fun.  God makes rules so that fallen humans can thrive within His design.  Thriving comes automatically for any society that honors God's rules.  It's just built into His creative design.

OK then.  Want to enjoy love and sexuality?  One man, one woman, in bonds of marriage, for life.  Period.  That's it.

And our culture says, no, no, no, we need to burst out of those limits, that is bondage.  Freedom is doing what we want with whoever we want, whenever we want.  Great.  Tell that to the single mom working at Burger King in the drive up window with little children alone, at home, with no one to care for them.  No stability.  No companionship.  No security

No dad.  No mom.  She has to work so they can eat and sleep inside 4 walls.  And all they have is a TV set pumping out sewage hour after hour.  How's that working out for our nation?

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers;

What is this freedom that we've been called to, because our culture says this books rules are bondage.  Slavery.  What we call holiness, righteousness, as defined by the morals of this book, the world calls bondage.

There's a phenomenon within christendom, this morning, as we speak.  Has anyone heard of exvangelicalism. Christian deconstruction.  exvangelicalism.

It's a new movement.  Actually it's just a new name for an old movement.  Abandoning Jesus because you don't like what He says.  The book is oppressive.  The book brings bondage.  People who teach that this book has moral authority over humans are part of the problem.  

We are the oppressors.  This book is oppressive.  We need to free ourselves from this oppressive book so we can do what is right in our own eyes.  Lose the book.  Lose the God of the book.  Be free.

That isn't what Paul had in mind when he wrote;  13 For you were called to freedom, brothers;

What  freedom  then is it that Paul refers to that christians are called into?  We are set free from the curse of sin.  We studied in it Galatians 3.  Just a few months back.  We are free from the curse of the law, the bondage to sin in this life and hell in the next one.  That's the freedom we've been called into.

Freedom from the judgement that is rightfully due to every one of us.  Freedom from the stranglehold of death that sin has on every man.  Freedom from the ruler of this world who holds us captive because of sins.

Heb. 2:14,15  Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Christ satisfied the requirements of the law by becoming a curse in our place.  

Gal. 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; rather, “He who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us⁠—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"

Freed from sins curse.  Free from punishment we were due.  Freed from the liability and righteous judgement of sinful rebellion against our Creator and owner and Lord.  Free to live with a Holy God who will not allow sinful people to dwell with Him forever.  

That's the freedom we were called into.  Free to live holy lives with the power that the Holy Spirit gives us.  Free to confess our sins and be restored to God, by His Spirit when we do sin.  That's our freedom.

That isn't a freedom that's attractive to our culture.  They want the freedom TO sin, not freedom from the curse of God because of sin.

And there's nothing new under the sun.  This isn't something new since 1963.  This problem has plagued humans since Adam.  Our culture has shifted for sure.  But it's shifted back to darkness away from light.  

We love the word progressive, but the progress of the progressives in our nation has been towards more darkness, not light.  Progress toward evil.  Progress away from holiness.

It was the same then as it is now.  Paul had all the same issues and arguements to deal with.  Hey, the curse of the law is cancelled.  That's good news.  That means I can sin and not suffer the consequences.

We have a theological name for that idea.  Antinomianism.  The root word, nomos is the greek word for law.  Antinomianism is anti law.  Set God aside.  Set His moral laws aside.  Set the rules aside.  We are free from the curse of the law.  Free to sin all we want.  Antinomianism.  Seven syllables.  No extra charge for that   ;~'))  You're welcome.

That's the argument, the condition, that Paul argues against right here.  

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,

True believers, those idwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, living inside their hearts, are indeed freed from the curse of the law, but you aren't therefore, free to indulge your flesh.  

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,

It's oxymoronic.  I'm free from sin, so I'm going to effectively make myself a slave to sin.  What??  Well, I'm free from the ultimate punishment so I'm going to avail myself of that freedom and sin it up.  My sin is paid for, I may as well enjoy myself.  Sin without consequence.  Why not?

Christ died to free me from sin but I'm going to dive right back in?  That makes about as much sense as throwing a life-saver to some guy who has been treading water in the ocean for about 8 hours, and he says, thanks for pulling me to safety, and then jumps back in.  It's non-sensical.  

We're not going to get to vs. 17 this week, but I can't help but go there for sake of this argument.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you do not do the things that you want.  Gal. 5:17

My flesh wants to sin.  It craves the pleasures of sin.  But I'm a dichotomy.  My Spirit has been quickened to life, together with Christ.  I am in Him and He is in me.  

There's a battle going on inside me.  The Spirit is waging war with my fallen flesh.  So let's complete Paul's argument then, since we've defined the warring parties.  Fallen sinful flesh is at war with what God wants.  The Spirit of God living in me in combination with my conscience, if I'm a real christian, is at war with what the flesh wants.

That's why christian deconstruction sounds so appealing.  Stop the war.  Declare the flesh the winner.  Set God and His Holy Spirit aside.  Deconstruct all that christian stuff and get on with the freedom of sinning all you want.  Flesh wins, God loses.  

Actually, God never loses, we lose God.  We walk away from an intimate love relationship with our God if we choose to walk in the flesh instead of the Spirit.

Paul says no.  13 For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Paul says, you did in fact inherit freedom.  God called you into freedom.  You could use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh and cause harm to yourself and others.  OR.  You could use your freedom to use an otherworldly love, given to you by the Holy Spirit, God's love pouring through you used to serve one another.

Choose flesh and harm others.  Or choose God's love through His Spirit and serve one another.  One causes untold harm and damage.  Not only to others, but also to you.  Sin is a cancer.  The other choice, walking in the Spirit, causes benefit.  And not just benefit but benefit that only comes by God's pouring out His blessings in His power.  Benefit to you and benefit for others.

14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

These galatians had fallen under the spell of false teachers who told them the way to please God and gain salvation is to obey the law.  They were bewitched with the false doctrine of salvation through a works righteousness system.  Embrace judaism.  Embrace Moses.  Convert to judaism in order to be qualified to be righteous enough for God to save you.  

They had adopted the jewish ceremonial laws.  The laws of cleansings and washings.  The dietary laws.  The sabbath.  Even circumcision.  They embraced the law as a works righteousness system.  That was their new gospel.  Come to Jesus through judaism.  They were all about the law.

Paul tells them something that Jesus Himself had said.  14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Listen to Jesus in Matt. 22:35 And one of them, a scholar of the Law, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Two commandments.  Love God with every fiber of your being, only, and forever.  Love your neighbor as yourself.

The first is impossible for broken sinners.  That single law should crush me before God in repentence.  love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind   Fail.  Well, perhaps the other one is easier.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself

Also a fail.  The law has one job to do, and it does it very well.  Either in the condensed down to 2 laws version of Jesus in Matthew 22, or in the entirety of Moses requirement in God's full law.  Either way.  I'm a fail.  

I love me.  I pamper me.  If I'm honest, and I am, I'm all about me, and you're all about you.  Paul says;  9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.  Rom. 7:9  The law showed me the sin that dwells in me.  The law doesn't save me, it condemns me.  The law illuminates the indwelling sin that was always there.

But like Paul, in the next chapter of Romans, I can cry out in true freedom;  Listen to the longer discussion at the end of Romans 7 beginning with vs. 22 and going through Ch. 8 vs. 4;

22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in my members, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a captive to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.  8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so 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.

Our freedom in Christ is found in that single statement in Romans chapter 8 and vs 1.  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  No condemnation.  Freedom from condemnation.  Freedom into Christ who makes me free indeed.

Freedom in Christ is the freedom for the first time to choose to walk according to the Spirit.  Not the freedom to indulge the sin that the flesh desires.  That would only be a return to slavery.

Freedom to love each other and serve each other in the power of God's indwelling Holy Spirit.  That's our freedom that we never had without Christ setting us free from the hold that sin had on us.

The choice is between following the flesh or following the Spirit.  Before we were christians we never even had that choice.  Sin ruled us.  But now we have that choice.  Choose for the flesh.  Or choose for the Spirit.

If you choose to be led by the Spirit, the fruit of that choice is a servants love and service to our brothers and sisters.  And that love fulfils all of the law.  Listen to Paul's argument in Romans 13;

8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does not work evil against a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

But, if we choose to be led by the flesh, instead of the Spirit, then the result is in vs. 15 of our text this morning.

15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

That's what the flesh does.  It take take takes and has no regard for anyone else.  Left to it's logical end, the flesh only devours others while it feeds our desires.

Have you been in churches like that?  You can feel the tension.  Everybody's fighting with one another.  We had a family for some years that made the Baptist church feel like that.  It was funny, as soon as they departed Tonopah the tension left with them.  I can't remember their name any more.  Nobody missed them when they were gone.

We're actually lucky and blessed to be in a tiny place where love rules.  Our board meetings are boring.  Hard preaching makes soft people.  Me included.  I've been preaching to myself all morning.

Let's talk about some possible responses to what we've been talking about this morning.  There are several;

You might be saying to yourself;  This is like greek.  None of it makes sense.  It's like gibberish.  Warring spirits within me.  There's no war going on in me.  I have no sense of God's Holy spirit alive inside me, pulling me towards His kingdom and His desires for me, and His righteousness.  Holiness.  That's foreign.  That's nonsense.

If that's where you're at this morning, if you sense God calling you out of this world and into His kingdom, if your hearts desire is to be owned by Him and to serve Him and know Him intimately, all you have to do is ask.  But bear in mind, you're asking Him to be Lord over you.  He's an all or nothing sort of Lord.  A jealous God.  He'll have all of you, or none of you.

But if He comes inside you, all of this gibberish will begin to make perfect sense.  He'll wash away your sins and set up housekeeping inside a clean heart.  

Those of us who have been christians for many years come to this passage and we do some self assessment work.  If freedom means choosing the Spirit and walking in God's moral laws, how am I doing.  Have I chosen the freedom available by walking with my Lord, or have I chosen some partial slavery to some favorite sins?

I would challenge you.  If you are a true christian, indwelt by Jesus who IS the Lord, you can wander from time to time, but you can't be comfortable in a continuous lifestyle of sin.  The Lord has ways to make you miserable in your sin.  Sin is fun, but being at war with Jesus is NO fun.  After a while, you'll give up your sin so that you can be in sweet fellowship with the Lord.

People who tell me they're christians but who live lives apart from the morals of this book, on a continuing basis, a lifestyle of continuing sin, I have reason to doubt that they are christians at all.  They may believe things about Jesus, but they don't have Jesus living inside their hearts.  He won't let you get away with continuing sin.  

Finally, and I hope this is most of us, we come to this passage rejoicing over freedom.  Real freedom from death and judgement and ultimately, hell.  Freedom from the sin that enslaved us and separated us from the God who created us to be in fellowship with Him.  

Freedom to enjoy an exciting vibrant intimate relationship with God of very God.  Freedom to glorify Him which was the purpose for our creation in the first place.  Freedom to love others in His Spirits power.  

Glorifying God, in His Spirit, by His Spirit, is as wonderful as it gets in this life.  We can't wait for what's next.  We long to see the face of Him who purchased our freedom by shedding His blood in our place.