Running Well
Stand Firm in Freedom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I’m not a runner. I’ve never been a runner. Football was a good sport for me because I usually had to run like two feet then hit someone. Basketball was tough, but I love the sport so much I was able to not think about all the running involved. But I’ve never been, nor ever will be someone who enjoys running.
This isn’t anything against those who love running; more power to you. But, this overweight gentleman runs as little as possible and is quite happy with that arrangement.
However, my son was a standout track athlete throughout high school, so I learned a bit about the jumping events and the running events, because as much as I’m not a fan of running, I’m a huge fan of my son.
Something I learned was that there was a right way to run and a wrong way to run, if you want to be competitive. Pacing one’s self on long runs is vital, how your foot hits the ground, how your arms move when running, and even how you adjust your breathing are all important parts of running well. These were particularly important for Isaac because he had only a short distance to run, but had to have just the right momentum and push to jump over the bar for high jump, or to beat his best distances at long jump or triple jump. It was all important. And, his father knew absolutely nothing about it.
We were blessed to have a couple of people who came into his life that taught him what he needed to know to have success as a track athlete.
Interestingly, Paul transitions from the theological portion of Galatians to the practical portion by mentioning running well. And what Paul will do in this section is lay out some of the important steps that will help us run our Christian race well. That’s where we will begin this morning.
Body: Galatians 5:7-12
Body: Galatians 5:7-12
Verse 7
In this passage we see the transition from the theological imperative of the Gospel; namely, justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone; to the practical application of the Gospel, which will be Paul’s focus throughout the rest of the letter.
While many commentators see verses 7-12 as a sort of parenthesis in Paul’s teaching of Christian freedom, I see verse 7 as a great launching point for this section.
Paul begins by challenging the Galatian believers that they started well but now were being hindered from continuing in the race that they started.
This verse clearly uses long-distance running as a metaphor for the Christian walk. The picture is of a marathon runner who starts the race well, but is hindered by someone along the way.
Paul knows who is hindering them, of course (at least by group identification). And, he’s not looking for them to tell him who is hindering them. He wants them to recognize who it is that is hindering their race and overcome the issue.
Paul tells them, bluntly, that they are being hindered in running the race because they are failing to obey the truth.
As we’ve already seen in this letter, when Paul speaks about the “truth” he is talking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it’s implications. Specifically, that a person is justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone.
So, the challenge for the churches in Galatia is to look around and see for themselves who it is that is hindering their race.
Verses 8-9
Paul wants them to know that it is not God who is persuading them to disobey the truth.
Some suggest that when Paul says “not from him who calls you” he is speaking about himself. However, that doesn’t fit with Paul’s view when it comes to who truly persuades a person to faith.
“A little leaven leavens the whole lump” is a common NT metaphor of how even a little false teaching can influence the entire congregation if left unchecked.
Yeast is a single celled organism. Once it is awoken (typically in warm water) it feeds on the sugar, which releases carbon dioxide. This is what causes dough to rise and become fluffy, like most people like to eat it.
So it is with false doctrine in the church. Just a little bit can influence the entire congregation in adverse, damaging ways.
Like with the yeast, which represents false doctrine, it feeds on ignorance of the Scriptures, a weak understanding of God and His purposes, and a lack of trusting faith. This combination results in damage to the congregation, especially the longer it is allowed to develop.
Paul’s answer, therefore, is implied here and will later be more bluntly stated: to cut off all hindrances out of our lives and out of the church! More on that in a moment.
Verse 10
Paul isn’t all negative here, however. He has confidence that God will not only guide them to the truth, but that the troublemakers will eventually be dealt with by God.
Paul shows a robust faith in the sovereignty of God here. Meaning, that God is above all and directing all things to His good purposes for His own glory and His people’s own good.
Therefore, even though Paul is clearly deeply agitated by the situation in Galatia, he knows that God will eventually work things out as they ought to.
This doesn’t mean, however, that it is going to be easy or that the churches will be hurt by it. In reality, God allows churches to go away all the time that continually fail to obey God and/or allow false teaching to spread unabated.
Verse 11
There’s an interesting insight here that apparently some of the Judaizers were claiming that Paul actually taught the need to be circumcised in order to be a Christian.
My guess is they were trying to strengthen their argument to the churches by claiming that Paul actually agreed with them or at least that Paul taught that they needed to first become Jews.
Paul’s answer to this is, if that’s true, they wouldn’t be persecuting me!
The cross would no longer be an offense because it would not be the cross which as the avenue for justification, but works.
Verse 12
Ah, yes, this verse. Why would Paul want the agitators to castrate themselves?
I’m not sure Paul is being literal here. I think he’s wishing they were cut off from the congregation so they would stop creating problems.
A castrated man would not likely be accepted in the first century church, so it would remove him from the body.
But, castration isn’t enough to stop false teaching. Paul would like the church to deal with them by cutting them off…but not castrating them!
So What?
So What?
What potentially hinders your race?
What potentially hinders your race?
Your own sin?
While the focus of this passage is others hindering the race of the Galatian churches, the greatest hindrance to most people running their Christian race is unrepentant sin in our lives.
So much so that Paul will address this in Galatians 5:16-21.
What’s Paul’s instruction to the church then?
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
As we will see when we get there, we need to be Spirit-led as a people if we are going to respond to God’s leading in our lives.
The quickest way for us to miss the leading of the Spirit in our lives in unrepentant sin.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
So, what if it is my sin that is hindering my race?
Confess your sin to God, specifically.
Confess your sin to another Christian, specifically.
Make specific changes in your life in order to flee from sin.
Ask for another Christian to keep you accountable.
Someone else?
Of course, in this passage, Paul is talking about the Judaizers who are hindering the churches of Galatia’s race.
Too often we allow other people to hinder our race as well.
Often it happens because of a relationship or a friendship...
Sometimes our family or friends are opposed to the Gospel...
Sometimes people come into the church who come in a sow disunity through false teaching and/or ungodly behavior...
What do we do then?
Honestly identify the source of the problem...
Compare what someone is saying to you with the clear teaching of God’s Word...
Remember that even a little bit of bad influence goes a long way...
Confront where appropriate or cut off where necessary...
Trust God’s sovereignty in your life...
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