Galatians 5:14
Better than the Law
Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one
word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.
Paul has pretty much finished his arguments to get the churches in
Galatia to understand that they cannot trust the Law to justify
themselves or to please God. He closes his letter with council on
how to live. We noted that in this chapter, Paul gave three
counsels:
1. \\#5:1\\ Stand in Liberty
2. \\#5:5-6\\ Live by faith
3. \\#5:16\\ Walk in the Spirit
Tonight let’s notice what is better than the Law. There are three
but I will only get to two.
I. \\#14-15\\ Love is better than the Law.
A. The Law in the Bible is considered the first five books of the
Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and
Deuteronomy.
1. In my Thompson Chain Reference Bible, that is 253 pages,
front and back of increasing shrinking type.
2. Someone has said there are 613 commands in that section
of the Bible. (Just guessing, I would say that there
are more than that.)
3. But Paul said all five books, all 253 pages, all 613
commands are covered by one action: LOVE.
4. That makes love better than the Law.
B. We should not be surprised. Paul was simply quoting Jesus.
Matt 22:36 Master, which is the great
commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets.
1. Jesus said all of the commands of the Law and all of the
commands of the Prophets are covered in a love that travels from
us in two direction.
2. First understand what The Prophets are.
a. It is the largest part of the Old Testament Bible.
b. It includes the 6 historical books of Joshua, Judges,
both books of Samuel and King…
c. …along with the books named after a prophet: Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and 12 Minor Prophets.
d. In all, that is 21 books of the Old Testament.
3. The two directions are from us to God and from us to
everyone else.
C. There is something to this love!
1. Of course this is not merely a feeling love.
2. This is a giving love that manifests itself in tangible
actions of care and concern.
3. In recent years, I have tried to comprehend what love is.
a. Love is a choice to exalt someone or something else
above all others.
b. It can and should have emotional feelings, but it does
not have to for it is first a choice not an emotion.
c. If we apply that definition here:
(1) With our heart and our actions, we should exalt
God above all others.
(2) With our heart and actions, we should exalt
others above ourselves.
(3) If we do this, we would not need any of God’s
Old Testament laws.
(4) And since human laws are based on God’s laws, I
would say that we would not need any laws at
all.
D. As in myself, I think some Paul words were influenced from
Paul’s heart.
1. There is no doubt that God was giving Paul the words.
That is what inspiration is.
2. However, God used the writer’s personality and life to
express the words. That is why every book of the Bible
has a unique style to it.
3. Paul was the missionary who started these churches.
a. Even though he did not mention any names, Paul knew
the people that were being pulled into this false
teaching.
b. Whoever had brought Paul word on the doctrinal error
that was happening in that region, had also brought
him word on the people’s behavior.
c. It was not good.
Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another,
take heed that ye be not consumed one of
another.
d. For some reason, people do not disagree well.
(1) The reason is our sinful nature.
(2) We must remember to share the truth but always
in love, choosing to exalt God and others above
all others.
(3) Remember, our calling is to tell the people the
truth.
(4) How they react and what they do with the truth
is completely up to them.
(5) As hard as it may be to remember, if God gave
people a free will, we must let them use it.
II. Putting off the flesh is better than the Law.
A. Notice the warfare between the flesh and the Spirit.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and
these are contrary the one to the other: so that
ye cannot do the things that ye would.
B. There are several important truths we need to get.
1. The only army that can fight is the Christian army.
a. Notice that every reference (4x) to the word Spirit is
capitalized.
b. That means it is a reference to the Holy Spirit.
c. Lost people do not have the Holy Spirit, only the
saved.
(1) So lost people have no army and nothing inside
of them with which they can fight the flesh.
(2) We should never be surprised when lost people
act like lost people.
d. So the battle is ours to fight which means Christians
still have a fleshly nature to fight.
(1) Every Christians is addicted to sin.
(2) That is the reason we all think things we should
not, say things we should not, and do things
we should not.
(3) If that is not you then you have ascended higher
than I.
2. The two leaders in this warfare are opposite, extreme,
and totalitarian.
"they are contrary one to another"
a. You cannot get more opposite than these two, and both
want complete control.
b. That means no compromise and no quitting.
c. This is a no-holds barred, winner take all kind of
war.
3. Notice the weapon these two fight with: lusts.
a. The word is used in these verses 3 times, and it is
used of the Holy Spirit the same as it is used of
the flesh.
b. The word "lust" means to desire, to want, to crave.
c. What do both the flesh and the Holy Spirit lust to
have within our bodies? Control
(1) We know the flesh wants control. We feel that
every days.
(2) The Holy Spirit of God wants control too.
d. In the end, only one can have control.
4. Perhaps the most important truth you need to get is that
the victory in this battle will determine the destiny of
your life and eternity.
a. Outside of your salvation, you will never make a more
important decision than who is going to control
your life.
b. That answer will affect your marriage, your job, your
character, and your rewards in heaven.
C. \\#19-21\\ Paul listed some of the characteristics of the
flesh.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings,
and such like: of the which I tell you before, as
I have also told you in time past, that they
which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God.
1. Some common works of the flesh are missing.
a. Neither lying nor stealing are not listed here.
b. So the list is not complete.
2. Again, I see the list being influenced by the people
to whom Paul was writing.
a. \\#20\\ variance - argumentative, full of debate
b. emulations - zealous or very "gun-oh" but about the
wrong things.
c. wrath - hateful, full of fury
d. strife - contentious, disagreeable, unyielding
e. seditions - divisive, fractured
f. heresies - false teaching
3. But then there are some behaviors which are usually
always mentioned on these kinds of lists.
a. \\#19\\ adultery, fornication, uncleanness
b. \\#20\\ idolatry, witchcraft
c. \\#21\\ murders, drunkenness, revellings
D. Looking at that last list, how do we know them to be wrong?
1. For example, how would we know that adultery is wrong?
2. How would we know that idolatry is wrong?
3. Where is uncleanness even defined?
4. The answer to all of these questions is: in the Old
Testament law.
a. That is the only place you can find out what sin
actually is.
b. The Old Testament Law still teaches.
1John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth
also the law: for sin is the transgression of the
law.
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law
sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by
the law: for I had not known lust, except the law
had said, Thou shalt not covet.
c. Please notice that Paul was still using the Old
Testament Law to define what sin was just 18 verses
after commanding the believers to stand fast in
their liberty.
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
d. What does that mean?
(1) It means that there is no conflict between
living a Biblically obedient life—even as
defined in the Old Testament—AND walking in
liberty.
(a) Many who call themselves Christians today
think they can do whatever behaviors they
want and call it liberty.
(b) Liberty is not the right to do what I want.
(c) Liberty is the right to do what God wants.
(d) God is not leading us to violate the things
He has already declared to be sinful.
(2) It means we still need the Law of God to teach
us what sins is.
(a) One Christian may not have the right to make
a list of dos and don’ts for you to obey,
but right and wrong have not changed.
(b) Sin is still sin.
E. But look at something even more important and out of step
with many of the modern-day philosophies of the church.
Gal 5:21 …as I have also told you in time past,
that they which do such things shall not inherit
the kingdom of God.
1. This is not my judgment. It is God’s.
2. God said through Paul that if we practice these kinds of
fleshly behaviors, we are not going to heaven.
a. Is Paul saying that a Christian can lose his
salvation?
b. No. He is saying that if you behave this way, you
never had salvation.
Christians, we do not live under the Law; that is, we do not live
under its rules and punishments; however, if the Holy Spirit of God
does not direct us to live a life without sin, something is badly
wrong with our soul.
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