Years ago I worked in a factory welding microwave ovens together. I had two main duties. 1) Keep the welder bit pointed, and 2) Press the welder down on a series of dots. In the Christian life, God gives us specific duties as well.

Transition

This morning we are going to look at three Christian duties, that if obeyed will make us much stronger Christians.

Stand Fast in Liberty Gal 5:1

To know how to fulfil this duty, we must answer two questions.

  1. What does it mean to stand fast?
    1. It means to stand firm; to persevere, to persist; to keep one’s standing.
    2. Here it is a command from God. This is not an option or a good idea. We must stand fast.
      During the strong winds we had a few weeks ago, our fence wobbled and shook. We reinforced it the best we could and it stood firm. It did not fall as many others did. That is the idea of standing firm.
  2. In what must we stand fast?
    1. If you are a true Christian, Christ set you free from judgment and much more. Liberty is a great privilege. God said we must stand fast in the liberty in which Christ made you free, and not be held again in a yoke of bondage.
    2. Liberty in Christ sets us free:
      1. From sin’s power
        Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
      2. From Satan’s tyranny
        1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
      3. From a guilty conscience
        Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
      4. From eternal judgment
        John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
    3. Our liberty in Christ enables us:
      1. To walk worthy of the Lord
        Colossians 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
      2. To rejoice in the Lord
        Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
      3. To go boldly to God in prayer
        Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
      4. To bear spiritual fruit
        Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

If you are a Christian, you have a duty to stand fast in the liberty that Christ gave you at salvation. Don’t be a coward. Take a stand. Don’t live like a slave to sin. Gain the victory!

Wait for the Hope of Righteousness Gal 5:5

  1. “Wait” is an important word.
    1. This is not an impatient wait like the wait when your call is stuck on hold.
    2. It is an eager expecting wait like a little child waiting for a treat.
  2. “Hope” is often misunderstood
    1. Hope as found in the Bible is not a wish.
    2. Hope refers to the confident expectation that God will fulfil his promises.
  3. “Righteousness” is one of the believer’s hopes.
    1. All who place their trust in Christ alone to save them from hell are immediately made righteous before God. However, while living on earth Christians still have their old nature. One day we will be sinless like Christ. That is God’s promise and our hope. It will happen when we see Christ.
      1 John 3:2       Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
    2. It is closely related to the hope of Christ’s return.
      Titus 2:13       Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
  4. How can we wait for the hope of righteousness?
    1. First, we must be certain we are saved. It is only through the Spirit or by the Holy Spirit living in us that we can have any hope of righteousness.
    2. Second, we must keep sin out of our lives. As the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and we confess and stop every sin, big or small, then we can wait eagerly for Christ to return. John called it “abiding in Christ”.
      1 John 2:28       And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
      As a child, I always looked forward to my dad coming home from work, except on days I had done wrong. On those days, I knew I would have to give an answer to dad when he got home. The same is true spiritually.
    3. Third, we must consciously think about, pray for, and anticipate the Lord’s return. Paul called it “loving his appearing”.
      2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

If Jesus comes back to take all Christians to heaven in exactly 60 seconds from now, will you be glad or sad? Will you be ready or sorry? Will you be rewarded or rebuked?

Beware of Leaven Gal 5:9

  1. Leaven is yeast and it represents sinful things.
    Bakers put yeast in their bread dough to make the dough become light and airy. It causes the dough to grow in size. It only takes a tablespoon of yeast to cause a whole large loaf of bread to rise. Like yeast, a little sin corrupts everything around it, increases in size, and is humanly impossible to remove.

    1. Leaven may be false teachings. In the context, this is the probable meaning. Jesus said,
      Matthew 7:15       Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
    2. Leaven may be secret sin. Like yeast, sin may be hidden for a while, but eventually it will grow and become impossible to hide. The truth is no sin is hidden from the eyes of God.
      Psalms 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
    3. Leaven may be inner rebellion. Because rebellion is an attitude, like yeast, it is not noticed right away. It will corrupt the whole person. It always gets worse if the Lord does not remove it.
      1. King Saul’s heart was full of rebellion and it became his downfall.1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
      2. Daniel described rebellion as departing from the ways of God – living our way instead of his.
        Daniel 9:5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
  2. A little leaven causes big trouble
    1. Young people, a little immorality will rob your virginity.
      1 Thessalonians 4:3       For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
    2. The smallest sin in the heart will block one’s prayers.
      Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
    3. A little failure to treat your wife properly will hinder your relationship with God.
      1 Peter 3:7       Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

If leaven has made its way into your life, you need God’s help to remove it. Leaven does not go away in time. It gets bigger.

Conclusion

This morning we have examined three duties of every Christian. We must stand fast in our liberty. We must wait for the hope of righteousness. We must beware of leaven. If you have neglected one of these duties, now is the time to start anew. Admit your failure to God. If you draw near to God, he promises to draw near to you.

Song: Cleanse Me – 166

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Three Christian Duties

6 January 2013 – Galatians 5:1-9 – Scott Childs