From Blessings to Bondage

Okay, we're in part two of Galatians chapter four, verses 15 through 20. Here's a few truths that we have learned from our study in Galatians so far. Legalism is the enemy of grace. And those who live under legalism deny the very essence of grace. Once saved, there are two options in the believer's life.

It is either legalism or grace. And there's no middle ground. We are either operating on the basis of grace, or we're operating on the basis of legalism. And once again, really, there's no legal ground. You just can't be halfway grace and halfway legalism. It's either or. That's Paul's message to the Galatians and his message to us so far in the first four chapters of Galatians. Once saved, we have the choice to live by grace or law, faith or works, or the flesh or the spirit. And like I said before, there's no middle ground there.

Notice what I've done here. See all those little check marks and those arrows? This last couple of weeks I've learned how to do bullets. I am slowly learning how to do things in PowerPoint. I remember the first time I would I put a PowerPoint together. I had 110 slides. Yeah, I remember that. You did 110 slides. Because I had no idea what animation span was. But I'm slowly learning. But from here on out, you're not going to see any of those check marks or arrows because I'm too lazy to put them in. Bob? Yes? Go back one slide. Can you do that? You're on to advanced PowerPoint.

So the question here is, you know, Do we need to self-analyze every thought, every deed, as to whether it's by grace or by law? No, we walk in the Spirit, right, or walk in Spirit. There's no middle ground. We could get schizophrenic thinking about how to walk in the Spirit. You're right. There is no middle ground. We're either walking by the Spirit or we're walking by the flesh.

But it's not something we have to be aware of. And I think we're going to bring that out in this lesson. So, if you still have the same question when we're done, I will have you talk to somebody else about it. Actually, it's going to come back about what Roger was talking about last week. Reckoning ourselves. Okay, let's get back to our passage today. Let me read through it.

When there is that sense of blessing you had, for I bear you witness that, if possible, you have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you.

And here's the passage we're going to be dealing with today, verses 19 and 20. My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you, but I would wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Paul is personally and emotionally concerned about those believers who have abandoned him and returned to living by the Mosaic Law. Or in the case of the Gentiles, the weak and worthless elemental things, which has enslaved them all over again. We find that in chapter 4, verse 9. So, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? This is Paul's concern for them and he's appealing to them on a personal level.

In our text this morning, We're going to look at just those last two verses. My children with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you, but I could wish to be present with you now and change my tone for I am perplexed about you. Now when we look at these two verses, I'm actually going to go backwards.

I'm going to start with verse 20 and then move back to verse 9. Because the emphasis I want us to see this morning is that phrase, with whom I am again in labor, the phrase, until Christ is formed in you. What's that all about? But before we get there, let's take a look at verse 20. But I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. An overview of the context where we're at. Paul has shifted from doctrinal teaching, that's in Galatians 3 and 4, to a personal, emotional appeal to them.

We have learned a lot of doctrine so far in these first two chapters. As a matter of fact, Some of the doctrines we have learned, justification by faith alone, great doctrine. Another doctrine, the law is a curse and Christ's redemption from that curse. The permanence of the Abrahamic covenant as opposed to the Mosaic law. We're even introduced into the union we have in Christ, that's our position. We learned about the adoption and our inheritance in Christ. And we realized that legalism is nothing but slavery and bondage. We've learned all that doctrine.

And that's just a micro a microcosm of what Paul is going to write to the Roman believers. This is just a short little outline of what Paul says to all the Romans. As a matter of fact, I've always considered the book of Galatians a mini-Romans. This was his first book he ever wrote. And he went on and developed all of this further when he wrote to the Romans.

So, Hirimo? So Bob, I mean, the law is a curse as a way of life. The law is perfectly holy and righteous, is it not? Yes, it is. He reminds them of how they once received Him with love in chapter 4, verses 13-15. And now He is grieved and confused by their change in verses 16-19. Now in verse 20, His desire is to be with them in person to remedy that situation. He has had a loss as to what to do. He's not sure what to do. This is what we find in some of these key phrases. In our first key phrase, I am perplexed. What does Paul mean when he says, I am perplexed? The word translated perplexed is the word aporio with the alpha in front of it.

It literally means to be without a way, having no way to get there, having no way to accomplish anything. So, poros means a passenger way, and the alpha before it negates that. When you put an alpha in front of a word, it usually serves as a pretext, meaning not, without, or the apostate of. A good illustration of that is the word theos, meaning God. You put an alpha in front of that, and you come up with atheist.

Here's that a lossist, what he can do for them. He is bewildered, he's confused, he's uncertain. How can anyone who once experienced the grace of God now go back to the law? That is pretty understandable by all of us. You find out about God's grace and why in the world, but you go back by living. But a lot of Christians have no idea have no idea concerning the grace of God there. Although saved, they did not understand grace. Paul's answer to this is aporio, no way, perplexed indeed.

Our second phrase we find in verse 20, he would like to change his tone. Change. means to alter or transform. And then we have the word phonē, which means voice, tone, or sound. What he's actually saying here is, I wish I could alter my voice with you.

Up to this point, Paul has been very sharp in rebuking them for turning away from grace. We read in chapter 3, verse 1, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you. I believe it's the Phillips translation, says, you idiots. You idiots, who has bewitched you? So now, after chapter 3, verse 1, Paul is getting personal with these Galatians because of his love for them, and he would like to alter or change his voice.

You know, when you alter or change in your voice, it's pretty important. I have a dog, his name's Harley, and he can come up to me and I can look at him and I can say, you are the stupidest, ugliest thing I have ever seen. And he will just wag his tail. It all depends on my tone of voice, right? Verse three, are you so foolish or are you such an idiot? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Then our third. phrase in that verse, being present with you.

There's no way Paul could ever show his actual love and concern for them in a letter, a note, a telegram, a phone call, or a text message. How many times have you heard, I'm so old it doesn't apply to me anymore, I've been married so long, but how many times have you heard, you never break up with a girl with a text message?

You do it in person. That hardly happens, but that's the way it should be. There are certain things best related in person. And Paul would wish that he could be present with them so he could show them how he really felt. Just like my dog Harley. Paul says, if I could see you in person, I might not have to sound so severe. I could speak tenderly as I truly feel. Since that was not going to happen, since Paul is going to be able to get to them, this leads us to our second point. Verse 19.

My children with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you. Key phrases, my children, this word is only used here in this passage of scripture, nowhere else in Paul's writings. It expresses affection or tenderness. Now, techna is used in other writings, but it's not the same as Paul uses it such as a mother's way of speaking with their own child.

But here in Galatians, his angriest letter of all, he is angry in this. We've already reviewed a little bit of his anger in what he was calling them. He's appealing to them now from the heart and not the head. The second phrase, I am again in labor. Verse 11, go back to verse 11. This is the verse just before he appealed to them personally. He says, I fear for you that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. In verse 11, That word labor has reference to physical effort, sweat, toil, or manual labor. But in our verse 19, it's a different word. It only has reference to labor pains as in childbirth. This contrast strengthens his emotional appeal.

I have labored for you as a worker, verse 11, and now I labor again like a mother in childbirth. He already experienced labor once when they first believed. Read through Acts chapters 13 and 14 and you'll see all the labor he went through when he was there in Galatians with them. Now he must labor again, as in childbirth, because they have left grace and gone back to the law.

Then we get down to our third phrase, and this is the one we want to spend time on here, until Christ is formed in you. This is the conclusion that Paul has come to in his appeal to the Galatians. And this phrase deserves a category all its own. So, point B, until Christ is formed in you.

Form comes from the Greek word morpho, means to shape or to mold, to give outward expression to an inward reality. To bring something or someone to its intended mature form. The Greek grammar matters here. And I'm not a great scholar, but the word formed is an erudite passive subjunctive. The passive means that you don't form this yourself.

God does the forming. This is by means of the Holy Spirit. The Aorist tense sees the whole process as a completed result. God has formed this in you as a completed result. But the subjunctive tense is a desired outcome, not yet a reality. So God begins this formation in us, we don't form it ourselves, God forms it, and it's something that continues on and progresses.

This is not Christ's indwelling, that happens at salvation, This is not receiving more grace or a second blessing. This is not imitating Christ externally. This is something that happens within you. We're not talking about positional truth here. That happened at salvation. This is a spiritual formation, growth, and the maturation in the believer's life. We're talking condition here, not position. In the three phases of salvation, this would be the second phase. We call that progressive sanctification.

Here's a chart that we've seen before. It's a chart that I originally, not this chart, but something like it, I originally saw when I studied Schaeffer. And as a matter of fact, the second week Heidi and I were here, I saw this chart, something like this pop up while Roger was preaching the morning service. And I thought to myself, maybe these guys know what they're talking about. We'll talk later. Let's go back. But here we have three phases of salvation. We have phase one, which is justification.

We're saved from the penalty of sin. That's our position in Christ. You were saved. In phase two, we have our spiritual life, which we experience from day to day. We're saved from the power of sin. This is progressive sanctification. You are being saved.

And then of course, the third phase is glorification, which we will all one day see. We're saved from the presence of sin. That's going to happen either the day we die or when the rapture takes place. That's ultimate sanctification. You will be saved. But what we're talking here is phase two. salvation, what I call progressive sanctification.

This all goes back to what Paul introduced in chapter 3. And this is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And when we talk about being formed by Christ and progressive sanctification, The importance of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is the whole thing here.

In verse 3, and that is back in chapter 3, having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Verse 5, so then, does he who provides you with the Spirit do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Paul will finish his doctrinal section in chapter 4 by illustrating the futility of the law with Sarah and Hagar. And Bob's going to bring that up in the next couple of weeks.

But then, when we get to chapters 5 and 6, He will then show how Christ is formed in us, not by our works, but by faith in the work of the Holy Spirit in our everyday life in chapters 5 and 6. And this is not by our works. It's not something we strive to accomplish every day like Bob was mentioning earlier. It's not done by our works. This is formed by Christ in us.

But before we go there, it's important to realize that the Holy Spirit functions in two different ways in the believer's life and I think this is pretty important. So we're kind of going to go off on a rabbit trail and take a look at the filling of the Holy Spirit. The first way, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. and the second way, we are filled by means of the Holy Spirit. This could be illustrated by a man filling the glass with milk. Here we have on one side being filled with the Spirit, and what's happening here, we are filling that glass of milk with the Holy Spirit. or on the other side, the second way, being filled by means of the Holy Spirit. We're not being filled with the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit is filling us with the fruit of the Spirit. We have two different words here, peplemi and pleura. Plero-o. Plero-o. Thank you, Heidi. Plero-o. Plero-o. And the first is in the genitive case, and the second is in the dative case. The first way.

We see this in Acts 2.4 as an illustration.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit was giving them utterance. to feel the root word is PEMPLENI and then of course we have NUMA the spirit and this is in the genitive case and it's also used the same way in Acts 4.8, Acts 4.31, Acts 7.55, Acts 9.7, Acts 11.24, Acts 13.9, Acts 13.52 this is where the Holy Spirit feels someone with the Holy Spirit. The man of God, in this illustration of the pictures, the man is God, the glass is the believer, and the milk is the Holy Spirit. You see that there on the left. That's the first way. And then of course the second way.

We find this in Ephesians 5.18. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with, or that word is better translated, by means of the Spirit. Of course, we have the same, the other root word, how do you pronounce that, Heidi? Pleroo. Pleroo, thank you. And then, of course, pneuma.

The man is the Holy Spirit, the glass is the believer, and the milk is the fruit of the Spirit. Now, can we see the difference between these two? In some cases, people were filled with the Holy Spirit, and in other cases, they were filled by means of the Holy Spirit.

In the Acts passages, the individual is filled with the Holy Spirit, and it's always tied to something spoken, written, or performed. You go throughout the book of Acts, you'll read where the Holy Spirit came upon someone, and they either spoke, or they performed, or they wrote something. Back in all those passages I mentioned earlier, if you look at Acts 4-8, you'll see where Peter and John was arrested for preaching the gospel. And then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and he said to them, he did something, he preached to them under the power of the Holy Spirit. In chapter 4.31, we read that after they were arrested and then they were let out of prison, they went back to the brethren and the place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak the Word of God with boldness. So here we find that the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit resulted in them speaking or preaching.

And then of course when Stephen was before the people We read in 7.55, but being full of the Holy Spirit, He said, Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. So, in this case, in the genitive case, the Holy Spirit actually fills the person to do a task. Now, in the Ephesian passage, it's different. We are not filled with the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit fills us with the fruit of the Spirit, resulting in spiritual growth and maturity. And this is what we're talking about here in Galatians 4 verse 19. This spiritual growth is in Ephesians. It's shown in Ephesians in worship through singing, gratitude towards God, and living in harmony with others.

This is also seen in Galatians 6.16.

But I say, walk by means of the Holy Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. which results in the fruit of the Spirit describing our walk. It's not by keeping a bunch of rules, or working, or thinking about it continually, as Bob points out, but if we are walking by means of the Holy Spirit, God is being formed in us, we're maturing in Him, and we're growing in Him. And this is done by faith. Christ formed in you by means of the Holy Spirit.

While chapters five and six contain extensive practical applications, which we're going to get to in the next few months or years, however long it takes us to get through Galatians, we're going to learn many things concerning our walk but observe how prominently the Holy Spirit's ministry shapes every aspect of what we're going to learn in those next two chapters.

In chapters 3, verses 2-5, just to give you an example of how the Spirit comes out in those next two chapters, including chapter three. We read, did you receive the Spirit? by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? We go on to chapter 3, verse 27. For all of you who were baptized into Christ, that's the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you have clothed yourself with Christ.

We move on to chapter 4, verse 6, but God sends forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. In chapters 5, verses 5, we read, For we through the Spirit by faith are waiting for that hope of righteousness. Do you notice so far how the Holy Spirit is being mentioned throughout the public relations? And we haven't really talked about that that much so far in our studies. In chapter 5 verse 16 we read, but I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.

In 5.18, but if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. And this is the fruit of the Spirit. But if you were to take all those examples of the fruit of the Spirit, which is one fruit, it actually comes down to a law which we will also learn in Galatian, and that's the law of love, as opposed to the law of works.

In chapter 5, verse 25, If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. In chapter 6 verse 1, Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, those of us who are spirit-led, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted. In chapter 6 verse 8, for the one whose soul is to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one whose soul is to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life. Paul's desire was to be with the Galatians once again and see Christ formed in them. But he's not going to be able to be with them. Hence, we have chapters 5 and 6.

Our position in Christ is secure, but our daily walk is dependent on our faith in the Holy Spirit's ministry. That's our condition. We either walk by the flesh or by the Spirit. Will we try to live the Christian life by self-effort and rule-keeping, like the Galatians did? Or will we allow Christ to be formed in us as we grow and mature under the ministry of the Holy Spirit? If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. And this is as far as we're going to go today. I think the Holy Spirit's ministry in our life, we need to fully understand it. We need to live by the Spirit.

So, is there any comments or questions? Yes. You know, it seems like there's so much in the Bible that is mutually exclusive. It's an either-or, not a both-and. Right. There isn't any middle ground in very many concepts in the Bible. Yeah, there's no such thing as me walking halfway by the Spirit. That just doesn't happen. Yes, Bob. Today's Hungry Heart was very appropriate. If I could take 30 seconds to read this. It's the third paragraph, I think.

Everything you need in the Christian life, no matter what it may be, comes from the Father alone. You will see more and more the utter futility of trying to make yourself a keen Christian. that your best efforts are as futile as your worst failures. I love that. That your Christian life is to be a continual miracle that the Father must work every minute, that the only thing you have to do is to depend utterly and altogether and all the time on Him. You will see that what you need is not more effort or determination, but more of the Father, a deeper, more continual trust and dependence upon Him.

Yes, that's very good. A lot of people think, here's what I have to do to live for God. I've got to do this, I've got to do this, I've got to do this. You don't have to do anything. That's living under the law. All you need to do is realize that God has formed in you the Holy Spirit's ministry and just by faith trust in that and live your life.

We've constantly spoken around here that works is the opposite of grace. So when it comes to works, The Bible talks about good works, and we should do good works, but it's not something we do. These good works are a result of what God is doing in us. It's not really our works. It's God being formed in us.

A couple of verses that I wrote down This morning at the last minute, Philippians 3.10.11, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering being conformed to His death. There's that word formed. in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. And then in Romans 12, 1 and 2, which is one of my favorite verses, Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And do not be conformed to this world. but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And this is not something you have to work at doing. This is just something that you've got to put your faith in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which indwells each one of us, and let the Spirit work that out in our lives. Not work ourselves. Let the Holy Spirit do the work in our lives. Any other comments?

What would you say is the difference between live by the Spirit and walk by the Spirit? I'm not so sure there is a difference there. When we talk about walking by the Spirit, that is living by the Spirit. Walking by the Spirit is not something you do.

And I want to emphasize that it's something that God does through you. That's what grace is all about, not working yourself. But as Paul's life reflects, sometimes this leading of the Spirit is not easy. I mean, the trials and tribulations that we all go through, right? The reason for that is, when I got saved, I'm no longer under the power of the old sin nature, but He's still there. So, you're right. Because of that, a lot of times it's not that easy. But it's a lot harder if you're out there trying to do it yourself. It's a lot easier if you just put your trust and faith in God's working through you.

Anything else? Well, this may be a bit boring to you, Bob, but I continually think when trials come and I am not capable of adequately assessing or dealing with them, it takes me back upstairs because I remind myself that He sees me as righteous. My response really is one of a heavenly citizen. You could say that's kind of a weak crutch to pound on. No, it's not. That's exactly what it should do. I mean, to think that He hath made Him who knew no sin to be sin for me, to make me righteous. Really, it's a victory.

So why can't that victory take place in these circumstances that come up? In Christ, we're in the heavenly places, but our bodies are still here on the earth. We all know that, don't we? Like I just read in Romans 12, verse 2, do not be conformed to this world. A better way to say that is using a German word called zeitgeist. Don't be conformed to the zeitgeist of this world. Everything in this world, we're living in this world, but let's keep our minds in the heavenlies. Anything else?

It kind of reminded me of that verse we were talking about being God's workmanship, that one we've heard a lot, Ephesians 2.10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared. beforehand so that we would walk in Him. Right. And once again, to emphasize, those are not our words. Right. He prepared them. That's what I like. Those are God's words. And we just have to realize that and take it by faith. We live by faith. It was good.