Sunday School

GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL

Lesson: The Nature of Christian Freedom

Text: Galatians 5:1-15 (CEB)

“1 Christ has set us free for freedom. Therefore, stand firm and don’t submit to the bondage of slavery again. 2 Look, I, Paul, am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, having Christ won’t help you. 3 Again I swear to every man who has himself circumcised that he is required to do the whole Law. 4 You people who are trying to be made righteous by the Law have been estranged from Christ. You have fallen away from grace! 5 We eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness through the Spirit by faith. 6 Being circumcised or not being circumcised doesn’t matter in Christ Jesus, but faith working through love does matter. 7 You were running well—who stopped you from obeying the truth? 8 This line of reasoning doesn’t come from the one who calls you. 9 A little yeast works through the whole lump of dough. 10 I’m convinced about you in the Lord that you won’t think any other way. But the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever that may be. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I’m still preaching circumcision, why am I still being harassed? In that case, the offense of the cross would be canceled. 12 I wish that the ones who are upsetting you would castrate themselves! 13 You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses but serve each other through love. 14 All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. [a] 15 But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don’t get eaten up by each other!”

Key Summary:

In this week’s passage, Paul is writing a letter to the Galatians to remind them not to fall prey to the false teachings running rampant at that time. One of the most heated and divisive false teachings Paul sough to correct was that Gentiles must be circumcised and follow other parts of the Mosaic Law, to be fully recognized as a Christian. Paul reminds them that once they accepted Christ, God’s grace was the only thing they needed to be justified. And the only law that they ultimately needed to observe was, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (v 14).

Key Takeaway:

It’s hard to believe that anything in this world can be free, when we’ve been taught the old saying, “you don’t get something, for nothing.” But the most beautiful thing about being in Christ, is that we don’t have to work for his love, acceptance, and grace. Once we give our lives to him, those things are given to us freely. Let’s celebrate this week that we serve a God who gives us love freely, and only ask that in return, we love our neighbors just the same.

Grace and Peace.