to the believers in Asia Minor. These are the brothers and sisters from among the Goyim, from among the Gentiles, who came to believe in Yeshua, the Messiah, and they were exposed to some wrong teaching concerning justification and salvation. And the Apostle have written to them this very very important letter, which we know, very important letter, which we know as the letter to the Galatians. In Hebrew, we call El HaGalatim. The Galatim, or Galatia, was a region in Asia Minor, where the message of the Gospel was brought through Shaul Paul. He wrote this first book. The book of Galatians was actually the first letter that the Apostle Shaul Paul wrote from all the 13 epistles that he wrote.

Why? Because he already wanted to deal with the fact that false teaching, wrong teaching has to be dealt with in order to help the people of God to walk in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. So, we are in chapter 5, and we are going to read today the first 12 verses of Galatians 5. So, please turn to Galatians 5, verses 1 to 12, and I begin with the reading. Paul continues, and he says to the brethren in Galatians 5, verses 1 to 12, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ, Mashiach, shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Christ, Mashiach, Messiah, is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace. For we, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ, in Yeshua HaMashiach, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love. Ye did run well. Who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. I have confidence in you, through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded, But he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offense of the cross ceased. I would, they were even cut off which trouble you. And I'm going to stop here with this passage that I'm reading here in verse 1 to 12. The last verse he said, I would, they were even cut off which trouble you. So I read the first 12 verses of Galatians chapter 5. Now, brethren, brothers and sisters, let me, as I'm beginning with this fifth chapter of the letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Galatians, to just remind you that the book of Galatians really is divide itself into three sections.

Section number 1 is chapter 1 and 2, where Paul, Shaul Paul, gave his biographical testimony. It was really his personal life, and he showed the Galatians how he first opposed the message of the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. But eventually he turned to the Lord, he recognized that he was the Mashiach of Israel and the Savior of the world, and the Lord raised him to become the apostle to the goyim, the apostle to the uncircumcised. Then in chapter 3 and chapter 4, which we just finished in our meetings together, he didn't give so much personal testimony, but he gave theology, he gave doctrine, he gave teaching. And if you remember, he gave us these five-fold testimony as to the fact that on a basis of the Scripture, on a basis of the doctrine that God had given in his Word, justification is not simply by committing the works or keeping the works of the law or being circumcised, but justification is entirely based upon faith in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and in him alone.

Not Yeshua plus works, not Yeshua plus law, not Yeshua plus circumcision, neither Yeshua plus baptism, or neither Yeshua plus rules of men. No, justification, salvation, forgiveness, redemption is entirely based upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who died for us, who paid the penalty of our sin and sins which we have all committed, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And that's why the Mashiach had to die, to be buried, and to rise again, as the Hebrew Scriptures, the Hebrew Prophets have already spoke about this many generations. And now that the door was opened to the Gentile world, and the Jew and the Gentile, Yehudi vegoi gam yachad, they will only trust in Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, and they will be saved.

So he gave us in chapter 3 and chapter 4, theology, teaching, after teaching from the Word of God, he went back to the Hebrew Scriptures, and he showed us that justification is based entirely upon faith in the Messiah. And if you remember, he gave us a scriptural argument, he gave us logical argument, he gave us historical argument, he gave us sentimental argument, and even he gave the Galatian allegorical argument. And if you remember, when we finished chapter 4, he gave them an allegory, that Abraham, our father, had two wives, the free woman, Sarai, and the servant, the slave, was Hagar. Both of them had children, Sarai had Yitzhak, and Hagar had Yishmael, and as you go down the line, you find out that Hagar was given Yishmael, and he was the boy that was born out of the self-will of Abraham, not of promise.

Yet Yitzhak was born out of the promise, and Yitzhak represents all those that believe in Yeshua the Messiah under the new covenant, the Brit HaChadasha, which represents Jerusalem, which is from above. While Yishmael, who came from Hagar, represents really the self-will of man, the old nature, the death which was born out of the flesh, and it's what, it doesn't speak of the Jerusalem which is above, it speaks of Jerusalem which is still below here, our own city of Jerusalem which is still in unbelief, waiting for the day when this Jerusalem will finally, going to be recognizing that Yeshua indeed is the Messiah. So we have chapter 1 and chapter 2 of Galatians, personal testimony of Shaul Paul, chapter 3 and chapter 4, doctrinal theological ministry of the Apostle Paul, but now, beloved brothers and sisters, in chapter 5 and in chapter 6, Shaul Paul is now moving from doctrinal to practical.

How do now we as believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah, how do we live out our lives as believers in the present day? We are not under the law, the law condemned us, the law made us guilty, the Messiah forgave our sins, now in this present day we live under the grace of God which we receive through the message of the gospel. So now notice it is so interesting because Shaul Paul is very practical. He doesn't only give you theology, teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching, and he leaves you hanging. No, Shaul Paul is also a man that want the people of God to be practical in their lives.

He want them to live their lives as believers. He want them to grow spiritually. He doesn't want them to just merely know things in the head and not to put it down into their hearts and live their life in a practical way. So in this portion of Galatians 5 and verses 1 to 12, the Apostle Paul explains to the Galatians what they lose when they turn away from God's grace to law or to rules or to man-made legal system of men. If we turn away from the grace of God which we receive freely and go to the law to try to be justified on a basis even of the law of Moses, we'll find ourselves that not only we cannot be justified, we even cannot be sanctified because every time, because of the sin nature, we fail to submit to the law of God, even in our thoughts.

You remember Yeshua said in Matthew 5, 6, and 7 in the Sermon of the Mount? He said, if you think you have already committed that sin, even if you didn't do that. So we're all guilty because we thought evil, we looked at evil, we wished evil, we heard evil, and the law is holy. And so the law, it's like a mirror, you look at the law, the perfect holy law that God gave, and you say, wait a minute. Every time I'm looking at this law, I see how exposing my sin nature is there. You shall not lie, I lied. You shall not covet, I covet. You shall be holy, I am unholy.

You shall honor your parents, I didn't honor. You shall not murder. What I thought about murdering, you have committed sin. And that's why we are under the judgment of the curse of the holy law of God. And we deserve to be judged. So the sacrificial system was given to Israel when the blood of the lamb was shed and the Israeli of old have accepted this and offer sacrifices, it's pointed to the Mashiach that came. And once the Mashiach came, we are no longer under the law of Moses, we are under the law of the Messiah. We are not become lawless, but we are under the law of the Mashiach, which you will see that he will speak about it as we get further into Galatians 5 and Galatians 6.

So now, brothers and sisters, a believer in this verse, 12 verses, in Galatians chapter 5, a believer who turned away from grace to law or man-made rules going to end up to lose three spiritual truths that God wants for his own people in any generation, but especially in the days in which we live in today. If we turn away from the grace of God to law-keeping, number one, we're going to lose spiritual liberty. If we turn away from the grace of God to the law, number two, we're going to lose spiritual wealth. And if we turn away from the grace of God to law-keeping, we're going to lose, number three, spiritual direction in our lives as believers.

Three things we are going to lose if we turn away from the grace of God back to law-keeping or back to any rules of man. Now, before I'm going to go, I just want to remind you one thing. Two thousand years ago, when Paul wrote the book of Galatians, the early believers were Jewish believers who themselves struggled with how do we handle now this new era or new period of time in the way of God's dealing with mankind. But now two thousand years passed by, we cannot blame the Jews anymore. We cannot blame Israel anymore. We cannot blame the Jewish believers anymore. Now we have to look at the later days of the church age.

Now we live in a day where the vast majority of the believers in this world are not Jewish. They are Gentiles. We can no longer blame the Jews anymore. But we have to seek with the Lord's help to deal now with the Christians who are part of church who are now in the later days is no longer the Jewish people that we can blame anymore. That's happened in the first century. Today we are dealing with the later days of the church age in which the vast majority of the believers are not Jewish. They are minority. We are dealing with the non-Jewish believers who are somehow also have responsibility in what they are doing in these later days of the church age.

So now notice this. We all have to be careful as Paul is presenting here this before us not to lose spiritual liberty, spiritual wealth, and spiritual directions as we follow our Lord Jesus, our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. So he began, first of all, with Galatians 5 and verse 1. And I want you to take a note here. Notice Galatians 5 and verse 1. He says, Stand fast, therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ, Mashiach, Messiah, has made us free. And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Notice this. Just pause here for a moment in this verse 1. In other words, in this verse 1 of Galatians chapter 5, Paul is saying, Do not lose your spiritual liberty in the Messiah, but stand fast, therefore in the freedom, and be not anymore entangled with the yoke that eventually lead you into bondage.

What does he say here? What is he really saying that what happened when these Galatians, who were from among the Gentile world, they were pagans, the vast majority of them. Now that the apostle Paul, Shaul Paul, who became the apostles to the Gentiles, to the Gohim, he went and he preached the message of the gospel and he said to them, Listen, if you only believe, if you only will accept this man by the name of Yeshua, he is the son of God. He is God the son who became a man who was born to the virgin Miriam, lived a perfect life. He died a substitutionary death.

He was raised and he is now lifted up at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. He says, Now if you only believe on him, you will receive forgiveness of sins. Now can you imagine what a wonderful message? No one asks for you to do anything in order to receive justification. Don't work for that. Don't pay for that. It's a gift. You remember John 3.16? For God so loved the world that he gave a gift. The gift was his only begotten son. And that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. You don't have to work for that. You don't have to pay for that.

You don't have to do certain things in order to receive eternal life. So they were believers. They have accepted the Lord. And so beloved brothers and sisters, they now have been liberated. They had received freedom. Imagine if you were in jail, in prison because you were guilty. And then somebody comes and says, Hey, wait a minute. You deserve to stay in prison for years. But I got the key. I'm going to come and I'm going to liberate you. I'm going to give you freedom. You know, like our forefathers, the Hebrews, they were slaves in Mitzrayim in the land of Egypt. They were weeping there. The taskmasters beat them.

But when God came in and liberated them, can you imagine the six hundred thousand men only who came out of the land of Egypt free, no more slavery. And when you think of history, of the way they've treated slaves in this world, and when the slaves have been liberated, what a freedom it is. Now that is exactly and far more what the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, have done for us. He has done this for the Galatians. He set them free. He gave them liberty. Now no longer, as we just say, no condemnation anymore from a holy and a righteous God. But the problem is, as we have read in Acts 15, verse 1, in Acts 15, verse 6, where some came from Judea and told to the Galatians that they are really not saved, they are really, really not forgiven because they haven't been circumcised, and they haven't kept the law of Moshe.

So now these brethren in Galatia begin to deviate, to be shifting their lives, and they say, why, if we are not quite saved, I've got to get circumcised. I've got to keep the works of the law. I've got to do something in order that I will be actually saved. And Paul saw that that led them into bondage. Then now, instead of having liberty and freedom to love the Lord, to live for the Lord, they ended up to say, wait, wait, wait, I'm not quite there. By the way, today people tell us the same thing. It's not anymore a Jewish problem, but people tell us today in Christendom that you are really not saved.

If you haven't been baptized, you haven't been saved as yet. As if the water will make you more saved. Do you know what happened to the water? You go in a dry sinner, and you come out a wet sinner. Water doesn't save you. Water is only a testimony that Yeshua died and was buried and rose for us, but faith in the Messiah is what saves us. His work on the cross is what saved us. His death on the altar was what paid for our sins. So what happened, the Galatians began to be entangled with yoke. And you notice he used the word stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith the Messiah Messiah has made us free.

Notice that? Christ has made us free, and be not, as it says here, entangled again with the yoke of bondage. You see, he says the word again to the Galatians, because the Galatians, before they became believers in Yeshua the Messiah, they were worshipping idols. And they were doing some kind of work system for their own idols. now that they became believers, they were in danger because they have listened to false teachings, to say, wait, I'm not quite saved, I need to do something to sustain my salvation. And so Paul says no. Stand still, and by the way, if you notice here, the word here for liberty, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, already said, if you turn with me to John 8 for a moment, when he was here on earth in John chapter 8, he said this in the earlier verses, in the middle of the chapter 8 verse 32 and 36, Yeshua said to the disciples and those that follow him before he died, John 8 verse 32 he said, and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

Yeshua of himself says I am the way, the truth and the life, no one come to the father but by me, not by law keeping, the law was never given to our people of all, the people of Israel to save them, it was given to help them to live a godly rule of life, but salvation was always on the basis of faith, and the sacrificial system reminded them of the coming Mashiach, look at verse 36 of John 8, if the son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Freedom, liberty, salvation doesn't come from rules of man, or even the law that God gave to Israel.

it only comes from faith in God and faith in the Messiah who became a sacrifice for the nation of Israel. If you go back to Galatians, and you notice in chapter 2 of Galatians, Galatians chapter 2 and verse 4, there already the apostle Paul said to them to warn them, and he said to them in Galatians 2 and verse 4, because of false brethren, unaware brought in who came in privately to spy out our liberty, which we have in Mashiach Yeshua, in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage. See what happened? And I'm telling you this, beloved brothers and sisters, this is very practical. There is always the danger that someone will put us back into bondage and seek to take away from the believer the liberty that we have in the Messiah Yeshua.

Our justification and also our sanctification is linked with our walk with the Lord and with our faith in the Lord Jesus, in the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. So liberty that they have had when they trusted in Mashiach Yeshua and now they become free from the judgment that they deserve, now they were going back into all kind of man-made rules and they think even the God-given circumcision to our own Jewish people, they thought that he would get circumcised now they are going to be saved or now they are going to be sanctified. Cutting off of the flesh doesn't make us holier. Cutting off of the flesh was given to Israel as a sign that God made a covenant with the Hebrews.

It was never given to the nations of the world and therefore you can cut your flesh as many times as you want, you will never be justified, Paul is saying to the Galatians. So you see, beloved brothers and sisters, that's why he's so strong and giving them this warning there in Galatians chapter 5, stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith the Messiah has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. and you notice he used the word yoke. What is the meaning of the word yoke? The Hebrew word for yoke is ol. Ol means labor, that you work and you labor and you labor.

The Hebrews of all were under yoke when they were in the land of Egypt. And therefore, he says, listen, brethren, he says, stand fast, therefore in the liberty wherewith the Messiah had made us free and be not entangled. Don't get yourself involved in things that will eventually lead you to become slave again. Learn the fact that you have received the Messiah, the Holy Spirit of God has entered and became, you might say, took possession of you, you have a new birth, you have a new life, and now live in the light of the liberty that you have. Now, somebody, of course, might say, well, maybe that means that now the believer in Yeshua have liberty so he or she can do what they want.

Well, where do you find it ever taught by the Apostle Paul? If somebody says that, he's wrong. Nowhere you will find ever the Apostle Paul says, now you have liberty, so go ahead and sin, do what you want, live a sinful life, dishonor God, do what you want. Where do you find it in the Bible? Never you will find it, neither in the Tanakh, neither in the Brit HaChadasha, in the New Covenant. In fact, in Romans chapter 6, the Apostle Paul says in verse 1, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin? that grace that grace may abound? Well, God loved you, he had grace towards you, he forgave your sin, so now go ahead, live in sin.

Carry on. Where do you find it in the New Testament? Where does ever Jesus or the Apostle have ever taught that we are now, because we are not under the law, we are to be lawless? You don't find it in Scripture. In verse 2, he says, God forbid, Romans 6, 2, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Knowing not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus the Messiah, we were baptized into his death? And the word baptism here does not refer to water baptism but to the spirit baptism. When the Holy Spirit of God came to take residence in us he gave us a new nature.

We are not to live lawless. We are not to say, I have liberty, so now I can carry on and do as I please. You don't find it in Scripture. This is the imagination of someone who teached it. Nowhere you are taught in Scripture but Paul says, do not lose your spiritual liberty in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Stand first therefore in the freedom that you have through the Lord Jesus to the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and don't be entangled with that which brings you into bondage. If I will keep this, I will be more spiritual. If I will do this, God will be happier with me.

And while we violate all other laws that God gave us in the New Testament and we violate them and we think that we have liberty to carry on the way as we please. It is so amazing to me that often time people look into the Tanakh for the laws, to keep the laws that are in Tanakh, but they do not submit to the laws that have been given to us in the New Testament. Plenty of instruction that we have in the New Testament, the New Covenant that we violate every day, but we always go back to the law which we fail, which our own fathers have failed to fulfill, and we don't realize that our rule of life is the Lord Jesus himself, not rules of men and not all sort of legal things that one will put upon another.

So, in verse 1, we find out the Galatians had to be careful not to lose their spiritual liberty. And brothers and sisters, I'm telling you, unless we are looking to the Lord for spiritual liberty, no rules, no legal things that men place upon one another will ever make us more spiritual minded. We are to be only spiritual minded and live in spiritual liberty as we are occupied with the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah and allow the Holy Spirit of God, Ruach HaKodesh, to lead us. That's why many times we are in bondage, we are not free or enjoying the freedom, the liberty that we have in the Lord Jesus, in the Lord Yeshua, Messiah.

Now, this is the first thing that Shaul Paul warns the Galatians. Don't lose your spiritual liberty and freedom which you already have when you have come to know the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. Don't lose it because if you are going to go back and you are going to entangle yourself with the yoke of bondage, you are going to find that you will not be spiritual minded, you will be called or you will be reckoned as a legal man that is not free or legal woman in that case, that you will not have the liberty and the freedom that you have in Yeshua, the Messiah. And freedom does not mean freedom to live a life of sin.

Freedom means liberty to live a life for God, a life for the Lord, a life for a blessing for the people of God. That's the first thing. But you notice he move along. And Shaul Paul now moves from warning against the danger of losing spiritual liberty to secondly, there is a danger of losing spiritual wealth. As he says, you know, the believer in the Lord Jesus is a rich person spiritually. And the moment we are retracting and going back into all sorts of man-made regulation and laws that we think that we will be justified and sanctified by the Lord, there is a danger to lose the enjoyment of spiritual wealth that we possess through our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

So notice now in verse 2 to verse 6 how Paul is charging the Galatians. He said to them, notice that, he's saying to the Galatians, and remember, that was their problem, his circumcision. That's why you find many times the word brit milah, circumcision, mentioned here in this chapter. Look what he says in verse 2. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if ye be circumcised, Paul is saying to the Galatians, if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. You notice that, brothers and sisters, in verse 2? In other words, the apostle Paul is saying to the Galatians, he says, listen, okay, you are not Jewish, you are not commended to be circumcised, but you think, or you were taught, that if now, after you believe in Yeshua, you are now going to be circumcised, now all of a sudden, you are going to get profit from the Lord.

He will give you, as it were, he will give you an additional blessing, as you are going to be so spiritual minded, God is going to be pleased with you, and you have some gain out of it. And so you notice what he said, I, Paul, said to you that if ye be circumcised, Christ, notice the Messiah, shall profit you nothing. He will not add to what you already have. And again, remember, brothers and sisters, that was the problem. Galatians, the Galatians were exposed to wrong teaching by those who came down from Jerusalem and said to them, Galatians, and I better read this verse unless we forget it, Acts chapter 15, and verse 1, listen to that, a certain man which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, listen to this, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved.

But there arose a certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed saying that it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And then the apostles in Jerusalem began to have deliberation. That was the first time that we have this, what you said, the Jerusalem council. These early Jewish believers, the apostles and others, they had to start to ask themselves the question, really? Is that what God demanded from the Goyim who became believers in Yeshua, the Messiah? They need to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses, otherwise they are not saved, they are not justified, you see?

And they have given a verdict that they don't need to be circumcised in order to be saved, they don't need to keep the law of Moses in order to be saved, because the law of Moses is holy, and because they are sinful, they will never be able to fulfill it to its fullest, they will be accursed. So that's why the Messiah came and by faith in the Messiah they received the grace of God and they are now justified. And now they are to follow the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah and by following him, they fulfilled the law through the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, as the Holy Spirit of God led them.

So you notice what he says, if you are going to be circumcised, it will not add to you anything. It will not help you spiritually. It will not give you additional wealth or spiritual gain, Paul said in verse 3, because after all, you are already forgiven. You are already saved. You are already justified, brethren of the Galatia. Notice in verse 3, he continued and he said, if anyone who did get circumcised in order to keep the law, they, notice what he called them in verse 3, for I testify again to every man that is circumcised, apparently some eventually went and got circumcised, they thought they will gain something because they had an external experience, Paul said to them, I testify again to every man that is circumcised, he is a debtor to do the whole law.

If you think that the Messiah has given you gain through you as a believer in Yeshua, the Messiah is going now to get circumcised, do you think that that will give you any additional gain from the Messiah? He says no, because if you want and if you think that you will be justified and sanctified by being circumcised, then you become a debtor to do the whole law. Don't only take one part of it, don't only think that if you will take this part you are going to be now receiving justification and liberty, no, Paul is saying to them, now you put yourself under the responsibility you become a debtor to do the whole law.

And you remember we read Exodus 19 earlier but in Deuteronomy chapter 27 Moses said to our own people of old just before they have entered into the promised land he said to them in chapter 27 in verse 26 cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them and all the people shall say amen. Now what happened?

It didn't take too long and they didn't confirm or establish the words of the law they failed to show them that they could not be justified on a basis of law keeping so they needed the Messiah to forgive their sins and when the Messiah came and forgave their sins they are now justified so by saying I'm going to be now circumcised in order to gain something more from the Messiah you actually saying that I need now to keep the whole law and to do every word that God has said and if I fail in one thing I became once and again condemned by the very law that I claim to submit to so that's why

the apostle Paul wrote to them and wanted to correct them he said anyone that is circumcised apparently there are some people who have gone and they wanted to be circumcised assuming that they're going to be justified even more sanctified even more they're holier now they've received an additional gain from the Messiah and Paul is explaining to them doesn't matter if you're going to do it again and again it does not give you any additional spiritual gain from the Lord and now you became a debtor you put yourself on the ground of being a debtor and you don't enjoy the wealth that the Lord have already provided unto you this is verse 3 so the apostle

Paul needed to explain to the Galatians and I would suggest to you and I that because we are believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah we have such a wealth spiritual wealth and these spiritual riches we received through Christ through the Messiah not through works not through circumcision in fact if you don't mind turn with me to Ephesians for a moment Galatians Ephesians chapter 1 just look what Paul wrote to the Ephesians Ephesians chapter 1 verses 3 and 4 he says there in verse 3 blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah who has blessed us listen to this brothers and sisters he had blessed us with every spiritual blessing in

heavenlies or in the heavenlies in Christ in the Messiah according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love listen brothers and sisters listen God look at the believer and he says you are not guilty I cannot blame you anymore though there is much to blame you because of your sin nature but you believe in the Messiah I cannot blame you anymore my son the Mashiach have died and paid for your sins that you have committed look what he says in verse 7 in whom we have redemption this is in Mashiach through his blood the forgiveness of sins according

to the riches of his grace see God is so rich in grace and in mercy that we have forgiveness we have redemption and it happened because the Messiah died for our sins in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 7 it is according to the riches of his grace not according to the works that you and I do you see what he is saying look at Ephesians a little bit further in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 17 and 18 listen to this verse 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus the Messiah the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him this is verse 17 not verse 18 that

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints not only that we know according to verse 7 the riches of his grace but we have because of the Lord the riches of his glory you cannot gain this by being circumcised you cannot gain this by keeping rules it's not what you did and I did it's what he did for us that's the beauty of the work of the Messiah it's not a religion it's a relationship it's not keeping rules but looking to the one who paid for our sins and trusting him look at

another verse please in the book of Romans in chapter 11 Paul wrote about the riches of his grace about the riches of his glory and he continue in Romans 11 and listen this is a beautiful verse verse 33 he says all the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgment and his ways past finding out do do you think that by cutting off of the flesh you are going to gain more riches do you think by keeping rules you gaining additional gain before the Lord no policy you already possess the riches of his glory because of Yeshua you already possess the riches of his wealth

and the riches of his love towards you and I you already have possessed the riches of his wisdom or the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgment and his ways are past finding out see to be honest we as believers haven't tapped even a little into what God has for us we haven't tapped into it we haven't entered into it because we are so shallow what we keep what I do in order to keep myself spiritual and we haven't tapped into the person of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah who is the eternal son of God who is the creator of the universe who is

the upholder of all things who is the one who came from heaven to pay for the penalty of our sins and that's why he said listen if any one of us as it says in this verses 2 and 3 he is saying to the Galatians in chapter 5 and verses 2 and 3 he said I say unto you that if ye be circumcised the Messiah will profit you nothing for I testify again to every man that is circumcised already thought that he or she or he will go and gain some additional spiritual wealth he said I tell you that now you become a debtor of the whole law of the whole law in Leviticus chapter

12 circumcision was inaugurated to the law that God gave to the Jewish people he gave it for the Jewish people as a sign of the covenant Jewish people who may wish to circumcise their children are doing it under the command of God but it doesn't save their babies but to expect this from the Gentiles who became believers and to tell them to be circumcised is wrong in order for them to be saved now let's move down to our chapter in Galatians 5 and verse 4 assuming by the law is to fall from the sphere of grace notice verse 4 Christ Messiah is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the

law ye are fallen from grace see what he is saying amazing because this is always our problem it's always our problem it's not only a Jewish problem it's not only the first century Galatians problem it's also our problems today when we think that God will now justify us or we will gain the sanctification by keeping certain things he says listen you have fallen from grace and it doesn't mean that they have fallen in a sense of that they are losing their salvation of course not he called them brethren ten times in the book of Galatians achim achim achim achim they were already believers they were already justified they were already saved but they had a

problem in their lives because in their lives when they thought that they are going to keep certain things rules or being justified by the law they have fallen from the realm of grace and grace brothers and sisters sometimes we think grace grace God's grace grace that is greater than all my sin the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Yeshua HaMashiach the law is holy and just but I am sinful and defiled so how can I gain salvation what shall wash away my sin nothing but the blood of the Lord Yeshua the Lord Jesus the Messiah and that's how what happened is we are not careful in our walk with the

Lord as he says here in verse 4 if you think that you will continue your life based upon law keeping you fallen from grace listen I didn't say it the Bible say it you cannot take a verse from the Bible and destroy it and say it's not Bible it's the word of God we either believe all the writings of scripture or we cannot have confidence in the word anymore so he continue now listen to this in verses 5 and 6 he explained to them because he doesn't want them to lose spiritual wealth he is explaining in verses 5 and 6 how living life in the sphere of grace is done through the power of the

Holy Spirit and not through the works of the flesh or the works of law notice that and I'm reading verses 5 and 6 for we Paul and the Galatians we Paul the Galatians and us he he said for we through the Spirit notice the capital S here this is the Holy Spirit of God for we through the Holy Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith verse 6 for in Jesus Christ in Yeshua HaMashiach neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love in these interesting two verses what he is really saying he is really saying that the only way to appreciate justification and to appreciate our salvation and to live

in a sphere of grace is to recognize that the Holy Spirit of God is our leader who will direct us in our life to follow the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and live for him he continues he says in verse 6 that neither circumcision availeth anything not uncircumcision availeth anything what does he say he simply says you can go ahead if you want to get circumcised you can cut off the foreskin of your flesh do you think this is going to make you more sanctified or more right with God he says it doesn't change anything do you know that when God commanded Abraham to circumcise Yitzchak Isaac in Genesis chapter 17 Isaac was only eight days

old he didn't believe in God he didn't know whether God is the God of Israel he didn't know anything he had to grow up and he had to follow the God of Abraham his father and to submit to his authority and to love him in response to his call but when he was circumcised he did not know anything you know when Yaakov was circumcised and Asav his brother they were also eight days old but they didn't know whether they were going to follow God or not but you know this both were circumcised Jacob chose to follow God but Esau who was also circumcised didn't follow God you see beloved brothers and sisters here is the

circumcision doesn't avail doesn't make one more justified or less justified because our justification our salvation is entirely based upon the finished work of the Messiah and that's why he said in Jesus the Messiah in Yeshua HaMashiach neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision but listen to this brothers and sisters in verse 6 at the end but faith that as it says here in verse 6 which worketh or expresses itself through love through sacrificial love for the Lord through sacrificial love for the brethren can you imagine if you will be a pretty good law keeper but all the time will have treat your brethren bad what kind of law keeping is that if you will be circumcised

and all day long you will disobey the Lord what will that avail Paul Paul is trying to expound this to the Galatians to help them to understand hey listen brethren he says to them you need to understand that which is external it's not that which makes you right with God the truth is that you need to have faith but also faithfulness not only faith for salvation but the faith for salvation ought to be characterized in our life that faithfulness to the Lord and to his people will show us or will be evidence through the love for God and the love of the people of God and even love for our enemies that's amazing it's amazing

that's what differs between religion and relationship unfortunately in Christendom today in the last days in which we live in that's the folly that existing even in the last days of the church age and we need to express our faith in the Lord which will be evident through love and this is not merely feeling oh I have tingling feeling in my heart but this is love that is unconditional Yeshua said in John chapter 13 you remember what he said to the disciples before he went and he died on the tree he said in verse 35 by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have loved one to another John chapter 13

and verse 35 in in chapter 15 and verse 17 he continue we continue and we read John 15 and verse 17 he says these things I commend you that ye love one another in Hebrew we say ahava you remember 1st Corinthians 13 love is patience love is kind love does not pride itself if you read 1st Corinthians 13 it is fascinating to see what love is and we can change the word for love and say Mashiach is Yeshua is 1st Corinthians 13 it says and I'm just going to read it for a moment in 1st Corinthians 13 and verse 4 we read love suffer long love is kind love envious not love want is not

or boast not itself love is not puffed up does not behave itself unseemingly seek is not her own is not easily provoked think is not evil rejoicing in not in iniquity but rejoicing in the truth bear all things love bear all things love believe all things love hope for all things and love endures all things love never fail we can say the Mashiach Yeshua never fail he becomes the law for the believers who trusted in him so brothers and sisters number one do not lose your spiritual liberty Galatians 5 and verse 1 number two do not lose your spiritual wealth Galatians 5 verses 2 to 6 now bear with me just a little bit more

in verses 7 to 12 Shaul Paul now give us the third thing that we have to be careful not to lose and therefore in verse 7 to 12 he says do not lose your spiritual direction ye did run well but now someone hinder you from running well and the apostle Paul used the word running because he often used to in his ministry to teach concerning the athlete the race that we have and as we continue on in this race not race against each other race along with each other and as we move along we have to be careful not to be cut off by someone that will hinder us from our spiritual direction and so

you notice in verse 7 the Galatians used to run well but something happened and he says Shaul said to them in verse 7 ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth he said to them in verse 7 you used to run well when you first became believers until someone came and hinder you and taught you some false teaching he like cut you off slow you down they were believers they were saved but something happened to them that's why he said to them in verse 7 you did past tense you were running well in the past when I first led you to the Messiah to Christ but something happened

you are not running well anymore now you are saying the justification is not only on the basis of faith in the Messiah you need to be circumcised and keep the law now you are no longer saying that it's justification but now even sanctification you say that you're going to be holier by certain rules that you're going to keep and not through the Lord Yeshua the Messiah you used to run well but look at you today and I can say it about us as well many over the ages in the church age in the time in which we live in this dispensation this period of time this economy as Ephesians tell us called the age in

which we live economy in the Greek economy in this economy how many times believers who used to run well somebody cut them off and caused them to stumble or something cut them off they used to read their Bible they used to pray they used to attend meetings they used to have fellowship with believers they used to be humble and broken before the Lord they used to fall on the grace of God depending on Him they used to like we used to but what happened is that we are not sustained because we are not close to the Lord and we allow false teaching to creep in that's why by the way that's why the many assemblies

many churches many congregations that they don't read the Bible and and and these false teaching in their midst are breaking apart that's why there are so many so professing church groups that today don't even believe in the divine nature of the Messiah they don't believe in the inspiration of the word of God being inspired they don't believe in the virgin birth they don't believe in the deity of the Messiah they don't believe in the trinity of God they set the things aside they used to believe they used to run well but they are no longer because they got hindered and that's why he asked them in verse 7 who did hinder you who did it

to you in chapter 3 if you remember in verse 1 he said to the Galatian in verse 1 he said oh foolish Galatian who has bewitched you who tricked you and now he said who has hindered you you see there's always the danger beloved brothers and sisters in our lives that sin and false doctrine easily be set us set us aside and easily come upon us and we become hindered from growing spiritual we can blame the Galatians or we even cannot blame those early Hebrew Hebrews but we can always look at our own hearts and search our hearts and ask ourselves this question and so he continued in verse 8 and verse 9 he said

to them this persuasion is not from God is not from the Messiah notice he said in verse 8 he says this persuasion cometh not of him that call you it's not from God who called you by his grace it's not from God he's saying to these brothers and sisters in Galatia that what's happened to you that you were hindered from spiritual growth don't blame anybody it's not from God it's coming up because you allowed false teaching to creep into your mind and notice what he does in the next verse very interesting in verse 9 he says a little leaven leavenes the whole lump a little chametz a little seor leaven the whole lump what does

he say here do you know that this little leaven leaven is the whole lump comes from the history of our forefathers Israel who God told our people of Israel to take all manner of leaven out of their homes when they kept Pesach and leaven in scripture chametz or seor always in scripture speaks of sin but the sin has its appearance in two ways there is moral sin but there is also doctrinal sin there is moral evil but there is also doctrinal evil and we are in a danger of adapting both moral evil on the one hand or doctrinal evil on the other hand now please bear with me go to 1st corinthian 5 just to

read to you a verse there in 1st corinthian chapter 5 and verses 6 and 7 the same apostle shaul paul used the same expression but there he write it to the corinthians but here he is writing it to the galatians notice in 1st corinthian chapter 5 in verse 6 he says your glorying is not good knowing not that a little leaven leaven is the whole lump now why does he use this expression for both in corinthian to the corinthian and the galatian to the galatian what's the difference is simply this in the city of corinth there was moral evil that existed that a man took his father's wife and continue on to be part of

the assembly and didn't judge this moral sin and Paul said to them brethren you have to deal with that don't you know that a little leaven is the whole lump but in Galatian it was not a moral sin in Galatian was doctrinal sin false teaching and here in Galatia he said to them the very same thing in verse 9 he says a little leaven leaveness the whole lump in other words there is not only an issue of moral evil but there is an issue of doctrinal evil don't let yourself or allow yourself to have doctrinal evil and today beloved brothers and sisters in the professing church false teachings is being taught sadly and we don't

realize that when we begin to play with the Bible and we start to introduce man-made views human opinion and we twist or change the word of God we don't realize how quickly it may not be a moral evil but doctrinal evil creeps in leaven speaks of sin speaks of chametz or seor in Hebrew and it has to be judged and set aside because a little leaven leaven is the whole lump that's why many times people who used to be following the simple ABC of the Bible they thought that they know more than God so they started to introduce things that are not found in the word and it didn't take long time and it become

a religion and God blew on it and the local assembly the local church had closed the door was shut because God is not pleased with it it's not honoring to him and so Paul is saying to the Galatians really this persuasion is really not from God who called you don't you understand that the little leaven of false doctrine leaven is the whole lump it's not going to be for your benefit be careful not to allow yourself to be swayed by false teaching in Acts chapter 20 Shaul Paul said I know that after my departure grievous wolves will come not sparing the flock that's what Satan does he sow false teaching among God's people so God's

people who are saved who are forgiven but they will allow themselves to be influenced by these false teachings and so notice now as he's closing this portion in which you and I are dealing with today Galatians 5 verses 1 to 12 in verse 10 Paul was confident that in the Lord the Galatians eventually will do the right thing he says in verse 10 I have confidence in you through the Lord not in your own strength but it's through the Lord that ye will be none otherwise minded he said I believe and I trust the Lord who's going to enable you to make a right decision and not allowing yourself to be influenced by false teachings

but then notice he says in verse 10b but he that trouble you shall bear his judgment whosoever he be you will see sooner or later when we divert from the truth of the gospel God is a judging God he's a holy God his law is holy which Israel could not keep which should have led them to know that Yeshua is the Messiah we should have turned their hearts to the Messiah the very same God who is a holy God will eventually judge scripture tell us that judgment must begin at the house of God and if it began with us what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel that's how God will

deal with it and finally in verses 11 and 12 Shaul Paul is denouncing the false teachers and the false teaching and they accused Shaul Paul but he denounced them and you notice what he says and I'm reading just these last two verses he said and I brethren he's speaking to the brethren to the Achim to the believers in Galatia he says I brethren if I yet preach circumcision meaning circumcision for salvation why do I yet suffer persecution then is the offense of the cross season he says I'm suffering I'm being persecuted because I believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and the only way of salvation is through the work of the Messiah and not through

the works of the law and they were blaming him and you know why they were blaming him because he circumcised Timothy but Timothy was a saved Jewish man he was already a believer in Acts 16 he circumcised him as a testimony not for salvation but as a testimony as a Jewish man he was part of the Jewish people of the nation of Israel he circumcised him but they were accusing him and then he closed this portion and he said I would they were even cut off which trouble you you're talking about cutting off of the forced teen of the flesh I wish those that have done this to you will be cut off I wish

they will no longer do this to you they will no longer come in your midst and disturb you I wish that they will be cut off them which trouble you and we can say this beloved brothers and sisters today we pray and wish that those who come in our midst and teach us false teaching we too will be very careful not to lose our spiritual liberty not to lose our spiritual wealth and not to lose our spiritual direction we are to follow after Yeshua the Messiah who loved us and gave himself for us may the Lord bless his word can we say amen to that for you