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Sermon Guide: Galatians 5:1-6 "Standing Firm in Freedom"

  • Writer: Jon Watson
    Jon Watson
  • Jul 21
  • 2 min read

Key Passage(s)



Galatians 5:1–6 ESV
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.


Sermon Overview



Standing firm in true Christian freedom means rejecting every form of self-justification—whether through prideful entitlement or despairing unworthiness—and instead receiving the full benefits of Christ by faith. Paul warns that to rely on any part of the law obligates one to keep the whole law, cutting oneself off from grace. Justification cannot be earned; it must be received as a gift. Those who belong to Christ eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness—a future public vindication that rests on Jesus' merits. In the meantime, genuine faith expresses itself through love, sourced and empowered by the Holy Spirit.


Sermon Structure


#1 Rejecting All Deserving



  1. The whole law, or the whole Christ

  2. Christ — of no advantage?



#2 Waiting for the Hope



  1. Can I lose my salvation?

  2. The day that we become who we are



#3 Living out Faith in Love



  1. Faith is not a work you do

  2. Faith & love (its by-product) is from the Holy Spirit

  3. Real faith loves God & loves others






Questions for Discussion & Reflection



  1. From point #1 — How do spiritual pride and spiritual despair both reveal a reliance on “deserving”? Which are you more prone to, and how can we take it to Christ for help?


  2. Lots of people are kind and loving. How can we tell if that love is produced by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus?


  3. How has the Bible (maybe Galatians in particular) encouraged you in the assurance and security of your salvation?


  4. Spend some time in prayer asking God to expose and uproot any lingering areas of disbelief or slavery to deserving/earning in your life.


  5. Spend some time in prayer thanking God for the Holy Spirit, and his work and fruit in your life and the lives of others.





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