WELCOME
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144)
Songs
Call to Worship
L: Throughout the ages, disciples have said, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
P: Lord, give us the freedom to follow you in the ways of love.
L: We come from busy homes, filled with little time to consider Christ in our lives.
P: Lord, give us the strength to follow you in the ways of peace.
L: In times of struggle, we look to God for help.
P: Lord, give us the opportunity to follow you in the ways of kindness.
L: Today, we celebrate the Holy Spirit, who shows us the joy of following God.
P: Lord, give us the patience to follow you in the ways of faith.
Songs
Prayer
CONFESSION:
Gracious Lord,
you have blessed us with freedom—freedom to follow or to turn away; freedom to love or to hate; freedom to heal or to hurt. You ask only that we follow your ways, loving our neighbors as ourselves. In the midst of our turbulent lives, help us find teachers to show us the gifts you set within us. And help us claim these gifts today.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Know that you are loved and forgiven. Trust that you are treasured, now and always. Amen.
Set Free
Faith Working Through Love
Today's Message: Pastors Marlee Page and Dave Page
Freedom is the call heard loud and clear so far in our study of Galatians. Freedom because God desires for His people to be truly free. Paul makes this clear at the outset of this passage: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). But freedom has an enemy—something we call legalism.
Legalism can be simply defined as treating that which is good as though it were essential. It takes things that may have value—in a spiritual setting: certain traditions, spiritual disciplines, or moral guidelines—and elevates it to the status of absolute necessity. Legalism thrives on control, distorting God’s grace and convincing believers that their standing with God depends on rules and rituals rather than faith in Christ.
And so, here’s the problem – and it’s a big one – when Christians begin to believe that anything other than faith in Christ is required for salvation or acceptance before God, legalism has a foothold.
Many believers today have experienced the problematic outcome of legalism. We hear stories all the time of those who may have grown up in churches where nearly everything was considered essential, except the very things that truly mattered. They recall bitter church conflicts where issues such as the style of worship music or the colour of the sanctuary carpet caused as much outrage as serious sins like gossip, division, or even doctrinal compromise. When legalistic, toxic environments like that become what people experience, the eventual outcome is distraction from the true message of the gospel and a burden for people with expectations that God never intended.
At its beginnings, legalism often operates in the shadows, quietly influencing Christian communities without being immediately recognized. It sort of lurks beneath the surface of many churches and Christian lives, hidden in apparently good intentions, but ultimately leading to spiritual problems.
This was precisely the issue confronting the Galatian church. The Judaizers, false teachers who infiltrated their community, insisted that Gentile converts must be circumcised to be truly saved. In Acts 15:1 their message was: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Their persuasion was strong enough to lead the Galatians astray, causing them to lose sight of the truth that salvation is by grace through faith alone.
We are not immune from legalism in the church today; we face similar temptations. Though obviously circumcision is not the issue, modern legalism takes many forms. Modern legalism measures spirituality by outward behaviour. Modern legalism elevates personal interpretations and convictions over biblical truth or believing that our good works secure God’s promise. In our time together today, we will explore how Paul’s message in Galatians 5:2-15 teaches us, to reject both legalism and lawlessness, embracing the freedom that leads to a life of love and service.
Here’s one other point I want to make about what Paul is saying. At this juncture in Galatians, Paul’s letter takes a deeply practical turn. He shifts from reminding the Galatians of the dangers of legalism to showing them how to apply the truth of the gospel in their everyday lives. The freedom Jesus Christ has given us is not just a theological concept; it is meant to change the way we live. And so. as we move through the remainder of this letter, we will see how Paul calls us to live out our faith in ways that reflect God’s grace and truth.
Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:2-15
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
Life by the Spirit
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
1. Freedom in Christ, Not the Law (Galatians 5:2-6)
Paul begins with a strong warning against relying on the law for righteousness. He says in verse 2, “If you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.” In other words, if we seek justification through religious rituals or human efforts, we reject the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice. Paul is reaffirming a theme he’s been very clear about so far.
Now, as I said a moment ago, in our modern world, we may not struggle with circumcision as the Galatians did, but we often fall into traps like thinking that our church attendance, tithing, or good deeds are what make us righteous before God. While these things are important, they do not save us.
Paul reminds us in another of his letters, “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” (Galatians 5:2-6). Our righteousness comes solely through faith in Jesus Christ.
A contemporary example of this struggle is found in people who believe that being a “good person” is enough to earn salvation. We see this mindset in society when people say, “As long as I don’t hurt anyone, I will go to heaven.” or some variation of this. But the Bible is clear that salvation is by grace through faith. Our good works should be a response to our salvation, not a requirement for it.
Paul emphasizes that what truly matters is “faith working through love” (v.6). A true relationship with God is not about religious rule-keeping but about living out our faith in love toward God and others. This is a very practical point he’s making!
Faith is not just an abstract belief or intellectual agreement with doctrine—it is something that moves us into action. Paul is teaching that if we see our faith as a cold adherence to rules then we’ve missed the point. Our faith has always been meant to be a dynamic, active force that expresses itself through love. This means that our faith should be evident in how we treat people, how we respond to difficulties, and how we serve others.
Jesus Himself reinforced this principle when He was asked about the greatest commandment. He responded, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). True faith is not merely about avoiding sin; it is about pursuing love—love for God and love for people.
Consider how this plays out in daily life. A person who has been transformed by faith in Christ does not merely avoid wrongdoing; they actively seek to do good. For example:
A legalistic mindset might say, “I must not steal,” but faith, working through love says, “I will be generous and help those in need.”
Legalism says, “I must not lie,” but faith, working through love says, “I will speak the truth in love and encourage others.”
Legalism says, “I must attend church every Sunday,” but faith, working through love says, “I will gather with my church family to worship, encourage, and serve them.”
Paul tells us that faith cannot be separated from love. A person who claims to have faith but does not show love is missing the heart of the gospel.
This isn’t easy! You see in the most practical of terms, this means that our faith should lead us to forgive those who wrong us, to serve those in need, and to show kindness even when it is not convenient. It means prioritizing people over traditions and loving others even when they do not meet our expectations.
Ultimately, Paul is calling each of us as believers to a faith that is alive and active—not measured by how well we follow rules, but by how well we love.
2. Beware of Legalism and False Teaching (Galatians 5:7-12)
Paul uses the metaphor of yeast (v.9) to illustrate how a small amount of false teaching – often around legalism – can corrupt an entire church.
Legalism is still alive today in many forms. Some churches emphasize strict dress codes, rigid worship styles, or specific traditions as if they are essential for salvation. While traditions can be valuable, and we are not saying that they don’t hold any value, they should never replace or add to the gospel of grace that we’ve been discussing. Jesus Himself rebuked the Pharisees for prioritizing human traditions over God’s commands, saying in Matthew 15:9, “They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”
Imagine a homeless person walking into a church on a Sunday morning. Their clothes are tattered, hair is unkempt, and the scent of the streets lingers around them. As they step through the doors, some people glance towards them, their expressions uncertain. The person hesitates for a moment, expecting to be turned away or ignored, just as he has been so many times before.
An usher notices him and begins walking toward him. The homeless man braces himself. The congregation braces themselves, almost knowing what has to happen. But instead of judgment, the usher greets them with a warm smile and extends a hand. “Welcome,” he says sincerely. “We’re so glad you’re here. Can I help you find a seat?”
Instead of being treated as an outsider, the man is invited to sit among the congregation. A family nearby scoots over to make room for them. Someone hands them sermon notes. Another person offers them a Bible. As worship begins, that person feels something he hasn’t felt in a long time—acceptance.
This is what faith working through love looks like. It is not about outward appearances or superficial judgments. It is about seeing people the way God sees them—valued, loved, and worthy of grace. James 2:1-4 warns against showing favouritism, reminding us that God does not judge by externals but by the heart. When a church embraces the broken, the outcast, and the forgotten, it is living out the gospel in its purest form.
3. Freedom to Love, Not to Indulge (Galatians 5:13-15)
And then we get to Verse 13. Verse 13 is a crucial turning point: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Recall last week that one of the issues that the Judaizers had with grace was that they felt that people weren’t strong enough to live in that kind of freedom. And to a degree they’d be correct, which is why Paul says this in verse 13 “True Christian freedom is not a license for sin, but an opportunity to love and serve others”.
Many people today misunderstand freedom. The world promotes the idea that true freedom means doing whatever makes us happy. Whether that be indulging in materialism, promiscuity, or self-centredness. However, Scripture warns against using grace as an excuse for sin. Romans 6:1-2 says, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”
Paul, in the doctrinal footsteps of Jesus, summarizes the entire law in one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” This is the heart of Christian living—using our freedom to build up, rather than tear down. He warns that if believers bite and devour one another, they will be destroyed by division and selfishness. Our society is rife with this behaviour, we see it in social media arguments, political debates and even church conflicts, where Christians attack one another instead of showing Christ’s love. True freedom is found in Christ-centered love.
Instead of indulging in self-centered desires, we are called to live out our faith in practical ways:
- Forgiving others even when they don’t deserve it (Colossians 3:13).
- Serving the poor and needy (Matthew 25:40).
- Loving our enemies instead of seeking revenge (Luke 6:27).
Application: Walking in Freedom
How do we live out this freedom?
- Reject Legalism – Trust in Christ alone for salvation, not religious rituals or good works.
- Reject Sin – Do not use grace as an excuse for sinful living.
- Embrace Love and Service – Let your faith express itself in love by serving others in humility.
Conclusion:
True freedom in Christ is not about rules or reckless living—it is about faith working through love. It is about living in the grace of God, freed from legalism yet also freed from the chains of sin.
Let me give you powerful example of this as we close the message this morning. It can be found in the life of King David. We know David was known as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), not because he was perfect, but because his faith led him to love, serve, and trust God wholeheartedly. One of the most beautiful examples of faith working through love in David’s life is his relationship with Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9).
Mephibosheth was the son of David’s late friend Jonathan and the grandson of Saul. Mephibosheth was also a man who had every reason to fear David. In that time, it was common for a new king to wipe out the family line of the previous ruler to secure his throne. Now, here’s an important point to know about Mephibosheth, he was crippled in both feet, which, in ancient society, often meant a life of shame and dependence. He had nothing to offer David—no power, no influence, no military strength.
Yet, instead of treating Mephibosheth as an enemy, David sought him out in kindness. He asked, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness …?” (2 Samuel 9:1). When Mephibosheth was brought before him, likely expecting execution, David instead restored his inheritance and invited him to eat at the king’s table for the rest of his life, treating him as one of his own sons.
Church, that act of love and grace is a picture of what Jesus does for us. We, too, were once spiritually crippled and undeserving, yet God sought us out, welcomed us into His family, and gave us a seat at His table. David’s kindness to Mephibosheth wasn’t based on duty, tradition, or legalistic obligation—it was an expression of true faith working through love.
We are called to live out our faith by extending love and grace to those around us. The freedom we have in Christ should never lead us to selfish indulgence or empty rule-keeping, but to a life that reflects the heart of God. So, just as David did with Mephibosheth, and just as Christ has done for us, we commit to walking in this freedom, loving and serving one another, and reflecting the grace of God in our daily lives.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We have received your word today. Thank You that we are not bound by legalism or burdened by striving to earn Your love. Thank You that we are also not left to wander in reckless living, but that You have called us to a life of faith working through love.
Father, forgive us when we judge others by an outward appearance rather than seeing them through Your eyes of grace. Give us hearts that welcome the broken, the lost, and the outcast, just as You welcomed us into Your family. Let our churches be places of true belonging, where every person—regardless of their past, their struggles, or their status—is embraced with the love of Christ.
Just as King David extended kindness to Mephibosheth, may we seek out those in need, may our love be more than words; may it be seen in our actions, our generosity, and our willingness to serve.
Lord, we lift up those in our midst who are suffering. We pray for the sick, that You would bring healing, comfort, and strength to their bodies. May Your peace surround those battling illness, and may they find rest in You, the Great Physician. We pray for the homeless and those struggling to make ends meet, those who feel forgotten or abandoned by society. Lord, be their provider, their refuge, and their hope. Stir our hearts to be Your hands and feet, reaching out with compassion and practical help.
We also lift up the leaders of our world, those in government, business, and positions of influence. Grant them wisdom, humility, and a heart to lead with justice and righteousness. We pray for peace in places of conflict, for unity where there is division, and for Your truth to shine in every nation. Lord, guide our leaders to make decisions that honour You and uplift the most vulnerable among us.
Lord, empower us by Your Spirit to be people who live out the gospel—not just in what we say, but in how we love. Let our faith be evident, our service be sincere, and our lives be a reflection of Your goodness.
We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer.
Amen.
Song
Benediction
May the transforming love of God work in your lives, today and always. Follow Christ wherever he leads you. Fulfill the promise found in the Spirit.
Amen.