Beware of False Doctrine and Teachers

Sermon Text: Galatians 5:2-12

Our former life was slavery. Jesus Christ was our liberator. Conversion was the act of emancipation, and the Christian life is the life of a free man. And this freedom as expressed in Galatians is freedom from law, freedom from law. It's freedom on conscience. Freedom on the tyranny of the legal system. Freedom from the terrible frustration and pressure of struggling to keep the law when you can't. Freedom from the terrible pressure that comes by trying to do things that will gain God's meriting favor. It is the freedom of being totally accepted with God and knowing it, because of what Christ has done

But let me hasten to add that freedom is more than just a negative thing. It's not just a not being under the pressure concept or a not having to keep the law or a not anything. It's also a positive endowment. A freedom is not just being out of prison, freedom has all kinds of positive factors.

Whereas, the man under the legal system could never please God, could never do what God wanted, could never really fulfill ultimately God's law, through the Holy Spirit indwelling that man, he now has the capacity to do those things, so it's not just being out from under law, it's being able to fulfill the law in the energy of the Holy Spirit. And we're just reviewing some things. Positively then, freedom as Paul sees it is the state in which a person is walking and living in the Spirit. Our freedom is walking and living in the Spirit.

In the following verses, Paul goes after the false teachers and the false doctrine they taught. 

I.              The Attack of False Doctrine verses 2-6

A.      The False Doctrine defined

B.      The False Doctrine defeated

i.                     The first result of the doctrine of achievement is Christ profits you nothing. Verse 2

ii.                   The second result of the doctrine of achievement is you will be a debtor to the entire law. Verse 3

James 2:10 "Whosever shall keep the who law and offend in one point is guilty of all."

iii.                  The third result of the doctrine of achievement is you have fallen from grace. Verse 4

You can't mix law with grace. If you try to mix law with grace you have wiped out grace.

II.            The Attack of False Teachers verses 7-12

A.      False Teachers hinder the truth of God verse 7

i.                     They pervert the gospel

They teach works, not grace.

They teach culture, not Calvary.

They teach salvation by faith in works and not by faith alone, by Christ alone through grace alone.

ii.                   They prostitute the gospel-

They preach for personal gain

They preach for popularity

They preach for power.

B.      False Teachers are not from God verse 8

C.      False Teachers contaminate the church of God verse 9

D.      False Teachers will be judged harshly by God verse 10-12.