Principles of Christian Living

Lesson 6

Lesson Text—Acts 20:24

Acts 20:24But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Lesson Text—Galatians 5:1-5

Galatians 5:1-51 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

Lesson Text—Galatians 5:1-5

3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Focus Verse—Galatians 5:1

Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us

free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Focus Thought

Paul’s advice to the Galatians is

for us also: keep on standing, no

matter what.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyCULTURE CONNECTION

Taking a Stand to Do Right

The story of Janet Lynn Mitchell, as told in her book Taking a Stand, is an amazing story of one woman who chose to stand for right in the face of incredible pressure, and with the odds clearly set against her. Janet was the victim of medical malpractice, deceit, and cover up.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyWhen Janet first learned that the ten

surgeries she had undergone were the result of a botched first surgery, and that the doctors had hidden it from her, she became angry and disillusioned. She wrote, “How could my doctors have done this to me? . . . I had trusted them! They were my heroes! . . . For the next fifteen years, my doctors had told me that my right knee problems were due to a congenital complication, ‘because of the way God made me.’ My doctors had lied . . . and had the nerve to blame my God!

I. Where We Stand Positionally“Pausing for a moment to catch my

breath the thought came to me. Forgiveness is a choice, not an emotion. I don't have to wait until my emotions ‘feel like forgiving’ to forgive. I had learned that forgiveness was an act of my will and needed to begin with the decision to forgive.”

Janet took a stand for right; she chose to forgive. Still, she fought a lengthy legal battle to change the laws that had wrongly shielded the deceitful doctors from prosecution.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyShe was successful in helping to champion legislation to protect those wronged by malpractice and medical deceit in the state of California. Further, she became a stronger person because of her stand to do the right thing.

It is vital that Christians keep on standing for right no matter how difficult it may be at times.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyContemplating the Topic

“Stand still,” the tribal chief told his elephant. The giant beast halted as the battle raged on the plains of India. Even when his master fell to the enemy’s weapons, the elephant stood above the throng, bearing the standard of the tribe. All day this loyal animal stood his ground, waving the ensign, encouraging the tribal men to keep up the fight. The fighting finally ceased, but the elephant could not be moved.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyFor three days he stood right where his deceased commander had told him to stay. Finally, the tribe brought the chief’s son who persuaded the animal to follow him home, triumphantly carrying the tribe’s standard.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThis story, which originally appeared in the Fredericksburg Bible Illustrator, may be truth or legend, but the principle is true. We need to be able to stand through anything. The Christians who survive decades with Jesus Christ have learned the lesson taught by Paul: “having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). Staking out a clear and correct position and standing firmly within that position are vital to the ultimate victory in Jesus Christ.

I. Where We Stand PositionallySearching the Scriptures

Where We Stand Positionally

Standing requires a certain type of grit—a godly stubbornness. Most analogies about the Christian life involve movement: walking with the Lord, growing in Christ, running the race, fighting for God. However, the concept of standing for Jesus carries just as much weight.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyAnyone can “jump for Jesus” in a moment of excitement, but aged believers have learned to stand for the Lord through all of life’s ups and downs.

Resilience means more than goose bumps. Believers who persevere accomplish more than impetuous believers. Finishers win more races than starters. Paul said, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Galatians 5:1).

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThe Master has commanded us to “keep on keeping on” in the freedom He has given us through the Spirit.

A. Stand ConfidentlyA. Stand Confidently

The context of Galatians 5:1 focuses on overcoming oppression from those who challenge our faith. A new believer’s first test of stand-ability is when he goes home to critical friends and family. Similar to the seed that falls on stony ground, many people lose their tenuous stance and fall away under this kind of pressure.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyLike a space shuttle breaking free of

earth’s gravity, a convicted person exerts much energy to overcome the inertia of his old life. Following this initial thrust to answer the call of salvation, he must immediately determine to remain in proper relationship with the Savior. Like a spacecraft orbiting the earth, a believer must continually expend energy and maintain the correct speed and distance as his life revolves around God.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyBeyond mere intimidation, believers

may face outright persecution. Coworkers may ridicule them or an employer may prevent their advancement in the company because of religious differences. In various parts of the world, however, physical persecution brings harm and death to those who stand for the name of Jesus Christ. These believers continue to stand for right, regardless of what the enemy launches against them.

I. Where We Stand PositionallySuccessful Christians have an

“anyway” attitude. The late missionary Nona Freeman told of a wealthy aunt who opposed her and her husband’s call to Africa. Against the threats of disinheritance and bribes to stay in America, they went anyway to do the will of God. We have to determine that no matter how strongly life pushes us, we will have the fortitude to stand for God. Cynical family members? Terminal disease? Deceptive leaders? We must choose to live for God anyway.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyJoseph learned to live for God even

when the promises of God seemed to overturn his plans and dreams. The same brothers who were supposed to bow to him sold him into slavery. He must have considered giving up once he became a slave in godless Egypt with no hope of seeing his father again. Even through the toughest temptation from a seductress, he refused to turn against the God who seemingly had abandoned him.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThe situation worsened when the woman attacked his character and accused him of doing the very thing he had most valiantly resisted. Her influential husband banished Joseph to prison. Would he quit? No, he continued to tell others about the God who speaks in dreams. While every believer wants a dramatic story of stunning success like Joseph’s, few have committed to holding their ground as he did no matter what happens.

B. Stand ConsistentlyB. Stand Consistently

We do more than just stand “against” something; we must also stand “for” something. We stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ, proclaiming “the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Galatians 5:1). We stand out to share the joy and love and peace He has given us with people who will listen to the gospel message. We stand in His power to be witnesses in our home, our family, our neighborhood, and our whole city.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyWe stand to declare boldly the truth of life in Jesus. We cannot deny others the opportunity to know the truth, although sometimes it would be easier to stand apart from the message.

This stand cannot be an occasional position we take; people who hear our testimonies will expect us always to stand for that truth. Therefore, the Scripture commands that we stand consistently. A person witnessed to ten years ago may cross our path tomorrow, wanting to hear again about the faith he or she once ignored.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyHopefully, we have held to the truth and not given up because of previous disappointments or rejections.

Many fail to keep standing for Jesus because they do not value His approval as much as they value the acceptance of others. The new convert may start out well in her desire to serve the Lord, but her husband’s condemnation shrivels her willpower. He mocks her: “You never do anything with me anymore. All you do is pray, read the Bible, and talk to your holier- than-thou church friends.”

I. Where We Stand PositionallyShe wilts under the pressure and stops going to church.

Another newborn babe in Christ thinks his coworkers will be as excited as he is about his faith and he shares his experience with anyone who will listen. Soon his boss scolds him: “Why are you always talking about Jesus, Bible, and church while you’re on company time?” Then a so-called friend exclaims, “You’re going to pass up Friday night at my house for that? Give me a break!”

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThe final blow comes when the new Christian arrives home from work and his wife scoffs, “What do you expect? With your questionable background, how can you expect God to ever use you?”

Those who allow the negative opinions of others to intimidate them will not stand for God very long.

C. Stand ContinuallyC. Stand Continually

Both standing against rejection and standing for the truth come much easier than the third way of standing—standing continually. The Scripture says we must stand strong so as not to be “entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). Every hour must find us standing against the temptations of the enemy.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyFurther, the flesh constantly lures

us onto the path of sinful pleasures. Our own carnal nature tries tirelessly to pull us into indescribable evil. From gluttony to laziness, drunkenness to fornication, the desires of the old nature can cause us to topple. We must stand strong against these self-induced sins. The strong believer resists his own fleshly nature and stands for righteousness even when no one is looking.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThe world’s beautiful façade tries to

sidetrack us from our foundation in Christ. We see the gold, the goods, and the gods of this world. We feel the pull of their power, prestige, and prosperity. Many turn aside from the faith to chase after the hopeless gain of more money and bigger or nicer things. Some even go so far as to think that “gain is godliness.” However, those who stand fast in the contentment of godliness will avoid being entangled in the web of greed.

I. Where We Stand PositionallySelf-righteousness, on the other

hand, will cause us to rely on ourselves rather than relying on Christ. Some people stand on their own abilities, college degrees, accomplishments, and so on. Paul reminded us we should “have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Instead, he said, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord . . . not having mine own righteousness” (Philippians 3:8-9).

I. Where We Stand PositionallyPride obscures God’s glory as we place confidence in our own standing instead of continuing to humble ourselves before Jesus Christ. We should be constantly aware that our strength to stand comes from Jesus, not ourselves.

Old-timers tell of the days of the western cattle ranches when cowboys tamed wild horses. They harnessed the captured animal beside a donkey and turned the mismatched pair loose in the desert, snorting, kicking, and vying for freedom.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThe wild steed would drag the smaller animal with it on its quest for freedom. They disappeared for days, but eventually they came back, the little donkey leading the way. Although the horse had greater strength, the donkey had greater endurance.

A child of God must juxtapose his carnal nature to the Spirit of God and be willing to sit out the fight. We must determine that no matter when or where we meet temptation, the steadfast Spirit of God can tame unruly flesh.

A. Spiritual ShortcutsWhere We Stand

EffectivelyA. Spiritual Shortcuts

The Bible records a powerful example of standing through trials. In His forty days in the wilderness, Jesus Christ stood strong while the devil tried to drag Him down. Through fasting and the power of Scripture, our Lord overcame the tempter’s treachery.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThe amazing thing we can glean from this encounter, however, is the revelation of the ploys the enemy uses to drag us down. The devil always offers a tempting shortcut that attempts to circumvent the plan of God.

When he tempted Christ to turn rocks into bread, he was hoping the Lord would fall for this shortcut and veer away from His Father’s salvation plan. The devil did not care about Christ’s hunger from the long fast.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyHe did not even care about witnessing the phenomenon of the Holy One turning rocks into bread. He just wanted this man Christ Jesus to step aside from His purpose for coming to earth. Jesus refused emphatically. He would not move from the path marked before Him.

Satan did not give up. He traveled to the pinnacle of the Temple and tempted the Savior to display His power by falling to the ground. The devil knew that according to Scripture, Jesus would not get hurt.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyBut even if He did, the devil did not care. Neither did he care that people would throng Jesus and worship Him for the amazing feat and make Him an international “hero.” By Satan’s reckoning, all of those things were secondary to persuading Christ to short-circuit the divine plan of salvation. When Christ withstood this evil temptation, Satan launched yet another attempt.

As incongruous as it may seem, the devil tempted the Lord to bow down and worship him.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThis fallen angel thought the incentive of all the kingdoms of the world might be enticing enough to cause Jesus to fall. He knew the success of this plan would cancel the necessity of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. If this happened, Satan knew that even though the nations gave Christ accolades, they still would belong to the evil one because there would be no possibility of mankind’s redemption.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyFortunately, the Master refused to take part in any plan the devil devised and chose instead to fulfill His Father’s plan to redeem mankind with His own blood.

Likewise, the devil designs shortcuts for us that would circumvent the plan of God for our lives. Sin is a detour around God’s will. For example, lying is a shortcut around God’s character-builder plan that one tell the truth and grow thereby. Laziness is a shortcut around God’s plan of industriousness and diligence.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyDrunkenness is a shortcut around courage to face life and deal with the problems it brings. Fornication is a shortcut around God’s covenant of marriage.

Relatively few people plan to do evil. Most want to live right, but they do not relish the laborious and sometimes heart-rending work that comes with living righteously. So they often choose convenient shortcuts while excusing their behavior: “No one is perfect.”

I. Where We Stand Positionally“Lying is OK as long as no one gets hurt.” “It can’t be wrong because it feels so right; we love each other.” “Who are you to judge?” However, human excuses can neither alter God’s righteous plan nor substitute for it.

B. After the FallB. After the Fall

Life is not just about the destination (Heaven), but it is also about the journey to get there. Too many people come to Christianity thinking it will exempt them from temptation or from being hurt in life. They think they will escape sadness, disappointments, guilt, and temptation. However, rather than a free pass around these challenges, Christianity is like an all-terrain vehicle to help us make it through the obstacles, pitfalls, gullies, and steep places that we all face.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyUnlike those in the world who know only how to give up and start over, we learn to persevere through the hard times. By giving us the strength to stand, the Lord grows our faith and confidence that He is God whether the way is smooth or rough. Going through rather than around life’s challenging circumstances develops endurance and strength that the ungodly cannot comprehend.

Transparency 2

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThe devil entices us to sin with the lie, “Just once won’t hurt.” If we fall, he tells another lie: “Now, you’ve done it. God won’t forgive this one. Your testimony is beyond repair, so you may as well continue in sin and enjoy it.” We must ignore his lies, determine to get up, and keep standing, no matter what. We must learn to avoid the places, things, and people that entice us to succumb to temptation.

I. Where We Stand PositionallySome people focus too intently on

the thing they seek to overcome. They are like the man on his new diet who showed up at work carrying a coffee cake. Someone asked what he was doing with that when he was trying to lose weight. He replied, “I didn’t intend to buy it. But when I drove by the bakery and saw it in the window, I prayed, ‘Lord, if you want me to have it, open up a parking place right in front of the bakery.’ And you know, the eighth time around the block, He did!”

III. Where We Stand Experientially

Where We Stand Experientially

Ill-intentioned people push and pull on our convictions, testing to see if we are as firm in Christ as we claim to be. Unsteady believers surrender to the demands of peer pressure. For example, even some Old Testament prophets succumbed to peer pressure. During a battle of God’s people against an enemy, King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat summoned prophets to deliver God’s message concerning the outcome of the battle.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyUnfortunately, most of these prophets

were more concerned about the king’s approval and favor than they were about the call of God upon their lives. However, Micaiah, a prophet whose allegiance was to the One who called him, faithfully delivered to the two kings a message from God, although it would probably put him in danger of imprisonment or even death. Despite the risk, his message to the kings rang clear and true. Standing up for truth may not be popular, but it is necessary. We cannot live merely for the approval of others.

A. Either Judaism or JesusA. Either Judaism or Jesus

Legalism is the crutch often used by believers who need the approval of their peers. Manmade laws lend a form of self-satisfaction, but do nothing to impress God. Paul warned the Galatians that returning to the law of Moses would detract from their identity in Christ: “If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing” (Galatians 5:2). Some felt more secure in the familiarity of a lifetime of practicing Moses’ law than they would in a new way of walking by faith.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyConsequently, rather than taking the righteousness offered by Jesus Christ, they opted for the Old Covenant “ruler” by which they measured their goodness.

Many modern forms of legalism attempt to enslave believers today. Manmade rules restrict people, yet satisfy them with self-approval. God, however, cares nothing for such trifling requirements.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyWhile the basis of some manmade rules may sound good when they begin, such legalities become tedious to maintain and wearisome even to those who propound them. The safest route to serving Jesus Christ is through the security of His Word. It alone is the basis for all righteousness, which comes only through Jesus Christ.

B. Either Enslavement or Emancipation

B. Either Enslavement or Emancipation

In handling the legalistic issue in Galatia, Paul testified “to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law” (Galatians 5:3). He realized that those who were not content with the spiritual circumcision of baptism (Colossians 2:11-12) would not be content with following only a few of Moses’ laws but would drag their fellow Jewish believers into deeper and deeper bondage to an outdated religious system.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyGod does not want us to live in debt to

a moral code but in His freedom through a regenerated wholesome heart. He has emancipated us from enslavement to sin, so why should we become enslaved to anything else? Our obedience to God is not just about what we cannot do. He has set us free to live for Him. In this covenant of the Spirit, God empowers us to do great things for Him. Why be in debt to a manmade list of rules, which will only grow longer and longer? When the options are freedom or bondage, the decision is nothard to make.

C. Either Apostasy or Appropriation

C. Either Apostasy or Appropriation

People who live by legalistic rules justify themselves by their own inventions. They get so caught up with the minutia of rules they forget to check if they are fulfilling all of God’s desires for their lives. Holiness according to a list comes easily when compared to the challenge of developing a holy heart.

C. Either Apostasy or Appropriation

Paul warned, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4). Legalism does not just slow down a believer. It puts him in the wrong race.

List-living may make us feel self-confident, but it will not make us holy. In this hollow shell of legalism, we may stand for a while but will soon crumple into a ruinous heap. Therefore the Word warns, “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:12).

C. Either Apostasy or Appropriation

Self-confidence is no confidence at all. Our boast must be in the Lord. Those who place confidence in their ability to adhere to a list of rules are like the people who lived in the shadow of Mount Pinatubo, an ancient volcano in the Philippines. Many people died and billions of dollars of personal property were destroyed when, after six centuries of slumber, this volcano spewed its molten lava over the countryside.

C. Either Apostasy or Appropriation

Those who live by manmade rules often forget the power of their carnal natures. When they least expect it, their sinfulness will roar back to life, erupting into chaos.

III. Where We Stand PracticallyWhere We Stand

Practically

What a dramatic testimony when we forsake the past and stand up for Jesus! How momentous and life-changing to leave all and follow Him! The apostle Peter was one such man who had a spectacular conversion story.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThe rugged fisherman sank to his

knees on the shore of Galilee. He looked up in awe at Christ who had nearly foundered two boats with an enormous catch of fish the likes of which this weather-worn man had never seen (Luke 5:1-11). Peter stood up and vowed, “I’m leaving all of this to follow this amazing Prophet.” Later, this larger-than-life disciple stood and made another earth-shaking declaration: “You’re not just a prophet; You are the Son of the Living God!”

I. Where We Stand PositionallyIf anyone was going to identify with Christ, here was the man who stood out from the crowd.

Then, on a lonely hillside in the dark of night, the Master pleaded with His followers to stand watch with Him in prayer. Instead, Peter and his comrades fell asleep and when the moment of temptation came, Peter was too weak to stand. After staggering awake to swing his sword at someone’s ear, he disappeared into the bush to hide with the others.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyThis man who had stood so boldly for Jesus found himself warming his hands by a courtyard fire, denying his Master to a servant girl: “You can’t pin anything on me. I never even knew the man!”

Transparency 3

A. Dependent on the SpiritA. Dependent on the Spirit

Our stand-ability can be convoluted. We do not want to weaken or falter, yet we hear Christ’s words echoing true today: “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). So what can we do? “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Standing in prayer is the only way we can avoid the erosion of our determination.

I. Where We Stand PositionallyGalatians 5:5 reveals the role of the Spirit as we patiently await the work of Christ within us. The Spirit empowers one to stand in his position for Christ. We cannot stand in the flesh, or we, like the disciple Peter, will fall again and again. After Pentecost, however, Peter changed. He was no longer the man of rash statements like, “There is no way I’d ever deny You, Jesus. I’ll stay by Your side even unto death.”

I. Where We Stand PositionallyOn the Day of Pentecost we see a man who stood boldly in Jerusalem proclaiming the story of Jesus Christ and His saving power. What made the difference in this formerly insecure man? The power of the Spirit made the difference.

B. Vibrant in HopeB. Vibrant in Hope

We live by the power of the Spirit because we “wait for the hope of righteousness” (Galatians 5:5). Hope is one of the many advantages a believer has over the unbeliever. This hope rewards our faith in this life. Eternity (the fulfillment of that hope) rewards our faith in the next life. We can obtain this hope by waiting on the Lord.

Isaiah 40:30-31 “Even the youths shall faint and be

weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they

shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:30-31).

C. Fervent in FaithC. Fervent in Faith

We stand in our hope and confidence “by faith.” While an unbeliever may stand only on someone else’s faith (pastor, parent, spouse), a person becomes a believer when the faith is his own and not another’s. We “have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” (Romans 5:2). We stand upon the foundation of our Savior who has weathered every storm, been tempted in all points like as we are, and won every battle. By faith in Jesus Christ, we can “keep on keeping on.”

I. Where We Stand PositionallyInternalizing the MessageIn our perseverance we make a

commitment to endure steadfastly for Jesus. We should adopt a mindset that refuses to be dissuaded from our life in Christ. In this life we will face circumstances, trials, and disappointments that will tempt us to give up and discontinue our walk with Christ, but we must determine to stand steadfast in Him through the Spirit. May we finish this life for God and say as did the apostle in Acts 20:24, “None of these things move me.”