Take a few minutes to catch up and pray that God would bless you through the reading of His word.

Read Galatians 5:1-6

[5:1] For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. [2] Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. [3] I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. [4] You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. [5] For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. [6] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Observation:

• For what has Christ set us free (v 1)?
  • What does Paul tell his readers to do in light of that (v 1)?
  • What should they not do?
• What results in Christ being of no advantage to you (v 2)?  What happens to someone who accepts circumcision (v 3-4)?
• What is Paul waiting for (v 5)? Through whom? By what?
• What does circumcision and uncircumcision count for (v 6)? What does count for something?

Interpretation:

• What does it mean that Christ has set us free? 
  • Why does Paul say that he set us free “for freedom”? Is it possible to have been set free by Jesus but not experience “freedom”?
  • What is a “yoke of slavery”?
• What does Paul mean by “accept circumcision”? 
  • Why would that nullify Christ’s benefit to us?
  • What does it mean to say that “Christ will be of no advantage to you”? 
    • How is that relate to what Paul says in v 4? Why might wanting to be “justified by the law” sever us from Christ?
    • Is Paul saying that we can lose our salvation by going back to the law?
• What is the “hope of righteousness”? How are we waiting for it? How is that different than pursuing righteousness through keeping the Law?
• Why are uncircumcision and circumcision meaningless “in Christ Jesus”?
• What does Paul mean by “faith working through love”? How is that different than pursuing righteousness through good works?

Application:

• Paul says that Jesus set us free for freedom. Is there any place in your life where you don’t feel like you are experiencing that freedom? How might you grow in your ability to enjoy that freedom that Jesus achieved for you?
• Where is faith working through love in your life? How could you pursue that Christ-honoring work this week?

Share prayer requests and pray for each other.