And with that, let's turn in our Bibles to the Book of Galatians where on Sunday mornings

we're going through this epistle, chapter by chapter and verse by verse. And today we began

a new chapter, chapter 5, and our text will be verses 1 through 12. Once you find your way there,

if I might trouble you to stand, if you're able, if not that's all right, but you can follow along as I read beginning in verse one, where the apostle Paul, pardon me, is writing by the Holy Spirit and says to the churches there in Galatia, verse one, it is for freedom that Christ has been set,

has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of

slavery. Mark my words, verse two.

I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,

Christ will be of no value to you at all.

Again, I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ.

You have fallen away from grace.

For through the spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus, verse six, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?

That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.

A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. I am confident, verse 10, 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.

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. As for those

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