Grace and Truth
Bible Ministries

Celebration of the Lord's Table and the beginning of the study of the mandate to stand in freedom found in Gal 5:1


We will now take a few moments to consider the work and person of TLJC who is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Heb 12:2;

We do this by participating in the in the ritual of the Lord's Table which he inaugurated as the only ritual of Church Age as part of the new covenant to the Church the evening before his crucifixion. Luke 22:14-20;

By suffering the death of the cross he was obedient to the Father's plan Phil 2:8; that resulted in his humanity being exhaled above every created being, such that, every created being will ultimately bow down to him. Phil 2:9-10;

He completely and perfectly fulfilled the directive will of the Father by unilaterally providing a way of salvation for all men. Rom 5:8; as the "lamb slain from the foundation of the world" Rev 13:8; KJV John 1:29;

While we were enemies of God, God demonstrated his love for us by giving his uniquely born Son "monogenes" John 3:16

As a result, God is free to reconcile us in our fallen state of depravity without compromising his perfect righteousness and justice. because TLJC willingly laid down his life for us as our substitute. John 15:13; 1John 3:16

This is why believing in TLJC is the only way to a relationship with God John 14:6, salvation Acts 4:12 and eternal life John 3:16;

Anyone can appropriate this Grace gift of salvation which is secured by the Power of God John 10:26-29; simply by believing in TLJC 1Cor 15:3-4 in the same way that Paul and Silas instructed the Philippian Jailer who asked, "what Must I do to be saved?"

Their response recorded In Acts 16:31

Anyone, any time, anywhere can become saved in a moment in time simply by believing in TLJC privately in their thoughts only.

TLJC left his friends, the members of The Royal Family of God, this one and only ritual in the church age The Lord's table which we are mandated to observe in remembrance of Him.

The mandate is found in 1Cor 11:24; in the second person plural present active imperative of the Greek word " poieo" that where Paul references TLJC's own instruction found in Luke 22:19-20;

An expanded translation of 1Cor 11:24 taking into consideration the tense mood and voice of "poieo" would be " Keep on doing this in remembrance of me"

As a result of this mandate, the Lord's Table is one and only ritual of the Church Age and it is a test of our capacity to concentrate on our Lord Jesus Christ through the Bible Doctrine that is resident in our soul as we partake of the elements that represent his work on our behalf.

We have these instructions for partaking of the Lord's table from the Apostle Paul starting in verse 26 of 1Cor 11.

1Cor 11:26 for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.

We understand from this that we are to evaluate ourselves in the light of the word, privately in our thinking, in the privacy of our priesthood, and when we find we are outside of the word, we apply the first problem solving device, and simply acknowledge the sin as described in 1 John 1:9




If we acknowledge our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.


Having examined ourselves, and taken appropriate action, we are then instructed to partake of the elements, the bread and the cup.


The bread which represents his body in which he bore the sins and the judgment for our sins and the sins of the whole world, past present and future.


1Cor 11:23 for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
1Cor 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, this is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.

eat the bread

The cup which represents his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross which purchased the freedom from spiritual death and eternal condemnation of everyone who believes in him.

1Cor 11:25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper saying This cup is the new covenant in my Blood do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

drink cup






In our study of the mandates for the church age believer in the PPOG, we have just concluded a study on the mandate to be diligent in the study of the word that is found in 2Tim 2:15;

Today we will begin a study on the mandate to keep on standing firm freedom that is found in Christ Jesus. along with the mandate not to be subject again to the yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1;

The Greek word translated "freedom" is "eleutheria" it is a dative of advantage. The teaching is that Christ died on the Cross to give us the advantage of having this freedom.

This freedom consists of the Christian's freedom from the law that was established at their salvation. Rom 10:4;

Under the law, the believer has no more freedom than a child who is under the authority of a guardian. The child has no freedom of action nor right of self-determination.

Children are required to function within a set of rules prescribed by their guardian because they are not old enough to act autonomously. They must always act under the restrictions of their guardian. So is it with the person under the law.

These Galatian believers, free from the law, having been placed into the Royal family of God as adult sons, indwelt by the Holy Spirit who would enable them to act out in their experience that maturity of Christian life in which they were placed, were now putting on the straight-jacket of the law, cramping their experience, stultifying their actions, and depriving themselves of the power of the Holy Spirit.

They were like adults putting themselves under rules made for children.

The liberty spoken of here does not refer to the kind of life a person lives, neither does it refer to one's words and actions, it has to do with the method by which the believer lives their life.

The Judaizers lived their lives by dependence upon self-effort in an attempt to be viewed as righteous through their obedience to the law.

The Galatian Christians had been living in dependence upon the indwelling Holy Spirit. Their minds had been occupied with the Lord Jesus, the details of their lives being guided by the doctrinal and practical principles that came from the teaching of the apostle Paul.

In moving over to law, they were giving up that freedom of action and the flexibility of self-determination which one exercises in the doing of what is right, when it is done, not because the law demands it, but because it is in accord with the words of TLJC, and because of personal love for Him.

It is this freedom that Paul is commanding them to keep on standing fast in. Freedom from law as a means of righteousness.

Gal 5:1; The Greek word translated "keep on standing" is "stekete" is the second person present active imperative of "steko".

This word is also used in 1Cor 16:13; Phil 4:1 and 2Thes 2:15;

The TDNT Vol 7 page 637 says the following regarding "steko"

The standing of the Christian community is given to it in faith. Paul in his admonition is repeating the familiar play on words of Isa 7:9: "If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established." In faith man attains to the position which allows him to stand firm. This standing does not result from secular securities such as health, power, property, or connections. It is based on the transcendent God on whose promise faith is fixed. It is here that human existence finds its foundation and establishment. This phenomenon, familiar in the OT from Isaiah and fundamental to the NT.

In the NT the divine promise on which faith is fixed and which gives man his basis is spoken to man in Jesus Christ. Hence Paul can also give the admonition: Phil 4:1; To stand in faith is to stand in the Lord, for faith looks to the Lord and unites with Him.

It is the Lord who establishes one's standing, and the one who stands in Him is established by TLJC and receives from Him the standing which is given to him as faith by God's saving work in Jesus Christ; those who stand in TLJC then have to listen to the Lord and follow Him to persist in that standing.

Gal 5:1; The Greek word translated " not be subject again" is "enechesthe the present passive imperative of "enecho" along with the negative particle "me".

It means to be under the control of, or burdened by a hostile force. It is used of those who are held in a net or trap or ethical law, dogma, or emotional restriction upon their liberty, such that they are unable to free themselves.

 

© Copyright 2007, Michael Lemmon Bible Ministries. World Rights Reserved.  This document was created on 9/28/2008