Free... do what I want?
Galatians 5:1-15 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
[2] Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. [3] Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is required to obey the whole law. [4] You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. [5] But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. [6] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
[7] You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? [8] That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. [9] "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." [10] I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. [11] Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offence of the cross has been abolished. [12] As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
[13] You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. [14] The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbour as yourself." [15] If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Now Paul changes the ground he is arguing on a little. He begins to ask how can you tell if someone is living according to faith and not the Law? Because they have love in their lives. That is all that matters, that is all the evidence we need to show that we have been transformed from within. That love comes from the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. It is not enough that we believe the right things, but that it changes us to live a righteous life.
This is an important transformation. Paul’s opponents have been arguing that by discarding the Law, people will live lives dishonouring to God. Paul is telling people here that although we are freed from the obligations and rituals of the Law (1), this does not give us license to do as we please (13). We have not to indulge the sinful nature. We have not to say that Christ died for my sins, so I may as well make it worth his while by racking up as many of them as I can. No, Jesus is Lord of my life as well as saviour, and he died so I could be free to serve him, and to show this by loving others.
I have been set free from the Law. No longer is my time, energy and devotion put into falling rules and regulations. Instead I am free to serve my brothers and sisters, pouring my soul, creativity and energy into loving them and following Jesus.
And, as Paul will go on to tell us, we have been set free from our sinful nature, from the voices, patterns of behaviour, thoughts and actions which pull as away from Jesus. Because, by faith, we live with the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts, and He transforms us day to day to be like Jesus.
What does it mean to have love in your life? What evidence is there in your life that you are being guided by love? What about in the life of your faith community? How does this impact on those it touches, inside and outside of our churches?
[2] Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. [3] Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is required to obey the whole law. [4] You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. [5] But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. [6] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
[7] You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? [8] That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. [9] "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." [10] I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. [11] Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offence of the cross has been abolished. [12] As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
[13] You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. [14] The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbour as yourself." [15] If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Now Paul changes the ground he is arguing on a little. He begins to ask how can you tell if someone is living according to faith and not the Law? Because they have love in their lives. That is all that matters, that is all the evidence we need to show that we have been transformed from within. That love comes from the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. It is not enough that we believe the right things, but that it changes us to live a righteous life.
This is an important transformation. Paul’s opponents have been arguing that by discarding the Law, people will live lives dishonouring to God. Paul is telling people here that although we are freed from the obligations and rituals of the Law (1), this does not give us license to do as we please (13). We have not to indulge the sinful nature. We have not to say that Christ died for my sins, so I may as well make it worth his while by racking up as many of them as I can. No, Jesus is Lord of my life as well as saviour, and he died so I could be free to serve him, and to show this by loving others.
I have been set free from the Law. No longer is my time, energy and devotion put into falling rules and regulations. Instead I am free to serve my brothers and sisters, pouring my soul, creativity and energy into loving them and following Jesus.
And, as Paul will go on to tell us, we have been set free from our sinful nature, from the voices, patterns of behaviour, thoughts and actions which pull as away from Jesus. Because, by faith, we live with the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts, and He transforms us day to day to be like Jesus.
What does it mean to have love in your life? What evidence is there in your life that you are being guided by love? What about in the life of your faith community? How does this impact on those it touches, inside and outside of our churches?
posted by Gordon at
8:06 am
1 Comments:
[15] If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
It seems (to me at least) that the Galatians were having these disputes among each other in the open, that they couldn't focus on anything else (?) because the disputes were consuming them. Sometimes I wonder if we devour each other in a more covert way, by general tearing each other down by being nippy/moany with or about each other. I know that for me because I have a cowardly streak it is not normally to someones face but I just get annnoyed at this or that and let off steam to someone else. I've really been challenged about this lately and am trying with God's help to move away from it. But it really it really upsets me that as Christians we are doing this.... Then I start devouring us about devouring each other. You can't moan about people moaning without being a hypocrite! But maybe although what was going on with the Galations was more fundamental Paul had the right idea. He was telling those directly involved not to do it any more. Maybe we need to challenge each other not to tear each other down (individually or as groups). Hmm, I think I first need to sort myself out - the whole plank/speck thing. Lets pray for each other to be able to do this, because none of us can do this alone.
I guess as the passage suggests, if we love each other with the love we recieve from God, this will work itself out! Maybe that is the prayer we actually need to be praying that we would Love our neighbour as ourselves (unless we moan about ourselves - which is a different topic again).
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Louise, at 9:32 am
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