For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. Galatians 5:13 NABRE
Paul is concerned for the Christians in Galatia as they witnessed false teachers. These teachers were spreading a false gospel which was a mixture of Law and grace. Paul writes to address this false gospel. Focusing on our quoted verse, Paul is speaking about freedom. Christians are called to liberty. God has given all freedom to choose, anything. However freedom offers two extremes, freedom as license to do whatever we want, or believers going fully the other way and imposing Law on everyone to correct this license. True Christian freedom is somewhere in between complete license and legalism. The Christian is free from guilt of sin, free from the penalty of sin and free from the power of sin. The Christian is also free from the Law with its demands and threats. We are called to freedom because of the grace of Christ. But this does not mean the Christian should act selfishly and use this freedom to have complete license to do anything they desire. Paul teaches true freedom is not a license to sin but an opportunity to serve. This leads to Paul’s command in the quoted verse, serve one another through love. If we have freedom and add love we live to serve others. If we have freedom and do not love we take license which leads to slavery of sin.
The amazing thing about love is it takes care of all law. If you love your neighbor as yourself, there is nothing you will do to your neighbor that could be considered breaking the law. By loving your neighbor you never take advantage of them, sin against them, or steal from them. Through our freedom we are free to love and thus live to serve one another.
How do you exercise freedom? Do you lean toward too much freedom?
Paul teaches true freedom is not a license to sin but an opportunity to serve. This leads to Paul’s command in the quoted verse, serve one another through love. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity#dailybibleverse @youversion#BeAnEncourager #freedom #serve #Paul#everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist#jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion#biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse#verseoftheday #pray #prayer #goodnews#loveeachother #godisgreat #bocaraton#youversion #everythingalways