Paul has been strongly coming after the Galatians that they should not seek circumcision… Why? Because when a person is circumcised they are binding themselves to follow the whole Law and if we are seeking God through the Law then we are not seeking Him through faith!
If we are operating through faith then we are free… Freedom in Christ is a beautiful and wonderful gift from God. Sometimes, however, people misunderstand our freedom, thinking we are free to sin and God will just forgive us. While He will always forgive confessed sin, our freedom is freedom to love and freedom to serve. We are no longer bound by the enemy and we are no longer bound to sin. We have been set free to love and serve. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love (13).
The chapter closes with a beautiful expression of our freedom… living into the fruit of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (22-23). We are free to live this way… Oh that I would live into my freedom.
How different our world would be if all Christ-followers lived this way…
Oh, Lord, help me to indulge true freedom… to lavish love on others, to live with joy overflowing through me, to live at peace with You and others no matter the circumstances. It is for freedom that I have been set free. May I live fully free. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment