Free Bible Commentary
“Galatians 5:13-15”
Categories: Galatians“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”
---End of Scripture verses---
Paul was actually battling two extreme errors in his letter to the Galatian Christians. There was an element among the brethren who wanted to “bind” and “enslave” them to strict keeping of parts of the Law of Moses. To those brethren Paul stressed the importance of the “liberty” and “freedom” that faith in Christ Jesus provided them. On the other end of the spectrum were the brethren who endeavored to use their “freedom” as a license for loose living. Paul warned this element to not turn their “freedom into an opportunity for the flesh” (verse 13). There was likely even a convergence of these two mindsets.
The liberty that God offers through faith in Christ is not a “green light” to do just as we please. The Lord offered himself up for us to provide freedom FROM sin, not freedom TO sin. God’s salvation is a gift that cannot be received by “faith only” or “belief only”. God’s indescribable gift obligates us to live righteous lives in obedience to His commandments, and to “serve one another” in love. All of God’s laws that govern our behavior toward our fellow human beings are fulfilled when we love our neighbor as we love our self (verse 14).
What some of the churches of Christ in the region of Galatia were going through, unfortunately, is the same thing that some congregations experience in America still today. They were “biting and devouring” one another instead of loving and edifying each other. Instead of putting on the whole armor of God and taking the battle to the enemy, they were more interested in fighting each other like feral animals. When Christians insult and degrade one another, and spread and listen to gossip and vicious rumors about each other, no one wins but the adversary. If not corrected in a timely manner, congregations and immortal souls are “consumed” by this type of carnal warfare (verse 15).
Let’s remember Paul’s admonition in Galatians 6:10 - “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”
Please read Galatians 5:16-26 for tomorrow.
Lord willing we will actually spend a couple of days on these remarkable verses.
Have a great day!
-Louie Taylor
