Galatians 5:1-15 Freedom in Christ
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth? Such persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough. I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.
Now, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those who are agitating you, I wish they would proceed to emasculate themselves!
For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.”
Nobody can hurt you like religious people can! When Paul preached to the Galatians, revival broke out, miracles occurred, people repented, and wonderful things began happening. The Galatian made a wonderful start, but now these manipulative teachers have shown up, trying to undermine Paul’s teachings.
Paul is trying to encourage the Galatians to find new freedom in Christ from pagan practices and traditional Jewish practices; meanwhile, false teachers and promoters of Judaism have popped up, demanding that the new believers must follow all the Mosaic Law. These people are even demanding that male believers should undergo circumcision as a sign of their commitment. This controversy has become so heated that people are taking sides, “biting and devouring one another.”
While Paul isn’t certain of the names of these false teachers, he is so furious that he wishes they would castrate themselves rather than leading new believers astray! So much for those who would like to tone down Paul’s statements. When it comes to heresy, Paul doesn’t play nice.
Why is Paul so agitated? Paul wants the new believers to realize that once Jesus has sacrificed his blood for their sins, they have been freed from the need to observe rituals such as circumcision. (The practice of circumcision was not necessarily confined to the Jews; however, it certainly marked Jewish men at a time when young men exercised in the nude at the gymnasium.)
“For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.” Paul wants the new believers to realize that while Jesus has set them free from observing rituals, that freedom comes at the prices of being responsible. Believers need to behave lovingly toward one another, not criticizing and destroying one another. Paul knows that outsiders are more than willing to persecute Christians in any manner possible, so Christians must come together in love, rather than fragmenting into schisms.
When pursuing holiness, we must be careful to avoid senseless practices that do not help. When I was a small child, we were careful when walking on cement sidewalks to avoid cracks. We chanted, “Step on a crack, and break your mother’s back.” Since none of us wished to harm our mothers, we avoided cracks. Some religious practices make no more sense than that childish practice. But there is another aspect to holiness-love for our neighbors.
It was said of the Christians in ancient Antioch that people were amazed at how much they loved one another. Sadly, there are many churches where brotherly love is in short supply while criticism abounds. How can we possibly approach a holy, righteous, and loving God if we are unwilling to love His children, no matter their appearance? Later in this same chapter of Galatians, Paul will state that love is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Few things will drive the Holy Spirit away faster than hatred and back biting.
“But,” you ask, “how can we love unlovable people?” Good question! Some people are quite lovable while others are not. Personally, I have found this prayer most helpful. “Lord Jesus, I don’t know what to think about ___________. I die to my own imaginations about that person. Please give me Your mind about him/her.” You can also pray this prayer over situations, again confessing that you have no wisdom or insight and begging God to give you His Mind about it. Such prayers are not religious gamesmanship, but practical steps toward holiness. They work. Why not try it now?
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are struggling to love ____________ and we have failed. Please give us Your Mind about them and help us to love them as You do. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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