Follow the Spirit in freedom

Galatians 5:13-26 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. ¹⁴ For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, ²⁰ idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well. ²⁶ Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Yesterday’s text and meditation focused on the verse, It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. We saw that we have been set free from the Law, from sin and from death. Today’s text continues saying: You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus says: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.” It isn’t that Paul is eliminating or neglecting what Jesus says is the first and great commandment, it is that as 1 John 4:19 says: We love, because He first loved us. Our ability to love and our capacity to love others is predicated on the fact that God first loved us. It is in response to God’s love, which as Romans 5:8 says, was demonstrated in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us, that we first love God with all of our heart, soul and mind. Only then can we love others as we ourselves have been loved.

Our freedom in Christ is predicated on the first and great commandment, that we love God. If that is true, then we cannot use our freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. In John 14:15 Jesus says: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  The text says: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. It is not just Paul’s doctrine which says those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. In Matthew 7:13-14;21-23 Jesus says:  “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it… Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”  In John 14:6 Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Jesus is the narrow way. He is the only way.

In John 16:13 Jesus says: “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”  The Holy Spirit will not only guide us into all truth, He will guide us in all that we say and do. The Holy Spirit will enable and empower us to walk in the freedom and the way of Christ. The text says: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well. 

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, thank You for freedom. Thank You for Your love. Thank You that You guide me, enable me and empower me to walk in Your way. Amen.