Galatians 5:1, 13 (ESV) — 1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm
therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. . . .
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom
as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
NOTE: Through four
chapters now, Paul has attacked the idea that a believer in Jesus Christ is
required to do something in addition to putting his faith in Christ. He has
argued vigorously and emotionally, that our merit is completely determined by
Jesus' finished work on the cross. We are now adopted sons, children of the
king, children of God. Unlike the commonly held myth, we are not all children
of God by virtue of creation--the bible does not say that. Our standing as sons
of God was obtained by Jesus. We are loved completely. We cannot lose that
love, just as a child cannot lose their parent's love no matter how foolish
their actions. But our freedom, which is
true freedom, can be loss. When we think we can gain God's favor by our
actions, we risk becoming a slave to rules and acceptance. We can certainly
please God by our behavior, but he cannot love us anymore than he does now.
Otherwise, Jesus' death was not complete. But it was complete. The flesh may try
to take advantage of God's love to encourage sin. That is a battle that we will
have until we die and are released from this sinful flesh. Paul discusses the
issue in more detail in Romans. Since, we are completely loved by God and not
in worry of losing that love, we can love others in the same way. We can serve
and sacrifice, not for God's approval but in true, sincere love. This is
important, because we are only here on earth for our witness and God's glory,
and Jesus said that the world will know we are Christians by our love (not by
our church, or our rules, but by our love for one another).
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