GALATIANS 5:1-15
GALATIANS 5:1-15
New International Version
5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
13 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. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
GALATIANS 5:13
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.
REFLECTION
What do you do with your freedom? The truth is that with freedom comes a choice: you are free to serve or free to sin. We are free to live in a way that draws others closer to the heart of God, exemplifying Christ-like humility, grace, and mercy to one another. On the other hand, we are also free to sin, which is no real freedom at all, and seeks only to satisfy the desires of the flesh. This battle between the flesh and the spirit rages in us all. Reliance on the Holy Spirit for guidance in our lives is the only way to combat the flesh.
RESPONSE
How have you chosen to use the freedom you have in Christ?
Do you find it easy or difficult to know what the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do? If you find it difficult, spend some time in prayer and ask God to help you see His will for your life in a clearer way.