Called to Be Free

Galatians 5:13-26

"Called to be Free" vs. 13-15

Paul has been discussing freedom in Christ since the start of chapter 5. Once more, he reminds the Galatian Christians that they were called to be free. Paul had a tremendous concern for the spiritual freedom of these young Christians. He was very worried that all of his efforts on their behalf would be in vain if they allowed themselves to be enslaved by the legalists. Circumcision was the most readily observable teaching of the Judaizing teachers. Their emphasis on this sign of the covenant was what they were known for.

Having spent half of the chapter making his argument for freedom in Christ, Paul now goes to other side of the coin. He warns the Galatians not to use their freedom as a cover for sin. I remember hearing Rick Atchley say he was concerned that many Christians today have exchanged freedom from legalism for license.

Paul knew how God's grace and mercy set us free from legalism. But he also knew that grace was never intended to encourage license. In fact, grace properly understood is the most powerful motivator possible for right living. It is the spiritually immature who mistakenly think that freedom from legalism allows them to have freedom for license. LaGard Smith likes to say, "We are a people of the pendulum." Truer words were never spoken. Finding a healthy balance between the extremes is our challenge, as it was for the Galatians.

The alternative to legalism is not license. It is, as Paul states in verse 13, to "serve one another in love." Then, he sums up the law in one simple statement, "Love your neighbor as yourself." This simple statement occurs only one time in all of the Old Testament; Leviticus 19:18. The statement is repeated here in Galatians 5 as well as eight other times in the New Testament. Why do you think Paul chooses this one short statement as the summation of the law? He could have chosen a statement emphasizing the vertical, instead of the horizontal. He could have focused on loving God as the summation of the law. Yet, he chose loving one's neighbor as the summation of the law. Why do you think that is?

Next, Paul gives a warning about un-neighborly conduct and its result. Two un-neighborly actions...biting and devouring...result in a very ungodly result...mutual destruction. Do you remember the book with the catchy title: Don't Shoot, We May Both Be on the Same Side? I never read the book, but I could never forget the title. During the Cold War, it was the threat of mutually assured destruction that kept everyone's fingers off of the nuclear missile buttons. Almost 2000 years ago, Paul talked about mutually assured destruction among Christians. The formula is simple: bite and devour one another. Why is it that we have not learned the lesson that Paul was trying to teach the Galatians so long ago? Biting and devouring has become the stock and trade of some Christians today. Regularly, you see Christians being written up in bulletins and newsletters. Do we never learn?!

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