Galatians 5:13-15 | Opportunity For Love
13For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
-Galatians 5:13-15 BSB
-Galatians 5:13-15 BSB
There is an old Christian metal band that I grew up listening too. The band is called Stryper. They have a song released in 1986 called "Free." Whenever the subject of freedom comes up, this song echoes in my mind. The chorus goes like this:
You're free
Free to do what you want to
Choose your own destiny
Free to do what you want to
This brings up a very important perspective on how we view freedom. The song addresses how you have the freedom to choose Christ or the freedom to deny Him. As Paul discusses freedom in Galatians 5 it isn't far from what Stryper is getting at here.
When we think of freedom, culturally speaking, we think it means that we are okay and enabled to do whatever we want to do. Even as free citizens in the United States we can find that any degree of restriction or boundary inhibits our so called freedom.
We may truly be free from sin, from the law, and to walk in the Spirit. But now that we are free we should not use that freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Let me give an example for what this looks like. If I were to explain to a believer how they are free from the penalty of sin and that blood of Jesus cleanses them from their sin and they take it as license to sin since they will be forgiven, that is opportunity to the flesh. Let's try a less severe example. We understand that we are free from our sin and that Jesus is all in all. Given the freedom we have, we choose to spend our time investing in ourselves or our own lives. Perhaps we spend extra time watching movies or TV. Maybe we indulge into lounging and more relaxation. Perhaps our attention simply dwells on how we can better improve our own lives. Paul is encouraging that the focus of our freedom is not given to our flesh. Instead the focus of our freedom is to walk in love. Since your sins are forgiven and you are free from the obligation of the law, then you have no further need to concern for yourself in those matters. Use the freedom to love your neighbor. Use that freedom to love the Lord your God.
How should you use your freedom today?
You're free
Free to do what you want to
Choose your own destiny
Free to do what you want to
This brings up a very important perspective on how we view freedom. The song addresses how you have the freedom to choose Christ or the freedom to deny Him. As Paul discusses freedom in Galatians 5 it isn't far from what Stryper is getting at here.
When we think of freedom, culturally speaking, we think it means that we are okay and enabled to do whatever we want to do. Even as free citizens in the United States we can find that any degree of restriction or boundary inhibits our so called freedom.
We may truly be free from sin, from the law, and to walk in the Spirit. But now that we are free we should not use that freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Let me give an example for what this looks like. If I were to explain to a believer how they are free from the penalty of sin and that blood of Jesus cleanses them from their sin and they take it as license to sin since they will be forgiven, that is opportunity to the flesh. Let's try a less severe example. We understand that we are free from our sin and that Jesus is all in all. Given the freedom we have, we choose to spend our time investing in ourselves or our own lives. Perhaps we spend extra time watching movies or TV. Maybe we indulge into lounging and more relaxation. Perhaps our attention simply dwells on how we can better improve our own lives. Paul is encouraging that the focus of our freedom is not given to our flesh. Instead the focus of our freedom is to walk in love. Since your sins are forgiven and you are free from the obligation of the law, then you have no further need to concern for yourself in those matters. Use the freedom to love your neighbor. Use that freedom to love the Lord your God.
How should you use your freedom today?
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January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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