Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Galatians 5 Devotional

Free to Serve in Love

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.”Galatians 5:1 (BSB)

Christ has set his people free, and Paul urges them to stand firm and not take up the yoke of slavery again (5:1). For the Galatians, that yoke was circumcision required for acceptance. Those relying on the law to be justified, Paul warns, are cut off from Christ and have fallen away from grace (5:4). In Christ what matters is faith working itself out through love (5:6).

But freedom is not permission to indulge the flesh, Paul's word for our sinful nature. It is freedom to serve one another in love, which sums up the whole law (5:13-14). The flesh leads to immorality, idolatry, hatred, rivalry and envy (5:19-21). The Spirit produces something different: love, joy and peace, patience and kindness, and the rest of the list through self-control (5:22-23). He calls them fruit, not achievements. They grow from the Spirit's life in believers, and those who belong to Christ have already crucified the flesh (5:24). Since the Spirit has given us life, we can keep in step with him (5:25).

To think about: Where is your freedom in Christ inviting you to serve someone in love this week rather than serve yourself?

About Galatians 5: Freedom and the Fruit of the Spirit

Christ has set believers free, so they must not submit again to slavery, since relying on circumcision cuts them off from Christ. Freedom is not license for the flesh but an opportunity to serve in love, as believers walk by the Spirit and bear his fruit.

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