“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. ² Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. ⁴ For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. ⁵ But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. ⁶ For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. ⁷ You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? ⁸ It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. ⁹ This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough!¹⁰ I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you. ¹¹ Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. ¹² I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves. ¹³ For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. ¹⁴ For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.” Galatians 5:1-15 NLT

 

Truths in Galatians to Ponder:

• By faith in Jesus alone is someone made acceptable to God
• No one can be acceptable to God by observing the law
• The Galatians were falling in to the trap of legalism
• Paul makes the point in chapters 1-4, that Jesus is the fulfillment of law. He is pleading with them to not go back to the law to be right with God.
• Love is better than the law because love summarizes the law

 

“For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” Galatians 5:6

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. ¹⁴ For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14

 

“One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” ²⁹ Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. ³⁰ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31 NLT

(Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18)

 

• Loving God & being loved by God satisfies our deepest desires
• Loving your neighbor as yourself solves every problem in human relationships

Through the Gospel we have been setfree to loveGod and others with all we have and all we are.

 

How do I Love God with All I am and All I Have?

(Heart) I value Him above all else (Exodus 20:3-4, 1 John 5:21)

(Soul) I live with eternity in mind (Matthew 16:27, Ecclesiastes 7:2)

(Mind) I think about Him often (Romans 12:2)

(Strength) I loveGod by giving Him and others the best of my time and energy (John 13:15)

 

• We love God by how we love others
• Do God and others get my best or my left overs?
• Loving God and others will require a change in my life style and choices

-Choose to love unconditionally(John 13:34-35)

-Choose servanthoodand humility(John 13:4-5)

-Choose to forgive(John 13:11, Colossians 3:13)