Galatians 5:13-21: a reflection

13For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. 14For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another. 16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, 20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, 21envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

Paul reminds the Galatians that they were called to freedom, but warns that this freedom is not a license for self-indulgence; rather, it is a freedom to serve one another in love. You were called for freedom, Paul says; only don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. Christian freedom is real: we are freed from the law's condemnation, freed in Christ. But this freedom is not meant as a license to indulge the flesh, to do whatever our sinful desires want; it is a freedom to love and serve one another. The whole law, Paul adds, is fulfilled in loving your neighbor as yourself. True Christian freedom expresses itself not in self-indulgence but in loving service. This shows that Christian freedom is not license for self-indulgence, but freedom to serve in love. Christian freedom is not license for the flesh, but freedom to serve in love. Do not use your freedom for self-indulgence, but to love and serve others. True freedom expresses itself in loving service, not self-indulgence. Freedom in Christ frees us to love, not to indulge the flesh.

Notice the crucial distinction Paul draws about Christian freedom. We are truly called to freedom; freed in Christ from the law's condemnation, from bondage. But Paul warns against a misuse of this freedom: using it as an opportunity for the flesh, as a license to indulge our sinful desires, to do whatever we want. That is not what our freedom is for. Rather, Paul says, through love serve one another; and he adds that the whole law is fulfilled in loving our neighbor as ourselves. Our freedom in Christ is not a freedom from all obligation to do as we please, but a freedom to love and serve, released from bondage in order to love. This corrects a misunderstanding we can easily fall into. We can think that Christian freedom means we can now do whatever we want, indulge our desires, live for ourselves; but this is to use freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, which Paul warns against. True freedom in Christ frees us not to indulge ourselves, but to love and serve others, which is the fulfillment of the law. The paradox is that this freedom expresses itself in becoming servants of one another through love. We do well to use our freedom rightly, not for self-indulgence, but to love and serve others. Use your freedom to love and serve, not to indulge the flesh. Christian freedom frees us to love, not to do as we please. True freedom expresses itself in loving service to others. Do not misuse freedom as license for self-indulgence.

That is worth taking to heart, for Christian freedom is not a license for self-indulgence but a freedom to love and serve one another, and we do well to use our freedom rightly. We can think Christian freedom means doing whatever we want, indulging our desires; but Paul warns against using freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, and calls us instead to serve one another through love. Freedom frees us to love. Do not misuse your freedom as license for self-indulgence; use it to love and serve others, as Christ has freed you to do. Use your freedom not as a license for self-indulgence but to love and serve one another, as Paul reminded the Galatians that they were called to freedom but warned them not to use their freedom as an opportunity for the flesh but through love to be servants to one another, adding that the whole law is fulfilled in loving your neighbor as yourself; for Christian freedom is real, since we are freed in Christ from the law's condemnation and from bondage, but this freedom is not meant as a license to indulge the flesh and do whatever our sinful desires want but as a freedom to love and serve one another, so that true Christian freedom expresses itself not in self-indulgence but in loving service, which corrects a misunderstanding we can easily fall into, thinking that Christian freedom means we can now do whatever we want and live for ourselves, which is to use freedom as an opportunity for the flesh that Paul warns against, since true freedom in Christ frees us not to indulge ourselves but to love and serve others, the fulfillment of the law, so that the paradox is that this freedom expresses itself in becoming servants of one another through love, and we do well to use our freedom rightly, not for self-indulgence but to love and serve others.

Lord, Paul reminds the Galatians that they were called to freedom, but warns that this freedom is not a license for self-indulgence; rather, it is a freedom to serve one another in love. You were called for freedom, Paul says; only don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. Christian freedom is real: I am freed from the law's condemnation, freed in Christ. But this freedom is not meant as a license to indulge the flesh, to do whatever my sinful desires want; it is a freedom to love and serve one another. The whole law, Paul adds, is fulfilled in loving my neighbor as myself. True Christian freedom expresses itself not in self-indulgence but in loving service. Show me the crucial distinction Paul draws about Christian freedom. I am truly called to freedom; freed in Christ from the law's condemnation. But Paul warns against a misuse of this freedom: using it as an opportunity for the flesh, as a license to indulge my sinful desires. That is not what my freedom is for. Rather, through love serve one another. My freedom in Christ is not a freedom to do as I please, but a freedom to love and serve, released from bondage in order to love. This corrects a misunderstanding I can easily fall into. I can think that Christian freedom means I can now do whatever I want, indulge my desires, live for myself; but this is to use freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. True freedom frees me not to indulge myself, but to love and serve others. Take that to my heart, for Christian freedom is not a license for self-indulgence but a freedom to love and serve. Keep me from misusing my freedom as license for self-indulgence, thinking I can do whatever I want; help me use it to love and serve others, Lord, as Christ has freed me to do, expressing my freedom in loving service rather than in indulging the flesh.