Galatians 5 - not liberty, but love (true, wise love)

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)

Believers were no longer bound by the Law; does that mean they should indulge in food, music and make merry?

We have a freedom of worship, but do we use it to indulge our flesh? When we really get down to the bottom of it, are we really worshipping (prostrating) Him, or are we simply satisfying our lust?

Do we have a reverent outward appearance, but a godless inner being?

But through love serve one another.

What is love?

Love is when you refrain from doing something that will cause more hurt (in the long run) than good to the other person.

Love involves wisdom to discern what should be done, and what should not be done, even what you perceive is good.

Love is helping the person to grow in the Lord, and closer to the heart of Jesus; not only closer to you yourself.

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. (1 Cor 10:23)

It's true - we are free, made free by the blood of Christ.
But don't forget the debt of love that we owe (Romans 13:8).

Galatians 4 - speaking the truth in love

Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? (Galatians 4:16)

These words left a buzzing feeling in me after reading them.

From what we have read from verses 12 to 15, Apostle Paul apparently had quite a good relationship with the believers at Galatia. In fact, it was such a intimate one that they were even willing to pluck out their own eyes for Paul (Gal 4:15)!

Yet, when they faced issues concerning the truth, we see that even close ties can come to nothing.

Which, in a way, is good, because we should never use relationships to decide the Truth.

In this context, however, we see how sometimes the Truth may hurt and cause even those we were once so close with to depart from us.

There will be times when someone close to us has made a mistake and we will be wondering if we should be frank with the person, and how to.

Sometimes, the closer you are to the person, the harder it is to open your mouth. We all like status quo - what if it ruins our current friendship?

But the Bible exhorts us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

The outcome of that? The church will grow and be built up in love (Ephesians 4:16).

I believe Apostle Paul had that in mind when he wrote the epistle to correct their wrong teachings.

It was not easy to rebuke someone close like that.

But when we do it in love, then we have no worries. Because we are not doing it to feed our pride, but we are doing it, knowing that we are only trying to do our part to build up the Body of Christ in love.

Speak the truth.
In love,
and Humility.

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I particularly had new insights with regards to Galatians 4:21-31. I like how Paul used the two covenants to bring across his point that the law cannot save but, rather, bind us.