BEING THE LIGHT: Daily Reading Plan #5
Galatians 5:13-25
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Paul begins chapter 5 by stating flatly that Christ has set us free in order that we should be free. Freedom, though, requires resistance against a return to bondage. Those in Christ must stand firm against anyone who would try to drag them into slavery under the law (Galatians 5:1).
Paul then turns his focus to another way Christians might waste the freedom Christ has won for us. Some might think that since they have already been forgiven for their sin and justified by faith in Christ, what would keep them from indulging in all their sinful desires? That's not what our freedom in Christ is for. Instead, we should use our freedom to serve each other in love (Galatians 5:13–15).
But how can we overcome our sinful desires and focus on serving others? We can only do so by the power of God's Spirit, given to us when we trusted in Christ for our salvation. The Spirit of God is powerful and gives believers the supernatural ability to love as Christ does instead of serving self. The battle for Christians is to allow the Spirit to lead instead of shutting Him down to go our own way. Our own way always leads to sin and then to destruction. Paul provides a list of sinful lifestyles. Those who live in that way without ever turning back should not think that they are in Christ. They will not inherit God's kingdom along with those who have God's Spirit (Galatians 5:16–21).
Then Paul offers a second list. This one reveals what comes out of those who allow God's Spirit to lead the way. It is one "fruit" with nine characteristics: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
By definition, those who trust in Christ's death for their sin on the cross have made the choice to crucify their sinful desires along with Him. That doesn't mean we'll never sin again, but it does mean that when we keep in step with God's Spirit we don't need to sin. In that way, we have been freed from sin's power, as well as its penalty (Galatians 5:22–25).
Reflection Questions
- What do these verses reveal about living as lights in the world?
- How are you called to live as a result of recognizing the difference between living in the flesh and living in the spirit?
