Take Care to Serve One Another

Reading

Gal 5:13-15 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”

Introduction

in Galatians 5:13-15 Paul is seeking to convince the believers that the Law has no power to restrain the sinful flesh, and in fact the more one attempts to overcome the sinful flesh by keeping the Law, the more deeply enslaved one becomes to the sinful nature.

It is for certain that the LAW has no power to keep the flesh in check. The OLD sin nature will be with us till we see Jesus face to face.

One of the most challenging things in the world is to use freedom in the appropriate way, we also dont appreciate freedom when we have it but a person certainly know when you dont have it.

The main verse in Galatians are Galatians 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

In verse 1 Paul is commanding the Galatian Believers to stand firm in the freedom that Christ set them free in. They have to stand firm against the legalist teachings of the Judiazers, that wants to be slaves to the law of man.

Outline

A. Freedom For Serving one another v13

a) One another because I am free from the law v1

b) One another because I am free v13

c) One another because I am free from using grace a licence to sin. v13

B. When we are Failing one another v15

a) Opportunity for the flesh v13

b) Bite and Devour one another v15

c) Consume one another v15

C. Freedom fulfilling the whole law v14

a) Fulfilling the whole law v14

b) Love God

c) Love one another as self v14

A. Freedom For Serving one another v13

Gal 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

were called

verb, aorist, passive, indicative, second person, plural | finite verb

serve

verb, present, active, imperative, second person, plural | finite verb

a)Serving One another because I am free from the law v1

Gal 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

1 Pet 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

b) Serving One another because I am free v13

Gal 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Were CALLED to FREEDOM

For you were called to freedom, brethren - To freedom you were called. This repeats Paul's point in Galatians 5:1+. God's call to the pagan Galatians was a call to salvation, a call from bondage to sin, death, Satan and a call to freedom in Christ to live a brand new manner of life only possible as they were enabled by the Spirit. Yes, believers are free from the Law. They are not free to live lawless, but enabled by the Spirit to live lawfully (not legalistically) and lovingly.

For you were called to freedom, brethren - To freedom you were called. This repeats Paul's point in Galatians 5:1+. God's call to the pagan Galatians was a call to salvation, a call from bondage to sin, death, Satan and a call to freedom in Christ to live a brand new manner of life only possible as they were enabled by the Spirit. Yes, believers are free from the Law. They are not free to live lawless, but enabled by the Spirit to live lawfully (not legalistically) and lovingly.

Guzik adds that "Because the context focuses on the way we treat one another, Paul has in mind using our freedom in a way that tramples on the toes of others... It is easy to think liberty is “the right to sin,” or “the privilege to do whatever evil my heart wants to do.” Instead, this liberty is the Spirit-given desire and ability to do what we should do before God."

c) Serving One another because I am free from using grace a licence to sin. v13

Gal 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Opportunity for the flesh:

Liberty should result in love, not legalism or license adds that "Because the context focuses on the way we treat one another, Paul has in mind using our freedom in a way that tramples on the toes of others... It is easy to think liberty is “the right to sin,” or “the privilege to do whatever evil my heart wants to do.” Instead, this liberty is the Spirit-given desire and ability to do what we should do before God."

Liberty should result in love, not legalism or license

B. When we are Failing one-another v15

Gal 5:15 “But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”

You bite

verb, present, active, indicative, second person, plural | finite verb

devour

verb, present, active, indicative, second person, plural | finite verb

Take care

verb, present, active, imperative, second person, plural | finite verb

Consumed

verb, aorist, passive, subjunctive, second person, plural | finite verb

GWN Galatians 5:15 But if you criticize and attack each other, be careful that you don't destroy each other.

The believers in Galatia were failing miserably at serving and loving one another

a) Opportunity for the flesh v13

Gal 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

b) Bite and Devour one another v15

Gal 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

if you bite and devour one another - The "if" introduces a first class conditional statement which means that this disruptive, destructive interactions was beginning to take place in the Body of Christ. What does this tell us about the believers in Galatia? They were beginning to go back under the Law. How do we know? Because biting and devouring one another is typical of the behavior of saints who have begun to try to be sanctified (set apart progressively) by keeping the Law. The problem of course is that the Law cannot restrain the flesh. Legalism has absolutely no power to hold down the lusts of the flesh. Circumcision, ceremonies, new moons, festivals, feast days, etc, has no impact on one's hearts; and dear reader they (or reliance of things like them - baptism, church membership, keeping a list of do's and don't's, etc) will not have any impact on your new life in Christ either. To be sanctified you don't go back to the Law, for the Law focuses on our external behavior. Instead, you need to learn to walk by the Spirit which Paul in fact commands (it is an absolute necessity to live a victorious Christian life) in Gal 5:16. It is ONLY by the enabling supernatural power of the Holy Spirit that one can defeat the desires of the flesh that result in things like biting and devouring one another! conflict and disunity are probably most common in legalistic churches. That shouldn’t surprise us, because you can't have your focus on serving and loving people if you're constantly concerned with rules and regulations and who is failing to obey them. It’s not an accident that the legalistic Pharisees were Jesus’ greatest enemies.

Describing wild animals killing a prey.

The verbs bite and devour were "two common and old verbs often used together of wild animals, or like cats and dogs. So the imagery is of wild animals savagely attacking and killing each other—a graphic picture of what happens in the spiritual realm when believers do not love and serve each other."

c) Consume one another v15

Gal 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Other ways we fail one another:

The first two NEW Testament missionaries had disagreement

Acts 15:39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

We evaluate each other based upon our obedience to law

Rom 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.

We are boastful and challenge one another

Gal 5:26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying

We lie to one-another

Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

Eph 4:25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another

We are hateful towards one-another - Our old lifestyle

Titus 3:3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another

C. Freedom fulfilling the whole law v14

Gal 5:14 “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

is fulfilled

verb, perfect, passive, indicative, third person, singular | finite verb

You shall love

verb, future, active, indicative, second person, singular | finite verb

a) Fulfilling the whole law v14

Rom 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

b) Love God

The measure I love God, I love myself and then I love others

c) Love one another as self v14

John 13:34“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 13:35“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

John 15:17“This I command you, that you love one another.

Gal 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

1 Thess 3:12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;

1 Thess 4:9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

2 Thess 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;

Heb 10:24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,

1 Pet 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

1 Pet 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 John 3:11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

1 John 3:23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

2 John 5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.

Conclusion