Serve One Another

Galatians 5:13–15

INTRODUCTION

Freedom is a beautiful thing. We love it. Think about how excited you were as a teenager when you first got the car keys without Mom or Dad in the passenger seat. Suddenly, the world is wide open: the drive-thru snacks at night, the road trip with friends, the power to decide the music. But give that same teenager total freedom with no responsibility, and you know what happens: curfews are broken, gas tanks come back empty, and French fries end up between the seats for the next five years. Freedom without responsibility always leaves a mess.

Or imagine giving an elementary school kid unlimited Wi-Fi with no parental controls. At first, they’re thrilled with cartoons, games, and endless YouTube. A week later, their sleep schedule is wrecked, their homework is undone, and they’ve somehow ordered three hundred boxes of glow-in-the-dark slime from Amazon. What started as “you can enjoy this gift” becomes “we need to reset the router and hide the password.” Freedom without responsibility quickly turns chaotic.

That is precisely what Paul is addressing in Galatians 5. The believers in Galatia had discovered freedom in Christ: freedom from the law, freedom from the weight of guilt and performance. But Paul warns them: freedom is not a license to indulge yourself. Freedom is actually a call to serve one another. Real freedom is not about me; it is about we.

We see the same struggle in everyday life. Think about grocery store self-checkout lanes. They are supposed to be faster, but inevitably, there is one person with twenty-seven coupons trying to scan produce that has no barcode. The machine keeps yelling, “Unexpected item in the bagging area!” Meanwhile, the standing behind them you are steaming. The self-checkout lane only works if people think about those around them, not just themselves. When we forget about the community and focus solely on ourselves, frustration and division quickly follow.

Paul is saying the church is no different. If we treat Christian freedom like the self-checkout lane, just about what works for me, we will end up biting and devouring one another. The result is not freedom but destruction. But when believers serve in love, something amazing happens.

Now, serving one another is not always glamorous. Sometimes it looks like stacking chairs when everyone else is rushing out the door. Sometimes it looks like listening to someone vent or complain about all their problems for the third time this month. Sometimes it looks like giving up the last piece of fried chicken at Homecoming, even though you had your eye on it. Serving means we put others first, not ourselves.

Here’s the irony: when we do, we discover that freedom actually grows sweeter because freedom in Christ is not about getting our way; it is about becoming more like Him who knelt to wash His disciples’ feet.

So let’s talk about what it looks like to live free. Not free to do whatever we want, but free to love, free to serve, free to build a community that shines the light of Christ.

Galatians 5:13–15 ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

SCRIPTURAL ANALYSIS

VERSE 13

Paul begins by affirming the central message of Galatians: believers are called to freedom. Historically, this letter addressed churches in Galatia, a region filled with both Jews and Gentiles, where false teachers insisted that Gentile believers must adopt the Jewish law, especially circumcision, to be truly accepted by God. Paul pushes back forcefully, insisting that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works of the law.

Paul also knows the danger of another extreme. In a Greco-Roman world that prized self-expression and independence, “freedom,” could easily be misunderstood as license to do whatever feels good. Paul warns them not to use freedom as an opportunity for “the flesh.” The flesh here is not just physical desires but the sinful nature that bends inward toward self. Freedom is not the removal of responsibility; it is the redirection of it.

The corrective is love: through love serve one another. The word Paul uses for “serve” literally means “to be a slave.” Paradoxically, Christian freedom leads not to self-indulgence but to voluntary servanthood. In Christ, we are freed from sin so that we may be bound in love to one another.

VERSE 14

Paul now grounds his command in Scripture. The entire Old Testament law, with all its commandments and regulations, finds its completion in a single principle: love. He quotes from Leviticus 19, a verse deeply familiar to Jewish believers, and echoes Jesus’ own teaching that the greatest commandments are to love God and love neighbor.

Culturally, this was a radical statement. Jewish believers had long measured faithfulness by external markers like circumcision, dietary laws, and festivals. Gentiles, too, lived by cultural codes of honor and shame. Paul says neither group needs to chase endless rules or customs. Instead, love fulfills the law in its entirety.

Theologically, this verse reframes Christian ethics. Obedience is not about checking off boxes or maintaining appearances but about embodying love in daily life. To love one’s neighbor is to reflect God’s character, since God Himself is love. In Christ, the Spirit empowers believers to live this way, not as a burden but as the natural outflow of the grace God has given us.

VERSE 15

Paul closes this section with a vivid image. The verbs “bite” and “devour” draw from the world of wild animals. Picture wolves tearing at each other over food, fighting until nothing is left but ruin. Historically, this was a real danger in the Galatian churches. Disputes over the law, culture, and status threatened to fracture the community. Instead of displaying Christ’s love, they risked becoming a cautionary tale of division.

Culturally, this language would have resonated with a Gentile Roman audience familiar with gladiatorial contests and imagery of destruction associated with animals. To live selfishly, pursuing one’s own way, is always at the expense of others. Selfishness is to act like animals, not Spirit-filled believers.

Theologically, Paul warns that unchecked selfishness is not neutral; it destroys community. Freedom misused tears apart what Christ came to build. But the opposite is also true: love, expressed through serving one another, creates a flourishing community that reflects the kingdom of God’s love.

TODAY’S KEY TRUTH When believers serve in love, selfishness loses its grip & unity flourishes.

APPLICATION

Paul’s words to the Galatian church are short, sharp, and unforgettable: “You were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” At first glance, it almost feels contradictory. Freedom and servanthood? Aren’t those opposites? Yet Paul shows us that the truest form of freedom is not found in living for ourselves but in pouring ourselves out for others.

The Galatians had been set free from the crushing burden of the Old Testament ceremonial law. They were no longer chained to rituals and regulations to prove their standing with God. That’s the freedom Christ had given them. But some took that freedom and twisted it into license: “If I am free, I can live however I want.” Paul stops them immediately. He reminds them that if they misuse their freedom, they will end up biting and devouring one another, like wild animals tearing each other apart. The alternative is far better: serving one another in love. That, Paul says, fulfills the very heart of God’s law: love your neighbor as yourself.

So where does this land for us? Theologically, this passage shows us two vital truths. First, serving others is not optional for Christians. It is the natural outworking of the gospel. If God loved us enough to send His Son to serve us, to wash feet, to heal wounds, to bear our sins on a cross, then how could we possibly use His gift of freedom as an excuse to indulge ourselves? Second, serving is not about outward performance. Paul was pushing against a culture obsessed with checking boxes, whether it was the Jewish law or Gentile honor codes. He declares: Love is the fulfillment of the law. Love sums up every command God has given.

This reshapes how we think about service. Many of us serve out of mixed motivations. We do it because we feel guilty, because someone asked, because it looks spiritual, or because we hope it will return a favor someday. Paul cuts through all that. The motive for serving is not guilt, duty, or expectation. The motive is Jesus Himself. We serve because He served us first. We love because He loved us first. The love of Christ compels us.

When our service flows from love, it looks radically different. Instead of grumbling about why no one else is stacking chairs, we quietly pick them up and pray for the people who sat in them. Instead of keeping score about who owes us a favor, we give freely because Christ has given freely to us. Instead of waiting to be recognized, we embrace hidden service, knowing our Father sees in secret.

This also explains why Paul ties service so closely to unity. A church where people serve only for personal gain will eventually fracture. When everyone demands their way, division is inevitable. But when believers serve in love, selfishness loses its grip. Instead of “me first,” the refrain becomes “you first.” In that posture, unity flourishes.

So let’s bring this closer to home. Where is God calling you to serve? Maybe it is in church, where Sunday mornings always need people willing to teach, greet visitors, help with sound, or pray faithfully. Maybe it is in your home, where service looks like listening patiently, helping with chores, or choosing kindness over criticism. Maybe it is in your workplace, where you can serve by encouraging a coworker, covering a shift, or sharing wisdom with someone younger in the field. Serving one another is not about grand gestures but about daily choices to put others ahead of ourselves.

But here’s the crucial question: why are you serving? Is it to be noticed? To check off a Christian duty checklist? To avoid feeling guilty? Or is it because the love of Christ has so deeply changed you that you cannot help but give yourself away for others?

Paul’s vision is clear: the freedom we have in Christ is too valuable to waste on self-indulgence. Freedom was given so we could be free to love. And love always expresses itself in service.

So let us not grow weary. Let us not compare or compete. Let us not serve with hidden motives or selfish gain. Instead, let us serve one another in love, because Christ Himself has served us. And as we do, we will find the promise true:

When believers serve in love, selfishness loses its grip and unity flourishes.

CONCLUSION

Paul’s words leave us with no room for middle ground: “Through love serve one another.” At the heart of service is sacrifice. At the heart of sacrifice is death. To serve others, you must die to yourself. That is not comfortable. That is not easy. But it is the only way to follow the One who told us, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Think about that image, taking up a cross. A cross is not a symbol of convenience. It is not about squeezing service into our schedule when we have free time. A cross is an instrument of death. To serve like Jesus is to lay down your preferences, your pride, your time, your comfort, your resources, and even your reputation. It is to say, “I will not live for myself. I will live for Christ and for the good of others.”

This week, we were confronted with what that really looks like. We saw it in a way that shook many of us to the core. Charlie Kirk was killed because he dared to live this truth out loud. He was not perfect. He was not without flaws. But he gave his life to serving God by reaching out to young people across the country, calling them to truth, pointing them to Christ, and challenging them to live boldly for what matters. And for that, he was silenced by evil.

That is the stark reality Paul describes when he warns us that if we live for ourselves, we will bite and devour one another until nothing is left. Selfishness always destroys. But when we live for Christ, even if the world tries to destroy us, the impact endures forever.

Service is costly. It will demand more of you than you expect. It will take you places you never planned to go. It will strip you of comfort. It may even put you at odds with friends, coworkers, or family. But it will also shape you more into the image of Jesus than anything else. Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. When we follow Him, we discover that the cost is worth it.

When believers serve in love, selfishness loses its grip and unity flourishes.

Charlie’s story reminds us that the results of faithful service are not fully measured here on earth. They are measured in eternity. Think of the moment he stepped into heaven this week. The headlines called it tragedy. The world called him foolish. But in heaven, there was rejoicing. The Lord Himself welcomed a servant home. As Jesus promised in Matthew 25, the words were spoken over him: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

That is what makes service worth it. That is what makes dying to self embracable. Because every act of service, seen or unseen, costly or small, is noticed by God. When this life is over, when we stand before Him, it will all be worth it.

Maybe your service will not cost you your life, but it will cost you something. It will cost you selfishness. It will cost you pride. It will cost you convenience. It may cost you money, energy, or hours you wanted to keep for yourself. Every time it does, you are being conformed more to Christ. You are learning to die to yourself so that His love may live through you.

Let me be honest with you: this is not glamorous. Service is often hidden. It looks like holding nursery babies so a young mom can hear the sermon without distraction. It looks like showing up early to make coffee so others can fellowship. It looks like praying faithfully for people who never know you prayed or even your name. It looks like giving when no one claps, forgiving when no one apologizes, and loving when no one thanks you.

That is why we must keep our eyes on the eternal. Because if we look for rewards here, we will grow weary. We will feel unappreciated and frustrated. We will ask, “What’s the point?” or “Why are they taking so much?” But when we lift our eyes to Christ, when we remember that heaven records every hidden act of service, then we discover the strength to keep going.

Paul warned the Galatians: if you live for self, you will consume one another. We see that everywhere today. Look at our politics. Look at our neighborhoods. Look at social media. People tearing each other apart, always demanding, never giving. The church, believers, are called to be different. We are called to be the people who serve first and who serve in love.

When believers serve in love, selfishness loses its grip and unity flourishes.

So here is the question for us today: will we live for ourselves, or will we die to ourselves? Will we cling to our preferences, or will we lay them down for the good of others? Will we demand to be served, or will we quietly, faithfully, anonymously, and joyfully serve one another in love?

Because in the end, that is the path of true freedom. The freedom Christ purchased for you on the cross was not freedom to indulge but freedom to serve. When you embrace that freedom, you discover joy, contentment, and peace that passes all understanding and that this world cannot take away.

One day, each one of us will stand before God. That discussion will not include how comfortable we made ourselves, but how faithfully we served others in the name of Christ.

So let us live with eternity in view. Let us serve one another in love. Let us die to self daily so that Christ might live in us and through us. When our time comes, whether in quiet old age or in costly sacrifice, may we, too, hear the words that make every act of service worth it: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

When believers serve in love, selfishness loses its grip and unity flourishes.