GALATIANS 5
7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! 13 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. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. – Galatians 5:7-15
GALATIANS 5 LOVE FULFILLS THE WHOLE LAW
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As a servant of the Lord, he paid the price to free you from sin
You no longer are a slave to sin but have been freed from it
Your freedom is not to be used anymore to cater to your flesh
Instead, you are called to use it to fulfill the whole law of love
If you follow this perfect law by loving one another, you will win
You will be able to fulfill the law and overcome Satan’s tactics
Do not use your freedom to make your flesh thrive
Instead, apply this freedom to bring others to Christ.
In this account, Paul reminds the Galatian believers that since Christ has died for them, they are now free from sin. There is however an expectation from all those who are followers of Christ. They need to follow the laws that God commanded them as part of their covenant with him. This covenant is a result of God promising to his people that he will be their God and they will be his people if they obey the commands stipulated for them. In any agreement we make with someone, there are requirements from the two parties. In this case, God will free them from bondage and they will have to serve God and be faithful to obey all the laws he gives them. There is a reciprocity in this covenant because God is fulfilling many more responsibilities than the people he chose are. In fact, if you think about it, what does God get on his end from his people? Actually, there is nothing much that God gains. So, these laws are not a form of control on God’s end. It is a protection for them to be free from the snares of the devil so they can fulfill what God has made them for. Probably many unbelievers would cringe at this covenant because they don’t understand what benefits do Christians have when they follow the Lord. They’ll only know God’s promises if they believe in him. The promises fulfilled are the eternal benefits that no worldly kingdom can give anyone. If you are a Christian struggling to follow God’s laws, you must be viewing the covenant wrongly. All the things God required for us to follow is actually for our own benefit. If we follow the way of love, we will be able to fulfill and follow such laws without much trouble.
REFLECTION
· How does walking in love and following God’s Spirit fulfill the perfect law of liberty?
