Have you experienced loving others but eventually being burnt out or suddenly falling out of love? Have you experienced receiving or even giving seasonal love to others (e.g loving them when they are most lovable or pleasant)? Have you experienced giving out limited love because of believing that ‘’I also have to leave a room to love myself’’?
THESE ARE ALL WORLDLY LOVE!
As we read Galatians 5, We will know that Christ has set us free from the yoke of slavery of this world. The world has been teaching temporary love. And we became a slave of our own kind of love and self righteousness.
Christ Has Set Us Free
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
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.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Make a difference!!!
Now that we are free men in Christ,
What makes us different from our old self?
Faith working through love.
When we were in the world, we also loved but without faith or some of us have faith but not faith working in love.
BUT now, we should have both of these elements working together. LOVE keeps our FAITH working and FAITH causes us in LOVE.
How do they work together?
Verses 6 and 13 said,
‘’Only faith working through love…through love serve one another.’’
How is it possible?
Verse 25 ‘’Live and walk in the spirit’’
LOVE is one of the fruits of the spirit, if we walk and live in the spirit we will reap this fruit that enables us to serve one another. The Holy spirit in us is the one who’s manifesting in love when we walk and live in spirit. We know the struggles of truthfully loving others and surely we will always fall short of loving them if we walk in the flesh. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us love them as He loves them.
We can feel genuine love and sincere service for others when we are in the spirit. When we feel hatred, anger, envy, jealousy, divisions and the like, these are the awakening that we are not walking in the spirit because the spirit knows not to hate, envy, angry etc.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:25-26
Reflections:
Am I really walking in the spirit or in the flesh?
Do I have a genuine love and sincere service for God and others?
Do I serve them wholeheartedly without the expectation of return?
How do I approach my brothers and others?
Have I felt burnt out of loving them?
Do I feel jealous, envious, angry towards them in certain circumstances?
How does walking in the Spirit change my service to God and to others?
How does walking in the flesh change my relationship towards others?
What do I do when I catch myself walking in the flesh?
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24
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