For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.
Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
For the whole law can be summed up in this one command:
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
Galatians 5:13-15 NLT
Paul quotes Leviticus 19:18 to his readers "love your neighbor as yourself" - my guess is providing that connection with the law that was so important to the readers of this letter.
He continues the invitation into freedom in faith in Jesus by adding to the freedom to serve one another in love, with the freedom to love my neighbor without biting, devouring or destroying them.
A workmate brought her 15mth old Rottweiler dog into work this week. There was no barking, growling, biting or devouring, just open inquistive exploring and meeting us all where we were at.
Paul is inviting his readers to put down the way of seeing the world and seeing others that they were being falsely taught, and to put on faith in Jesus, and see the world, see people, see themselves, through the lens of love.
(This is easy to say, less easy to do every day. The biting and devouring can appear so easily).
May we step into today in the freedom to love.
#galatians
#freedom
#freedomtolove
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