13For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;* only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,* but through love become slaves to one another.14For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.15If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
16Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.17For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.19Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions,21envy,* drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Fruit of the Spirit
22By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
Bible Study Ideas and Commentary for Galatians 5:13-26
But when we are saved, we tap in to God's Spirit who opens a new ethic for living: “love your neighbor as yourself”. The evidence of our salvation is the fruit of our action. Further, living in the flesh will destroy our churches.
In many ways, Galatians 5:1 is a great summary of everything Paul wanted the Galatians to understand: Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery. The contrast between freedom and slavery continues to be his major thrust in the first half of Galatians 5.
Paul is telling the Galatians not to use their freedom to choose to follow the sinful desires of the flesh but to instead obey the Spirit by serving each other through love. This is what living by faith produces. Even the law could be summed up as this service to each other: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Galatians 5:1–15 focuses on what those in Christ should do with our freedom in Christ. First, we must guard it, especially from those who would pressure us to follow the law. Paul was confident the Galatians would resist the one leading them in the wrong direction.
Christ frees us not only from the law, but from the sinful self. Freed from self, we are free to serve the neighbor, to “become slaves to one another” through love. To serve “through love” means that serving is done not to meet the demands of the law or even to feel good about ourselves.
There's an internal war going on in the heart of every Christian. This is the big problem Paul tackles in the back half of Galatians 5. Up to this point in his letter, Paul's been getting stuck into some pretty heavy theology. Paul's Galatian friends, those to whom he wrote, heard about Jesus and said 'yes' to Jesus.
The book of Galatians is primarily about the relationship between Christians, primarily Gentile Christians, and the law of Moses. Paul was writing to the people of Galatia to tell them that they were not bound by this law even though Jewish Christians were telling them they were.
Only Holy Spirit can generate such a life of love and service. Freedom in Christ is not to do works of the flesh wherein you bring in divisions, strife, anger, quarrel etc. But freedom in Christ is to love and serve one another which is the life of the Holy Spirit.
In Galatians 5:26 the apostle Paul speaks about how we look at each other. He warns us to not become arrogant, provoking one another or envying one another.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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