Galatians 5:13-18, The Freedom and Responsibility of the Spirit

Paul’s call for the Galatians to choose the freedom that Christ set them free for, is not without recognition that the false teachers claim that pulling out from serving the Law leads one to unlawful living. Paul counters that argument with an amazing declaration of life in Christ. “Paul presents a startling paradox: freedom is given to Christians so that they may be slaves to each other.” (NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible)

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only don’t let your freedom be an opportunity for the flesh, but rather through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, by “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour one another, beware that you not be consumed by one another.

Freedom in Christ doesn’t mean freedom to indulge our sinful desires. It is a freedom from the slavery to sin that keeps us from fulfilling the law of loving our neighbors as ourselves. The Law is fulfilled, as far as its interpersonal commands are concerned, by loving one another, and because of love, serving one another. Love is sacrificing my desires to the meeting of your needs, as Jesus did when he died for us. It is serving you.

One reason why Paul adds this section to his letter is to show what he means by “faith expressing itself through love” (v.6). A second reason is apparently to counter developing strife and divisiveness in the churches of Galatia, for the verses speak of a “biting,” “devouring,” and “destroying” of each other. The greatest reason, however, is undoubtedly Paul’s desire to complete his portrait of true Christianity by showing that the freedom we have been called to in Christ is a responsible freedom that leads to holiness of life. (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

Such service to one another in love is holiness. It is counter to biting and devouring one another, the unsaved pattern of selfish behavior that sees others as there to meet my needs. The Galatians were experiencing this problem:

When we think of the Galatian churches, we should not think of a fork in the road, with Paul going down one road and the Judaizers down the other, each beckoning the Galatian travelers to make the right decision as they come to the fork. Rather, we should think of Paul and the Judaizers on the stage platform, having made their cases for their systems, and the Galatian congregation at war with one another, forming separate enclaves here and having proud, vociferous leaders claiming minor victories there. We should think of rivalries, of separate house churches not speaking with one another, of spiritual pride on the part of those who have been circumcised (just a “cut above” the rest!), and of slogan after slogan being bandied about in the communities. The picture we draw is sad—sad because they had adopted the pattern of letting their freedom become a launching-pad for indulging the flesh. (NIV Life Application Commentary)

Freedom from the Law is freedom in the Spirit.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh. For these are hostile to each other, so that you cannot do what you would. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. (Galatians 5:13-18)

We have all experienced the conflict that wages war in us between our desires to do right and desires to do wrong. The Holy Spirit in us is hostile to the sinful desires in us, so that we cannot do what we would. But if we rest our dependence upon the Spirit, we will walk by the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. As the NIV Life Application Commentary aptly says,

But we see here also that one does not gain this life by discipline or by mustering up the energy. One does not huddle with oneself in the morning, gather together his or her forces, and charge onto the field of life full of self-determined direction. Rather, the Christian life is a life of consistent surrender to the Spirit.