“One Word”

Sunday, June 18, 2023

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. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

(Galatians 5.13-15)

The past two weeks’ articles were launched by this passage, and Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians, in general.  We focused on the freedom Paul mentions, and especially what it does not mean.  First, we considered freedom from the Law of Moses, but a multitude of factors forced us to conclude it was bigger than that—the original audience of Gentile Christians were never enslaved to that Law in the first place.  Then, we looked at the outer limit of this freedom—if Paul succeeded in convincing them they were free from such restrictions as those in the Law of Moses, there was a very real chance they’d latch onto this “freedom” talk and conclude that some horrible sins were just fine! 

This is, in fact, what happened in another location, Corinth—despite more than 18 months (Ac 19.11ff) of Paul’s residency and constant teaching, some of the Christians there managed to convince themselves it was ok for a man to carry on a sexual relationship with his step-mother (1Co 5.1ff); that it made sense to take brothers in Christ before a court that blessed paganism (6.1ff); that visiting prostitutes was acceptable (6.12ff); that the Lord’s Supper was a great time to rub a brother’s poverty in his face (11.20ff); and more!  Paul wrote Galatians  years before 1 Corinthians, but already he—not to mention the Holy Spirit!—saw the danger in running with “freedom” headlong into sin.

However, as we saw in last week’s article, the answer also wasn’t mandatory abstinence from everything your flesh desires.  Many years later, Paul was still singing the same tune, predicting that in the future,

some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

(1 Timothy 4.1-5)

The right method is easily said, but less easily applied.  It’s wrong to forbid certain foods; but it’s also wrong to be a glutton!  It’s wrong to forbid marriage; but it’s also wrong to get married outside the lines of God’s design!  The all or nothing approach seems simpler, but the proper path is in between.

Are you starting to see why many of the Galatian, Gentile Christians were enticed by the prospect of submitting to the Law of Moses?  Smaller factors included clever twisting of the Scriptures to deceive them (Ga 3.1), man’s judgmental gaze, and selfish pleasure at being “made much of,” as Paul says (4.18), meaning that they just enjoyed the positive attention; but the dealmaker was how the heresy made navigating life before God seem so cut-and-dry.  No tough questions, very little thought required—these foods are off limits, a minor surgery for visual confirmation, all the requirements are written down in detail, and that’s all you’re responsible for.  Easy, peasy, check the box, and move on with your life, secure in your own self-righteousness.  But that’s not what Christ brought us!  For our dealings on earth, there’s just one core principle: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Le 19.18).  That’s it?  Such freedom!  But wait…how shall I love my neighbor?

Certainly biting and devouring (Ga 5.15) doesn’t qualify!  And yet, it was easy to convince themselves they were behaving righteously, while biting and devouring over the application of this very heresy!  Certainly the “works of the flesh” are off limits:

sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies…

(Galatians 5.19-21)

Great, there’s a list!  So avoid those things and you’re home free!  Until Paul finishes the sentence, “…and things like these,” and now we have to exercise some kind of personal judgment again.  We’ll be similarly frustrated at the “fruit of the spirit,” if this is our mentality:

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(Galatians 5.22-23)

Those sound wonderful!  But they’re not as simple to apply in everyday situations, like the Old Testament commandment “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk” (Ex 23.19).  That leaves very little room for discussion!  Be kind, on the other hand, is something of a judgment call.  In any given situation, there may be a multitude of ways you can behave that are “kind,” leaving it up to you to choose.  On top of that, you’ll face judgment from other people, who may disagree with your choice.  There are two things to remember about this: first, God set it up this way on purpose.  He wants you to be “obedient from the heart” (Ro 6.17), not merely observing a checklist to stay on God’s good side, while pursuing a life of self-gratification; and second, other people may help you decide what is the loving course, but their approval means very nearly nothing. 

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ”

(Galatians 1.10). 

Let him be your guide, and be ready to stand and give an answer before his judgment seat.

Jeremy Nettles

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