What does God want you to do?
The legalist believes that we can legislate morality, we can force people to behave by threat of punishment. Cancel culture has formed under this delusion, it says “you must treat me this way or face the consequence”. The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to say “I will treat you with love because of His great love for me”. God proves through Scripture and the Gospel of Jesus Christ that the only way to change people is through His love. We are set free by God’s grace and mercy by believing that Jesus diied in our place to take our punishment. If we want this liberty without loving others, then we will be left deluded that we have a licence to do whatever makes us feel good. When we embrace our liberty in Christ and respond in love then we have real freedom, freedom to do what God created us to do.
Scripture
Galatians 5:13-15 ESV 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. [14] For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [15] But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Bible Study
What does God call us to?
Those who have been called by God to be the Church by His grace and through faith in Jesus Christ are freed from guilt, from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin and free from the law.
Galatians 5:13a ESV For you were called to freedom, brothers.
How do we respond to God’s call to freedom?
God ransomed us with the precious blood of Jesus Christ His Son. This is how He calls us to freedom, by His grace and through faith in His Son Jesus. Responding to this call of freedom means no longer conforming to the desires of our former ignorance.
1 Peter 1:14-19 ESV As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, [15] but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, [16] since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” [17] And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, [18] knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Mark 1:14-15 ESV Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, [15] and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
What does God not intend for our freedom?
Being free like this should not be taken for granted and misused. It should lead to gratitude, repentance and obedience. We should not use it to disguise our sin and use it to for selfish reasons that end up hurting each other.
Galatians 5:13b ESV …Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,
1 Peter 2:16 ESV Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Jude 1:4 ESV For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
What does God intend for our freedom?
Through our love for God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we should self-sacrificially serve each other. Liberty plus love is serving others.
Galatians 5:13c ESV …but through love serve one another.
Mark 12:29-30 ESV Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [30] And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
1 John 5:1-2 ESV Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. [2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
What does God want us to do?
The list of tick boxes, or the law has been replaced by the commandment to love God and others.
Galatians 5:14 ESV For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
John 14:15-17 ESV “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, [17] even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
What happens when we abuse our freedom?
Some are inclined to cling to the law and use it to punish others. While some are inclined to cling to grace and use it as an excuse to disobey the law. These two extremes will naturally be inclined to attack each other. Liberty minus love is licence and licence is destruction.
Galatians 5:15 ESV But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Philippians 3:2 ESV Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
James 4:1-3 ESV What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
What does embracing our freedom lead to?
1 Peter 1:22-25 ESV Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, [23] since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; [24] for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, [25] but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
John 17:3 ESV And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Revelation 21:3-4 ESV And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”