Paul continues to rail against the Judaizers' false gospel of legalism that has spread like a cancer throughout the churches of Galatia.
Despite everything the apostle recently taught them about the glorious Good News of simply trusting in what Jesus has done for us, these false teachers have turned it on its head.
The Galatians have come to believe that their continued salvation is completely up to them through religious rule-keeping, specifically circumcision.
The apostle Paul has reminded them that Jesus "has set us free" (Gal 5:1) and as His followers we are "called to freedom" (Gal 5:13).
Because Jesus lived His life in complete obedience to the law, we are free from the impossible standard of the law. Because Christ died for our sins on the cross, we are free from sin.
As a result we are free from ourselves. I am free from serving only myself. That's Paul's point when he writes, "Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" (Gal 5:13).
Love is NOT self serve. Love is the exact opposite of an endless buffet where I take everything I want. Love is just the opposite. Love is allowing others to be seated and then pulling on the apron to serve them. Love is NOT self serve.
Paul goes on to tell us that something wonderful happens when we serve those around us in love. "For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (v14).
Here's the deal, he says. These idiot Judaizers have been busting your chops over rules and regulations of the Jewish faith, huh?
The former Pharisee hands them the key to unlock obedience to the law. The entire Torah is fulfilled when you do this one thing: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
When we put all of what we read in Galatians 5 together, we understand that we are truly free in Christ when we take our eyes off ourselves and our own rule-keeping and simply love those around us as Jesus loves us. True freedom=real love.
Do Paul's words here in verse 14 sound familiar? Okay, maybe you’re like me and don’t have the Old Testament memorized. He's quoting Leviticus 19:18.
You may remember that Jesus said something VERY similar when a legal scholar asked how someone is to meet the letter of God's law. His response was simple. Love your God. Love your neighbor (Mt 22:34-40; Lk 10:25-37).
In Matthew, Jesus says the entire OT hangs on these two ideas. In Luke, Christ goes on to define exactly who my neighbor is with the story of the Good Samaritan.
Paul himself goes to the "love your neighbor" well in his letter to the Romans. There he not only quotes Leviticus 19:18 but twice goes on to say loving others meets God's holy legal requirement (Rom 13:8-10).
So what does loving my neighbor look like? First of all, the Greek word for "neighbor" is πλησιον/plesion. It's a derivative of πηλας/pelas, which means near. It simply means the one who is near.
Who's your neighbor? Take a look around. Who's close to you? Emotionally? Spiritually? Professionally? Geographically? Those are my neighbors. Those are my near ones.
And how am I to love them? Well, the Bible is clear that love is NOT just some warm fuzzy feeling. Love is expressed. Love has hands. Love has feet. Love is action. Or in the words of those great theologians DC Talk, "Love is a verb.”
That's EXACTLY why Jesus told His crew to love just like He loved them. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (Jn 13:34).
Christ loves with a self-sacrificial love. He took the VERY practical step of dying in our place. That's love in action. And if you want more specifics on what love looks like, sounds like and walks like, dive into 1 Corinthians 13.
Let's be clear about one thing. Paul is NOT commanding us to love ourselves. We don't need to do that. He's telling us to take care of others in the same way we automatically think of doing things for ourselves.
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others" (Phil 2:4). We don't need to worry about loving ourselves. Our sinful flesh sees to that just fine. God is calling us to get our eyes off the idol in the mirror and see what we can do for others.
That's because love is NOT self serve. Step away from the buffet. Grab an apron. And start loving.
©2012
Jay Jennings
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