Galatians 5:13-15

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

(v13-14, NIV)

Those at the church in Galatia were being deceived into thinking that it is by the law that anybody is justified. In seeking to follow the law as a means to be saved we become a slave to the law. However, this is not the calling of Christ. Jesus died for us so that we could be free and live in freedom. We should know that it is by grace we are saved through faith in Jesus. Though we move from a reliance on the law to a reliance on freedom in faith, this freedom should not be used as an excuse to sin. By moving towards faith we do not move towards a more sinful life. We are simply moving away from works as a means to be justified, but it is still important to flee sin.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

(Romans 6:1-2, NIV)

Paul provides an alternative to indulging the sinful nature. Instead of that, we are to serve one another in love. Paul is pointing to this overlying command. This is similar to the teaching found at the beginning of Philippians chapter 2. I feel as if many of our sins are a result of us elevating ourselves above others. Why am I jealous? I am jealous of someone else because I believe myself to be better than them and should receive whatever they are receiving. Placing others before me and humbling myself to serve them does not produce sin if genuine. If I truly love them and truly love God I can truly submit to them and truly submit to God and not sin. However, that is difficult. This may have been an attack towards those false prophets who only sought to serve themselves and love themselves.

If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

(v15, NIV)

It is important for those in the body of Christ not to fight amongst themselves. The uproar of Galatians fighting amongst each other may have been an ironic result of their attempts to be justified by the law. In trying to keep the law for their right standing before God, they may have zealously fought with each other. In this they were breaking the law through sinful acts. It is important to love one another and to build each other up. Consider others as more important than yourselves.