Galatians 5:1-15
Freedom in Christ
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." 10I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. 11Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
St. Paul tells us it is Jesus who sets us free from this world...We can be circumcised or uncircumcised...We can follow God's moral laws and try to be justified by our deeds...But if this is our thinking, then we have fallen away from grace...It is not our trying to follow Mosaic Law, or following God's moral laws, or our deeds that gives us hope...It is our faith that brings hope...It is faith that we eagerly await for the Holy Spirit...The only thing that counts is our faith...Our faith expresses itself through love...This expression of love is to the Father and our neighbors...
Our lives are played out in a race on a narrow path...It is important we stay on the narrow path during the race...If we are to run a good race, we need to begin at the starting line with faith...We run the race by obeying the truth...The Father and Son are the truth...Jesus came into this world to testify to the truth...Everyone on the side of truth listens to Him (John 18:36-37)....Jesus said I AM the truth...He is more than the truth...Jesus is also the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)...God's word is truth (John 17:17)...Jesus is not only our measure of truth, but of righteousness...Jesus came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14)...
Ever since the evil one in the Garden of Eden tempted us that we could be like God, we have been fallen...We think we can be good, do good deeds, follow Moses' Law and we go to heaven...The evil one wants us to think that we are in control...We are not...God is in control, not us...Salvation does not come from us...St. Paul realized this when he teaches us that it is by God's grace that allows salvation...Salvation comes only from God...
Sin will always stand in our way...Our intelligence or deeds will not bring us salvation...It is from our hearts that God listens to our faith...Only our faith that can bring us salvation, through His grace and truth...Since His word is the truth, His love will save us...God loves the world so much that He gave His Only Son, not to condemn the world, but to save us (John 3:16)...
We must learn this from His love...The entire Law of Moses is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."...God is LOVE...