Galatians 5 Explained: Faith, Freedom, and Love in Christ

“For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 NLT

A good executive summary takes a large amount of information and synthesizes it down to its essential truth, intent, and purpose in just a few words.

Reflection

Paul is having a challenge with the followers of Christ in Galatia. On the one hand, they want to embrace the freedom found in believing and following Christ. On the other hand, they keep returning to certain aspects of the law of Moses, seeking to enforce it as a matter of conformity, thereby making it a continuing requirement for belonging to God.

Here is what Paul says about this tension:

“For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.” Galatians 5:4 NLT.

Paul isn’t mincing words. You can’t have it both ways. Christ fulfilled, completed, and satisfied the requirement, purpose, and intent of the Old Testament law. It is no longer the priority. The focus now is to follow Christ and live in the divine freedom of his grace. Paul gives us specific guidance on what our living in this Christ-centered freedom looks like:

• • • “But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.
    • For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised.
    • What is important is faith expressing itself in love.
    • For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.
    • But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
    • So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
    • But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
    • Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
    • Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
    • Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”
      Galatians 5:5-6, 13, 16, 22-26 NLT

Encouragement

Jesus gives an incredible executive summary (this is what Paul is drawing from with the Galatian believers): “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important:

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 NLT.

The very best way to understand what God intended through the law of the Old Testament is to believe in and follow Jesus. The ask Christ makes of us is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. This is both the invitation and the way of Christ as we move forward. Paul reminds us that focusing on the components of the law is no longer the way to do this. We follow Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for giving us a concise, clear executive summary of what matters most.
Thank you that Paul picked up on this and brought it forward into his teaching with the followers of Christ in Galatia.
Forgive us when we cling to the law and weaponize it within the body of Christ today. Help us live in the freedom you intended for us to share.
Please help us pursue loving God with everything we have and share that love in our relationships with each other.
In your name, Jesus, we pray,
Amen

Ed McDowell, C.E.O.
Warm Beach Camp Ministries