by Kent Leslie ✉️
Now that Jesus has reassured Paul about the Galatians, Paul starts talking about our Christian freedom. Okay, we don’t have to worry about the Law, because we have the Holy Spirit. But just because we have God’s gracious freedom, it doesn’t mean we now get to abuse it.
Adam Clayton Powell Sr., pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem in the 1930s, coined the term cheap grace to describe this attitude some Christians have of doing just as Paul told the Galatians not to do. (Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrote his book Discipleship about this idea, popularized the term.) God’s grace is free to us, but it cost him everything. It cost him his son. But when we take it for granted, and sin and figure, “Well, but I don’t need to worry about it; God forgives everything”—yes he does forgive everything; I’m not saying he doesn’t. But did he give up his son so we can live forever, or so we can keep sinning?
So don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. [Ga 5.13] Just because we’re not outside God’s kingdom, doesn’t mean we get to still live like we are. And plenty of Christians are downright apathetic about being good, because—as Paul’s been arguing all this time—being good doesn’t save us; grace does. I’ve encountered plenty of Christians who argue, “Why are you trying so hard to be good? Are you practicing works righteousness?” No; I know goodness doesn’t save me. But the reason I behave myself is because God wants me to behave myself. Because I love God. And if we actually love God, why would we do all the things he hates, just because we can, just because he forgives all? Why cheapen his really expensive grace?
Serve one another through love. [Ga 5.13] Now that we’re free, now that we don’t have to strive to get ourselves forgiven or saved, or rack up enough good karma to make up for all our bad karma, we can concentrate on one another.
Love your neighbor as yourself. [Ga 5.14] Jesus said this is the next-greatest commandment, [Mk 12.31] and a number of Pharisees taught the very same thing. Paul likely heard all his life that this one command sums up the Law all by itself. Of course let’s not forget what Jesus called the greatest commandment—love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. [Lk 10.27]
Proof text:
Lv 19.18: “Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.”
When there were certain commands God really wanted the Hebrews to remember, he’d end them with that statement, אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה/ani YHWH, “I’m Yahweh.” Because when they’d memorize them, they’d memorize ani YHWH too. Just to remind everybody where this command came from. It’s not Moses who said it; it’s God Almighty himself. He means it. So he really wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
And you remember from Jesus’s Good Samaritan Story, [Lk 10.25-37] he’s got a really wide definition of what a neighbor is. Samaritans were considered heretics, like the Mormons. And even though they’re also descendants of Abraham—so not gentiles—they were considered foreigners, like the Mexicans. But Jesus used a Samaritan as an example of a neighbor we should love. Love the heretics. Love the foreigners. And love one another, but the point is to love the unloveable.
But if you bite and devour one another [Ga 5.15] is unfortunately more consistent with how we Christians tend to behave. Look at the ridiculous squabbles you find in some churches. Look at all the churches who are fighting other churches. Presbyterians fighting Catholics. Baptists fighting Episcopalians. Baptists fighting Baptists. Independent churches fighting everyone. Pagans look at all of this and think, “Well it’s because they’re all hypocrites.” They’re not wrong. If we all actually followed Jesus we shouldn’t see any fighting.