Galatians 5:13–15 gives a clear warning—and a clear path.
Christian freedom isn’t a license for the flesh. It’s a call to love, to serve, and to protect the unity of the church.
In this sermon, we continue our series on Freedom in Christ and ask what we’re supposed to do with the freedom we’ve received. Paul’s words are practical, personal, and urgent: don’t let freedom become an “opportunity for the flesh”—use it to serve one another through love.
Scripture
Galatians 5:13–15
Big Ideas From the Message
The Misuse of Freedom: when freedom becomes an opportunity for the flesh (minimizing sin, rationalizing “respectable sins,” comparing ourselves to others)The Right Use of Freedom: “through love serve one another”—love expressed as humble, tangible service
The Warning: when we “bite and devour” one another, the end is destruction—of relationships, of peace, and of the church’s witness and of ourselves
“Respectable” Sins Mentioned: Anxiety, discontentment, pride, impatience/anger, judgmentalism, gossip/slander, worldliness, envy/jealousy, lack of self-control, selfishness.
A Question Worth Sitting With
Do you ever find yourself comparing your faith to the faith of others—creating a mental pecking order that leads to pride, envy, or judgment? Paul calls that an opportunity for the flesh. Love and service are the way out.
