Biting and Devouring One Another

Thursday, September 12, 2024

For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another. Galatians 5:13-14

Biting and Devouring One Another

Jesus set us free from our sin and gave us eternal life. Paul is reminding the church in Galatia here that we are not to abuse that grace but use our freedom as an opportunity to serve each other in love. This past Sunday Pastor Jim said that the way we live will be determined by the transformation of our character. If we are truly transformed by Jesus, we will live and love like He does. When we live in the flesh, we bite and devour one another instead of loving each other.

The scripture above says that the whole of the law is fulfilled in one statement: love your neighbor as yourself. I love how the MSG puts it: For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. Sometimes people think they find freedom in having more – more money, more things, more friends, etc., but Paul seems to be saying that we find freedom in what we give away. We give love away to others and find true freedom. We also find freedom in self-control, not in using our freedom in Christ as an opportunity for the flesh.  When we give love away and surrender all to Jesus, we find true freedom. 

When we are living in this freedom, walking in the Spirit with Him, we will be serving one another in love. If we are serving one another in love, we will not be biting and devouring one another. When we are transformed by a relationship with Him, we will be outwardly focused – focused on others. When we are walking in the flesh, we will be inwardly focused, only thinking of our selfish desires and serving ourselves, not others. We will bite and devour one another out of selfish ambition. 

Before Jesus was crucified and went to heaven, He gave His disciples a new commandment. “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 6:34-35  He wanted them to know that the world would know they were His disciples by the way they loved each other. This is still trueother, the world will believe our actions over our words. If we are walking with Jesus, we will learn to liv for us today. We will be known by our actions. If we say we are a Christian but bite and devour eache and love like He does, loving and serving one another instead of biting and devouring each other. 

Distracted From Jesus

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough. I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.Galatians 5:7-10

Distracted From Jesus

Paul remembers the strong faith that the church in Galatia had starting out. They had fresh fire for the Gospel, and they were unhindered in their faith, running well. But now they were getting caught up in the teachings of legalism. They were distracted by these teachings that prevented them from obeying the truth. It was not Jesus – who called them – that they were pursuing now. It was false teachings. The similarity of a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough is in reference to a little false teaching will corrupt the whole congregation. A little false teaching can disrupt our lives, distracting us from Jesus and walking and loving like He does. 

There are so many platforms today where anyone who wants to, regardless of educational accomplishment, can say whatever they believe or want people to believe.  And people will believe them. They will accept their truth, without checking it against the Bible, or they choose this false truth over the Bible. Sometimes they choose the false truth because they like what it says more than they like the truth of the Bible. These modern day false teachers prevent us from obeying the truth when we choose to turn away from Jesus, just for a moment, and fix our gaze on something or someone else.  

How can we protect ourselves from being distracted by false teaching? We can protect ourselves from false teachers and being distracted from Jesus by anything by abiding and remaining in Him. John 15:4 says Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. John uses the concept of "remaining" in Christ in slightly different ways, but always includes the idea of someone who expresses saving faith and "holds fast" to that belief. The ESV version says Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. When we remain or abide in something, we stay there. As a Christian, apart from Christ, not only will we not bear fruit, but we can lose our way. When we remain in Him, we stay with Him. We learn from Him – how to live and how to love – and we are not distracted by false teaching. We walk in obedience to His word. To abide in Him is to know Him. John 10:27 says My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. Jesus is our Good Shepherd and when we know Him well, we will hear His voice over everything else, and follow Him. We will not be distracted from Jesus when we are listening to His voice and following Him. 

Are you abiding and remaining in Jesus? Do you know His voice so that you can hear it above everything else?