The Book Of Galatians Chapter 5 Part 3 Is Love For God And Others Our Highest Priority?

Judaizers sought to impose law keeping on the Galatian churches and made some inroads that disrupted the churches. 

Paul pronounced stern judgment upon those who tried to seduce the Galatians away from faith in Christ and the grace of God. 

Paul now reminds the Galatians of his personal suffering and tribulation for the sake of the gospel of Christ.

Judaizers said Paul preached circumcision yet they persecuted him.

Galatians 5:11  And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. 

Some of the false teachers may have heard that Paul circumcised Timothy which was done shortly before the Judaizers began attacking Paul's character (See Acts Act 16:3). 

They reported Paul as being a proponent of circumcision and used Timothy's circumcision to advance their own agenda. 

Paul replied that if this was true why did he suffer so much persecution from the Jews? 

Everywhere Paul preached the gospel he encountered Jewish opposition. 

If Paul preached circumcision then the offense of the cross and preaching salvation through Christ's sacrifice would cease. 

If he preached circumcision and law keeping, then Jews would have accepted Paul rather than persecute him.

Apostolic judgment against false teachers pronounced.

Galatians 5:12  I would they were even cut off which trouble you. 

These words are an imprecatory prayer of Paul regarding false teachers. 

He called for the judgment of God upon them so that they would be cut off out of the land of the living.

Paul did not want Judaizers to cause anymore harm to the churches of Christ than the great disturbance they already caused. 

Paul did not hate Judaizers but they dismissed justification by faith in Christ, the cross, and His blood. 

Therefore, he sternly rebuked them because his primary concern was for the glory of God, the gospel of Christ and the good of His people.

The Galatians who were law keeping no longer loved one another. 

Galatians 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 

Paul called them "brethren" to show his love for them, and to remind of them of their relation to one another. 

This relationship between Christians is one that required mutual love and Paul addressed the lack of mutual love with the Galatians.  

He helped them remember that they were called to Christ by the effectual grace of God. 

They were called out of bondage to sin, Satan, and the law, unto the liberty of the Gospel and of the grace of God. 

The liberty whereby Christ had made them free is what the Galatians were departing from by following false teaching.

Liberty must not be used for an occasion to the flesh. 

By using the word "flesh", Paul speaks of unholy desires in the mind that are not under the influence of the Holy Spirit of God. 

Christian liberty never seeks things that would oppress the Spirit. True Christian liberty imposes restraints on the lusts of our flesh. 

Thus, the Gospel of Christ proclaims liberty from the law's sacrifices and ceremonies. 

However, Christ's liberty also binds us to the God's moral law, because He sent His Spirit to live in us to help us live a life shaped by God's Word. 

To be free from the ceremonial law is the Gospel liberty but to say we are free from the moral law is Antinomianism.

God gave us numerous imperatives that Christians must follow. He tells us how to live righteously in a sin cursed world. 

Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another and this includes us.

John 13:34-35  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35)  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

Serving one another in Gospel liberty and love conforms to the commands Christ gave us. 

Christians in a local church setting should fully experience mutual love for each other. 

This is a result of the love of God shed abroad in our hearts such that it flows out toward others. 

Make our love for God the highest priority in life. 

Matthew 22:36-40  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37)  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38)  This is the first and great commandment. 39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40)  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

The main focus of the law according to Jesus Christ is to love God first with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And to love others as ourselves. 

Our love for the Father should involve loving Him with all of our being, physically, mentally and spiritually.

Our love for others is to love them as we love ourselves. 

We do good to them because we seek good for ourselves. We care for them because we take care to meet our own needs. 

We cannot look at all the scriptures to illustrate this truth but we know that Jesus loved His Father with a priority devotion. 

He loved His Father with close communion. 

Jesus loved His Father with sensitivity by always submitting to His will. 

Is this how we love God? If not, then we may be guilty of leaving our first love and we must repent and return to the Father.

What does it mean to love one another as Jesus Christ commanded?

Acts 2:42-47  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43)  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44)  And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45)  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46)  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47)  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. 

This is our example of Christians loving one another in the early church.

First, they had a hunger for hearing the Word of God. They desired to learn and obey the apostolic doctrine.

They shared the Lord's table together, solemnly observing Christ's sacrifice for us. 

They enjoyed Christian fellowship and spending time in prayer.

A right fear, reverence and respect for God was manifest in their thoughts, words and actions.

An unselfish spirit was evident in their hearts as they shared things with each other.

Those who had property sold it and the proceeds helped support those who were poor among them.

Christians came to the Temple each day to worship God and to hear His Word taught by the apostles.

They went to each others homes to share meals together with joyous fellowship.

They had glad hearts for salvation from sin through repentant faith in Christ.

Their worldview was centered upon the Father in heaven, His Wonderful Son, Jesus Christ and the mighty work of His Spirit.

When Jesus said love one another, this is what it looked like in His church. Does it look like this in my life or yours? It should. 

Jesus said this is what it looks like to love others as ourselves. 

Luke 10:25-37  And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26)  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27)  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28)  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29)  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30)  And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31)  And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32)  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33)  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34)  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35)  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36)  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37)  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. 

A lawyer was trying to trap Jesus by asking Him questions about how to receive eternal life.

Jesus pointed him right back to what God says in His law. 

The lawyer responded rightly by telling Jesus we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength, mind, and that we must love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Jesus said that the lawyer answered correctly and that he should live in that manner.

The lawyer did not want to love others like himself so he asked "Who is my neighbor?"

Jesus gave an illustration involving real people. 

Christ always used terms like "a certain man" to let us know that He is speaking of real people and real events.

Thus, there was a certain man who traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho and along the way he was attacked and robbed by thieves.

A priest walked by and saw the wounded man but he moved to the other side of the road and kept on walking. 

A priest should have had compassion and ministered to the wounded man.

Likewise, a Levite did the same thing when he saw the wounded man. 

He was a worship leader and should have had compassion on the man who suffered injuries. 

The next passerby was a Samaritan. The Jews despised Samaritans because they were only part Jewish and had their own place of worship and sacrifice.

When the northern tribes of Israel were deported by the king of Assyria, the Assyrians repopulated that area with other foreigners that they conquered. 

Thus, "heathen" or Gentile people intermarried with Jews who remained in the land. [God had commanded the Jews not to marry into other nations.] 

Initially, Samaritan Jews worshiped idols and eventually combined a religion that mixed the law of Moses with idolatry.

Thus, it is striking that Jesus tells us a Samaritan stopped to help the wounded man.

He treated his wounds with oil and wine to purify, and bandaged them with cloth strips.

The Samaritan then put the wounded man on his beast and took him to the nearest inn.

The Samaritan paid the innkeeper to care for the man and pledged to pay more if additional care was needed.

The point of Jesus sharing this narrative is that the Samaritan demonstrated how to love your neighbor as yourself.

The Jewish priest and Levite did not show any love or compassion for the wounded man.

Do we love others with compassion like Jesus did? If not, we need to repent and return to our Lord and His Word.

God's law is fulfilled by loving God first and loving others.

Galatians 5:14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Thus, Paul connected his rebuke of law keeping Galatians with the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

When the Holy Spirit regenerates us, He gives us a new heart, a new Spirit and a desire to please God.

The Holy Spirit gives us a new way of life to live and He helps us learn how to walk a worthy walk with Christ.

He pours the love of God in us that makes it possible to love God supremely and to love others, esteeming them higher than ourselves. 

Some Galatians were attacking and fighting others like wild beasts.

Galatians 5:15  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 

Galatian Christians seem to have been in a state of great distraction. 

There were continual altercations among them. Strife and discord replaced peace with God and love for others. 

They had fallen from the grace of the Gospel as Christ no longer dwelt in their hearts by faith.

Therefore, pride, anger, ill-will, a lack of love for God and others possessed their souls. 

Nothing is so destructive to the peace of man or peace in our soul, as religious disputes like the ones Paul addressed in Galatia.

Another reason Paul rebukes them for their lack of love is due to the vile consequences of having a contrary spirit and conduct. 

Paul used words that picture beasts of prey falling upon and devouring one another. 

A wolf will attack and eat a sheep but this is not strange.  

It is very strange for one sheep to distress another sheep by attacking it.  

Some Galatians followed devilish wisdom instead of heavenly wisdom. 

James 3:13-16  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14)  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15)  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16)  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 

The apostle James addressed a similar issue within the church. 

A born again Christian will live a life that matches his or her profession of faith in Christ.

Those who profess faith in Christ but have a hateful, angry spirit are filled with devilish wisdom.

They are a bitter, jealous angry people always causing trouble and sowing discord among the brethren. 

Thus, Paul rebukes those who followed  Judaizers because they caused a great disturbance in the Galatian churches.

They left their first love, which is a love for God, for Jesus and for the Holy Spirit that is our highest priority. 

Paul needed to purge out the Judaizers and to bring the law keeping Galatians back into a right relationship with the Father.

We can lose our first love for God when we fail to nurture it by spending time with the Lord in His Word and praying to Him and actively worshipping the God of glory.

We can lose our first love when we love other things or people more than we love God.

I pray that the Spirit of God will help us understand these powerful truths.

I pray that any of us who have left our first love, will take immediate steps back to the Father and His Word and the ministry of His Spirit.

Bob