For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the entire 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. I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:13-16 — Holman Christian Standard Bible)
We have been freed from sin, from the devil's power, from having to be perfect keepers of the Law, from condemnation, and from the fear of death. We are forgiven and accepted by God — an amazing gift we have to keep reminding ourselves of — through our faith in the Lord Jesus, not because we obey His commands without fault. But we cannot use the freedom we have as an excuse to do wrong. We cannot pollute God’s generous forgiveness by thinking things like: “I know this is wrong, but I want to do it anyway — I’ll ask God to forgive me later.” This is an abuse of His mercy and of the freedom we have been given.
Our words and actions reveal who we really are at our core. A verse in the Bible says, "Speak evil of no one", and goes on to say that gossip and bad-mouthing will cause us to be lost for eternity. We need to think carefully about what comes out of our mouths, and make sure that our words build people up. If you have something against someone, either let it go, or if you feel the need, go to them privately and talk about it in a humble, non-emotional manner. So much trouble is manufactured and actual souls lost when we “bite and devour one another”. Even when something is true, don't speak about it unless you can figure out a way to use it to encourage, correct, and help the other person.
Our responsibility as Christians is to “serve one another in love”. We can only do this after we have put ourselves and our selfish interests to one side. It means focusing on helping others, understanding things from their point of view, stepping out of our tired, old mindset and thinking in a fresh new way — by doing this we are actually asking God’s nature to flow through us. Whether people are Christian or atheist, good or bad — our duty is to love them, treat them with respect, and try to help them. This was a permanent habit that marked Jesus’ life — this was the way He lived — and we should copy Him and resist the prideful thought that we have come up with a better way to live. Jealousy, selfishness, and self-serving ambition should be banned substances in our lives. They have the power to destroy us, and anyone close enough to be influenced by our lives.
Love your neighbor as yourself!
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