Galatians 5:12-18 (NIV)
As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Paul begins this transition with an unusual curse: the Judaizers are so convinced that circumcision is the end all of holiness that they should go all the way and completely emasculate themselves. Paul is not being crude here. Instead, he is making a point. Those who are emasculated cannot reproduce. So, in essence, he is wanting these men to stop spreading their erroneous doctrine, trying to reproduce their error among the gentile Christians.
Several times Paul has pointed out that the gentile believers were truly and completely saved by grace through faith and were thus free from the burden of trying to earn their salvation by performing works of the law. But now he stresses that that freedom does not allow them to sin, disobeying God’s commands as they live under His rule in His kingdom. That is rebellion and spiritual anarchy, which Paul refers to as “indulging the sinful nature,” basically allowing the sinful nature to call the shots. Instead, agape love is to rule our hearts as God’s people.
Paul points to the second greatest commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself”, as the key. (This assumes, of course that the greatest commandment, loving God with all one’s heart, soul, mind and strength, is firmly in place and operational.) If we love each other as we love ourselves, we will never be moved to misuse, mistreat, or sin against another Christian.
Paul recognizes that the sinful nature desires exactly the opposite of what the Holy Spirit leads us to do. If a person follows the Holy Spirit, they will live righteous and holy lives. But if they follow the sinful nature, giving in to temptation and being led to actions and attitudes contrary to God’s leading and His commands, they will fall into sin.
For that reason, no Christian is free to do whatever they want, because our sinful nature will not lead us in God’s ways. It is only those who are led by the Holy Spirit, mature, sanctified Christians, who are not under the tutelage and oversight of the law. Instead, they are led in righteous ways directly by the Holy Spirit, and freely follow Him wherever He leads.
Father, some believe that, as Christians, we are not under the law and can do whatever we want, in direct contradiction to these Scriptures. Instead, though we don’t follow an external law to earn our salvation, we are required to follow the indwelling Holy Spirit and to obey His directions and His commands. If we will do that consistently (by Your grace and power working in our hearts), we will have no need for a “tutor”, but will simply walk with You daily, just as Jesus did. Help me, Lord, to have open ears to the Spirit’s leading and a soft, guidable heart that simply follows and obeys, so that You are glorified through my every thought, word, and deed, every moment of every day. Amen.