A concise summary of life in God's Spirit

We typically define “freedom” as “the right to do what you want, make your own decisions, and express your own opinions,” or even “the ability to do what you want because you have no obligations or responsibilities.” * When the apostle Paul said the Galatian Christians were called to “freedom” (Greek eleutheria) he meant something very different—the right (and power) to do what God wants. “It is ironical that, having urged the Galatians not to become slaves to law, Paul should now encourage them to become slaves of one another, for that is what “serve” means….The Galatians are to be slaves of one another, though this slavery is not at all like the first. In fact—this is the paradox—it is the Christian form of being free.” ** The point of a deeply committed love relationship is to give each partner the God-given freedom to “serve each other through love.”

• In verse 13 Paul bluntly stated a painful truth. We all have selfish impulses, especially when we’re able to choose freely. Paul described the way of life he was talking about with the phrase “be guided by the Spirit,” pointing his readers to the only one who can give us the ability to serve each other in love. In what areas of life do you want to invite the Spirit to empower you to deny your selfish desires and love others more fully as you love yourself? When have you experienced what Pastor Hamilton sometimes calls “inner nudges” that move you toward the right choices, away from what is harmful? How can you learn to be more attuned to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life, especially in your closest relationships?