Personal Service
Galatians 5:13-16, 22-26; 6:7-10
Last week, we saw that our freedom in Christ gives us the freedom to live free from the bondage of sin. This week, we see in the book of Galatians that the freedom we have in our salvation also enables us to serve others in the name of Christ. Just as Jesus came to die for the salvation of others, we are called to serve others. The Christian faith is not all about you; it’s all about what you can do to bring glory to God and to provide kingdom service to others.
The heart of service: Most people think of freedom as the opportunity to live and do as they please. For the apostle Paul, however, freedom had a much different meaning.
In Galatians 5:13, Paul wrote this: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Paul exhorts us to use our Christian freedom for the good of others, not for our own selfish gratification. The Christian life is one given in service to Christ and others. Selfishness is fruit of the sinful flesh, not of a godly spirit.
The power of service: Paul goes on in Galatians 6 to show us that the power to live for others comes by walking in the “fruit of the Spirit” (6:16). The fruit of the Spirit stands in stark contrast to the fruit of the flesh. The spirit of flesh is self-seeking and self-gratifying. The fruit of the Spirit gives God glory and builds up others. Living lives empowered by the Spirit and characterized by “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” empowers believers to serve others, and by serving others, Christians grow in Christian maturity, increasing in the fruit of the Spirit.
The reward of service: Our good service is rewarded by God. Paul puts it this way in Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” There are rewards for godly service. Our primary encouragement to serve should be for the glory of God. However, even that optimal goal can sometimes be difficult to aim for because it is abstract in nature. In such moments, knowing that our good works will be rewarded is encouraging. So then, “as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Thompson– Lessons by Craig Thompson, pastor of Malvern Hill Church, Camden. Thompson earned his B.A from Presbyterian College and is pursuing a Ph.D. from Southern Seminary, where he also earned his M.Div.