Live Free with One Another

Devotional

Day 1: Understanding the Multi-Faceted Dimension of Freedom

Many people view freedom as a one-dimensional release from chains or rules, but true freedom in Christ is much deeper. It is not merely a release from the past, but an invitation into a life of responsibility and privilege. This freedom enables you to make choices that were previously impossible while under the weight of sin. Instead of just focusing on what you are loosed from, consider the life of freedom you are now invited to lead. You have been given a priceless gem that is meant to be cherished and utilized, not squandered or mismanaged. [05:37]

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13 NASB)

Reflection: When you think about your life in Christ, do you tend to focus more on what you are "free from" or what you are "free for"?

Day 2: Resting in the Sufficiency of Christ’s Sacrifice

Legalism suggests that while Jesus’ work on the cross was good, it requires our own rules and regulations to be truly complete. However, the death of Jesus was entirely sufficient for all sin, and trying to add to it is like telling a parent their ultimate sacrifice wasn't enough. You are free from the exhausting cycle of trying to establish your own righteousness through a list of regulations. Because Christ has already paid the full price, you can stop striving to earn what has already been freely given. This freedom allows you to rest in His grace rather than your own performance. [07:05]

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1 NASB)

Reflection: Is there a specific "rule" or "standard" you’ve been trying to meet to feel worthy of God’s love, and how would it feel to trust that Jesus has already met that standard for you?

Day 3: Refusing to Return to the Old Self

If the old self has been crucified with Christ, there is no reason to keep running back to perform CPR on a life that is meant to be gone. God has taken off your mantle of unrighteousness and replaced it with Christ’s own robe of righteousness, making you whiter than snow. Just as a parent warns a child in clean clothes not to get dirty before a special event, God desires for you to walk in the cleanliness He provided. Returning to old habits is like a dog returning to its own vomit; it is beneath the dignity of your new identity. You are no longer a prisoner, so do not walk back into the cell and assume the old position. [19:13]

knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:6-7 NASB)

Reflection: What is one "old habit" or way of thinking that you find yourself trying to "resuscitate," and what would it look like to finally let it go today?

Day 4: The Power to Love Like God Loves

Human love is often limited, but when you are connected to God, you gain access to a love that seeks the best for others through His limitless power. You are freed from the cycle of biting and devouring others like wild animals and are instead empowered to serve. This service is the primary way you live out the freedom you have been given in your daily relationships. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and patience—is meant to be expressed in the context of your community. You are not just saved from hell; you are saved for a world of possibility in serving those around you. [22:04]

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB)

Reflection: Looking at the list of the fruit of the Spirit, which one do you feel is most needed in your current relationships, and how might God be providing the power to display it?

Day 5: Choosing to Outdo One Another in Love

Walking by the Spirit is a daily choice to honor God rather than insisting on your own way. This freedom to choose means you can look for practical, even "weird" ways to show the holiness of God to the world. Whether it is writing a prayer for a friend, helping a neighbor with chores, or simply bringing someone a cookie, these acts of service reveal your freedom. Imagine a community where everyone made it their mission to outdo one another in love without seeking personal credit. By following the Spirit’s prompting, you can move beyond a private faith into a life that truly connects with others. [31:19]

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16 NASB)

Reflection: What is one concrete, small act of service you could perform this week for someone in your life—perhaps something they haven't even asked for—to demonstrate the love of Christ?

Sermon Summary

Galatians 5:13–26 is held up as the pivot from justification to sanctification: believers have been liberated not simply to escape condemnation or to abandon law but to enter a new way of life empowered by the Spirit. The narrative opens with a striking anecdote — the Junker Diamond — to illustrate how a priceless gift can be squandered through poor stewardship. That image frames the central warning: freedom in Christ is not a license for the flesh; it is a summons to love and service. Freedom has multiple dimensions in the apostle's argument: freedom from the law’s condemning demands, freedom from sin’s enslaving power, and freedom to choose whom to serve. Being “crucified with Christ” removes the legal burden and separates the believer from sin’s dominion, but it also establishes a positive calling — to walk by the Spirit so the desires of the flesh do not govern choices.

The contrast between the deeds of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit functions as both diagnosis and roadmap. The list of vices names where people have come from; the list of virtues names what God intends relationships among believers to look like. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are not abstract virtues but relational capacities that flow from union with Christ and the Spirit’s work. True Christian freedom is therefore practical: it shows itself in serving others, in resisting the relapse to old habits, and in exercising the moral agency God has given each person to obey or disobey. The single imperative in the passage — serve one another through love — becomes the litmus test of living free. The final appeal is pastoral and urgent: repentance where necessary, renewed dependence on the Spirit, and concrete acts of service that embody the freedom already received. Living free with one another means choosing, again and again, the costly path of love instead of reverting to the convenience of selfishness.

Key Takeaways

1. Freedom is not license to sin Believers are emancipated from sin’s authority, not freed to indulge it. This freedom presumes a decisive break — the old self was crucified — and therefore requires a conscious refusal to reopen the door to former patterns. The moral danger lies in treating grace as permission to return to former enslaving habits rather than as the basis for transformation. [09:52]
2. Freedom empowers sacrificial love True freedom creates capacity for godlike love that seeks the good of others, not merely personal liberty. When the Spirit shapes affections, loving actions become the natural outworking of new identity rather than duty alone. Serving other believers is the concrete expression of freedom, revealing that salvation is communal as much as forensic. [20:35]
3. Walk by the Spirit’s power Choice matters: the Spirit’s leadership is the means by which believers resist fleshly desires. Walking by the Spirit is not passive sentiment but active dependence that reorders motives, affections, and decisions. The lived reality of freedom is daily submission to Spirit-led impulses rather than self-directed impulses. [26:11]
4. Replace deeds with fruit The catalog of vices shows former bondage; the fruit names the relational character God intends. Growth in faith is measured less by doctrinal assent and more by the emergence of Spirit-produced virtues in community. Transformation is therefore interpersonal — visible in patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. [01:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:06] - Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:13–26
[01:50] - Deeds of Flesh and Fruit of Spirit
[02:55] - Junker Diamond Story
[04:32] - Squandered Treasure Analogy
[05:37] - Two Dimensions of Freedom
[06:09] - Freedom From Legalism
[09:52] - Freedom From Sin Explained
[20:35] - Called To Love And Serve
[26:11] - Freedom Requires Choice
[29:36] - Practical Ways To Serve
[33:21] - Invitation and Response
[35:40] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

Galatians 5:13–26 (NASB)
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Observation questions

According to verse 13, what is the specific purpose for which believers were called, and what is the one thing they are commanded to do with that calling?
In verses 19–21, a list of "deeds of the flesh" is provided. How does this list serve as a reminder of a person's past or where they have come from? [17:08]
What are the nine specific qualities listed in verses 22–23 that make up the "fruit of the Spirit"?
According to verse 24, what decisive action has been taken by those who belong to Christ Jesus regarding their "flesh with its passions and desires"?

Interpretation questions

Verse 13 warns against turning freedom into an "opportunity for the flesh." How might a person mistakenly focus only on the "release" of freedom (what they are loosed from) while ignoring the responsibilities and choices that freedom enables them to make? [05:37]
The text contrasts "deeds" (plural) with "fruit" (singular). How does this distinction reflect the difference between human effort and the natural outworking of a life connected to the power of the Holy Spirit? [25:02]
Paul states that the entire law is fulfilled in the command to "love your neighbor as yourself." In what way does serving one another in love function as the ultimate "litmus test" for whether a person is truly living out their Christian freedom? [23:19]

Application questions

The story of the Junker Diamond shows how a priceless treasure can be squandered through poor management. [04:32] In what areas of your life are you tempted to "mismanage" the freedom Christ gave you by returning to old, enslaving patterns?
It is said that if our old self has been crucified, we should stop trying to perform "CPR" on it. [09:52] What is one specific "deed of the flesh" or old habit that you find yourself trying to revive instead of letting it stay dead?
Walking by the Spirit is an active choice to submit to God's leading rather than a passive feeling. [26:11] When you face a selfish impulse or a conflict this week, what would it look like for you to consciously choose the Spirit’s direction in that moment?
The fruit of the Spirit—such as patience, kindness, and gentleness—is expressed primarily through our relationships with others. [25:26] Which of these specific fruits do you find most difficult to display right now in your home or workplace?
Living free involves looking for concrete ways to serve. [29:36] Out of the practical ideas mentioned—such as writing a prayer for someone, watching a young couple’s children, or inviting someone to lunch—which one will you commit to doing this week?
It is possible to be forgiven of sin but never move beyond that initial experience into a life of active service. [33:54] Has your faith become a "private" thing, and how can you begin to "outdo others in love" within this group or church? [31:19]

Sermon Clips

That's a true story, folks. And as I read that story, it reminded me a lot of the freedom that we've been given. If we're not careful, we can also waste that precious gem. I don't know what you think about when you think about freedom. Perhaps, it's a picture of the flag of your country waving in the wind from a stark white flagpole against an azure sky or maybe it's the loosing of chains of a prisoner that has served their time, has been pardoned, and now can walk out of the prison that held them for days, months, or even years. Maybe it's seeing the exploding colors of fireworks in the fourth of July. [00:04:59] (38 seconds) #FreedomIsPrecious

And so he paid the price. He sent Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, to live a perfect life that could be credited to your account, to die in the on the cross in your place, to pay the payment for sin that sin demands and that god demands because of his justice. And then rose again on the third day to give you the victory that you're never going to achieve on your own. And so, with that reality, the holy spirit still working on you, creating you a desire to first of all, believe that that is true. And then to turn away from your sin and place your faith in what Christ has done for you. [00:12:10] (45 seconds) #PaidInFull

And and if we don't understand that that these deeds of the flesh are to be replaced with the fruit of the spirit, then we're stuck in that cycle. We need to understand that we are freed to love. It's not just the things that we're free from. It's the things we now get to do. [00:20:10] (25 seconds) #FruitOverFlesh

``When god loves, it's from a pure motive of what is best for the object of his love based on perfect knowledge that has limitless power to produce a perfectly planned and known outcome. Let me let me read that one more time. When God loves, it is from a pure motive of what is best for the object of his love based on perfect knowledge that has limitless power to produce a perfectly planned and known outcome. And here's the reality, you and I cannot love that way until we're connected to him. But when we're connected to him, we now have access to that power. We're free to love. [00:21:16] (55 seconds) #PoweredByHisLove

There's a purpose for the life we've been given. It's not just free from sin, free from hell, free from Satan, free from the grave, free from fear of death, free from being guilty. That is true but it's not all that there is. We have now this whole world of possibility set before us that we can step out into and serve in and work in and live in and play in and discover in. And the sad thing is many of us never get any step other than right here. [00:22:25] (38 seconds) #StepIntoPurpose

So so why would I title the message live free with one another? Because when you and I serve one another, we're living out the freedom we've been given. Think about that. [00:23:31] (20 seconds) #LiveFreeTogether

People who have the holy spirit living in them have the choice to live for god that we never had before. So we're free from sin. We're free to freed to love. We're free to serve. We're free to choose. The question that remains is, are you living free? [00:28:01] (30 seconds) #ChooseToLiveFree

Have you taken a step towards loving, serving, or are you just right here? Or maybe even a better question, which is not a great question to ask, but one that needs to be asked, is have you been washed away? Have you been dressed up in your Easter clothes and you're still out rolling in the mud? Maybe it's time for you to say, Jesus, I haven't been doing very well with the clean suit you gave me. Will you forgive me, and can we start over? [00:34:04] (46 seconds) #WashedAndRenewed

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Live Free with One Another

Devotional

Day 1: Understanding the Multi-Faceted Dimension of Freedom

Day 2: Resting in the Sufficiency of Christ’s Sacrifice

Day 3: Refusing to Return to the Old Self

Day 4: The Power to Love Like God Loves

Day 5: Choosing to Outdo One Another in Love

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

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Live Free with One Another

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