Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Galatians 5:13-15.

 

“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.”  Galatians 5:13-15.

 

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At first, verse 15 seems like a non sequitur;  verse 15 does not seem to logically follow verses 13 and 14.  When we think of “through love serve one another” and “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”, we tend to think of feeding the poor or providing some other service to help someone else.  We don’t think of something so basic as:  “Stop biting or devouring one another!” or something even more basic such as:  “OK, I realize that you are still going to bite each other, but at least limit the damage so that you are not consumed by one another.”  Verse 15 almost seems like an insult. 

 

But, verse 15 is logical and necessary.  One of the first steps toward loving and serving one another is to reduce the pride in us.  We are not going to love and serve another through the flesh.  Remember “Total Depravity”:  the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism also known as Reformed Doctrine.  We absolutely need “Some One” supernatural to possess us to make us love and serve another as we should.