Freedom and the Fruit of the Spirit

I gained a new insight from my study of Galatians 5:13-26 this past week while studying for my third sermon on this passage. The source of the insight was an older commentary I found online. I cannot remember the name of the commentary or its author, otherwise I would cite it here, as what follows is not original with me.

I had always thought this passage compared two different ways of living; one, living under the law, which I had put together with the lusts of the flesh; and two, living in the Spirit, or living according to the Spirit of God, by whom one is able to produce the fruit of the Spirit in one's life.

Through the help of this commentary, however, I have come to see that there are three different kinds of lifestyle being referred to in this passage. The first is living under law, or having an external set of rules and standard by which one orders one's life. The second is living in freedom, but a freedom which is consumed by the flesh. This is truly a freedom; for it lives in disregard for all law. It may be in conformity to some of it -- whatever makes the self feel like a good person -- but otherwise it disregards law and does whatever it pleases. But this is not the freedom for which Christ has set us free. Christ has set us free for a third kind of lifestyle, the lifestyle of love, the lifestyle of service, service to one another in love.

This is a lifestyle which is not lived for the self but for others. This is a lifestyle that fulfills the entirety of the law. Paul states that the entirety of the law is fulfilled in the one command to love one another even as we love ourselves. This is a lifestyle that is not marked by the characteristics of the second kind of freedom, by the striving, by the discontent, by the feuding and fighting that is characteristic of a person who is only serving themselves and trying to get ahead at the expense of everyone else. It is also absent the manipulation and the conniving and the backbiting and the lying of those who are only pursuing their own agenda, or who will stop at nothing, or run over anything and anyone in order to get their own way.

It is the second kind of freedom that is insisted upon by the rebel. It is a freedom, but it is not the freedom of Christ. Even if you add the name of Christ to it, this freedom is still a malicious freedom; it is not kind, it is not gentle, it is not loving, it does not bear under any adversity well. This sets this rebellious freedom apart from the truly Christian freedom that comes from the life of the Spirit. This kind of freedom is kind, it is peaceable, it is loving, it is patient, it does endure under pressure and distress.

This latter freedom comes only at a price, according to Paul. It is the price of crucifixion of the self and its selfish desires. Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with is passions and its desires. The second kind of freedom, the rebellious kind, must be left behind, totally and utterly forsaken, if the freedom of the Spirit is ever to manifest itself. Failure to do so leaves the soul in its turmoil, and it brings turmoil and struggle and striving to every situation that encounters. Only in the freedom of the Spirit is there peace.

Those of us who name the name of Christ often live in the rebellious kind of freedom thinking that since we are not under the law we are free to live as we please. But this is far from the truth. We have been released from the law, but we live in fulfillment of it, living in love, having crucified ourselves and our passions and desires in order to live for the glory of Christ. So much of the rebellious lifestyle is contrary to law; it is outlawed behavior, behavior which is illegal, or certainly that which is immoral. The freedom of the Spirit, however, is commendable behavior; we would not even dream of passing a law against it. Who would think of outlawing love as dangerous, or passing a law against gentleness, or making kindness and peace illegal? Thus it is in compliance with law; nay, it supersedes law, for it fulfills the requirements of the law by going above and beyond.

This is the true freedom of the Christian; and it is the link between freedom and the fruit of the Spirit. This is the freedom for which Christ has set us free. This is a freedom which keeps the desires in check; it is a restrained freedom, a freedom from destructive behavior. May God give us grace to live in this kind of freedom until the end of our days here on this earth.