November 26

Galatians 4-6
There have always been those who would impose as set of rules upon believers, leading them to believe that their salvation is based upon those rules.  There must be, of necessity, laws to guide mankind, to keep us from harming one another in a civil society.  However, in the church, Paul says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”  Those things that are wrong to do are obvious, so we avoid them because to do otherwise would not be an expression of our faith through love.  As followers of Christ, we do that which is good and right, not because those things earn our salvation, rather, we grow in the fruit of the spirit because our faith is demonstrating itself through love.  Anything less is hypocrisy, and just as harmful as legalism.  Because we love as the Lord loves, we do not need a law to guide us.  Love is the guiding principle.  God’s Spirit is the means by which we are able to put that principle into practice.