September 28, 2026
Love is the Sign of a Spirit-filled Life
Galatians 5:1-14
Love is a term we may think we already know and understand. Often love is associated with deep feelings of connection and affection towards another person. This is indeed one facet of love, but biblically speaking, the love that Scripture, and certainly the love that Paul is referring to in Galatians 5, is a love that goes further than feelings. The Greek word that Paul is using in Galatians 5 is agapē. Agapē love can most simply be defined as love in action. Agapē is a verb; it is work that takes place in our lives. This is the love that comes from our hearts and into our world and lives. It bridges the gaps, helps others, heals relationships, and serves God and His people.
As we discussed last week, the battle raging in the churches of Galatia centers on two false teachings. On one side was the belief that Gentiles must become circumcised, Torah-observant Jewish Christians to follow Christ. On the other was the idea that, because of their freedom in Christ, believers could live however they pleased, with full license and no moral restraint. Paul is attempting to explain to the churches in Galatia the true way of Christian living, a way that rejects both of these paths and instead embraces a life lived in step with the Spirit. A life in step with the Spirit is a life marked by the fruit of the Spirit. In Galatians 5, Paul bookends this argument with the fruit of love. He first mentions love in verse 6 as the response to legalism, and then presents it as the solution to the morally permissive view of the Christian life. This true agapē love should open our hearts to the Spirit. And to be open to and filled with the Spirit is to understand the way God has called us to live and then freely walk in it.
The things Christ calls us to, the laws, commandments, directions, and teachings He gives, are ultimately things of love. If we have spent any time reading about the life, miracles, teachings, and sacrifice of Christ, the centrality of love is undeniable. So, just as Paul explains to the churches in Galatia, love bridges the gap between legalism and moral license, because agapē love actively bridges gaps by moving us beyond ourselves and toward others in love and service.
Reflection
Which way do you find yourself more inclined to live: toward legalism or toward living as though you are free from moral responsibility? Why? How does Christ’s love lead you to live in a way that is counter to both of these ways, a Spirit-filled way? What do you think the Spirit-filled life actively looks like?