My previous post, entitled “Liberty”, was the calling of Christians to use their liberty to serve one another through love. This command might evoke an rather indignant response from some people: “If I’m free, I will do what I like. I’m not indebted to anyone, so why should I serve others?”
This is where Scripture comes in. in Matthew 22, the Pharisees ask Jesus a question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” We know that the first and greatest is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. “And the second,” Jesus says, “is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” The second most important commandment in the whole Law is to love others as yourself.
God knew the selfish inclinations of the human race. He set the perfect example of loving and serving others when he died on the cross for us. When others ask, “Why should I serve others?”, you can respond: “Because you’re free. You’re indebted to Christ who died for your liberty. We love and serve others because He first loved and served us.”
mighsblogger 
Fruits
02 Jun 2016 Leave a comment
by mighsblogger in Martin Luther's Commentary on Galatians Tags: Commentary on Galatians, Faithfulness, Fruits of the Spirit, Gentleness, Goodness, Joy, Kindness, Love, Martin Luther, Patience, Peace, Self-control
In Galatians 5:19-23, Paul distinguishes between the fruits of evil and the fruits of the spirit:
“The acts of the flesh,” Paul writes, “are obvious: adultery,impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, revelries, and the like.” These fruits are rooted in evil and grow from the stems of the flesh. Those who lust after them will not, as Paul warns, inherit the kingdom of God.
The fruits of the Spirit, however, are the complete opposite as those before: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” These fruits grow on the branches of faith, rooted firmly in Christ. Those who seek after these fruits through Christ will inherit the kingdom of God. “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” When we dedicated our lives to Christ, we gave up those lusts of the flesh. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”