Free to Serve Together in Love
“Amen!”
“Alleluia!”
“Preach it, brother!”
Enthusiastic words punctuated a seminary graduate’s message—a pastor with his heart on fire for God. Worship music varied from regal hymns by a majestic pipe organ to contemporary worship songs with a spirit-filled worship band to a rousing gospel choir’s contagious rhythm rocked the pews. Everyone united in fantastic worship. This service brought faithful Christ-followers from many churches and communities into the grandest unity I’d ever witnessed. Heavenly! We came to support our family members who would become future pastors, ministry leaders, and missionaries as they graduated from seminary.
Many attendees didn’t see how God used their ministry training to reveal sharp contrasts with divisive attitudes and sin issues. God honed them to serve Him faithfully wherever He would take them. Critical remarks and heated arguments evaporated under the Holy Spirit’s conviction as faithful faculty mentored them toward this day. My husband, a seminary graduate, and I basked in the glory of this moment.
As each believer and church represented at graduation had different backgrounds and issues, so did the Galatian church. The Apostle Paul addressed two factions: Christians living by strict Jewish laws and those living by lurid paganism. They fell into such sharp conflict that Paul wrote this corrective letter calling them to unity.
Each group’s past conflicted with their shared Christian faith in this first-century church. For the Jewish believers, “the offense of the cross has been removed” (Galatians 5:10). For the Gentile Christians, they must “not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Both had newfound freedom from their pasts to live Jesus’s teachings, walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). They needed to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead so they could humbly serve each other in love (Galatians 5:13-14).
We all come from different backgrounds, bringing old views and sin issues with us. Some of our differences conflict with others, hindering our worship and service. Indeed, our pasts often collide with those of other believers, contrary to the Bible. Different styles of churches draw different people from various backgrounds for God’s good purposes. When brought together in love, this common faith unites our churches.
Questions for Reflection
1. Are you faced with criticism from people in your church?
2. Do you bolster your defense by gathering friends to support your cause?
Take time to pray, asking God if there is any truth to their accusations. If your past issues are part of the conflict, it’s important to ask forgiveness while forgiving those who hurt you. By allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you in making necessary changes while you focus on your common faith that brings you together, wholeness brings unity once more.
