For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.
3 sermons cite this verse
1 Corinthians 1.9, he's called us to freedom, not bondage. Galatians 5.13, he's called us to peace. Listen to this, Colossians 3.15, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. 1 Corinthians 7, 15, God has called you to peace. He's called you to patient suffering. 1 Peter 2, 21, for to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you may follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2, 9, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and called you into marvelous light. To eternal life and glory, fight the good fight. take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. 1 Timothy 6, 12. And after you've suffered a little while, the God of grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5, 10. The hope that he's called you to. …
… but most importantly the who and the people that God have placed into our lives as a gift. Galatians 5.13 says, For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Don't just say it's my time and my freedom and my way and my thing and my life. but through love serve one another. We all know that the attempt of selfishness can impact a relationship. John 15 says, Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. What a picture of sacrificial love. that someone would be willing to serve to the extent of giving up their time and their energy and their life and their being for friendships and for covenant relationships. Our call and our example is to put others' needs as a priority in our lives. The second thing is security. Yes, feeling safe and secure builds trust and strengthens the bond between relationships and the bond between two individuals. …
This is seen in the present result of certain sins. "He that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." By "the flesh" is meant our corrupt human nature in such sins as are mentioned in the 19th verse of the 5th Chapter of this Epistle, where we read, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God." These are "the works of the flesh." I am not going to expound this passage [Mr. Spurgeon's expositions of the whole passage, Galatians 5:13-26 will be found in Sermons #2632, Volume 45 and #2831, Volume 49] fully, but I want briefly to show you that there are four classes of sins mentioned here. First, Paul mentions sins of lust—adultery, which violates the most sacred ties—fornication, which defiles the body. Uncleanness, which is secret, not known to others, but which is fully known to God. Fleshly thoughts, fleshly words and fleshly acts—lasciviousness, the outward uncleanness which "society" condemns, yet often practices. He who is doing any of these things is sowing to his flesh and he will, most surely, "of the flesh reap corruption." You who are true Christians, of course, hate all these things, as Jude says, "hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." But mind that you also hate all books in which these things are worked up into attractive narratives, for you cannot even casually glance at such books, much less read them, without polluting your whole being! But as for those who practice these sins, which the Apostle here enumerates, let them not dream that they can be saved while they continue to love that which God hates with a perfect hatred! …