Galatians 5:14-15
July 9, 2008Galatians 5:14-15
The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
The “love of” neighbor is not some sort of affection or liking, but is literally “acts of love to others that one would choose to have done to himself”. Galatians 4:14 is often and easily referenced by many of us, but more often than not the words that follow in verse 15 are an indictment of how we treat others. Harmful conflict often starts with “biting” or criticism, which can then lead to anger and resentment that devours, and the culmination of all this is the tragic loss of the relationship. Daily as we encounter a spouse, friend, neighbor or stranger we need to focus on the acts of love to others that one would choose to have done to himself as the standard for our behavior.
Posted by Harry Beverly, Minister of Family Life
Thank you