Galatians 5:18
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Truth to Learn
God leads us in paths of righteousness through faith, not through obedience to the law.
Behind the Words
The word translated “led” is agō, meaning “to lead along.” In the current verse this word is in the present tense, passive voice, and indicative mood. The passive voice means that it is something done to the subject (you). The present tense and indicative mood indicate current continuous action. Hence, Paul is saying, “But if you are currently and continuously being led by the Spirit …” The point being that it is not a once in a while type of activity but one that is habitual and continuous.
“Law” is translated from the Greek word nomos, which is from the verb nemō, meaning “to divide among” or “to parcel out.” Therefore, nomos refers to “that which has been handed out” or “that which one has in their possession for their own use.” In this verse it refers to the Law of Moses which was handed out to the Israelites from God.
Background
The false teachers who had crept into the churches in Galatia were teaching that a person who believes Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for our sins has not done enough to be completely saved. To be completely saved, they taught, a person must also keep the Law of Moses including being circumcised.
Paul has been very deliberate in showing that keeping the law as a way to obtain righteousness not only does not aid in salvation, it is counter to salvation. Apparently some of the Galatian Christians believed this and stood firm against the false teachers. Unfortunately, it appears that this opposition turned into heated attacks by each side against the other. That’s why Paul told them all that to really satisfy the intent of the law they needed to love each other as they love themselves.
Meaning Explained
The Christian way to stop fighting within the church is for all involved to walk in the Spirit; that is, let God’s Holy Spirit guide all of our thoughts and actions. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? The problem is that we have a sin nature, which, as Paul told us in the previous verse, is constantly battling against the Spirit of God. Even when we want to be completely obedient to God’s Spirit, our sin nature takes over at times.
But, if we are continually listening for God’s direction and considering the good of others above our own, then we don’t have to meticulously obey all the ordinances of the law. By following God’s leading we will be fulfilling the spirit of the law because, as we are told in Psalms 23:3,
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Application
Being led by the Spirit is not easy. It takes constant communication with God through prayer and attentive listening to God as we read the Bible. It also takes a constant submitting of our will to His. It’s hard, but with His help we can do it!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2008 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, you can call the church phone (618) 614-3070 and leave a message telling us your name and e-mail address or you can send an e-mail to:
