Free to Love, Not Lust

“For you were called to freedom, brothers [and sisters]. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13 ESV).

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We love freedom. But freedom is not a license to lust! 

The modern usage of the word “lust” is often confined to sexual desire. But the word has a much greater elasticity of meaning. It denotes a strong desire, whether good or bad.  

When Jesus expresses his desire to eat His last Passover (Luke 22:15), he expresses a deep longing. When He speaks of the seed of the Word being choked by the lusts of other things (Mark 4:19), he is not suggesting that these “other things” are necessarily evil. In themselves, they may be harmless. However, left unchecked, our cravings may hinder God’s purpose. 

Paul’s words serve as a poignant reminder that our freedom in Christ does not liberate us from our responsibility to care for each other. He specifically charges the Galatians (and us) not to use our freedom as a license for sin to gain a foothold. As followers of Christ, we are free to love, not lust.^⁠1 

As disciples of Jesus, we are “called to freedom.” But our freedom found in Christ is not self-serving. Our liberty is not to fulfill our desires (right or wrong). The freedom we have in Christ is a selfless empowerment to serve others, a call to love and care for our neighbors as ourselves.

It’s problematic if I insist that others must always agree with “my” agenda and desire. That’s our challenge. These days it seems that “lust” (our cravings, desires, appetites, longings, passion, will, and yearnings) is “self-centered” rather than “other-oriented.” We must be careful, mindful of our desires and their potential impact on others. 

Suggesting that our freedom permits us to ignore, demean, and devour others to satisfy our longings is trading liberty for legalism (a preoccupation with form at the expense of substance). “Christ-following Galatians” were pressured by insistent Jewish believers to be circumcised. Paul assures them that this command is not from God. It is the very opposite of being saved by faith. Andrew Knowles writes: 

“Circumcision is an attempt to get right with God by doing something ourselves. The cross of Jesus shows that we can’t do anything to save ourselves; we can only trust in what he has done for us.”^⁠2

Even in an increasingly divisive world, true freedom demonstrates itself in love and service to others. We are free to serve others, not to use our freedom as an opportunity to fulfill our lust.  

¹ Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 606.

² Andrew Knowles, The Bible Guide, 1st Augsburg books ed. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2001), 610.

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