Teaching Summary: Love-fueled Servanthood
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. — Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.
But what does that actually mean?
According to Scripture, freedom in Christ is an objective reality.
We have been set free—free from the law of sin and death, free from shame, guilt, and striving.
But Galatians 5:13 reminds us that we are also called to be free—meaning we are invited to actually live as free people.
And that brings us to a critical question:
What will you do with the freedom Jesus has given you?
Paul warns us: “Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh…”
There are really only two ways to use your freedom: Project Self or Project Serve.
Project Self is what happens when freedom becomes centered on me.
It’s the cultural narrative that says you’re the main character and everyone else is just an extra. It shows up in two forms:
Self-righteousness: believing freedom means keeping all the rules and expecting others to do the same.
Self-indulgence: believing freedom means living your truth, cutting off people who don’t “serve your energy,” and chasing personal optimization at all costs.
Paul says: Don’t do that.
Instead, he calls us into something radical and deeply countercultural:
“Serve one another humbly in love.”
This is Project Serve—the true sign of a heart that’s been transformed by Jesus.
And this kind of servanthood isn’t about performance.
It’s not “I guess I’ll sign up for another ministry slot.”
In fact, some people serve out of guilt, or pride, or fear—and end up bitter, burned out, or resentful.
Paul isn’t calling us to more activity.
He’s calling us to love-fueled servanthood—a life where love is the only motive left.
Love-fueled servanthood is the evidence of true freedom.
It’s the kind of life where you make meals for someone in need…
Offer childcare to an overwhelmed parent…
Sit with a hurting friend—not to fix them, but just to be with them.
Not because it makes you feel important or because it proves anything—
But because you’ve been set free by Jesus and you are learning to live in that freedom.
And what inspired God to set us free in the first place?
Love.
Romans 5:8 — “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Without love, there is no freedom.
And without love, we can’t truly live from our freedom.
So the question isn’t: How can I keep the rules?
Or: How can I live my truth?
The real question is:
How can I grow in love?
Because it’s love that fuels the kind of life Paul describes.
A life of humble, joyful service to others.
A life that doesn’t need the spotlight.
A life that looks like Jesus.
