You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
(Galatians 5:7-15 ESV)
One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to keep us from going to one or the other extreme in living out the Christian life. Often we do "fall back" into some sort of self-righteous legalism, relying on ourselves to live out the Christian life, lest we look "less than spiritual" in our failures. The other extreme is to take our freedom in Christ so far as to think and act that it does not matter how our lives affect others. The Holy Spirit will not allow us to do that if we are listening to Him. He is the Spirit of Oneness who binds us to fellow believers. Let us listen to Him and avoid extremes.
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