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 neighbour as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Comment: The freedom that the Gospel gives us is the freedom which allows us to walk in a way that pleases God. It is not licence to walk any old way to which natural desires or Satan tempt us. We don’t have to justify ourselves before God as He has forgiven and accepted us BUT we are called to love God with all heart, mind, soul, strength and to love our neighbour as ourselves. There is a difference between being just a sinful human and a redeemed child of God in the goals we have and the lives we live. Or there should be!
Prayer: Help me to remember in joyful service Whose I am and Whom I follow.
As I read it! 
Thank you Barry for your comments on this passage. I have noticed in almost all of the stiuations when Jesus healed people, He requested that they tell no-one. And as you mentioned, I too wonder if He did that for the reason that if you tell people not to do something, they will probably do the opposite. Only He can answer that question. Someone once suggested that it was because it made life difficult for Him as when others heard about the miracles He did, they would flock to see Him and hear Him, and He was wanting to avoid that from happening. We will probably never know. It is interesting that whenever He healed the deaf, or the mute, or the blind people, He always used a different “method” for each one, as if He was making each one a special personal healing for them. God bless you.
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Thank you Barry for your comments on this passage. I feel that the final sentence, “But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not under law.” is the crux of this whole passage. Are we being led by God’s Spirit, or by our own human nature? If we are being led by the Spirit, if we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and love our neighbour as ourself, then we are on the right track. We just need to be aware of the devil trying to get us distracted and off track. God bless you.
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