Galatians 5:13 English Standard Version (ESV) 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.

Love in this verse is agape, God’s perfect love. We are in this family of God and yet we live in the world at the same time. Practicing agape love happens in the family of God. The freedom I spoke of yesterday has everything to do with developing the abiding love of God as a shared experience. First within the family of God and then to the world. In the family you will find that agape love is reciprocal. The world will not reciprocate. It cannot because it does not have His abiding love.

That does not relieve us of the responsibility of sharing agape love. We so often fall back into worldly attitudes when in the world and withhold agape love because we deem others unworthy. We were unworthy and that did not stop Jesus from loving us perfectly. Jesus said if we got to know Him we would know the Father.  Can we say the same through our demonstration of love in the world?

We are set free to love. Love of the flesh does not demonstrate Christ.

John 8:12 English Standard Version (ESV) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Matthew 5:16 English Standard Version (ESV) In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Does our acts of love glorify God?

Let your light shine does not mean that you are the light, it means He abides in you. Letting it shine only means that we are not to allow our flesh to get in the way of letting it be seen.