Galatians 5:13 (NLT)
¹³  For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

We are commanded many times in the New Testament to love. To love our brothers and sisters and to love our neighbors. Love was called the greatest commandment. However, loving one another and others can be difficult and it requires staying close to God in order to fulfill this commandment.

If we love our Lord Jesus it will keep us from going astray so easily. Staying in the Word of God, constant in prayer, and reaching out to others helps us to love others.

As believers in Christ, we have been freed from the bondage of sin and death. However, we are not to use that liberty to take advantage of the grace of the Lord Jesus. It is true that we are saved without works or any merit of our own and it is also true that we are kept by the power of God and forever saved. But, we must not use our liberty to be involved in constant sinning. We do not have a free license to sin because that causes grief to the One Who loves us the most.

God wants us to deny our self and stop sinning. Yes He forgives us and His blood continually cleanses us from all sin, but we must understand that if we are not living like God wants us to live we are not living right. God does not want us to use our liberty as an occasion to sin.

We are told that if we “walk in the Spirit” we will not carry out the sinful desires that plague us day by day. If we love God we will try to keep from sinning. We will walk uprightly and circumspectly, careful to not break God’s commandments.

It all comes down to the command to love. If we love God, we will cease practicing sinful habits. If we love God, we will love our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we love God, we will not disrespect our neighbor but we will treat him as we want to be treated. We should help those who are poor and needy as God gives us the ability. We should pray for the sick and grieving. Love sets us free to stand fast in the liberty we have been given through Christ Jesus.