GALATIANS 5
OPENS WITH...STANDING FAST IN THE LIBERTY OF JESUS
Verse 1 tells us Paul challenges the Galatians to walk in the truth he has presented.
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
STAND FAST...The fact is that Jesus has made us free. If we live in bondage to a legal relationship with God, it is NOT because God wills it. God PLEADS with us to take His strength and walk in that freedom, and to NOT be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
WHO MAKES US FREE?
Christ Jesus has made us free. We do NOT make ourselves free. Freedom is a GIFT of Jesus, given to us and received by faith. When we struggle to free ourselves, we just become more entangled with a yoke of bondage.
THE LIBERTY...Today, people live in the headlong pursuit of "freedom," which they think of as doing WHATEVER they want to do, and NEVER denying any desire. This is a FALSE liberty. That is also SUBJECTIVE MORALITY. The liberty is our freedom FROM the tyranny of having to earn our own way to God, the freedom from sin and guilt and condemnation, freedom from the penalty and the power and eventually freedom from the presence of sin.
Stand fast means that it takes EFFORT to stay in this place of liberty. Someone who is legally made free in Jesus can still live in bondage; they can be deceived into placing themselves back into slavery.
Certain Jewish teachers of that day spoke of the Law of Moses as a yoke, but they used the term in a favorable light. Paul sees a legal relationship as a yoke, but it is a yoke of bondage. It is related to slavery, not liberty. This yoke of bondage does nothing but entangle us. We try hard to pull God's plow, but the yoke of bondage leaves us tangled, restricted, and frustrated.
DID YOU KNOW...Jewish teachers ADDED 613 commandments to keep in the Law of Moses. They could NOT keep 10 that God gave Moses, so they added MORE...that is bondage, Amen?!
Verses 2-4 tells us the DANGER of embracing the law as a way to walk with God.
"Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."
When we embrace THE LAW as our rule of walking with God, we MUST LET GO of Jesus.
WHY?
JESUS is no longer our righteousness, we attempt to earn it ourselves. For the Galatians in this context, to receive circumcision - the ritual that testified that a Gentile was coming under the law - meant that he no longer trusted in Jesus as His righteousness, but trusted in himself instead. So Paul could say, Christ will profit you nothing.
The legalists among the Galatians wanted them to think that they could have BOTH Jesus and a law-relationship with God. Paul tells them that this is NOT an option open to them - the system of grace and the system of law are incompatible.
How tragic! Jesus, dying on the cross, pouring out His blood, His life, His soul, His agony, His love for us - and it will profit you nothing! Two men died with Jesus; for the one who put his trust in Jesus, it was eternal life. For the one who trusted in himself, it profited him nothing.
Again, the legalists among the Galatians WANTED them to think they could observe some aspects of the law without coming under the entire law. But when we choose to walk by law, we must walk by the whole law.
Why must we keep the whole law? Because if we come to God on the basis of our own law keeping, then our law-keeping must be perfect. No amount of obedience makes up for ONE ACT of disobedience.
Does this mean that the mere act of being circumcised means that someone is under a legal relationship with God, and must keep the whole law for salvation?
No! Paul is speaking to the Gentile Christians among the Galatians, who were being drawn to circumcision as adults, as evidence that they had come under the Law of Moses as the "first step" to salvation. We will later see that Paul does NOT care one way or another about circumcision (Galatians 5:6). What he detests is the THEOLOGY of circumcision as presented by the legalists.
You have fallen from grace...
When we embrace the law as our rule of walking with God, we depart from Jesus and His grace. We are then estranged from Christ, separated from Him and His saving grace.
The danger of falling from grace is REAL, but it is often misunderstood. Most people think of "falling away" in terms of IMMORAL conduct, but we are NOT SAVED by our conduct. However, we ARE saved by our continuing reliance by faith on the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Someone may fall from grace and be damned without ever falling into grossly immoral conduct.
BOICE says it well on "you have fallen from grace: "The phrase does not mean that if a Christian sins, he falls from grace and thereby loses his salvation. There is a sense in which to sin is to fall into grace, if one is repentant. But to fall from grace, as seen by this context, is to fall into legalism … Or to put it another way, to choose legalism is to relinquish grace as the principle by which one desires to be related to God."
Literally, Paul writes, "you have fallen OUT OF grace," which is NOT the same as the colloquial English phrase "you have fallen FROM grace."
Verses 5-6 tells us the ANSWER of faith to the legalist.
"For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."
Those walking in the Spirit WAIT FOR righteousness by faith; they are not trying to earn it by performing good works. No one is a legalist through the Spirit.
Those walking in the Spirit know that being circumcised or uncircumcised means NOTHING. What matters is faith working through love, both of which were conspicuously absent in the legalists.
Each aspect of this verse is precious. It sets us in a place: IN JESUS CHRIST.
IN OTHER WORDS...NONE is better, circumcised or uncircumcised. You ARE NOT WORSE if you circumcised or uncircumcised. The ONLY HARM is trusting is something that is completely irrelevant!
SO WHAT DOES MATTER?
FAITH working through love. You have faith? Wonderful; but it must be faith working through love. If your faith does NOT work, it IS NOT real faith. If it does NOT work through love, it is NOT real faith. But your love alone is NOT enough; your love must also have faith; an abiding trust in who Jesus is and what He did for us.
Verses 7-12 tells us A FINAL confrontation.
"You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!"
YOU RAN WELL...Paul remembers their good start in the faith, but he also knows that it is NOT enough to start well - they are still in danger of falling from grace.
WHO HINDERED YOU...Paul knows that the false teaching comes from a person (who hindered you); but it did NOT come from Jesus (This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you).
At the root of it all, the Galatians were leaving Jesus to pursue the false and empty teachings of man, in this case legalism.
A little leaven leavens the whole lump...
The warning is driven home - the corrupting influence of legalism and other doctrines that diminish Jesus are like leaven in a lump of dough. A little bit soon corrupts the whole lump.
In the Jewish way of thinking, leaven almost always stood for evil influence. Paul is saying that the legalistic commitment they have right now may be small, but it is so dangerous that it can corrupt everything.
Wanting to leave the confrontation on a positive note, Paul expresses his confidence in the Galatians (which is really a confidence in the Lord who is able to keep them). Yet, Paul is equally confident that judgment awaits those who lead them astray and away from Jesus (he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is).
AND WE REMEMBER TOO, Jesus' solemn warning against those who would lead one of these little ones astray (Matthew 18:6-7).
The judgment is sure, whoever he is. "It does not matter who he is; he may be highly acclaimed in the community where he teaches, but if he is perverting the gospel he is a guilty person and his rank and reputation will not shield him from God's judgment.
How could anyone accuse Paul of preaching circumcision? Probably because he asked Timothy to be circumcised (Acts 16:1-3). But Paul did NOT have Timothy circumcised so Timothy could be saved or "more saved." He did it so Timothy could more freely evangelize among unsaved Jewish people.
Legalism CAN NOT handle the offense of the cross. The whole point of Jesus dying on the cross was to say, "You can NOT save yourself. You can not keep God's law perfectly. You will always sin. I must die in your place or you have absolutely no hope at all."
When we trust in legalism, we believe that we can, at least in part, save ourselves. This takes away the offense of the cross, which should always offend the nature of fallen man. In this sense, the offense of the cross is really the glory of the cross, and legalism takes it away.
I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! Finally, Paul wishes that those who demanded circumcision among the Gentiles would go all the way themselves, and amputate their genitalia altogether, not merely their foreskins.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Sacred castration was known to citizens of the ancient world; it was frequently practiced by pagan priests in the cults in the region of Galatia. Paul's idea here is something like this: "If cutting will make you righteous, why NOT do like the pagan priests, go all the way and castrate yourself?"
In writing this, Paul also wished that these legalists would be cut off from the congregation of the Lord as required by Deuteronomy 23:1: "He who is emasculated by crushing or mutilation shall not enter the assembly of the LORD."
With such a dramatic conclusion to this point, Paul has made one thing clear: LEGALISM IS A HUGE DESTROYER.
WHY?
1. It takes away our liberty and puts us into bondage.
2. It makes Jesus and His work of no profit to us.
3. It puts us under obligation to the whole law.
4. It violates the work of the Spirit of God.
5. It makes us focus on things that are irrelevant.
6. It keeps us from running the race Jesus set before us.
7. It is not from Jesus.
8. A little bit will infect an entire church.
9. Those who promote it will face certain judgment, no matter who they are.
10. Legalism tries to take away some of the glory of the cross.
In light of how serious all this is, it is NO wonder that Paul says he wishes they would even cut themselves off!
Verses 13-15 tells us using liberty to love each other
"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!"
Paul has made the point over and over again - the Christian life is a life of liberty. Jesus came to set the captives free, not to keep them in bondage or put them in bondage all over again. It is worth asking if people see us as people of freedom and liberty. Often, Christians are seen as people more bound up and hung up than anyone else is.
The GREAT FEAR of the legalist is that liberty will always be used as an opportunity for the flesh. The idea is that people will just go out and sin as they please, then say to a spineless God, "I'm sorry, please forgive me," and then go on doing whatever they want again. Paul recognizes the danger of this attitude, so he warns against it here.
How will they use their liberty?"
Clearly, we can choose to use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh. That option - that danger - is open to us. We can take the glorious freedom Jesus has given us, spin it, and use it as a way to please ourselves at the expense of others. Because the context focuses on the way we treat one another, Paul has in mind using our freedom in a way that tramples on the toes of others.
It is easy to think liberty is "the right to sin," or "the privilege to do whatever evil my heart wants to do." Instead, this liberty is the Spirit-given desire and ability to do what we should do before God.
SERVE ONE ANOTHER...This is the antidote for using liberty as an occasion for the flesh. The flesh expects others to conform to us, and does not care much about others. But when we through love serve one another, we conquer the flesh. It is not through an obsessive, contemplative attitude of navel-gazing that we overcome the flesh, but by getting out and serving others.
This is exactly the pattern set by Jesus. He had more liberty than anyone who ever walked this earth did. Yet He used His liberty to through love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled...
This attitude of service towards one another fulfills the great commandment (You shall love your neighbor as yourself), and it keeps us from destroying ourselves through strife (beware lest you be consumed by one another!). It is as if Paul addresses the legalists again, and says: "You want to keep the law? Here you have it! Love your neighbor as yourself and you have fulfilled the law in one word."
What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
This simple idea has been twisted into the idea of setting self-love as the foundation for a healthy human personality. Instead the idea is that as we naturally take care of ourselves, we should also take care of others.
A wonderful test of our spiritual state is simply how we treat other people. No matter what spiritual image or status we may have, God deeply cares about how we treat others. We want to make the measure how much we pray, how much of the Bible we know, how many things we "do not do." But the measure is how we treat our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
Bite and devour one another sounds like a pack of wild animals! That is how the church can act when it is using its "liberty" as a platform to promote their own selfishness.
If you want to see some fireworks, put two selfish people together. Selfish people will eventually be consumed by one another.
Verses 16-18 tells us using liberty to walk in holy living.
"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."
Simply put, if we walk in the Spirit (instead of trying to live by the law), we naturally shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Again, the fear of the legalist - that walking in the Spirit gives license to sin, and that only legalism can keep us holy - is just plain wrong.
How are you progressing in life?
Also, many people have a distinct walk, and can be identified by the way they walk.
So, how do you walk?
What can others tell by your walk? It should be a walk in the Spirit.
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?
FIRST, it means that the Holy Spirit lives in you.
SECOND, it means to be open and sensitive to the influence of the Holy Spirit.
THIRD, it means to pattern your life after the influence of the Holy Spirit.
How does the Holy Spirit influence our life?
1. He reveals His will to us through the message of the Bible.
2. He influences us through others who walk in the Spirit.
3. He influences us through an inner direction that we become more sensitive to, and respond to better, as we mature in Jesus.
How can you tell if someone walks in the Spirit?
They look a lot like Jesus!
Jesus told us that the mission of the Holy Spirit would be to promote and speak of Him (John 14:16-17, 14:26, 15:26, 16:13-15).
When someone walks in the Spirit, they listen to what the Holy Spirit says as He guides us in the path and nature of Jesus.
And you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh...
There is no way anyone can fulfill the lust of the flesh as they walk in the Spirit. The two simply CAN NOT go together.
The Holy Spirit does NOT move in us to gratify our fallen desires and passions, but to teach us about Jesus and to guide us in the path of Jesus.
This is the key to righteous living - walking in the Spirit, not living under the domination of the law.
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: Walking in the Spirit is the key, but it does NOT always come easily.
Often, it is a battle.
There is a battle going on inside the Christian, and the battle is between the flesh and the Spirit.
As Paul writes, these are contrary to one another - they do not get along at all! When the flesh is winning the inside battle, you do not do the things that you wish. You do not live the way you want to; you live under the flesh instead of under the Spirit.
The fact of this battle should wake us up.
If you do NOT know you are in a battle, you will always lose.
Also, the fact of the battle teaches us that effort is required to walk in the Spirit.
God does NOT just knock us over the head with it; we have to seek it, and block out the things that hinder walking in the Spirit.
What is THE FLESH in the way Paul uses it here?
He does NOT mean our flesh and blood bodies.
Precisely speaking, our flesh is not even that fallen nature, the "old man" that we inherited from Adam, because the old man was crucified with Jesus, and is now dead and gone (Romans 6:6).
Instead, as Paul uses it here, the flesh is our the INNER MAN that exists apart from the "old man" or the "new man," and which is trained in rebellion by the old nature, the world, and the devil.
How do we fight against the flesh?
1. We have to be able to say "No" to the flesh and its sinful desires.
2. We have to be able to starve the flesh from bad influences.
3. We have to strengthen ourselves in the Spirit of God, and follow His influence.
GUZIK gives us a good modern analogy..."It is as if we are a computer, and we have two hard drives in us. One is programmed according to the Spirit, and the other is programmed according to the flesh. In any given situation, it's up to us to decide which "drive" we will access. The resources of the Spirit are there. The resources of the flesh are there - but which will you access?
Some want to take the "drive" of their flesh and make it as efficient as possible. God never meant your system to run that way. He wants you to run off the "drive" of the Spirit of God.
In this illustration, the law is like an error message that keeps popping up on your flesh "drive." It does not fix the drive, and it sometimes makes the system crash - but it does tell you something is wrong, and it points you in the right direction.
Instead, the Spirit "drive" has programming on it that will make your flesh drive better - and one day, when we get to heaven, God will replace that "flesh" drive with a resurrection upgrade.
The ANTIDOTE to the flesh is NOT found in the law, but in the Spirit - and if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. You do NOT need to be, because you fulfill the will of God through the inner influence of the Holy Spirit, instead of the outer influence of the law of God.
This effectively "writes" the law of God on our hearts, inside of us. This is the great work of the New Covenant, promised in the Old Testament.
Jeremiah 31:33, "I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."
Verses 19-21 tells us EXAMPLES of the works of the flesh that walking in the Spirit helps us to overcome.
"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like."
It is almost as if Paul apologizes for having to make this list, because the works of the flesh SHOULD BE evident. Yet, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul KNOWS it is important to be specific, because we must know specifically how we walk in the flesh. We can NOT see the flesh, but we can see what it does.
ADULTERY is violating the marriage covenant by sexual immorality. This word is not included in the list of many ancient manuscripts, so many translations (such as the NIV) do not include it. But that does not mean that God gives a free pass on adultery, because even if Paul did not write the word in this list, it is included under the next word, "fornication."
In any regard, adultery is often excused by those who practice it, but God does not listen to the ways we often seek to justify extra-marital sex. Some say, "My partner does not understand me." Some say, "But we are in love." Some say, "God led us to be with each other." But God does not hear it. Adultery is sin, and those guilty of it should confess their sin and repent of it instead of excusing it. The Holy Spirit never led anyone into adultery.
FORNICATION is the Greek word porneia, and it speaks of ALL sexual immorality in a broad sense, (meaning, sex outside of marriage, adultery, incest, pedophilia, bisexual, homosexual, lesbianism, transgender, beastiality.) The Holy Spirit never led anyone into fornication.
SO WHAT IS MARRIAGE AND HOW IS IT DEFINED IN THE BIBLE?
Some today do NOT want to get a legal marriage, and say, "We'll just be married before God. That's all that is important." Say what you will about that arrangement, but it is NOT marriage.
Webster's Dictionary (1828) defines marriage as: "The act of uniting a man and a woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall part them."
Some will answer, "What if we were on a desert island and there was no one there to marry us and no court to record it?" The answer is simple: When you are on a desert island, God will allow it. But not here where there are people to marry you and courts to record it. Whenever a couple is afraid to follow through with a proper, legal marriage, it shows they do NOT fully trust each other or do NOT fully trust God - yet they want the benefits of marriage without the commitment of marriage.
UNCLEANNESS is another broad word, referring to sexual impropriety in general. It should be thought of as the opposite of purity. If it is NOT pure before God, then it is uncleanness.
Many today excuse themselves by saying, "Well, we did this and this and this, but we did NOT go all the way."
Others say, "My pornography habit is NOT wrong, because I am not actually committing sexual sin with another person." But the word for uncleanness here is general enough to let us know that all of these things are works of the flesh.
Uncleanness also covers impure speech, or suggestive speaking filled with double meanings. The Holy Spirit never led anyone into uncleanness.
LEWDNESS (sometimes translated licentiousness) has the idea of "ready to sin at any time." It speaks of someone who flaunts their immorality, throwing off all restraint and having no sense of shame, propriety, or embarrassment.
Lewdness can be thought of as public and open uncleanness. "A man may be unclean and hide his sin; he does not become licentious until he shocks public decency.
Barclay wrote of this word lewdness, the Greek word "aselgeia".
"The great characteristic of aselgeia is this - the bad man usually tries to hide his sin; but the man who has aselgeia in his soul does not care how much he shocks public opinion so long as he can gratify his desires." In many ways aselgeia is the ugliest word in the list of New Testament sins." We live in an incredibly lewd culture, yet the Holy Spirit never led anyone into lewdness.
IDOLATRY AND SORCERY are religious sins. They are sins of worship, and remind us that it is NOT only tragic to worship the wrong God, or seek the wrong spiritual power - it is sinful as well.
IDOLATRY is the worship of any god except the LORD God revealed to us by the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ. When people serve a god of their own opinion, of their own creation, they reject the true and living God - and that is sin.
Someone might say, "Well, I can believe whatever I want!" and they certainly can. But they can also bear the consequences of their wrong belief. The Holy Spirit never led anyone into idolatry!
SORCERY is the service and worship of occult, satan, pagan, nature, new age, and spiritual powers apart from the true God. It also has another dimension, revealed by the word for sorcery in the original language Paul uses: pharmakeia, from which we get our word for "pharmacy."
Morris defines sorcery as "the use of any kind of mind-altering, hallucinogens, drugs, potions, or spells."
In the ancient world, the taking of drugs (especially mind-altering, inhabitions freeing, hallucinogens) was always associated with the occult, and the Bible's association with drug taking and sorcery points out that drugs open up doors to the occult that are better left closed.
William Barclay wrote, "this literally means the use of drugs … it came to be very specially connected with the use of drugs for sorcery, of which the ancient world was full."
The Holy Spirit never led anyone into sorcery or getting high on drugs!
Hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envies, and murders are each "people" sins.
They are sins that primarily express themselves in how we treat others. God cares about our sexual and moral purity, and He cares about the purity of our religion and worship. But He also passionately cares about how we treat one another. The fact that Paul uses more words to describe these interpersonal sins shows how important our treatment of each other is to God.
HATRED is the greek word "EKTHRA". It is an attitude of heart, and it somehow expresses itself in actions such as contentions, outbursts of wrath, or many other works of the flesh. But hatred is the inner motivation for the ill treatment of others.
Just as love is the inner motivation for the kind and good treatment of others, hatred is an inner motivation. Laws can be passed to punish the evil men do against each other; but no law can answer the problem of hatred, which motivates those acts. But the Holy Spirit never led anyone into hatred!
CONTENTIONS is the Greek word "ERIS". Most commonly it is translated as strife (as in Romans 13:13 and 1 Corinthians 3:3), and simply speaks of a combative and argumentative spirit. The Holy Spirit never led anyone into contentions!
JEALOUSIES uses a Greek word "ZELOS" that is sometimes used in a positive sense - as for being zealous for something good. But here, clearly, the connotation is wrong. In this context it means "the desire to have what someone else has, wrong desire for what is not for us. The Holy Spirit never led anyone into jealousies!
OUTBURSTS OF WRATH translates a Greek word "thumos" which speaks of a sudden flash of anger, not a settled state of anger. It means to lose your temper, being unable to control your anger. The Holy Spirit never led anyone into outbursts of wrath!
SELFISH AMBITIONS is the Greek word "ERITHEIA", and the word has an interesting history. It started out as a perfectly respectable word meaning "to work for pay." Over time, it began to mean the kind of work that is done for money and for no other reason. Then it was used to describe politicians who campaign for election, not for what service they can give to the government and the people, but only for their own glory and benefit. "It ended up meaning 'selfish ambition', the ambition which has no conception of service and whose only aims are profit and power." It is the heart of a person whose first question is always, "What's in it for me?" To be sure, the Holy Spirit never led anyone into selfish ambitions!
DISSENSIONS uses the Greek word "DICHOSTASIA" and it literally means "standing apart." Romans 16:17 and 1 Corinthians 3:3translate this word as divisions. "Dissension describes a society … where the members fly apart instead of coming together." The Holy Spirit never led anyone into dissensions!
HERESIES translates a Greek word "HAIRESIS" which originally simply meant "to choose." Over time, it came to mean someone who divisively expressed their "choices" or opinions.
We think today of heresies in terms of wrong ideas and teachings; but the emphasis in the word is actually the wrongful dividing over opinions. Heresies can be thought of as hardened dissensions. The Holy Spirit never led anyone into heresies!
ENVY is the Greek word "PHTHONOS". It does not so much want what someone else has (as in jealousies), but it is bitter just because someone else has something and we do not. The Holy Spirit never led anyone into envy!
MURDERS uses the Greek word "PHONOS", which is well translated by the English word murders. This is another word (like adultery earlier) that is not in every ancient Greek text, and isn't included in translations such as the NIV. But there is no dispute that murder is a work of the flesh, and that the Holy Spirit never led anyone into murders!
DRUNKENNESS AND REVELRIES can be thought of as social sins - sins that are often committed in the company of other people. The fact that Paul includes these two sins in his list shows that they were works of the flesh that the Galatian Christians faced and had to be on guard against.
Romans 13:12-13 lists drunkenness and revelries as part of the Christians past of darkness that now need to be cast off as we walk in the light.
DRUNKENNESS is clearly described as one of the works of the flesh. While Christians may differ as to if a Christian can drink alcohol at all, we know what the Scriptures precisely FORBID is drunkenness. We must not think that only being "falling down drunk" is a sin; but being IMPAIRED in any way by drink is sin, as well as drinking with the intention of becoming impaired.
Ephesians 5:18 also describes drunkenness as dissipation, which means "wastefulness." For certain, the Holy Spirit never led anyone into drunkenness!
REVELRIES, using the Greek word "KOMOS", does not mean simply having a party or a good time. It means unrestrained partying.
AND THE LIKE...This demonstrates that Paul understands that his list is not exhaustive. These are not the only works of the flesh. It is not as if you can find a work of the flesh not covered here you are free to do it!
But the flesh also wants to dominate our thinking, not just our actions. Paul put it like this in Romans 8:5-8 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
Verse 21-b tells us the DANGER and the DESTINY of those who live in the works of the flesh.
"Of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
This shows us that Paul was always instructing Christians in how they should live, and this was not just an occasional emphasis. Paul knew that we are saved by God's grace and Jesus' work alone, not by what we have done, are doing, or promise to do. But he also knew that those who are saved by God's grace have a high moral obligation to fulfill - not to earn salvation, but in gratitude for salvation, and in simple consistency with who we are in Jesus.
Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God...
NOTICE THE EMPHASIS ON "PRACTICE SUCH THINGS".
PRACTICE MEANS A DAY TO DAY CONTINUAL PERPETUAL CHOOSING...Paul is NOT referring to the person who is striving to win over the flesh, is fighting to overcome an addiction, a shortcoming, or a sin, but rather someone who KNOWS they are practicing such and not CONCERNED OVER IT AT ALL.
THOSE WHO DO PRACTICE AND WALK in these works of the flesh is to be in plain rebellion against God, and those in plain rebellion against God will NOT inherit the kingdom of God.
Because Paul speaks of inheriting the kingdom of God, we understand he means "heaven." Paul says plainly, that those who practice such things will not go to heaven. Neither will they know the wonder and the glory of the kingdom of God on earth.
Who are the people in danger? Those who practice such things. This means more than someone who has committed adultery, or fornication, or sorcery, or drunkenness, or any of these. This speaks of those who continue on in these sins, ignoring the voice of the Holy Spirit telling them to "stop."
PRACTICE is the greek verb "PRASSONTES" referring to habitual practice rather than an isolated lapse.
Will not inherit the kingdom of God...
The strength and certainty of Paul in this verse is striking. Paul may sound rigid or even harsh here, but he is consistent with the Biblical idea of conversion.
When we come to Jesus to have our sins forgiven and our soul saved, He also changes our life. It does NOT happen all at once, and the work will never be perfected on this side of eternity, but there will be a real change none the less (1 John 3:5-9).
SPURGEON says, "The grace that does not change my life will not save my soul." The idea is not that a Christian could never commit these sins, but that they could never stay in these sins.
Christians also fall and perform the lusts of the flesh.
David fell horribly into adultery.
Peter also fell grievously when he denied Christ.
However great these sins were, they were not committed to spite God, but from weakness.
When their sins were brought to their attention these men did not obstinately continue in their sin, but repented.
Verses 22-23 tells us Examples of the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT that walking in the Spirit produces in our lives.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
The works of the flesh seem overwhelming - both in us and around us. God is good enough, and big enough, to change everything with but the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit can ALWAYS conquer the works of the flesh.
Fruit has several important characteristics.
1. Fruit isn't achieved by working, but is birthed by abiding.
2. Fruit is fragile.
3. Fruit reproduces itself.
4. Fruit is attractive.
5. Fruit nourishes.
DO YOU NOTICE "FRUIT"...Paul used the plural is describing life after the flesh (works of the flesh), but he uses the singular (fruit, not fruits, of the Spirit).
WHY?
In the big picture, the Spirit has ONE WORK to do in all of us. These are NOT the gifts of the Spirit, which are distributed on an individual basis by the will of the Spirit; this is something for every Christian.
The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE.
It is fitting that love be the first mentioned, because it encompasses all of the following. It may even be said that the following eight terms are just describing what love in action looks like.
Love translates the Greek word "AGAPE".
DID YOU KNOW...there were FOUR distinct words for "love."
1. EROS was the word for romantic or passionate love.
2. PHILIA was the word for the love we have for those near and dear to us, be they family or friends.
3. STORGE is the word for the love that shows itself in affection and care, especially family affection.
4. AGAPE describes a different kind of love. It is a love more of decision than of the spontaneous heart; as much a matter of the mind than the heart, because it chooses to love the undeserving.
AGAPE love is a love of the Spirit, because it is a fruit of the Spirit. This is above and beyond natural affection, or the loyalty to blood or family. This is loving people who are not easy to love; loving people you do not like.
It is also helpful to understand the works of the flesh in the light of this love of the Spirit. Each one of them is a violation or a perversion of this great love.
HOW?
1. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lewdness are counterfeits of love among people.
2. Idolatry and sorcery are counterfeits of love to God.
3. Hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, and murders are all opposites of love.
4. Drunkenness and revelries are sad attempts to fill the void only love can fill.
The fruit of the Spirit is … JOY.
One of the greatest marketing strategies ever employed is to position the kingdom of Satan as the place where the fun is and the kingdom of God as the place of gloom and misery. But the fruit of the Spirit is joy.
We could say that this is joy of the Spirit, because it is a higher joy than just the thrill of an exciting experience or a wonderful set of circumstances. It is a joy that can abide and remain, even when circumstances seem terrible.
REMEMBER ACTS 16:25? Paul knew this joy personally; he could sing when manacled in a dark prison dungeon!
JOY is the Greek word, "EIRENE" It is not the joy that comes from earthly things, still less from triumphing over someone else in competition. It is a joy whose foundation is God.
PEACE...is the Greek word "CHARA". It means not just freedom from trouble but everything that makes for a man's highest good. Here it means that tranquillity of heart which derives from the all-pervading consciousness that our times are in the hands of God.
This peace is peace with God, peace with people, and it is a positive peace, filled with blessing and goodness - not simply the absence of fighting.
PHILIPPIANS 4:7, "This is a peace of God, which surpasses all understanding."
LONGSUFFERING...means that you can have love, joy, and peace even over a period of time when people and events annoy you. God is not quickly irritated with us (Romans 2:4, 9:22), so we should not be quickly irritated with others.
KINDNESS AND GOODNESS...These two words are closely connected. About the only difference is that goodness also has with it the idea of generosity.
FAITHFULNESS...The idea is that the Spirit of God works in us faithfulness both to God and to people.
MORRIS says it well, "The ability to serve God faithfully through the years and through the temptations of life is not something we achieve by heroic virtue. It comes from the Spirit."
GENTLENESS...The word has the idea of being teachable, not having a superior attitude, not demanding one's rights. It is not timidity or passiveness.
SELF-CONTROL...The world knows something of self-control, but almost always for a selfish reason. It knows the self-disciple and denial someone will go through for themselves, but the self-control of the Spirit will also work on behalf of others.
Against such there is no law...
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Paul speaks with both irony and understatement. There is certainly no law against love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But more so, if a person has this fruit of the Spirit, they do not need the Law. They fulfill it already!
Verses 24-26 tells us KEEPING in step with the Spirit.
"And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."
God has a place for our flesh, with all its passions and desires. He wants us to nail it to His cross, so that it may be under control and the sentence of death.
CRUCIFIED...is an important word. Paul could have simply chosen the word "killed," but he used the word crucified because it speaks of many things.
1. It reminds us of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
2. It reminds us that we are called to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).
3. It reminds us that the death of the flesh is often painful.
4. It reminds us that our flesh must be dealt with decisively.
Paul specifically says those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh. This was not, and is not, the sovereign, "unilateral" work of God. It is something that the believer does, being directed and empowered by the Spirit of God.
IN JESUS CHRIST, you can live above the passions and desires of your flesh. The resources are there in Jesus. Look to Him. See your life in Him. If you are one of those who are Christ's, then you belong to Him - not to this world, not to yourself, and not to your passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit...
We can better understand what Paul says here if we understand that the Greek words for walk are different in Galatians 5:16 and 5:25.
The first (peripateo) is the normal word for walking, used there as a picture of the "walk of life."
The second (stoicheo) means "to walk in line with" or "to be in line with." Paul here is saying, "Keep in step with the Spirit."
Let us not become conceited...
Paul concludes this section of walking in the Spirit with this warning, knowing that some will become conceited in their own walk in the Spirit.
WHY?
What a masterful stroke of Satan this can be! Finally, a child of God is walking in the Spirit - then he tempts them to be conceited about it. Soon, they are sure they almost always sure they are right and everyone else is wrong. It often happens gradually, so Paul warns, "do not become conceited."
To be conceited, to be sure that we are always right (even if that means that other people are always wrong!) is a perennial temptation to believers … It is easy to assume that because we are Christ's we will always say and do the right thing.
Paul is warning his readers that believers can be too confident that they are right in what they are contemplating."
PROVOKING one another...
When we are conceited - always sure we are right, always confident in our opinions and perceptions - it definitely provokes other people. It will rub them the wrong way and be the source of many conflicts.
ENVYING one another...
When we are conceited, we also are open to the sin of envy. If we know someone is more right, or more successful than we are, we resent it and envy them.
GALATIANS 5 encouraged the Galatians, and we who love Jesus Christ to constantly search and examine ourselves.
We often think that our problems and difficulties are all outside of ourselves.
We think that we would be fine if everyone just treated us right and if circumstances just got better.
But that ignores the tenor of this whole chapter.
The problems are in us, and need to be dealt with by the Spirit of God.
"Lord, deliver me from that evil man, myself."
With that kind of reality check, we can see a new world, and a new life - and not one other person, one other circumstance has to change! All we must do is yield to the Spirit of God, and begin to truly walk in the Spirit.