Reading: Galatians 4-6
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit(Gal. 5:22-25).
In chapter five of the Book of Galatians, Paul warns of 17 specific sins that have the power to separate us from the Lord: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (5:19-21). These verses have gotten much attention over the years, primarily because they are a shocking, in-your-face list of sins. Paul leads off with sexual immorality and then moves on to cover idolatry, the occult, and a wide range of failings brought about by the unchecked desires of the baser elements of human nature. Many Christians today use this list, consciously or unconsciously, to prove their righteousness, boldly proclaiming that they would never even consider behaving in such a manner and that those who do so are flirting with the fires of hell.
Paul, however, was not sharing this list in condemnation or judgment; he was simply stating the truth as it existed under the Law. Jesus had said, But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matt. 5:28). Paul understood that this principle applied to sin as a whole. Therefore, he knew that the list he had just given was descriptive of every person on earth in one form or another. Under the Law, righteousness was beyond the ability of man (Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:10); therefore, no one was worthy of inheriting the kingdom of God.
Without Christ, we are all slaves to sin (John 8:34). Yet in accepting His grace, we have been freed. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Our sins have been forgiven, and we have been endowed with the Holy Spirit, enabling us to stand firm in the face of temptation. Only now, fed by the spring of Jesus’ love, can we bear the fruit of the Spirit. This is Paul’s message. This is what he so passionately wants us to understand. The Law cannot save us. It can direct our actions and tell us what not to do, but it cannot control our hearts. The grace of God is the only thing that can give us a tender new heart (Ezek. 36:26), and it is the only way in which we can be counted as righteous.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit(Rom. 8:1-4).
Thought For Today:Recognizing that we don’t deserve salvation is a difficult concept for many, but it is the necessary first step toward receiving it.
Word Studies:4:4 made under the Law = born of a woman as a subject to the Law; 4:6 Abba = Aramaic word for Father; 4:12 injured = wronged, taken advantage of; 4:24 gendereth to = leads to; 4:25 answereth = corresponds; 5:19 uncleanness = immoral conduct; lasciviousness = immodesty, vulgarity, unrestrained lust; 5:20 variance = contentious temper, strife; emulations = jealousy, rivalry; seditions = dissentions, divisions; 6:6 communicate unto = share in the financial needs of; 6:12 constrain = compel.
Cross References:For Gal. 4:27: See Is. 54:1. Gal. 4:30: See Gen. 21:10. Gal. 5:14: See Lev. 19:18.
Pray For Staff:Ryan McCrary • Government Officials: Rep. Robert Garcia(CA) • Country: Kenya (45,010,056) Eastern Africa • Major Languages: English, Swahili • Religious Freedom • 47.4% Protestant; 23.3% Roman Catholic; 11.8% Other Christian; 11.1% Muslim; 1.6% Traditionalist; 1.7% Other; 2.4% None; 0.7% Unspecifed • Prayer Suggestion: Keep your mind on the Lord and trust Him; He will give you peace (Is. 26:3).