The Lusts of the Flesh and the Fruits of the Spirit part b

I ended part one at 5:13 Paul talked about being under the law or under grace. As the chapter proceeds he puts the law of God into one clear sentence and goes on to describe the lusts of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. In verse 5:14 he gives us the whole of the law, “you must love your neighbor as yourself.” In verse 15 Paul uses “however” to transition from the law of love to what happens when we do not keep the law of love. “However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.”

Paul describes the works of the flesh as; sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and “similar things”. He adds, “I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!” This statement again brings to question salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

There are those who believe that once we are saved we may continue to do the things we have always done because we are saved by grace. But Paul tells us that “those who do such things”, (Referring to the lusts of the flesh.), will not be saved from God’s wrath. Does this mean we are not under grace but are under the law, NO! Not by any means. We will keep sinning until we are perfected. What Paul is talking about here are those who though they may say they are Christians are not of the faith. Paul in verses 22-23 tells us the fruits of the Spirit, (Holy Spirit) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

I’m reading a great book, The Reformation, A History by Diarmaid MacCulloch in it he describes the back biting and viciousness of the leaders of the reformation. The Roman Catholic Popes and its bishops and cardinals, Calvin, Luther and Zwigli, other reformation leaders all had major character flaws and fought each other tooth and nail over ideology. As a result they consumed each other.  Throughout the Reformation some leaders were some were tortured, others burned at the stake and wars raged all in the name of Christ. Clearly “love thy neighbor as thyself” within the Roman Catholic Church or the Reformation Protestant churches was not considered. Yet in spite of it all God used these men to further the Gospel of Christ and to reform the Roman Catholic Church. Looking at the whole of “Christian” history in the Middle Ages and the Reformation we find it filled with everything but “love thy neighbor as thyself.” However, the true faith has always had a remnant of true believers who did practice what Jesus taught.

There is a divergence between the works of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit.  Though we may start out as new Christians doing the works of the flesh we are to end up doing the fruits of the Spirit. It is interesting that Paul used the term “fruit” to describe the attributes of a Christian and the work of the Holy Spirit within us. A fruit starts as a bud on a tree, and then becomes a flower, then a small unripe fruit, then a fruit ready for picking and enjoying. The fruits of the Spirit grow like that within the Christian, the old things and our love for them diminishes as the fruits of the Spirit grow. It is a natural law that two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Sexual immorality cannot live in the Christian who has self-control, hostilities cannot live in the Christian who has kindness, and murder cannot live in the Christian who has goodness. As the fruits of the Spirit replace the lusts of the flesh the Christian matures and grows. Old things pass away as we “put on Christ.”

However, if no change is being made within and the fruits of the Spirit are not replacing the lusts of the flesh then one should question whether or not he/she is really a Christian. If we keep with the analogy of the fruit we see that as the fruit grows the bud is replaced by the flower which is replaced by the unripe fruit which is replaced by the ripe fruit. Much like the bud is replaced by the flower sin is replaced by the fruits of the Spirit. At first little changes take place as the bud becomes a ripe fruit. At first the changes are hardly visible to the eye.  But if you look in time laps it is a marvelous thing to watch the bud starts to open the first little bits of the flower appears then the flower is in full bloom, bees and other like insects come to feed off the pollen. Then the flower is replaced by a small fruit that grows into a beautiful ripe fruit suitable for eating and nourishing the body.

The fruits of the Spirit grow the same way and as the fruits of the Spirit grow they replace sin. Our friends see a change and may inquire about it or make fun of the changes as they manifest themselves outwardly. I remember when I quit drinking for six months.  My friends couldn't deal with it. It made them nervous so they made fun and questioned my manhood. Others bought me drinks thinking I would drink them if they were bought for me. I didn't, no one tells me when to drink or what to drink. Their insistence made me more resolute than ever to keep to my personal goal of six months of not drinking. I soon realized that my friends were not my friends but fellow sinners who didn't want to be reminded of it. I must say as an aside I was happy when the six months was over! I do love a good bourbon or whiskey but only as long as I am in control of it.

The point is that as we change we become different. Truly, we become different people as the Spirit convicts us of the sin in our lives we are led to replace it with goodness.  Where we use to turn a blind eye to those in need we seek to help them. Where anger was peace reigns. Where depression was there is joy. Why? Because as we grow we realize that God who we are now able to call Abba, Father really cares for us and though we may go through terrible times, we are His and He is ours. We can, like the Apostles, martyrs, and all Christians trust Him to see us through even the most heart wrenching trials. With that peace that passes all understanding.

Paul ends the chapter with a call to live by the Spirit. We are not to be “conceited provoking one another, being jealous of one another.” As followers of Jesus we are to rejoice with those who are successful and not be jealous of the success of others. There is a great tendency today to be jealous and covetous of other people. Someone is successful and we hate them for it. Someone becomes rich and we want to punish them. But God our Father calls us to be happy with what we have and in all things to give thanks. I have often quoted Romans 8:28 “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” Sometimes I forget that each of us has a different calling, yet we are all one in Christ. We must let the Holy Spirit teach us and change us.

The Lusts of the Flesh and the Fruits of the Spirit part a

Over the last several weeks we have discussed the Law of Moses and how it convicts us of our unworthiness before a just and righteous God.  There has been much discussion over the years within our small group concerning good works, the law and grace. This is a great chapter to help clear this whole issue up, hopefully.

Simply put our good works done under the law, before salvation, count for nothing. The reason for this is simple, we are a fallen humanity.  Every motivation we have is corrupt because of our fallen condition.   Every motivation we have when we dig deep into it is selfishly driven. We do good works for others to make ourselves feel better about ourselves; to please God in hopes that they count for something on judgment day/our day of death; to make ourselves look good before others; for a tax break and so, so many other reasons. But after salvation the Holy Spirit working within us, even though we may have the same motivations initially, changes us from the inside and purifies us and our motivations so that our works are acceptable.  In Ephesians 2:8-10 we are told that we are saved by grace for good works that were appointed to us to do. So first salvation by grace so we cannot boast about how we have saved or participated in our own salvation then we do good works which God has for ordained that we should do before we were even saved.

In this chapter Paul again confirms that if we put ourselves under the law we are “obligated to obey the whole law.” Paul likens the law to slavery and it is slavery. Because the law is a master who can never be pleased. Our conscience will continuously convict us of sin under the law. Whether the sin is great or small the law convicts us as unrighteous and unworthy of God’s love. But grace, unmerited favor in the face of deserved wrath, through faith in Jesus and His sacrifice gives us freedom from the law.  Paul is so adamant about the Galatians going back under the law that he wishes those who are pushing for their circumcision would “castrate themselves.” Is there any question about what Paul feels about the law here?

In verse 13 Paul gets into the relationship between faith and works he says, “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.” He then again makes the point that the whole law is really one sentence, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” When you think about it the Ten Commandments is a law of love. If you love your neighbor as yourself could you steal from him? If you love your neighbor as yourself could you murder her? If you love your neighbor as yourself could you covet what they have? If you love your neighbor as yourself could you disrespect your parents? (Parents are people too and qualify as neighbors.) Jesus said in Luke 10:25 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” He then went on to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan qualifying who our neighbor is. Jesus says the same thing in Mark 12:28-34 and Matthew 19:16-22.  But the best for qualifying what loving your neighbor really is, is located at Matthew 5:43-48: “You have heard that it was said, ‘love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy’ But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that your may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Finally Paul in his letter to the Romans 13:8-10 says, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

More on Chapter 5 later

May God bless all who read this.

Chapter 4: The Purpose of the Law

Chapter 4: The Purpose of the Law

There is a tendency in organized religion to, as Paul says, revert to the Law of Moses, (Both the ceremonial and physical aspects.) In this chapter Paul discusses the need of the law prior to the Lord’s coming.  In military terms the law is like a drill sergeant who trains officer candidates. The drill sergeant while he is training officer candidates is over them. His job is to push the candidates hard so that those who are unable will be weeded out. Yet when the candidates graduate and receives his/her commission the drill sergeant becomes their subordinate.

The purpose of the law was to point out our need for a savior. By showing how unable we are in keeping every single part of it. The Law of Moses points out our sin. Those who do not know the Lord look at the law with frustration and anger. Some call the Ten Commandments the terrible ten. They consider the law written on their hearts as a curse. The law of God is hard wired into our very being. It is no coincidence that every civilization has a similar set of laws both religious and civil. Every religion has a god that must be pleased in some way. Only our faith has a God that paid the price for us. Glory and Honor to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit! Amen. Unbelievers harden their hearts and refuse to listen to their conscience. As Paul says in the first chapter of Romans they do things they know are wrong and refuse to repent so God gives them over to their reprobate mind and allows them, at least for a while to continue in their sins.  

The law shows us that pleasing God in mind, body and soul is something we simply cannot do no matter how hard we try. Jesus tells us that to even think of sinning means we already have sinned (Mt 5:28). Sin has its birth in evil thought. First we think about a sin then we commit it and our mind justifies our evil actions. But the law judges us telling us we’ve sinned. In the first and second chapter of Romans Paul tells us that there is a law written upon our hearts. The Jews had the Law of Moses but the gentiles had their own laws both moral and physical. Neither the Jews nor the gentiles were able to keep their own laws. So we all stand accused before God as law breakers. We all face our inadequacy under the law whether it is God’s law or man’s law we are unable in and of ourselves to keep it. Paul says it so beautifully in Romans 7: 15 -25: For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.  We justify our most evil acts as being good when left to our own devices. Throughout history men and women have justified the most heinous acts. Some have killed, tortured and destroyed whole cities in the name of God, even Christ the Lord.  

Because we are so filled with sin we are unable to come to the Lord on our own. Jesus says that no one come to him unless the Father draws him, (John 6:44). When the Holy Spirit draws us to Christ He first uses the law to convict us of sin showing us our unworthiness and then points us to the grace that is in Christ Jesus. When we accept Jesus we are adopted as sons and daughters into the family of faith, verse 6 tells us that “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba Father.”   Strong’s Concordance tells us that “abba” is a familiar term for father. This is the word used when Jesus prayed in Mark 14:36 he used the word “Abba” Father when He asked if the cup could pass from Him. Just think we who are sinners are made righteous by Jesus and able to, by the Spirit of Christ cry “Abba”! Father.

Chapter 3: The Curse of the Law

Read Galatians Chapter 3

The Galatians are so much like us. We seek constantly to justify ourselves by our good works. It is as if we say to God, “thank you for the sacrifice of your Son Jesus but we don’t think it was quite enough to satisfy you. So we’ll add a few conditions for our justification and salvation.” And so we did, throughout the so called Dark Ages, Middle ages right up to and after the reformation the church added requirements for salvation they, created purgatory, indulgences, feast days, fast days, celibacy, no dancing, movies, all as requirements for salvation. Even now there are those who believe that there must be some purification or punishment after death to make us worthy of heaven. Luther, in his commentary on Galatians over and over again accuses the Roman Church of heresy because they circumvented the free gift of God’s grace by adding to it like the false apostles Paul talks about in Galatians. Much has changed since Luther’s day but our need to help God justify us has not changed. We constantly seek to add to God’s grace good works as a means of self-justification for our salvation.   

Paul in this chapter gives the Galatians what my dad would call a “Dutch Uncle” talking too. Paul asks the simple question, “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?”  He then takes us all on a journey back to Abraham and shows us that Abraham was saved by grace before the law and before he was circumcised. “Abraham believed God and it was counted as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Abraham received the promise before Moses received the law and before he was circumcised.  Paus tells us over and over again that it is by grace we are saved through faith and not our our selves so we cannot boast. (Ephesians 2:8) Paul goes on to tell that the law is a whole, break one little part and you break the whole thing. Jesus tells us that we commit adultery by just thinking about it. So even thinking about sinning is a sin.

One of my favorite movies is the Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino as Shylock. My favorite scene is in the court room where Shylock is about to get his pound of flesh. The knife is ready and he is about to make the cut. Just then the lawyer tells him that he is to take one pound of flesh no more and no less and he may not make the man bleed, for the contract was for one pound of flesh and there was no provision for drawing blood in the contract therefore no blood may be shed. Shylock is lost he cannot make the cut for the man will definitely bleed nor can he cut because there is no way to measure exactly how much flesh is one pound before cutting. The law is like that if we break one little thing we break the whole law! It’s like going 56 miles an hour when the speed limit is 55. We broke the law and we deserve a ticket. Though the police may offer grace and allow 5 miles an hour over the limit before ticketing. We broke the law and deserve a ticket. Under God’s law breaking it or even thinking about breaking it makes us a law breaker and deserving of damnation but God showed his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly,(Romans 5:8) paying our debt of sin in full and by His sacrifice He Justifies us before the Father. Praise God for his mercy and grace!

We must be ever watchful of thinking about the law as a means of salvation. The Devil will continuously tell us that we are not worthy, that we haven’t done enough to be saved from God’s wrath. He tells us that we must do more good works and stop sinning. Then just as we think we've stopped sinning the Devil brings more sins to light vexing our soul and making us impotent by focusing our thoughts not on God’s grace and mercy but on our own unworthiness. Our good works once done out of love become works done out of fear and we fall again into trying to justify ourselves before God a thing we cannot do. when the Devil puts those thoughts into our mind we can say to him, "I am saved by the grace of God, I'm no longer yours I'm His bought with a very high price. He is my justification and the propitiation for all my sin. I'm under God's grace not the law because by works of the law shall no one be justified I believe on God's Son and receive His gift of grace freely."