Galatians 5 FSI - HEAR, O EARTH

> [!title|noicon] **Galatians 5 Notes** > [[Galatians 4 FSI|<Prev]]   [[Galatians 6 FSI|Next>]] > [[Galatians 5|Verse list view]] > **Galatians 5 Overview:** *The Christian Liberty* > > Having concluded in Chapter 4 that believers, like Isaac, are liberated children of promise, Paul now warns the Galatians that if they go back to observing the law, they would in effect be putting themselves back under the yoke of slavery, and Christ would then be of no value to them. The apostle then tells the Galatians that the people who are trying to mislead them are false teachers who themselves will be judged by God. > > Finally, Paul explains that believers, having been called to liberty, are free to resist their sinful nature. As they follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and put to death the passions and lusts of the flesh, the fruit of the Spirit should and will be seen in their lives. ^gal5-overview > [Galatians 5:1](Galatians%205.md#^1) note > > What liberty did Christ bring us when He made us free? Answer: The liberty of not having to pay the penalty of our sin, not having to keep the law to become saved, and not remaining enslaved to sin and Satan. > > Once we have become saved by the grace of God, we should stand fast in that liberty. That is, we should stick firmly to the Gospel of grace. Pursuing any doctrine that suggests in any way that our own works somehow contribute to our salvation will muddy the water. The question will then arise as to whether or not we have truly become saved. > > **Erroneous Teaching** > > Some preachers tell their congregations that they had better keep the commandments, because they will otherwise have to stand for judgment and give an account of what they have done. Some pastors go so far as to say, "Yes, you have been saved; but you are liable to lose your salvation if you do not live a holy life." > > Whether they realize it or not, they are bringing their congregations back under the yoke of bondage. That's because such teaching suggests that by my holy life, I am guaranteeing my salvation. If that were the case, my salvation would then be based upon my work plus the grace of God, rather than an altogether free gift from God. > > These preachers do not understand that once we are saved, we are a new creature in Christ. Having a resurrected soul, we naturally want to keep the law of God. We want to do so not to merit something towards our salvation, but to demonstrate our love for our Redeemer. We are the happiest when we are doing the will of God. No, let's not again be entangled with a yoke of bondage. Otherwise, our salvation would be suspect. ^gal5-1 > [Galatians 5:2](Galatians%205.md#^2) note > > In this verse, Paul zeroes in on circumcision, a seemingly incidental part of the law that the Judaizers are telling the Galatians to observe as an insurance to guarantee salvation. The Judaizers no doubt think that their teaching is solidly scriptural, because [Genesis 17:14](Genesis%2017.md#^14) does declare: "And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant." > > What the Judaizers have failed to do is to read the Bible in the light of what the rest of the Bible teaches. True, when Paul wrote this letter, the Old Testament was the only written Word of God available. The Judaizers, therefore, did not have the added truths and insights that God has revealed in the New Testament. > > **Heart Condition** > > But even in the Old Testament, God made it clear that He was mainly concerned with the circumcision of the heart, and that the physical circumcision that He had commanded the Jews to undergo was just an outward sign of what was supposed to happen within their hearts. Thus, God says in [Deuteronomy 10:16](Deuteronomy%2010.md#^16), "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked." He then explains in [Deuteronomy 30:6](Deuteronomy%2030.md#^6) how that is to be accomplished: > > *And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.* > > You see, it is God who circumcises our heart so that we can love God with our heart and soul. Unless He does so, we remain unsaved and are subject to eternal damnation. That is what God really means when He says in Genesis 17:14 that those who are not circumcised will be cut off from their people. > > The physical sign of circumcision signified that Christ would be the seed Who was to be cut off, Who would shed His blood, to effectuate the covenant. > > As noted earlier in this series of studies, many churches today teach that water baptism is necessary for salvation; others insist that to become saved, we must invite a waiting Christ to come into our heart. Like those of the Judaizers, such teachings are entangled with a yoke of bondage. They render valueless the finished work of Christ. ^gal5-2 > [Galatians 5:3](Galatians%205.md#^3) note > > The word "testify" means to solemnly bear witness for the record. Paul uses that word here to underscore the importance of what he is saying. To wit, if anyone becomes circumcised, he is obligated to observe the whole law, which would only lead to damnation. A similar warning is found in [James 2:10](James%202.md#^10) - [11](James%202.md#^11): > > *For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.* > > The fact is, no human can possibly keep the whole law perfectly. ^gal5-3 > [Galatians 5:4](Galatians%205.md#^4) note > > As we have learned before, to be justified means to be made just before God, to be able to stand before the judgment throne of God and be found sinless. As believers, we are justified by the grace of God. But if we follow a grace-plus-works gospel, we effectively are trying to become justified by keeping the law. When we do that, Christ's death on the cross will have no effect on us. As God says here, ye are fallen from grace. > > This statement, "ye are fallen from grace", has been taken by some to mean that a believer can lose his salvation. If we isolate this verse from the rest of the Bible, we can indeed get the impression that whoever has fallen from grace was previously saved because he was previously under the grace of God. > > The Bible makes it very clear elsewhere, however, that once a person is saved, he is always saved. Among the passages testifying to this supreme truth is [Romans 8:38](Romans%208.md#^38) - [39](Romans%208.md#^39): > > *For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.* > > What, then, does "fallen from grace" mean? It means that a person, who has come under the hearing of the Gospel of grace, has gone back to observing the law in an effort to earn his salvation. As a result, he has fallen from the path of grace that leads to salvation. Such a person was never saved to begin with. And unless he turns from that wrong path and comes back onto the path of grace, He will not be saved. ^gal5-4 > [Galatians 5:5](Galatians%205.md#^5) note > > The word "wait" in this verse appears only a few times in the New Testament. In every case, it has to do with waiting for the last day, when Christ returns. We read in Romans 8:19,23-25, for instance: > > *For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God . . . And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.* > > Since we believers have so far received only our resurrected soul, we are waiting for Christ to return on the last day, when our sin-cursed bodies will be redeemed for glorified ones. And then the creation will know exactly who the sons of God are. Meanwhile, we can wait with patience for something we cannot see because God has opened our spiritual eyes enough for us to know for sure that we have become saved. > > **Hope of Glory** > > The "hope of righteousness” that we are waiting for in verse 5 is Christ Himself because God tells us in [1 Corinthians 1:7](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^7) that believers are "waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ". We also read in [Colossians 1:27](Colossians%201.md#^27), "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." > > Christ is thus our hope of glory, our hope of righteousness. He is the hope that we are patiently waiting for. ^gal5-5 > [Galatians 5:6](Galatians%205.md#^6) note > > This verse reiterates that our salvation is entirely the result of faith that has been given to us by God. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything. No outward act of ours counts for anything. What's important is the fact that we are in Jesus Christ. > > This is the first time in this letter that Paul refers to the concept of believers being in Christ. He has just spoken in verse five of the hope of righteousness that comes out of faith. Now, he points to the significance of being in Christ. Let's examine this concept. In [Romans 8:1](Romans%208.md#^1), we read, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." > > When we are saved, we have entered into God Himself. As the Psalmist puts it, God is our eternal habitation. We do not understand this, we cannot draw a picture of this, but this is the language God uses to show the intimate relationship that exists between the believer and the Lord Jesus Christ. > > **Faith through Love** > > The last phrase of this verse should read, "but faith which worketh through love" because the participle "by" is from the Greek word that means "through". It teaches that the intimate relationship that exists between God and us comes through faith, a faith that works through love. > > The love that faith works through is, of course, the love of God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him..." To believe is to have faith. Whoever has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ believes on Him, and that faith works through the love of God. It has nothing to do with any works or deeds on our part. > > There is another love that faith works through. Within the hearts of us believers, a love for God and for our fellow man has developed. The love for God is particularly expressed in our desire to do His will. And in our love for our fellow man, we want the best for him, which, of course, is eternal life. We demonstrate that love by doing our part in sending forth the Gospel to all nations. ^gal5-6 > [Galatians 5:7](Galatians%205.md#^7) note > > The apostle Paul often speaks of the Christian life as a race. The passage that can best help us understand that concept is [Hebrews 12:1](Hebrews%2012.md#^1) - [2](Hebrews%2012.md#^2): > > *Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.* > > Back in Hebrews 11, God spoke about a number of Old Testament people of faith. They are the cloud of witnesses to which this passage is alluding to. They are witnesses of how salvation had given them faith to trust in God. Against that background, God begins Chapter 12 by telling us to get on with the task of running the race. We are not running for personal reward or glory. Nor are we running to attain or retain our salvation. The goal of the race is the Lord Jesus Christ. We run with patience looking unto Jesus. We live out our lives to the glory of God. > > To do so, we need to lay aside the sin which so easily besets us. Because we are still living in a body that lusts after sin, all of us still have a tendency to sin, especially when we take our eyes off Christ. As we attain victory over it, we bring glory to God because it is God Who has given us the power and the liberty to become victors. > > We also need to lay aside "every weight" that hinders our race. Confronted with trials and problems, we often tend to carry the burden ourselves with our own strength. That hurts our testimony. Instead, we should look unto Jesus and let Him do the battle for us. This is where faith comes in. > > The Galatians started their race well. "Ye did run well," Paul writes. But by the rhetorical question, "who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?", he indicates that they have since been hindered. Someone has caused them to disobey the important truth that salvation comes entirely from the grace of God. ^gal5-7 > [Galatians 5:8](Galatians%205.md#^8) note > > The argument that has persuaded the Galatians into disobeying the truth has not come from God. Similarly, none of those grace-plus-works gospels that are widely being preached is of God in any sense. The Bible does not teach that you must be baptized in water or make a free-will decision to receive Christ in order to become saved. And the Bible never teaches that you have to do good works after you have become saved in order to retain your salvation. > > True, many of these other gospels can be backed by a selection of isolated passages in the Bible. But when a doctrine is not in harmony with everything else the Bible teaches, such a "persuasion" cannot be attributed to the Word of God. ^gal5-8 > [Galatians 5:9](Galatians%205.md#^9) note > > Here, Paul is picking up on a statement the Lord made to the disciples shortly after He had miraculously fed the five thousand and the four thousand. In [Matthew 16:6](Matthew%2016.md#^6), we read, "Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." The disciples didn't understand what He was referring to, thinking that the Lord was talking about physical bread. Jesus then reminded them of the miraculous feedings and chided them in [verse 11](Matthew%2016.md#^11), saying: > > *How is it that ye do not understand that I spoke it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?* > > We then read in [verse 12](Matthew%2016.md#^12): > > *Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.* > > God was using leaven to symbolize false doctrines. Here, Paul is warning the Galatians that if those who have hindered their Christian walk are allowed to keep teaching their grace-plus-works gospel, that false gospel would eventually spread throughout the congregation. ^gal5-9 > [Galatians 5:10](Galatians%205.md#^10) note > > Even though the churches in Galatia have been ravaged by these false prophets, there are nevertheless some true believers in those congregations who still trusted their salvation entirely on the grace of God. To encourage these believers, Paul tells them that they would not be snared by the wrong teaching. > > How can he be so sure? Because Jesus, as we saw earlier, is the author and finisher of our faith. He says in [John 6:39](John%206.md#^39), "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." Of the elect, He also says in [John 10:5](John%2010.md#^5), "And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." > > What a marvelous promise that is! If your loved ones are truly children of God, therefore, you can take comfort in knowing that they will not become snared by any of the false gospels. Likewise, if you are truly a child of God but have followed a grace-plus-works gospel, God will eventually open your eyes to the Gospel of grace. He may even use this study to convict you into repenting and coming back to truth. > > **Condemnation** > > The second half of verse 10 warns, meanwhile, that he who brings a false gospel will himself come under God's judgment. If we ever preach a gospel that would lure people away from the true one, we will have to answer to God for these sins. This underscores the seriousness of being a teacher or a preacher. If we ever think that we have been called to preach or teach the Word of God, we had better ascertain that we have indeed been given the gift to do so. We had better ask God constantly to give us the wisdom to learn the truth so that we don't run the dreadful risk of becoming a blind leader of the blind. > > In [Matthew 18:6](Matthew%2018.md#^6), God warns, "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." That is language that talks about hell. So, while a false prophet cannot lure true believers from Christ, he does trouble and offend them. And God warns that he will be severely judged. ^gal5-10 > [Galatians 5:11](Galatians%205.md#^11) note > > Evidently, the Galatians have been told that Paul himself is still preaching that circumcision is a prerequisite to salvation. Before he was converted, Paul had no doubt insisted that every male be circumcised; he was then a zealous Pharisee. But once he became an apostle of Christ, he has made an about-face turn. He now preaches the Gospel of grace only. > > But it's not unusual at all for false teachers to misinform or misrepresent others. So, as you preach the truth, don't be surprised if you find yourself being maligned by others. Here, Paul quells the rumor by asking rhetorically, if he were still teaching circumcision, why then is he still being persecuted by the circumcision advocates; why then hasn't the offense of the cross stopped. > > To understand the phrase, "the offense of the cross", read [Romans 9:31](Romans%209.md#^31), [32](Romans%209.md#^32), [33](Romans%209.md#^33): > > *But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed.* > > Paul explains there that although the law itself is righteous, the Israelites failed to attain salvation by observing it because they did not observe it by faith. They failed to realize that the law was pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result, Christ became a stumbling-stone and rock of offence to them. The quotation at the end of that Romans passage came from these two verses in Isaiah: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believes shall not make haste" ([Is 28:16](Isaiah%2028.md#^16)); and "And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel...." ([Is 8:14](Isaiah%208.md#^14)). > > Putting those two verses together, Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, indicates that even as Christ was the foundation stone of salvation to all believers, He was the stumbling-stone and the rock of offence to the nation of Israel. We find the same truth in [1 Corinthians 1:22](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^22), [23](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^23), [24](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^24), among other places: > > *For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.* > > This teaches that the offense of the cross is by no means limited to the Jews. The Greeks, which in this context represent all people other than the Jews, consider the Gospel of grace through the blood of Christ foolishness. So, if we are faithful in presenting the true Gospel, we can expect to be persecuted. ^gal5-11 > [Galatians 5:12](Galatians%205.md#^12) note > > The false prophets, remember, have been telling the Galatians to be circumcised. So Paul says here that instead of just cutting off the foreskin, he wished that the circumcision advocates would even cut themselves off. > > In the Old Testament, cutting a person off from his people was one of the severest punishments. It was a symbol of total separation from the kingdom of God, a denial of any blessing from God. In short, it pictured eternal damnation. That, in Paul's opinion, is what the false prophets deserved. With this remark, Paul is reiterating what he stated at the beginning of this letter: > > *But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.* ([Gal 1:8](Galatians%201.md#^8) - [9](Galatians%201.md#^9)) > > What should we do, meanwhile, if we find such a person within our congregations? Titus 3:10-11 teaches: "A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sins being condemned of himself." First, we are to give such a person two warnings. If he does not repent after that, we are to have nothing to do with him. Such a man is self-condemned. ^gal5-12 > [Galatians 5:13](Galatians%205.md#^13) note > > After having emphasized and reemphasized that believers are saved by grace, Paul now begins to tell the Galatians how they are to conduct themselves as Christians. > > He starts by reminding them once more that believers have been called to liberty, the liberty of not having to keep the law to either attain or retain their salvation. He then admonishes that believers are not to take advantage of this liberty to satisfy the lust of the flesh. > > To people of the world, taking advantage of God's grace seems to be the natural thing to do. Not so with believers. Paul explained in Romans 6:1-4: > > *What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.* > > Believers are dead to sin; they are freed from the bondage of sin. With their old life having been buried with Christ, they now live a new life in Christ. In his resurrected soul, the truly born-again Christian doesn't have the urge to sin; he wants to lead a life that is pleasing to his Savior. > > **Service through Love** > > Paul points out that one way to live a life that is pleasing to God is to serve one another through love. We serve one another not because we want to get something in return, but out of our love for God. And we want to follow the example Christ has set for us. Christ Himself says that He came to serve, not to be served, and that greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ^gal5-13 > [Galatians 5:14](Galatians%205.md#^14) note > > The false teachers in the congregation have been telling the Galatians that they must keep the law of Moses. In contrast, Paul tells them that all of the law is fulfilled in one word, or one command, and that command is: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." This is the same command that Jesus gave in Luke 10. When a certain lawyer asked Him, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?", He answered in [Luke 10:27](Luke%2010.md#^27), "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." > > The lawyer then asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?" In reply, Christ told him a parable in which a good Samaritan helped a man who had been robbed, beaten and left half dead. That wounded man had earlier been bypassed by a priest and a Levite. Of this Samaritan, Jesus said in [Luke 10:34](Luke%2010.md#^34) - [35](Luke%2010.md#^35): > > *And (he) went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.* > > Jesus then asked in [verse 36](Luke%2010.md#^36): > > *Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among thieves?* > > And we read in [verse 37](Luke%2010.md#^37): > > *And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.* > > **Parable of Salvation** > > That parable is really a picture of a person being saved. The man was described as being half dead because every unbeliever is spiritually dead, though physically alive. The oil and wine that were applied to him represent the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ. > > So, to love your neighbor as yourself is to show mercy to your unsaved fellow human beings. It means that we sincerely desire salvation for the unsaved. And it involves praying for them, witnessing to them, helping them see Christ in us, and doing whatever else we can to send forth the Gospel to all nations. ^gal5-14 > [Galatians 5:15](Galatians%205.md#^15) note > > Loving one another within the family of God is especially important. Jesus says in [John 13:34](John%2013.md#^34) - [35](John%2013.md#^35): > > *A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.* > > This is echoed in [1 John 4:20](1%20John%204.md#^20) - [21](1%20John%204.md#^21), [5:1](1%20John%205.md#^1): > > *If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love his brother also. Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves him that begot loves him also that is begotten of him.* > > In other words, once a person becomes a child of God, he naturally has a desire to love his fellow believers. This does not mean that believers always agree on everything. In [Acts 15:39](Acts%2015.md#^39), we read of a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. But if we truly belong to the family of Christ and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, such disagreements would not develop into hatred in any sense. > > Conversely, if we "bite and devour one another", we are liable to be consumed by one another. Why? Because such a behavior would suggest that we may not have become saved at all. > > There is another sense where “biting and devouring” relates to false prophets as they bring through their false doctrines and gospels. But it’s not what you’d think on first blush. According to [Micah 3:5](Micah%203.md#^5), we read: > > *Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that puts not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.* > > **False Peace** > > Whenever false prophets bring lies, such as these Judaizers to the Galatian churches claiming that you must be circumcised in order to be saved, they are “biting with their teeth” as they cause people to err from Truth. They also cry peace as they claim their falsehoods are the way to find peace with God. But in reality, they are devouring their adherents by leading them into damnation. According to Micah 3:5, God did not put this word in their mouths, they are warring against Him, even as they proclaim peace. Consider this truth as well from the standpoint of [1 Peter 5:8](1%20Peter%205.md#^8): > > *Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:* > > When Satan comes to devour (or to bite with the teeth), he typically comes as an angel of light, through false ministers of righteousness, to deceive through those like these Judaizers. [2 Corinthians 11:13](2%20Corinthians%2011.md#^13), [14](2%20Corinthians%2011.md#^14), [15](2%20Corinthians%2011.md#^15) reads: > > *For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.* > > Notice it says here, “whose end shall be according to their works.” This is the same again that Paul spoke about early on in [Galatians 1:8](Galatians%201.md#^8) - [9](Galatians%201.md#^9), let those bringing a different gospel be accursed: > > *But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.* > > Thus, Galatians 5:15 ends with “take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” The Galatians need to follow the true Gospel of salvation by grace or they will be consumed by their works-plus-grace gospel. ^gal5-15 > [Galatians 5:16](Galatians%205.md#^16) note > > Now Paul begins to discuss why those who have been saved by grace are able to have a changed life and love one another. To walk in the Spirit means to live as the Holy Spirit would have us live. The reason why we are able to do so can be found in [Ezekiel 36:25](Ezekiel%2036.md#^25), [26](Ezekiel%2036.md#^26), [27](Ezekiel%2036.md#^27): > > *Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.* > > As we become saved, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells in us. He gives our spirit a new birth and in that spirit, we have everlasting life. And He causes us to "walk in my statutes", that is, to live obediently to the Word of God. A saved person, therefore, naturally desires to do the will of God. > > However, our resurrected soul, along with the living Spirit of Christ, lives in a body that still has the lust of the flesh. In this verse, Paul explains to the Galatians that the problem is solved not by forcing oneself to observe the law, as the false prophets are teaching, but by following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Then, they will succeed in not submitting to the lust of the body. In Romans 8:11-14, the apostle Paul discussed this point in more detail: > > *But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.* > > In other words, the Holy Spirit that resurrected Christ is now indwelling us. More than that, He will someday give us a new and glorious body. Therefore, we have a natural obligation within our heart to follow His leading, and not to live the way our sinful flesh wants to live. > > On the other hand, if we continue to satisfy the lust of the flesh, then it means that we don't have the Spirit in us, which, in turn, means that we are not of Christ. And if we are not saved, we will be condemned to eternal death on Judgment Day. ^gal5-16 > [Galatians 5:17](Galatians%205.md#^17) note > > Paul stresses here that the lust of our sinful body and the leading of the Holy Spirit are entirely opposed to each other. Our body, which is headed for the grave, is in total rebellion against God, while our born-again spirit, which is united with the Holy Spirit, wants to be obedient to God's command. So, the Christian life is a battle. > > The Apostle Paul wrote about this battle in his own life in Romans 7. Here are some of the key statements: > > *For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do . . . For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?* (vv 18-19, 22-24). > > Paul was agonizing over the fact that although his mind wanted to follow the "inward man", that is, the resurrected soul, it had to war against his members, his body of flesh. So painful was the struggle that he cried out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" > > This is the kind of warfare that every true believer faces daily, a battle that will not end until he dies, when his soul leaves the sin-cursed body and goes to be with the Lord, or when Christ returns and gives him a resurrected body. Meanwhile, because he does want to be obedient, every time he yields to his sinful nature and commits a sin, he feels miserable in his soul. ^gal5-17 > [Galatians 5:18](Galatians%205.md#^18) note > > The good news is that if we are led by the Spirit, we are no longer subject to the penalty of the law. Our sins can no longer condemn us to hell. Why? [Romans 8:14](Romans%208.md#^14) declares, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." And if we are sons of God, then all our sins have been paid for by our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. > > This, therefore, is a good way to check yourselves to see if you are truly saved. Ask yourself honestly, "Do I have an earnest desire to study God's Word and to obey His commands? And whenever I do sin, am I deeply remorseful and repentant?" If your answers are "Yes", then you have a good reason to conclude that you are indeed led by the Spirit and are a child of God. > > But if you still live a carnal life and love the things and pleasures of the world, if you have little interest in studying God's Word, let alone obeying it, then even though you go to church regularly and engage in many activities there, you are probably still unsaved and are therefore subject to eternal damnation. ^gal5-18 > [Galatians 5:19](Galatians%205.md#^19), [20](Galatians%205.md#^20), [21a](Galatians%205.md#^21) note > > Speaking through Paul, God now gives us an outline of the sins that can easily be seen. He introduces them as "the works of the flesh". The flesh, in this context, represents the sinful nature of humanity. For the unregenerate, this nature dominates the whole being. The soul, or the spirit essence, just goes along with the flesh. > > Out in the world, of course, these sins can be found everywhere we look. But these sins are also found within the church. And that's what we're particularly concerned about. With that in mind, let's take a close look at this list of sins. > > **Adultery and Fornication** > > Most people tend to think that adultery has to do with a married person having an affair with someone other than his or her spouse, whereas fornication refers to sexual relationship between unmarried people. The scriptural definitions of these words, however, are somewhat different. > > In the Bible, fornication is used to denote any kind of sexual impurity, including adultery. Actually, it's the Greek word porneia, from which we get the English word "pornographic", which describes that which is immoral and sexually unclean. While adultery generally means sexual misconduct that defiles a marriage, Jesus includes in the sin of adultery even the thought of sexual lust. He says in [Matthew 5:28](Matthew%205.md#^28), "Whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." So, fornication and adultery are really closely linked. > > Could adultery ever be a product of love, as some suggest? No way. When a person causes another to commit a grievous sin against God just to satisfy his or her own lust or pleasure, that person can never have any true, biblical love for the other. > > The Bible frequently uses adultery or fornication to picture spiritual apostasy. God created man to love and have an intimate relationship with Him. But when we sin, when we go our own way, we are committing spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication. We are showing love for some other gods. > > We would also be guilty of spiritual adultery if we claim to have a personal relationship with Christ but follow after gospels that are not the true one, or if we change the commands of God to suit our own desires. Sadly, this kind of spiritual adultery is quite prevalent in the churches today. > > **Uncleanness** > > Have you heard the statement, "cleanliness is next to godliness"? While it's nice to be clean, that is not from the Bible. The "uncleanness" in this verse is not talking about physical dirt. It has to do with spiritual filth. > > In [Ezekiel 36:25](Ezekiel%2036.md#^25), God said, "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be cleansed of all your uncleanness." As we saw earlier in our study of Galatians, the context of that verse is the promise of salvation. We can thus see that the "all your uncleanness" that God promised to cleanse us of is all of our sins. > > **Lasciviousness** > > Lasciviousness is a word that expresses the unbridled character of one who is in complete rebellion against God. Another word that might be used in its stead is "licentiousness". A licentious person is one who thinks that he has a license to do whatever he wants; he has a total disregard for rules and controls. God speaks of this sin among the unsaved in [Ephesians 4:18](Ephesians%204.md#^18) - [19](Ephesians%204.md#^19), we read: > > *Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.* > > In other words, their conscience is seared; they're past feeling. So, they are able to go in any direction that they care to without feeling any bit of guilt. > > Again, this sin has become common in Christendom. Many churches today disregard what the Bible teaches. The doctrines they teach, the gospel they bring and the life-style they advocate are all designed after the thinking of man's mind. The rules of the Bible are simply set aside. This ultimately is lasciviousness. > > **Idolatry** > > Idolatry, of course, has to do with idol worship. But it goes beyond just bowing down to man-made images and idols. It has to do again with worshipping other gods and all kinds of lustful and covetous activity. In Colossians 3:5, God says, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." There, covetousness is described as idolatry. > > Do people who profess to be Christians commit this sin? Indeed they do. When they consider making money or climbing up the occupational ladder the big goal of their life, when they make their bank accounts and investments their security, they are coveting. Likewise, when churches are more interested in having a large membership role than in presenting the whole counsel of God, they are engaging in idolatry. > > **Witchcraft** > > The Greek word for "witchcraft" here is *pharmakeia*, from which the English word "pharmaceutical" comes. And the word "pharmaceutical" has to do with drugs and various potions. > > The word pharmakeia appears in a couple of places in the Bible that are not particularly connected with the church. Take, for example, [Revelation 9:21](Revelation%209.md#^21), where God is speaking about the short period just before the end of time. We read: "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries (pharmakeia), nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." > > As the word "sorceries" could also be translated "enchantment with drugs", it has extra significance today in light of the current widespread use of mind- altering (and mind-destroying) drugs. This drug use is not only in rebellion against the laws of the land, but is often connected with spiritual activity of one kind or another. It has become a substitute religion for many people. We also read in [Revelation 18:23](Revelation%2018.md#^23), where God is again talking about Satan's especially strong rule during the final tribulation period: > > *And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.* > > The first part of that verse indicates that, as far as the corporate church in general is concerned, the true Gospel will no longer be preached, the light of the Gospel candle will no longer shine. Why? Because Satan and his emissaries will have deceived the people of all nations by their sorceries. This usage of the word pharmakeia thus implies that ultimately, anything that is in rebellion against God is of Satan. It is witchcraft. > > **Hatred** > > God uses a rather unusual Greek word for hatred here. In such other verses as "Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer" ([1 Jn 3:15](1%20John%203.md#^15)) or "ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake" ([Mk 13:13](Mark%2013.md#^13)), God uses the word *misco*. In fact, that's the Greek word used throughout the New Testament for hate. The word "hatred" here, however, is *echthra*. Elsewhere in the Bible, it is always translated "enmity." We read, for example, in [Romans 8:6](Romans%208.md#^6) - [7](Romans%208.md#^7): > > *For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity (echthra) against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.* > > In Romans 8, God is describing the difference between the true believer and an unsaved person. A believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit; he minds the things of the Spirit. On the other hand, the carnal minded, that is, those who have the mind of the flesh, are at enmity with God. > > This enmity can be found right within the church. Those who call themselves Christians but still want the things and pleasures of the flesh are carnally minded. Hence, they are at enmity with God. They are guilty of this sin of hatred, as well as idolatry. They are still unsaved. > > **Variance** > > This is a word that is frequently translated "contention" or "strife". It conveys the idea of quarreling. If we look at I Corinthians 1, where that word is also used, we can get some insight as to what God has in mind. We read in [verses 11](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^11), [12](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^12), [13](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^13): > > *For it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?* > > The word "contentions" there is the same word that's translated "variance" here. There is quarreling; there is fighting. There is no focal point on the Lord Jesus Christ. Each one has his own idea about where the lordship really rests. All this has resulted in strife and quarreling. > > We can see much of this taking place in the congregations today. They quarrel over this and quarrel over that, making issues of things that should not be issues. True, we have to rightly contend for the faith. But variances over insignificant matters have no place within the church. There is to be a spirit of love and a spirit of unity. > > **Emulations** > > Emulations is a word that does not always refer to something sinful or evil. To emulate simply means to imitate or to be like someone. In the Bible, though, this particular word is invariably used in the bad sense. Frequently, it means "envy" or "jealousy". In [Acts 13:45](Acts%2013.md#^45), for example, we read: > > *But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.* > > You see, the Jews were filled with envy, or emulation, because they were jealous of the fact that Paul was attracting the multitudes. They no longer had the leadership. > > Is there envy in our churches today? Is there jealousy? Indeed, there is. Envy can develop within a congregation when a Sunday school teacher gets a larger class than another, or when someone is given special recognition for his service. There are many, many other instances where some members of a congregation are jealous of others. > > **Wrath** > > In this context, wrath has to do with unrighteous anger. We see this very dramatically in Luke 4. There, Jesus is preaching to His own countrymen in Nazareth. They don't like at all what He has to say. And so we read in [Luke 4:28](Luke%204.md#^28), "And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath." What did they do? [Verse 29](Luke%204.md#^29): "(They) rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong." You see, unrighteous wrath leads to murder. It is the next step toward murder. > > Oh, the unrighteous anger that can develop within a congregation! Have you ever been wrathful against someone so that you cannot bear the sight of him? Or you actually wish that some bad thing will happen to him? Well, that's what wrath is. > > **Strife** > > We've already looked at the matter of strife in the context of another word. Here, God is emphasizing in particular the strife that is found within the congregation. > > **Seditions** > > This is a word that means *division*. In [Romans 16:17](Romans%2016.md#^17), in fact, it is translated "divisions." There, we read: > > *Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.* > > There is indeed much division within the congregations today, division caused not by contention for that which is holy. There can be a holy strife, certainly. But it is division brought on by those who come with doctrines contrary to what the Bible teaches. They have come with heretical teaching and behavior. And this brings us to the next sin on the list. > > **Heresies** > > Heresy is a sin that is decidedly connected with the church. One of the most dominant places where God speaks of this sin is [2 Peter 2:1](2%20Peter%202.md#^1) - [2](2%20Peter%202.md#^2): > > *But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.* > > God warns there that heresy is something we can expect to come from within the congregation. Frequently (though not always), it is brought in by those who come with an “I-love-you” attitude. They may look sincere and kind and yet what they teach is not totally based on the Word of God. Oh yes, they may pay lip service to the Bible, but they are not ready to let the Word of God be the whole authority. > > Whoever refuses to stand forthright and squarely on the Word of God is guilty of bringing heresies within the congregation. But wonderfully, we can test any doctrine by the Word of God. In the Bible, we do have a trustworthy authority by which we can separate for ourselves heresies from truths. > > **Envyings** > > We've already looked at the word envying under the heading of emulation. This is a different word, but has virtually the same meaning. To be sure, it can be used in a good sense. James 4:5, for example, talks about the Holy Spirit envies, or is jealous for, the holiness of God. But ordinarily, it is used in the Bible with a negative connotation. > > **Murders** > > Have we finally come to a sin that is not found within the church? Certainly, you don't find people in the congregation who murder others. Don't we? Remember what Jesus says in Matthew 5? We read in [verses 21](Matthew%205.md#^21) and [22 of Matthew 5](Matthew%205.md#^22): > > *Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment....* > > Yes, we in the congregation can be guilty of this sin. Momentarily, we can even see it in our lives. But this is a work of the flesh; it should not be found in the life of a true believer. > > **Drunkenness and Revelings** > > Drunkenness immediately makes us think of those who are drunk with wine and strong drinks. And revelings makes us think of those who live a life of debauchery. And that, of course, is one sense of these words. In [Romans 13:13](Romans%2013.md#^13), we read: > > *Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.* > > The word "rioting" there is from the same Greek word as "revelings" in this verse. But in the Bible, these words are used also to picture spiritual conditions. Back in the Old Testament, God faulted the priests in ancient Israel, saying in [Isaiah 29:9](Isaiah%2029.md#^9): > > *Stay yourselves. and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.* > > Why were they drunk? They were following other gospels. Instead of the wine of the Holy Spirit, which typifies the blood of Christ, they were drunk with strange wines. ^gal5-19-21a > [Galatians 5:21b](Galatians%205.md#^21) note > > (See the [previous note](Galatians%205%20FSI.md#^gal5-19-21a) for the first part of verse 21.) > > As mentioned earlier, out in the world sins abound everywhere. But in Galatians 5, God has been dealing with those who think that they are saved but may not be so, because they have begun to follow a grace-plus-works gospel. It is in such a context that God presents this list of sins. > > In our study of this list, therefore, we have purposely avoided pointing the finger at the people out there in the world. Instead, we have found places in the Bible where these sins were named in the church itself. This serves to remind us not only that not everyone in our congregation is saved, but that every child of God is liable to stumble momentarily as he takes his eyes off Christ. > > When a true believer sins, he is so convicted by the Holy Spirit that he simply feels miserable inside. But if you could identify with any of these sins on an ongoing basis, then you should ask yourself, "Am I really a child of God?" This is so because God concludes this passage with this dire warning: "They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." ^gal5-21 > [Galatians 5:22](Galatians%205.md#^22) - [23](Galatians%205.md#^23) note > > Now, Paul indicates what should be seen in the life of the believer. Notice that the phrase "the fruit of the Spirit" is distinguished from "the works of the flesh" in the preceding passage. When we work for something we are entitled to payment. And the wages of sin, of course, is death. > > But once we have become saved, we no longer work for payment. True, we speak of good works, but they are a normal response of people who have come to know the love of God. No payment is sought or expected from being obedient. It is the fruit that is seen in the true believer's life. Of this fruit, Jesus says in [John 15:5](John%2015.md#^5) - [6](John%2015.md#^6): > > *I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.* > > We bring forth fruit only when we are united with Christ. His Spirit indwells us, and we are in Him. If the fruit is not seen in our life, we are like a withered branch. To be cast into the fire and burned is biblical language showing that such a person is unsaved and will be eternally condemned. > > Now, let's examine these characteristics one by one: > > **Love** > > It's not surprising that love heads the list. Remember the [closing verse of 1 Corinthians 13](1%20Corinthians%2013.md#^13)? > > *Now abides faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.* > > The love that comes forth from the child of God is the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. The chief substance of that love is obedience. This is underscored in John 14, where the Lord says: "If ye love me, keep my commandments" ([v15](John%2014.md#^15)) and "If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him....He that loves me not keeps not my sayings“ ([vv23](John%2014.md#^23), [24](John%2014.md#^24)). God also declares in [1 John 2:5](1%20John%202.md#^5): > > *But whoso keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.* > > This is the sense of the love that God wants to convey to us. We love Him by obediently doing His will. And in our obedience, we also love our fellow man. > > **Joy** > > Does this mean that a child of God will always have a smile on his face? That there cannot be times of real sadness in the life of a believer? Of course not. How can we smile when our loved ones continue in their unbelief? Our hearts are torn. We're weeping inside. How, then, can a fruit of the Spirit be joy? Let's look at the Lord Jesus Christ for a moment and see what God has in view. We read in [Hebrews 12:2](Hebrews%2012.md#^2): > > *Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.* > > What was the joy that was set before the Lord Jesus Christ? It was the joy of obedience. And it was the joy of fulfilling all that God had given Him to do. That was the joy in Christ's life. > > Sometimes, even after we have become saved, we think that there is much joy or happiness in some kind of sin. Well, that's the deception of sin. After we have committed that sin, we find great remorse in our soul. By way of contrast, the joy of obedience is so much more long-lasting and satisfying. There are many, many verses in the Bible that speak of joy; we are not going to exhaust them. But let's just look at one more. We read in [1 Peter 1:8](1%20Peter%201.md#^8), where God is talking about believers who love the Lord Jesus: > > *Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.* > > What is the reason for this "joy unspeakable" – joy that cannot be expressed in words? Our having believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. We can't see Him with our eyes, but God has given us the faith to believe in Him. Instead of heading for eternal damnation, we know that when Christ returns, we'll inherit the new heaven and the new earth and be with the Lord Jesus forevermore. > > **Peace** > > The great desire in the world is to have peace. Oh, we long for the time when the nations will make war no more. But when Jesus says in Matthew 5, "Blessed are the peacemakers", He is not talking about those who have won the Nobel Peace Prize. The peace that God is concerned with is spiritual peace. > > You see, before we became saved, we were at enmity with God. Being slaves of Satan, we were at war with God because Satan is the enemy of God. But once God saved us, we have entered into Christ's kingdom. We are at peace with God. Thus we read in [Isaiah 40:1](Isaiah%2040.md#^1) - [2](Isaiah%2040.md#^2): > > *Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished (or ended), that her iniquity is pardoned....* > > This is an inner peace that only the child of God rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ can experience. And what a wonderful peace it is. There is absolute comfort, an absolute strength and security and serenity in our life. While we fear God in the sense that we revere Him, there is no fear of damnation, no fear of terror, because we are at peace with God. A person who is unsaved does not and cannot have that peace in his heart, because he is not at peace with God. > > **Longsuffering** > > In [1 Peter 3:20](1%20Peter%203.md#^20), the Bible describes the longsuffering of God. We read: "when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." Going back to Genesis 6, we find that man had become exceedingly wicked. [Genesis 6:5](Genesis%206.md#^5), [6](Genesis%206.md#^6), [7](Genesis%206.md#^7) reads: > > *And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth. and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents me that I have made them.* > > That sounds as though God was about to destroy the whole creation. Yet, we read in [verse 3](Genesis%206.md#^3), "My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh; yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years." God actually gave humanity a grace period of 120 years. This is the longsuffering, or patience, to which I Peter 3:20 refers. You see, God had committed Himself to save Noah and his family, so He waited patiently for Noah to build the ark. During that period of 120 years, God gave the wicked people an opportunity to repent. They didn't, however, so they perished in the flood. > > In II Peter 3, we read about the longsuffering that God is currently displaying. That chapter first talks about the fact that one day, the whole universe will melt with fervent heat and that God will create new heavens and a new earth for His people. Then we read in [verses 14](2%20Peter%203.md#^14) and [15](2%20Peter%203.md#^15): > > *Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.* > > In other words, God's perfect salvation plan is currently being worked out. And He withholds judgment on the world until all the elect of God have become saved. Meanwhile, He is patiently allowing all of this sin to go on. He is putting up with the rebellion of the unsaved with longsuffering. > > Thus, longsuffering is a characteristic that ought to be found in the life of the believer. True, sometimes we find it hard to forgive someone who has sinned against us, especially if that person keeps doing that same thing. But nothing he does to us can compare with the way we have sinned against God. > > We can indeed be longsuffering if we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, remembering that we are in the hand of a loving and caring God. Everything that comes into our life is known of God, and He has promised in [1 Corinthians 10:13](1%20Corinthians%2010.md#^13) that He will not allow us to be tested above what we're able to bear from an obedience standpoint. God sometimes sends reverses into our life to teach us to be longsuffering, because this is the fruit of the Spirit. During these trials, it helps to remember [Romans 12:19](Romans%2012.md#^19): "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." > > **Gentleness** > > The Greek word for gentleness here is chrestotes, which is normally translated as "kindness" or "goodness". This is the only place it is translated as "gentleness". An example of how God uses this word in the Bible can be found in Ephesians 2. Speaking about our being saved by grace, God explains in [Ephesians 2:7](Ephesians%202.md#^7): > > *That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.* > > Here, God uses the word chrestotes in the context of all that He has done for us. Oh yes, our salvation is a function of His love, in that He so loved us as to die for us. It is also a function of His grace, because we do not deserve it at all. > > But here, God relates His magnificent salvation to His kindness toward us. It is the goodness, the wonder of God's mercy. It embraces the very finest attitude toward those who are unlovable. In [Romans 2:4](Romans%202.md#^4), God speaks of His goodness that leads to repentance. We read: > > *Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness (chrestotes) of God leads thee to repentance?* > > Even though the unsaved keep rebelling against God, He continues to give them all kinds of blessings, such as the warm sunshine, the beautiful flowers, the creature comforts that come in this world, and, above all, the possibility of salvation. God always holds that out to anyone who would believe on Him, even though the non-elect will never respond. > > And so, we can see that the goodness or the kindness of God relates to wanting the very best for those around us. If we say that we are a child of God, then the fruit of the Spirit certainly ought to be seen in our life. If we see the lostness of this world and have no desire in our heart to send forth this precious Gospel of salvation, then we must admit that this fruit of the Spirit, this kindness, is not seen in our life. > > **Goodness** > > The Greek word for this "goodness" is altogether different from the one above. It really means godliness. Remember the encounter between the rich young ruler and the Lord Jesus? That young ruler did not recognize Jesus as God Himself, but looked upon Jesus simply as a very fine rabbi. So, when he addressed Jesus, "Good Master", the Lord responded right back at him and said, "There is no one good but God." He wanted to show this rich young ruler that his standard of goodness was wrong. In other words, God defines there that goodness is something that is godly; it conveys the idea of that which is completely in harmony with all that God is and all that God declares. > > Is that the characteristic of our life? The fruit of the Spirit is goodness. Is it really true that as we live out our lives we find more and more in our life a desire to do everything God's way? Remember, we still have a flesh that lusts after sin. So, we're not going to find perfect goodness within our life. Nevertheless, we should at least become more and more like Christ. > > **Faith** > > As in the case with peace, joy and the other Christian virtues, if we want a standard of faith to look at, it has to be the faith of the Lord Jesus. He was perfectly faithful in carrying out the task that God had given Him to do. Because He trusted God implicitly, His whole passion worked out to God's glory. Remember we saw in [Galatians 2:16](Galatians%202.md#^16) that it is Christ's faith that saved us? > > Wonderfully, [Romans 1:17](Romans%201.md#^17) tells us, we go out of faith into faith. The faith that is the Lord Jesus Christ finds expression in the faith that is seen in our lives. And that faith, too, is a gift of God. Remember, it's the fruit of the Spirit. We are able to trust God because the Holy Spirit indwells us. > > Believing that Jesus is our Savior is by no means the full extent of faith that believers are to have. We can readily confess that Christ has paid for all of our sin, and that by faith we know we have eternal life. But what about our day-to-day living? Do we really believe that He will never leave us nor forsake us, that He will care for us, that He will supply our need as we seek His kingdom and His righteousness? > > To strengthen our faith in this area, God often sends testing programs into our life. By forcing us to recognize that apart from Him, we really can do nothing, we learn to rely more and more on His provision and His strength. And oh, how we need it, because every one of us has to admit that, even after we've been a child of God for a long time, our faith is so often so imperfect. > > **Meekness** > > Normally, when we think of a meek man, we think of someone who has no courage, who has no get-up-and-go. He walks in the shadow of others. His presence is hardly known. But that is not what God has in view. Speaking of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, [Matthew 21:5](Matthew%2021.md#^5) says, "Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King comes unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." Note that the Lord Jesus Christ is described as being meek. In [Matthew 11:28](Matthew%2011.md#^28) - [29](Matthew%2011.md#^29), Jesus Himself says: > > *Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.* > > Was Jesus a weak person? Not at all. He came as the King. But note that He didn't come with all the royal pomp and circumstances; He came as the suffering servant. He mingled with the publicans and sinners, making no outward pretenses of any kind. Even when He went into Jerusalem, as we read in Matthew, He didn't ride on a prancing white horse. He came on a donkey, or rather two donkeys. None of the leaders then recognized Him as the King at all. > > So, when we have meekness as the fruit of the Spirit, we live humbly in this world. We don't call attention to ourselves. We don't try to look important. Why? Because we know that except for what God has done in our life, we wouldn't amount to anything at all. > > You know, one of the greatest of men of the Old Testament was Moses. He was given the difficult task of taking Israel out of Egypt and leading them throughout their forty years in the wilderness. Yet, we read in [Numbers 12:3](Numbers%2012.md#^3), "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." He walked humbly, and so do all believers who have the fruit of the Spirit. > > **Temperance** > > Temperance is an old English word that means self-control. Perhaps the best passage in the Bible that would help us understand this is [1 Corinthians 9:24](1%20Corinthians%209.md#^24) - [25](1%20Corinthians%209.md#^25): > > *Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.* > > Here, God likens a believer to an athlete. An athlete is very hard on himself. He does not indulge in the things that he wants because they would weaken his condition. He practices and practices and practices. While others are eating all kinds of foods, he follows a strict diet. While his friends keep late hours pursuing pleasure, he goes to bed early. Because he wants to win the prize, he does everything under a discipline. > > This is the kind of self-control that Christians show as the fruit of the Spirit. Unsaved man by nature is not spiritually disciplined. Haven't you heard people say, "I want what I want" or " I want to do my own thing"? Haven't you met people that have a vicious temper? When things go bad, thy just fly off the handle and let the other person have it. That is not the characteristic of a child of God. > > To have self-control means having victory over our sin weaknesses. Do you have a bad temper? Is your pride easily hurt? Is it hard for you to resist sexual temptation? Do you just love to gamble or speculate in the market? Well, if you are a child of God, you have the Holy Spirit there to help you overcome such sins. Just cry out, "Oh God, have mercy on me. Give me strength to control myself." > > As we ask the Lord to strengthen us, and as we turn away from this sin or that sin, we will be exercising temperance or self-control. That is the fruit of the Spirit. And oh, what a joy it is to find that you have victory over this sin or that sin. > > **Against Such There Is No Law** > > Back to Galatians 5, verse 23 concludes with the statement, "against such there is no law." This is to be understood in at least two senses. First, if we follow perfectly the leading of the Spirit, thereby manifesting fully the fruit of the Spirit, then we are entirely in agreement with the law. In the measure that we are obedient to Christ, we are not against the law. > > However, the bigger meaning is this: In every child of God, the fruit of the Spirit will be seen to some degree. True, these virtues are more clearly seen in some believers than in others. But we're all growing in grace. When they are seen in our life, it is an evidence that we have become a child of God. As such, the law no longer has any claim upon us. We're not under the law, we are under grace. > > Instead of being against us, the law has become a friend of ours, a standard by which we strive to live a life that reflects our love for Christ and our gratitude for what He has done for us. ^gal5-22-23 > [Galatians 5:24](Galatians%205.md#^24) note > > Earlier in this study, we referred to [Colossians 3:5](Colossians%203.md#^5), which reads, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." To mortify means to kill, to put to death. > > Here in verse 24, it says that "they that are Christ's" (meaning those who have truly become saved) "have crucified the flesh..." This is a statement of fact, those who are Christ’s crucify, or put to death, the deeds of the flesh. Putting to death our sinful nature is how the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. Actually, this is an ongoing process. In this life, we will never attain perfect holiness. Romans 7, which we looked at earlier, clearly teaches us that. Paul says there in [Romans 7:19](Romans%207.md#^19), "The good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do." But growth in this area is something we should expect in our life. Otherwise, we must ask ourselves honestly if we are truly saved. > > **Affections** > > We can readily understand that lusts are associated with our flesh, our sinful nature. But shouldn't Christians be affectionate? Actually, the Greek word here is translated "affections" only in this verse. [Romans 7:5](Romans%207.md#^5), it is used to convey the idea of sinful motions. That verse reads, "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin...did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." The word "motions" in the phrase "motions of sin" is from the same Greek word. > > Elsewhere, it is always translated either as "afflictions" or "sufferings." For example, [Hebrews 10:32](Hebrews%2010.md#^32), "But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions." And [2 Corinthians 1:5](2%20Corinthians%201.md#^5), "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." > > Putting all this together, we can see that the affections that the Holy Spirit is putting to death in us are the sinful emotions that afflict our thinking and behavior. ^gal5-24 > [Galatians 5:25](Galatians%205.md#^25) note > > We live in the Spirit in the sense that we are abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ, or in the Holy Spirit. We have become saved. And if we have become a child of God, then let us walk in the Spirit. That is, let us walk in a way that is pleasing to God. That not only is a mandate, but is a truism. It's a mandate in that this is how God wants us to live our life. But it is a truism also because, as we saw earlier, every child of God will naturally display the fruit of the Spirit more and more. > > Why, then, has God put all these commands in the Bible? Because the Word is the sword of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit uses these commands to sanctify us. He applies the Word of God to our heart and conscience. That's why as a believer grows in sanctification, his conscience increasingly reminds him of what the Bible says. ^gal5-25 > [Galatians 5:26](Galatians%205.md#^26) note > > Back in verses 19-21, God listed sin after sin after sin that are the works of the flesh. Then, in verses 22-25, God showed us the virtues that are the evidence of God's grace in our lives. Now, He gives us this final admonition. > > Significantly, God focuses on two particular sins. Perhaps it's because the number one sin among believers is vain glory. And it leads directly to the sin of "provoking one another" and "envying one another". Vain glory means empty glory, or futile glory. It is glory that has no substance. A believer should not desire any glory of his own at all because only to God, to the Lord Jesus Christ, should always be all the glory. Whatever we do, we do it to the glory of God. This is the reason why God has created us and saved us. > > But man also wants glory. Even believers often desire to have glory. We find it hard to admit that we are dirty rotten sinners. Our pride does not permit this. Likewise, we find it hard to admit that we do not contribute one iota to either our sanctification or our salvation. We would like to think that somehow, there is some good in us that has enabled us to grow as a Christian. > > **Jealous God** > > Nevertheless, God is very jealous of His glory because He rightfully deserves to receive all the adulation and all the praise and all the honor and all the respect. And this is why God comes right out flatly, as He concludes this section of Galatians, and says, "Let us not be desirous of vain glory." > > Now, the Bible does talk about believers being glorified. But it is Christ's glory that is imputed to us. The Bible also speaks of our receiving a crown of glory. But notice [Revelation 4:10](Revelation%204.md#^10) - [11](Revelation%204.md#^11): > > *The twenty-four elders (who represent all believers) fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that lives for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.* > > An outcome of being desirous of vain glory is the sin of provoking and envying one another. When our pride is manifested in our words or actions, it causes others to become wrathful against us. Conversely, when someone else tops us in this department of our life or that, our pride suffers. As we envy him, all kinds of other sins follow. > > The antidote to all of this, of course, is to walk in the Spirit. Yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He brings to our remembrance what the Word of God has taught us. To paraphrase [Philippians 2:12](Philippians%202.md#^12) - [13](Philippians%202.md#^13), “we need to work out the fruit of the Spirit with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” ^gal5-26 Tags: #New_Testament #Galatians #True_Gospel #FSI