50 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
50 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
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title = "Galatians 5:16–26"
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date = "2023-08-20"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Galatians5.16-26)
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In most of Paul's letters, he teaches theology in the first section and then
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instructs the readers in the practical application of that theology in their
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lives. The letter to the Galatians is no exception, and this is the turning
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point. "Because of all that I have just told you," Paul could say, "always and
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continuously be doing these things."
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The first command he gives is to "walk by the Spirit". The meaning of "walk"
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indicates a pattern of behavior or a lifestyle. "Spirit" is contrasted with
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"flesh" not because our phyiscal bodies are evil, as some Gnostics claimed, but
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because God is holy and we are not. Paul often uses "flesh" and "physical man"
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as a metaphor for our sin-cursed natures, but in other letters he affirms that
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we will get new, glorified, and still physical bodies when we are resurrected
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in Christ, just as He was. So then, if we pattern our lives according to the
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Holy Spirit, we won't satisfy the evil urges of our old nature. Holiness and
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sin are opposed to each other, and they cannot dwell in the same place.
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The list of sinful behaviors in verses 19–22 are, of course, not exhaustive. If
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the Judaizers heard them, they would be nodding along because they never would
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do such things. But then the middle of the list rolls up: "enmity, strife,
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jealosy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy…" and we
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can tell that they are condemned. Examine yourselves, beloved, and be certain
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you have nothing to do with these practices either. But if you do (spoiler
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alert: you certainly do), then repent of them and ask the Lord Jesus for
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forgiveness and His grace. And if you stubbornly think, "I can check off all of
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those; I've never done any of them," then I point out the catch-all Paul puts
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at the end. Only God is good and sinlessly perfect; He is the standard we are
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measured against, not anyone else around you. Pay particular attention to verse
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26.
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The fruit of the Spirit list is well-known, and for good reason. I would like
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to say it is not an exhaustive list either, but I can't come up with anything
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that wouldn't fall under one of the existing items. Notice that unlike the
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works of the flesh list, none of the fruit of the Spirit are things you do.
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Instead, they are attitudes that you have while you are walking in the Spirit.
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This is because even "good deeds" can be done in the flesh, even such things as
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preaching ([Phil. 1:15–17](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Philippians1.15-17))
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and praying ([Luke 18:9-14](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Luke18.9-14)).
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Remember, we are to walk in the Spirit, which drives out the selfish desires
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and motivations of the flesh.
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* * *
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There is no one like You, holy and perfect.
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