Galatians 5:16-26
16: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17: For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
19: Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20: idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21: envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23: gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24: Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25: If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
26: Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
If we walk in the Spirit, we will not carry out the desires of the flesh. The flesh and Spirit oppose each other. They are mutually exclusive. It is often said the best way to keep weeds out of a garden is for good plants to thrive. The desires of the flesh will try to rise to a place of rule in your life. Each one—flesh and Spirit—attempts to keep the other from following its desire. The desires and passions of the flesh will lead, (and lead to death), if we do not keep them in their proper place. Let the Spirit, which leads to life, thrive in your life.
The flesh does not only try to lead you into obvious sin but tries to lead you to self-justify yourself through keeping the Law, or any law, habit, practice, or superstition to try to earn some kind of justification. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil brought death, even though it contained some knowledge of what is good. However, if you choose to allow the Spirit of God (Tree of Life) to lead you, then you are not under the Law. You don’t have to try to earn your righteousness. You can't anyway. But Jesus did for you. Now that you are alive in the Spirit, you can walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Paul compared the deeds of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. He listed examples of each. They were not all inclusive, but a sample. The deeds of the flesh are obvious acts against God, others, or your own self. Paul warned, and had warned, that those who did such things would not inherit the kingdom of God. If one attempts justification through the Law, these fleshly deeds will void any justification that was being sought, and he will not be able to earn a place in God’s kingdom. That was proven. Jesus was the only one who could keep the Law, and the fleshly desires in check.
However, the fruit of the Spirit—that which naturally grows in one who through faith in Christ becomes a new creature, yielding to the Spirit of God within—is that which is obviously good. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh—all of the passions and desires that oppose the Spirit. They are the ones who choose to let the life-giving Spirit and nature of Christ rule in their heart. Paul includes himself in his plea, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” In other words, let our outward behavior reflect the inner life God has given us by His Spirit. The warning was not to become, or not to allow, boastful, challenging, and envious behavior have a place among them.
17: For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
19: Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20: idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21: envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23: gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24: Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25: If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
26: Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
***
If we walk in the Spirit, we will not carry out the desires of the flesh. The flesh and Spirit oppose each other. They are mutually exclusive. It is often said the best way to keep weeds out of a garden is for good plants to thrive. The desires of the flesh will try to rise to a place of rule in your life. Each one—flesh and Spirit—attempts to keep the other from following its desire. The desires and passions of the flesh will lead, (and lead to death), if we do not keep them in their proper place. Let the Spirit, which leads to life, thrive in your life.
The flesh does not only try to lead you into obvious sin but tries to lead you to self-justify yourself through keeping the Law, or any law, habit, practice, or superstition to try to earn some kind of justification. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil brought death, even though it contained some knowledge of what is good. However, if you choose to allow the Spirit of God (Tree of Life) to lead you, then you are not under the Law. You don’t have to try to earn your righteousness. You can't anyway. But Jesus did for you. Now that you are alive in the Spirit, you can walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Paul compared the deeds of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. He listed examples of each. They were not all inclusive, but a sample. The deeds of the flesh are obvious acts against God, others, or your own self. Paul warned, and had warned, that those who did such things would not inherit the kingdom of God. If one attempts justification through the Law, these fleshly deeds will void any justification that was being sought, and he will not be able to earn a place in God’s kingdom. That was proven. Jesus was the only one who could keep the Law, and the fleshly desires in check.
However, the fruit of the Spirit—that which naturally grows in one who through faith in Christ becomes a new creature, yielding to the Spirit of God within—is that which is obviously good. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh—all of the passions and desires that oppose the Spirit. They are the ones who choose to let the life-giving Spirit and nature of Christ rule in their heart. Paul includes himself in his plea, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” In other words, let our outward behavior reflect the inner life God has given us by His Spirit. The warning was not to become, or not to allow, boastful, challenging, and envious behavior have a place among them.
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