Galatians
5:16-26: “The Deeds Done In The Flesh Contrasted With Those Done In The
Spirit”
By
Jim Bomkamp
1.
In our last
study, we looked at verses 1-15 of chapter 5.
1.1.
Paul essentially
completed his arguments to the Galatians about how they were not to add any
requirement for salvation but faith in Christ.
1.2.
Paul told the
Galatians that they were set free for freedom, and then he tells them not to
become slaves again.
1.3.
Paul showed in
that study how that if a person tries to keep just one law hoping by it to be
saved, that he is now under obligation to keep the entire law.
1.4.
Paul showed that
those who are circumcised thinking that by it that they will be saved, they are
cut off from Christ and that they have fallen from grace.
1.5.
Paul talked about
how true righteousness living is faith working through love.
1.6.
Paul told the
Galatians that he hoped that those who were troubling them and trying to get
them to adopt a new gospel would even mutilate themselves.
1.7.
Paul gave a
warning to not use their freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, and told them
that they should use their freedom to serve one another.
1.8.
Paul told the
Galatians that the fulfilling of the entire law is accomplished in one word, ‘love’,
and loving their neighbor as themselves.
The summation argument to the Galatians then was simply to walk in love
through faith because in doing that they would be keeping the Law and pleasing God.
2.
In our study
today, we are going to look at verses 16-26 of chapter 5.
2.1.
Paul had just
made a summation of his arguments about salvation being by faith in Christ plus
nothing, he now begins to reveal the fact that walking in love involves a
struggle and warfare. The struggle and
warfare that he begins to discuss is one that is internal within the believer
in Christ.
2.2.
The arguments
have been made that a believer in Christ is not to add any requirement to his
faith in Christ hoping that by it he will gain salvation, so Paul now begins in
this study to contrast two different sets of lifestyles or habits of mind
within the believer, those produce by the flesh (or old sinful nature still
resident within the believer) and those produced by the Holy Spirit (when the
believer is Spirit-filled or controlled).
2.3.
The legalists who
were trying to get the Galatians to adhere to all or parts of the Law of Moses,
in addition to having faith in Christ to be saved, were walking in the power
and leading of the flesh. The life of
rule and law-keeping is one in which a person himself is in control of his
life, he is making things up as he goes and choosing what kinds of rules or
laws are essential to keep. He is not
led of the Spirit and does not even need to consider the leading of the Spirit,
in order to do what he does. But, the
result of rule and law-keeping is the fruit or habits-of-mind and conduct of
the flesh.
2.4.
Paul will
describe for us the fact that there is a battle that is continually being waged
in the believer’s life for control, a battle between the two natures within
him. The fleshly part of a believer is
that part that is a remnant from his life before he ever knew Christ. The spiritual part of a believer is the
spirit that is within him energized and led by the Holy Spirit working within
him.
2.5.
Paul will list
here for us what are those things that characterize those who are walking in
the flesh.
2.6.
In contrast to
the fruit or habits-of-mind or conduct of the flesh is the habits-of-mind and
conduct that is produced by the Spirit within the believer, when the believer
is being filled-with or controlled by the Holy Spirit.
2.7.
The late Bill
Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, wrote discipleship oriented
books on how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and how to walk in the power of
the Holy Spirit, and he points out how that there is a throne in every person’s
life and that based upon who is on that throne there are three different types
of people. The three types of people
are:
2.7.1. The natural man:
The Natural Person has
Christ outside of his life and he himself is sitting on the throne of his
life. The Natural Person is one who has
Christ outside of his life and thus he is determining how he wants to live his
life, and he is doing so irrespective of God’s will for him. The result of this type of life is often a
lack of fulfillment due to being separated from God, spiritually dead, and
unable to even understand spiritual truth, as these scriptures describe:
Ephesians 2:1-3
(NASB95): “And you were
dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the
spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the
lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and
were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
1
Corinthians 2:14 (NASB95): “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit
of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because
they are spiritually appraised.”
2.7.2. The Spiritual (or Spirit-filled) Christian:
When a person comes to have saving faith in Christ
for salvation, Christ comes into his life as Lord and Savior. Thus, when a person becomes a Christian
Christ comes in and sits upon the throne of his life. He then becomes the Spiritual Person as
described by Dr. Bright’s diagram.
As
you can see from the diagram above, the Spiritual Person has Christ in his life
and also seated upon the throne of his life.
With Christ on the throne of his life he is “filled with the Holy Spirit” and thus doing God’s will. Because of Jesus reigning on the throne of
his life he has peace and contentment, though this may be amidst trials and
difficult circumstances. However, his
circumstances do not determine his joy or contentment, and in fact his life is
filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit as described in Galatians
5:22-23: “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.”
2.7.3. The Natural (or Carnal) Christian:
Unfortunately,
a person does not always stay in the mode of having Christ on the throne of his
life. When temptations are yielded to, a
person sins and in order to sin he first has to kick Christ off of the throne
of his life. He does not lose his salvation
at that point, but he is no longer a Spiritual Person, and Dr. Bright’s diagram
of the Carnal Person describes his life.
The Carnal Christian knows
Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior, and Christ is in his/her life. However, he/she has kicked Christ off of the
throne of his/her life and he is now walking with some areas of disobedience in
his life. The result is often
frustration and all of the rest of the characteristics of the person described
in Galatians 5:19-21: “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 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.”
.
So, when a Christian has
sinned and kicked Christ off of the throne of his life, how can he then again
become the Spiritual Person and be “filled
with the Holy Spirit”? The first
thing I would mention in this regard is what someone once wrote, “God’s commandments are His enablings.” This phrases teaches the point that whenever
God commands and admonishes us concerning anything in our life that He will
likewise give us the ability to do that which we are commanded to do. If God has commanded us to “be continually filled with the Holy
Spirit” then this means that God will give us the ability to be “filled” with the Holy Spirit.
Secondly,
the scripture tells us in 1 John 1:9 that if we “confess” our sins that God is faithful and cleanse us: “If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Notice
that God promises the confessor that He will cleanse him from “all unrighteousness.” This means that the Lord removes from us
anything that would hinder Him from working in and through us, and this will
enable us to be able to be “filled”
with the Holy Spirit.
Also,
the Greek word translated “confess”
in 1 John 1:9 is “homologeo” which
is combination of two words that when combined means literally “to say the same thing as.” “Homo”
means “same” and “logeo” means “to speak.” This word then tells us that the biblical
type of confession for which God forgives us and cleanses us from all sins
involves “repentance” of that
sin which we are admitting. If you think
about it just confessing to our sin while being unwilling to give up that sin
would be a hollow admission, and it would not impress the Lord either. This is exactly what the word of God says as
well, as seen for instance in Psalm 66:18:
“If I regard wickedness in my
heart, The Lord will not hear.”
2.8.
In our study
today, we are going to analyze each of the words used to describe both the
deeds that are produced by the flesh as well as those produced by the Holy
Spirit.
2.9.
The fifteen deeds
of the flesh that Paul lists in this chapter are grouped in three different
sets, and all of these are enemies of our soul which we are to wage war against
as believers in Christ:
2.9.1. Sins of sensual passion: “immorality,
impurity, sensuality”.
2.9.2. Sins of superstition: “idolatry,
sorcery”.
2.9.3. Sins of social disorder: “enmities, strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,
drunkenness, carousing”.
2.10.
Likewise, the
nine fruit of the Spirit in the life of the believer are grouped in three
different sets:
2.10.1. Those that affect our relationship to God: “love, joy, peace”.
2.10.2. Those that affect our relationships with our fellow man: “patience, kindness goodness”.
2.10.3. Those that affect our Christian conduct: “faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”.
2.11.
It is important
to realize that the Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect embodiment not only of all
spiritual gifts, but also of all of the graces (or fruit) of the Holy
Spirit. When we talk about the fruit of
the Spirit, we are talking about the character of Jesus Christ who is the
perfect embodiment of these characteristics.
3.
VS 5:16-17 - “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.” – Paul tells
the Galatians that if they walk by the Spirit they will not carry out the
desire of the flesh, for the flesh and the Spirit set their desires against
each other and are in opposition to one another, so the Christian cannot just
do whatever he pleases
3.1.
Each of us as
Christians have two natures within us. Even
though Christ has come into our lives, God has left within us the remnants of
the old sinful nature we had before coming to Christ. Our old sinful nature has sinful desires it
wants to fulfill.
3.2.
The desires
prompted by our flesh are completely contrary to the desires of the Spirit of
God who dwells within us. Everything
that the flesh desires are the opposite of what God’s will and desire is for
us.
3.3.
We as Christians
also have a regenerated nature within us since the Holy Spirit came to dwell
within us. The Holy Spirit prompts
desires within us as well, and all of those desires are completely contrary to
the desires prompted by the flesh. The
Holy Spirit is desiring for us to crucify the old sinful nature that is within
us and to live a holy and God-fearing life.
Now that we are
believers, if we do commit sins, we don’t have the same enjoyment in them that
we had before because the Holy Spirit within us convicts us and makes grieve
and be sorrowful for having sinned.
3.4.
Each of us as
Christians have to choose on a moment by moment basis which desires we will
give in to and fulfill, and so Paul tells the Galatians that they have to be
aware of this struggle and not just, ‘do the things that you please’. The flesh
pulls us toward sinful thoughts and choices, and the Holy Spirit pulls us
toward godly living and walking in a Christ-like manner.
3.5.
We as Christians
must not just do as we please because we have been purchased by Christ and we
belong to Him, and His will for us is not to walk in sin but to live a godly
life.
4.
VS 5:18 - “18
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” – Paul tells
the Galatians that if they are led by the Spirit then they are not under the
Law
4.1.
We have seen that
Paul has stated in this epistle that walking in the Spirit and walking in law
and rule-keeping are mutually exclusive ways of life. A person either puts himself under the harsh
taskmaster yoke of the Law or He puts himself under the yoke of Christ, which
is an easy and a light burden for Jesus is gentle and humble in heart. And, Paul has said that if you walk in the
Spirit you are not under the Law. Now,
Paul says that if you are ‘led by the Spirit’ that you are ‘not under
the Law’.
4.2.
But, what does it
mean to be ‘led by the Spirit’?
The person who is led by the Spirit is one who prays about his
decisions, reads God’s word to know what His will is for his life, and realizes
that he needs to be dependent upon the Lord for all that he has and does. He does not rely upon his own wisdom and
understanding or inclinations, but seeks the Lord and waits upon the Lord in
all things.
5.
VS 5:19 - “19
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity,
sensuality,”
– Paul tells the Galatians that the deeds produced by the flesh (old sinful nature)
are evident, and then he begins listing them, starting with immorality,
impurity, and sensuality
5.1.
Paul says here
that the ‘deeds of the flesh’ are ‘evident’ which is to say that
they are obvious. When you look around
at the people in our world who do not believe in Christ and are in rebellion
against they Lord, you see that certain things that they do are common among
them. They all tend to have the same
sinful attitudes and appetites, though they are expressed to various
degrees. It is the same dynamic that is
working in all of the people that make up this world that is in rebellion
against God.
5.2.
I tend to think
of people in this world as all spiraling down in self-destructive and
self-centered types of behavior. Some
people are spiraling down faster than others, but all are in this same spiral.
5.3.
In this epistle,
Paul chooses to characterize the flesh by fifteen different types of
behavior. He could have been more
specific but this list is sort of a summary of the sinful lusts and ‘habits
of mind’ of those who are walking in the flesh.
5.4.
These first
listed characteristics produced by the flesh in people’s lives is the set that
has to do with sensuous
passion: ‘immorality,
impurity, sensuality’.
5.5.
The fleshly
nature that is within all of us is “depraved” and corrupt. The history of mankind in rebellion against
God has been a history of sensuous
passion. In the book of Genesis,
we see that the city of Sodom became so corrupt that this sin dominated the
lives of all of the people that the women burned in passion for each other and
the men for each other, and, this was to such an extent that when the angels of
the Lord visited Lot, the men of the city including even the young boys
gathered around Lot’s house and were wanting to have relations with the
angels. Because of its corruption,
5.6.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘immorality’
has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced Greek Dictionary:
4202 πορνεία [porneia /por·ni·ah/] n f. From 4203; TDNT 6:579; TDNTA 918; GK 4518; 26
occurrences; AV translates as “fornication” 26 times. 1 illicit sexual intercourse. 1a adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism,
intercourse with animals etc. 1b sexual
intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18. 1c sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,12. 2 metaph. the worship of idols. 2a of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating
the sacrifices offered to idols.
5.7.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘impurity’
or “uncleanness” has a wide range of meaning and has the following entry
in Strong’s Enhanced Greek Dictionary:
167 ἀκαθαρσία [akatharsia /ak·ath·ar·see·ah/] n f. From 169; TDNT 3:427; TDNTA 381; GK 174; 10
occurrences; AV translates as “uncleanness” 10 times. 1 uncleanness. 1a physical. 1b in a moral
sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living. 1b1 of impure motives.
5.8.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘sensuality’
speaks of reckless and shameless indulgences and has the following entry in Stong’s
Enhanced Greek Dictionary:
766 ἀσέλγεια [aselgeia /as·elg·i·a/] n f. From a compound of 1 (as a negative particle)
and a presumed selges (of uncertain derivation, but apparently meaning
continent); TDNT 1:490; TDNTA 83; GK 816; Nine occurrences; AV translates as
“lasciviousness” six times, “wantonness” twice, and “filthy” once. 1 unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness,
lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence.
6.
VS 5:20 - “20
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
disputes, dissensions, factions,” – Paul continues his list of the deeds produced by
the flesh by listing idolatry, sorcery, enmities, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
disputes, dissensions, and factions
6.1.
This second
listed set of characteristics produced by the flesh are the sins of superstition: “idolatry, sorcery”.
6.2.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘idolatry’
has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced Greek Dictionary:
1495 εἰδωλολατρία [eidololatreia /i·do·lol·at·ri·ah/] n f. From 1497 and 2999; TDNT 2:379; TDNTA 202; GK
1630; Four occurrences; AV translates as “idolatry” four times. 1 the worship of false gods, idolatry. 1a of the formal sacrificial feats held in honour of
false gods. 1b of avarice, as a worship
of Mammon. 2 in the
plural, the vices springing from idolatry and peculiar to it.
6.3.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘sorcery’
has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced Greek Dictionary, and note that it
infers the use of mind altering drugs:
5331 φαρμακεία, φάρμακον [pharmakeia /far·mak·i·ah/] n f. From 5332; GK 5758 and 5760; Three
occurrences; AV translates as “sorcery” twice, and “witchcraft” once. 1 the use or the administering of drugs. 2 poisoning. 3 sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and
fostered by it. 4 metaph.
the deceptions and seductions of idolatry.
6.4.
This third set of
characteristics produced in the lives of those who are walking in the flesh
involves the sins of social
disorder: “enmities, strife, jealousy,
outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness,
carousing”.
6.5.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘enmities’ here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon:
2189 ἔχθρα [echthra /ekh·thrah/] n f. From 2190; TDNT 2:815; TDNTA 285; GK 2397; Six
occurrences; AV translates as “enmity” five times, and “hatred” once. 1 enmity. 2 cause of enmity.
6.6.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘strife’ here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon:
2054 ἔρις [eris /er·is/] n f. Of uncertain affinity; GK 2251; Nine
occurrences; AV translates as “strife” four times, “debate” twice, “contention”
twice, and “variance” once. 1
contention, strife, wrangling.
6.7.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘jealousy’ here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon:
2205 ζῆλος [zelos /dzay·los/] n m/n. From 2204; TDNT 2:877; TDNTA 297; GK 2419;
17 occurrences; AV translates as “zeal” six times, “envying” five times,
“indignation” twice, “envy” once, “fervent mind” once, “jealousy” once, and
“emulation” once. 1 excitement
of mind, ardour, fervour of spirit. 1a zeal, ardour in embracing, pursuing, defending anything. 1a1 zeal in behalf of, for a person or thing. 1a2 the fierceness of indignation, punitive zeal. 1b an envious and contentious rivalry, jealousy.
6.8.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘outbursts of anger’ here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon:
2372 θυμός [thumos /thoo·mos/] n m. From 2380; TDNT 3:167; TDNTA 339; GK 2596; 18
occurrences; AV translates as “wrath” 15 times, “fierceness” twice, and
“indignation” once. 1 passion,
angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again. 2 glow, ardour, the wine of passion, inflaming wine
(which either drives the drinker mad or kills him with its strength).
6.9.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘disputes’ here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon:
2052 ἐριθεία [eritheia /er·ith·i·ah/] n f. Perhaps as the same as 2042; TDNT 2:660; TDNTA
256; GK 2249; Seven occurrences; AV translates as “strife” five times,
“contention” once, and “contentious + 1537” once. 1 electioneering or intriguing for office. 1a apparently, in the NT a courting distinction, a
desire to put one’s self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit which does
not disdain low arts. 1b partisanship,
fractiousness. Additional Information: This word is found before NT
times only in Aristotle where it denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political
office by unfair means. (A&G) Paul exhorts to be one in the mind of Christ
not putting self forward or being selfish (Phil 2:3). James 3:14 speaks against
having selfishness or self-promoting in your heart.
6.10.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘dissensions’ here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon:
1370 διχοστασία [dichostasia /dee·khos·tas·ee·ah/] n f. From a derivative of 1364 and 4714; TDNT
1:514; TDNTA 88; GK 1496; Three occurrences; AV translates as “division” twice,
and “sedition” once. 1
dissension, division.
6.11.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘factions’ here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon:
139 αἵρεσις [hairesis /hah·ee·res·is/] n f. From 138; TDNT 1:180; TDNTA 27; GK 146; Nine occurrences;
AV translates as “sect” five times, and “heresy” four times. 1 act of taking, capture: e.g. storming a city. 2 choosing, choice. 3 that which is chosen. 4 a body of men following their own tenets (sect or
party). 4a of the Sadducees. 4b of the Pharisees. 4c of the Christians. 5
dissensions arising from diversity of opinions and aims.
7.
VS 5:21 - “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.” – Continuing his list of the deeds produced by the
flesh, Paul lists envying, drunkenness, and carousing, and then he warns the
Galatians tell them that just as he has warned them in the past that those who
practice such things will not inherit the
7.1.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘envying’ here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon:
5355 φθόνος [phthonos /fthon·os/] n m. Probably akin to the base of 5351; GK 5784;
Nine occurrences; AV translates as “envy” eight times, and “envying” once. 1 envy. 2 for envy, i.e. prompted by envy.
7.2.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘drunkenness’
here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced Greek Lexicon:
3178 μέθη [methe /meth·ay/] n f. Apparently a root word; TDNT 4:545; TDNTA 576;
GK 3494; Three occurrences; AV translates as “drunkenness” three times. 1 intoxication. 2 drunkenness.
7.3.
The Greek word
that is translated ‘carousing’
here has the following entry in Strong’s Enhanced Greek Lexicon:
2970 κῶμος [komos /ko·mos/] n m. From 2749; GK 3269; Three occurrences; AV
translates as “revelling” twice, and “rioting” once. 1 a revel, carousal. 1a a nocturnal and riotous procession of half drunken
and frolicsome fellows who after supper parade through the streets with torches
and music in honour of Bacchus or some other deity, and sing and play before
houses of male and female friends; hence used generally of feasts and drinking
parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry.
7.4.
Paul sternly
warns the Galatians about practicing the deeds of the flesh, saying, ‘those who practice such
things will not inherit the
8.
VS 5:22 - “22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,” – Paul now begins listing the fruit that is produced
by the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life and begins with love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness
8.1.
Notice here that
Paul uses the singular word ‘fruit’ here not the plural. This indicates that all of these things are
simultaneously produced by the Holy Spirit when He is in control of our life.
8.2.
The results
produced by the Spirit within the believer are not “manifest” or
obvious.
8.3.
The first set of
characteristics produced by the Spirit when He is in control of our life are
those that affect our
relationship to God: “love,
joy, peace”. That is, they are
produced directly because of our relationship with God.
8.4.
The scripture
tells us that God is ‘love’,
as it is an essential trait of His character and seen in all that He does. When we
are saved, we are direct recipients of His love for us. Likewise, the believer is known primarily
because of the love that he has. In
fact, John wrote in his first epistle, ‘he who does not love his brother
whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen’.
8.5.
‘Love’ is
the primary fruit of the Spirit, and in fact all of the other fruit of the
Spirit come out of ‘love’. This
can be proven when we look at the definition of ‘love’ that Paul gives
us in 1 Corinthians chapter 13: “4 Love is patient, love is kind and
is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its
own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices
with the truth; 7 bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.”
8.6.
‘Joy’ is the second
fruit of the Spirit that is produced in the life of a believer when He is
filled with the Holy Spirit. The joy of
the Lord is to be our strength (Neh. 8:10).
‘Joy’ is the direct result of knowing the Lord. The ‘joy’ in the believer’s life is not
a giddy joy like those in this rebellious world might experience. Rather, it is a deep inner contentment
produced by the Holy Spirit in the believer’s heart.
8.7.
‘Peace’ is not “peace
with God” that the believer experiences because of his relationship with
Christ as his Lord and Savior. Rather,
it is the “peace of God,” that which is Phil. 4:6-7 tells us is “beyond
comprehension.’
8.8.
This second set
of the fruit of the Spirit describes those characteristics produced by the
Spirit that affect our
relationships with our fellow man:
“patience, kindness goodness”.
In other words, these are Christ-like characteristics that are observed
in our relationships with other when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
8.9.
‘Patience’ or “long-suffering”
is an attitude in which Spirit-filled believers are not impatient or judgmental
towards others who are slower to learn or do things that may inconvenience
us. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 13 that “love
is patient.”
8.10.
‘Kindness’ is an
attitude that is produced in a believer’s life when filled with the Holy
Spirit. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 13 that “love
is kind.”
8.10.1. Strong’s Enhanced Greek Lexicon has the following
entry for this Greek word that is translated ‘kindness’ here:
5544 χρηστότης [chrestotes /khray·stot·ace/] n f. From 5543; TDNT 9:489; TDNTA 1320; GK 5983; 10
occurrences; AV translates as “goodness” four times, “kindness” four times,
“good” once, and “gentleness” once. 1 moral goodness, integrity. 2 benignity, kindness.
8.11.
Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Dictionary has the following entry for this word translated ‘goodness’ here:
19 ἀγαθωσύνη [agathosune /ag·ath·o·soo·nay/] n f. From 18; TDNT 1:18; TDNTA 3; GK 20; Four
occurrences; AV translates as “goodness” four times. 1 uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness.
8.12.
Paul now begins
to introduce this third set of the fruit of the Spirit produced in the life of
a Spirit-filled believer, and it involves those habits of mind that affect our Christian conduct: “faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”. These attitudes are to permeate the life of
the believer as they are more character traits that are Christ-like.
8.13.
Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Dictionary has the following entry for this word that is translated as ‘faithfulness’ here:
4102 πίστις [pistis /pis·tis/] n f. From 3982; TDNT 6:174; TDNTA 849; GK 4411; 244
occurrences; AV translates as “faith” 239 times, “assurance” once, “believe +
1537” once, “belief” once, “them that believe” once, and “fidelity” once. 1 conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the
NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine
things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of
faith and joined with it. 1a
relating to God. 1a1 the
conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the
provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ. 1b relating to Christ. 1b1 a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus
is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the
9.
VS 5:23 - “23
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Paul
continues his list of the fruit that is produced by the Holy Spirit as he lists
gentleness and self-control, and then he mentions that against such things
there is no law
9.1.
Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon has the following entry for this word that is translated ‘gentleness’ here, and
note that it refers not to “weakness” (which is no virtue) but rather
that disposition that is completely submitted to God’s will in one’s life) :
4240 πραΰτης [prautes /prah·oo·tace/] n f. From 4239; TDNT 6:645; TDNTA 929; GK 4559;
Three occurrences; AV translates as “meekness” three times. 1 mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit,
meekness.
9.2.
Strong’s Enhanced
Greek Lexicon has the following entry for this word that is translated ‘self-control’ (or “temperance”)
here:.
1466 ἐγκράτεια [egkrateia /eng·krat·i·ah/] n f. From 1468; TDNT 2:339; TDNTA 196; GK 1602;
Four occurrences; AV translates as “temperance” four times. 1 self-control (the virtue of one who masters his
desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites).
9.3.
The Law has
nothing which can condemn about these nine characteristics or fruit of the
Spirit, and this Paul writes, ‘against such things there is no law’.
10.
VS 5:24-25 - “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.” – Paul tells the Galatians that those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires, and then
he goes to say that if we live by the Spirit that we ought to walk by the
Spirit
10.1.
Paul reminds the
believers in
10.2.
To ‘live by
the Spirit’ refers to the life that we have in Christ, the spiritual life
that caused us to be born again. We have
experienced that life, we need to continue to remain in it, continue to ‘live’
in that life that we have received.
10.3.
To ‘walk by
the Spirit’ refers to doing those things that the Holy Spirit leads us to
do, they way that the Spirit moves in our life, the things that God wants us to
do in and through our life.
11.
VS 5:26 - “26
Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” – Paul tells
the Galatians to not become boastful, challenge one another, or envy one
another
11.1.
The life of a
Christian is not meant to be one in which he is ‘boastful’ of his
accomplishments. We are all to be humble
of heart, as is Jesus as seen in the gospels.
11.2.
We Christians are
not be in competition with each other, and even if we disagree with a brother
or sister, we do not need to always be ‘challenging one another’.
11.3.
‘Envying’
is not God’s will for the believer. All
of us as Christians ought to be happy for our brother or our sister when they
prosper in their life, family, and relationship with the Lord.
11.4.
Notice that all
of these admonitions in this verse refer to how we as believers are to treat ‘one
another’.
12.
CONCLUSIONS:
12.1.
There is a civil
war raging within each of us for control of that throne of our life. The flesh or the Spirit are going to win that
war. It is a minute by minute struggle
for control.
12.2.
We can’t produce
the fruit of the Spirit in our life, it is produced by the Holy Spirit. But, we can hinder the fruit that is produced
in our lives. Some people can try to
imitate the fruit of the Spirit, try to act like they are spiritual at times, but
that fruit is like the plastic fruit you can by at the home décor stores, it
looks too perfect and therefore unreal.
12.3.
We Christians
need to realize that if we feed the flesh by indulging in fleshly thoughts and
activities, in the long run, the flesh is going to win the struggle within
us. Likewise, if we feed the Spirit by
reading God’s word daily, staying in church attendance and fellowship, then in
the long run, the Spirit is going to win the struggle within us. Remember, it is as we are “led by the
Spirit” that we are no longer under the Law.
12.4.
You are going to
fall in the mud as a Christian, even knowing these things, keep falling
forward, don’t fall into sin and turn back away from Christ. Instead confess your sins and ask for
forgiveness, let Him cleanse you and empower you again, and keep walking
forward.