These are Opposed to Each Other

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:13-21 ESV).

Questions:

• What are the two different kinds of freedom spoken of here?

• The whole law is fulfilled in what one word?

• What does it mean to walk by the flesh? By the Spirit?

• What is the end result of a life given over to habitual sin?

The general context here is that of the Judaizers who were trying to convince the Christians that they had to add on to their faith in Jesus Christ the requirement of circumcision and some of the Old Covenant ceremonial and liturgical and dietary laws and restrictions. So Paul spent most all of this letter to the Galatians straightening out any misperceptions of what it means to be of faith in Jesus Christ, a faith which does not include that we must keep the Old Covenant ceremonial and liturgical laws.

But lest they get the false notion that freedom from the Old Covenant ceremonial, sacrificial, and dietary laws, and the requirement of circumcision, now freed them from having to obey God at all, or that it freed them to now live however they wanted, Paul straightened out that misunderstanding, too. He let them know quite clearly that freedom from the Old Covenant ceremonial (etc.) laws was not freedom now to engage in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord Jesus and other humans.

And now that we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, it does not mean that we now become lawless and that we don’t have to obey our Lord’s commandments to us under the New Covenant. We do or we don’t have eternal life with God, according to the teachings of the Scriptures. So the Lord summarized the law and the prophets really into two commandments, but here only the second one is referenced: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Thus, we will not deliberately sin against them.

So, we are free from having to obey all the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws, but we are not free to live however we want. We are not free to continue living in sin and not according to our Lord’s commands under the New Covenant. And walking by the Spirit is the opposite of walking according to our flesh, doing whatever it is that our flesh desires. So if we walk according to (in agreement with) the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh, and they will not rule over us (see Romans 6:1-23).

And then we are given a whole (but not complete) list of the works of the flesh, and they are: “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.” And those who are doing (practicing) such things will NOT inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus taught it. Paul taught it. And the other NT apostles taught it. We cannot walk in sin, and not in obedience to our Lord’s commands, and have eternal life.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

To Be Like Him  

An Original Work / March 16, 2014  

Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly. 

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

https://vimeo.com/89237609