Walk In The Will Of God (Galatians 5:19-26, Deuteronomy 5:1-21)
Rev. William L. Barron, October 8, 2022Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
What does Paul mean by the "flesh"? This is our sinful, natural nature apart from Christ. Paul's list of works of the flesh is not meant to be a checklist. The meaning is "and things like these," such as pride, conceit and coveting. These are self-indulgent works instead of the fruit of the Spirit. The Kingdom of God is characterized by holiness. Note that "fruit" is singular. Holiness is the ability to resist temptation. This is the process of walking with, living by, and staying in step with the Holy Spirit. By this, we are conformed to Law and are pleasing to God. This is the process of sanctification following salvation, not the process of salvation. We are to learn to live for God each and every day, led by the Spirit, but not under the restrictions of the Law. We willingly live in thee guidance of the Law. The dynamic of the law is different to the redeemed person. What we do and why we do it is changed. We are in a process of mortifying the flesh and moving toward holiness. This reminds us of the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus presents the heart of the Law. We more and more understand love for God and neighbor. We become able to love the unlovable. We want to follow Jesus, who encourages us and makes us able to turn our temptations over to the Lord. The fruit of the spirit is not a checklist. It brings into us the whole character of God.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « Set Free to Be Free | None | An Unusual Preacher » |
Galatians 5:19–26 (Listen)
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 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. 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 And 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 keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
(ESV)
Deuteronomy 5:1–21 (Listen)
5:1 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. 4 The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 while I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said:
6 “‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
7 “‘You shall have no other gods before me.
8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
11 “‘You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
17 “‘You shall not murder.
18 “‘And you shall not commit adultery.
19 “‘And you shall not steal.
20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’
(ESV)