Lesson 14
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, refreshed us with fresh insights, fresh understanding, fresh revelation, and fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Galatians 5: 16-26, the flesh and the Spirit
VV 16-18, 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Two opposed natures are at work inside every Christians, the flesh and the Spirit. The flesh waged war against the Spirit. The antidote to the lust of the flesh is to walk in the Spirit. If we walk in the Spirit, we will not do the works of the flesh.
VV 19-21, 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Verses 19-21 list out all the works of the flesh. Greek for inherit is “klenonomeo”, which means become a partaker of. Those who practice the things listed in verses 19-21 will not become a partaker of God’s kingdom.
VV 22-23, 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.
Verses 22-23 list out the fruit of the Spirit. Those who walk in the Spirit will have the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit is singular. There is one fruit of the Spirit, but there are nine virtues, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those who walk in the Spirit is under grace and not under the law.
VV 24-26, 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Paul encouraged his audience and us to crucify the passions and desires of the flesh and walk in the Spirit. Paul encouraged his audience and us to love one another in unity and harmonious living.
Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”.
Application:
You are to walk in the Spirit and free yourself from the flesh. You are to possess the fruit of the Spirit. You are to love one another as Christ love you so that others will know that you are His disciples.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help us to walk in Spirit and not in the flesh. Help us to love You and love others. Give us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
