“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.”-{Gal 5:19-21.}

  • The Fruit of the Spirit is compared to the fruit of the flesh, a self centered life, which is devastating life, which is destructive to relationships, dishonors God, and which God Promises shall not inherit the kingdom of Heaven! This is God’s frightening, warning promise! Who is it directed to? Those who “PRACTICE,” this, is the bent, consistency of their living. This is primarily what dominates, controls their lives. They may not do all that is listed but what they do, they are dominated by! These shall not inherit the kingdom??? And He guarantees what He promises. It is a frightening word to the lost sinner. And indeed is a call to flee the “wrath of God,” who will deal out retribution to those who know not God or do not obey the Gospel???

This IS one Promise You Don’t Want God To Fulfill in Your Life!

Why does He fulfill this promise? Because of the PRACTICE of your life! Frightening!

Let’s look at the life in bondage to sin and how it is manifested. Not all traits may be characterized in a person’s life. A “moral” person may not be a drunk, but is characterized, dominated, controlled by “jealousy, outbursts  of anger.” But never the less they are under the power of sin, as gravity is a reality so is the sphere of sin, dominates and separates us from one another and God!

” the deeds of the flesh are evident, “…

“Flesh” here is NOT speaking about the body but the ego! A person who will not submit to God – a rebel, living independently of God and dependent upon self! In Galatians it is manifested in living by rules- of their own making for praise from others and seeking to live by self generated power for self glory. It is “a works mentality salvation” and the savior is? Self! Self sufficient; And like the two men who went to pray and the religious man thanked God he was not like the other sinful man. He then lists what he does and does not do in comparison to the other man, {Isn’t that a trait of self, we compare ourselves to others and always believe we can find someone worse as though God grades us on our attempts or self righteousness!}…which in his mind make him superior. He had his list but he did not have love! Saturated, blinded in Self deception, self righteousness! Jesus says the man who cried out for mercy, recognizing and owning his own sin was the one who was justified!  Flesh seeks glory, lives for the praise of others, see themselves as superior to others, is independent of God, until he or she needs something from “The man up stairs.” As though God is someone else they can use for… themselves, to promote themselves, get what they want!

The Galatians had received the LORD by faith and now instead of continuing in faith by the Power and enabling of the Holy Spirit they chose to revert back to a works based mentality for spiritual growth! The thinking behind the Fruit of the Spirit is a person who is entirely and exclusively dependent upon the Holy Spirit to produce in them by faith depending on His Graciousness! The life of flesh is absent of love and grace and is more interested in lists, outward keeping than inward transformation, which the flesh can never obtain!

Life lived under the Law will produce the vices of v 19-21!

The Law shows us our sin, condemns us in our sin  but cannot deliver us from the power or consequences of sin!

The Law is meant to bring us to Christ, in desperation seeing we cannot change our selves though we may have tried and tried and tried. It shows us our sin, helplessness but reveals Jesus Christ as our personal, eternal answer, and to flee to Him!

In the list of the “works of the flesh,” there includes, sexual sins, religious sins, mental sins, violent sins, these are all types of rebellion against God and others that are listed here. It is not a complete list as the word shows us, “…and things like these.”

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, {sexual immorality}, impurity, sensuality,idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,{heresies}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.morality,”- {Gal 5:19-21}

The INTERIOR Attitudes  are Manifested in Actions. What is in the person will come out!

Let’s look at some of these Practices of the flesh, the self -centered life;

Immorality – Any sexual sin outside of marriage.

Impurity –

Sensuality 

 Idolatry

Sorcery –

Enmities

Strife –

Jealousy-

Outbursts of anger –

Disputes –

Dissensions –

Factions –

Envying –

Drunkenness –

Carousing –

and things like these –

 

John Stott wrote, “The church needs people who, in listening to their pastor, listen for the message of Christ, and pastors who, in laboring among the people, look for the image of Christ”  -([London: Inter-Varsity, 1968], p. 119).

The PRACTICE of the Self centered life mirrors SELF. The Fruit Th Holy Spirit Mirrors Christ.

“Being filled by the Spirit” does two things. The Negative restrains the flesh. The Positive is it produces spiritual fruit!

Paul’s PRAYER is that they be conformed to Christ- Christ-likeness is the aim and goal. The flesh cannot produce this only those who are in continual submission to the Holy Spirit and living under the authority of the Word of God will we have our thinking changed that by His power changes our conduct to mirror Christ-likeness!