XV. Two Different Paths

Transcription

1 XV. Two Different Paths May 16/17, 2012 Galatians 5:19-26 Aim: To mortify the works of the flesh and to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. A. The Works of the Flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) A great moral enemy dwells within us. In the previous section, Paul warns about this enemy and the necessity of warfare. He calls the enemy the flesh; the remnant of sin that resides in each one of us. We are to wage war against this enemy by the Holy Spirit who indwells us. Paul continues to prepare us for this by identifying the deeds of the flesh. The deeds of the flesh reflect the sinful desires of unredeemed humanness, which are in spiritual warfare against the desires of the Spirit. 1. Evident Works (5:19a) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: The apostle Paul has already explained that the flesh and the Spirit are mortal enemies, locked in deadly combat. This warfare takes place within the heart, mind, soul, and body of the believer. In this conflict the Christian is ordered to live by the Spirit rather than to indulge the flesh. To follow these orders, the Christian needs to know the difference between flesh and Spirit, between the sinful nature and the regenerate nature. Fortunately, the difference is not hard to tell. Paul says the deeds of the flesh are evident or obvious. By deeds of the flesh he refers to those actions, words, and deeds that are the outworking of our sinful nature. These things mark the lifestyle of the non-christian and are the enemy within against which the Christian must war. Notice Paul is not talking about obscurities; he is not talking about things which Christians may differ. When these works are seen among men, no one doubts their cause and origin people sin because they are sinners. He catalogues fifteen deeds that clearly violate the law of God, although the list is not exhaustive. And so the deeds of the flesh are clearly things against which we must be vigilant. Catalogues of vices were common in the ancient world, and the Galatians would have encountered lists like this before. There are other examples in the New Testament (e.g., Rom. 1:29-31; 2 Tim. 3:2-5), and also in the writings of many classical authors. No two lists are the same, either in the Bible or in pagan literature. The best way to establish the true character of the sinful nature is to consider its outworking. The Bible does not simply accuse us of being sinners. God says by nature we are sinners and that nature manifests itself in thoughts, words, and deeds. These things are evident; they are deeds of the flesh, contrary to the holy will of God. Though the sins that Paul lists here are natural characteristics of unredeemed mankind, not every person manifests all of the sins or manifests them to the same degree. However, every person possesses the flesh, which is sinful and will therefore be manifested in sinful behavior, whatever the particular forms of it may be. These are normal and continual behaviors for unbelievers in their course of life in the flesh, but are abnormal and interruptive behaviors in the lives of Christians, who live in the Spirit. Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

2 How do you examine your heart? You take this list, and others like it, and prayerfully examine your thoughts, words, and deeds. We need regularly and carefully to examine ourselves by the light of God s Word. An unexamined life is a life of danger. True biblical examination leads us to discover the sin in our heart so that we may go to Christ for pardon and grace to obey. 2. Sinful Works (5:19b-21a) As Paul catalogues the deeds of the flesh, he details four categories: sins of a sexual nature, sins of religious conduct, sins of a social nature, and sins of appetite. a) Sexual Sins (5:19b) adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness Paul lists three sins of a sexual nature; immorality, impurity, and sensuality. All three violate the Seventh Commandment. Immorality The Greek term for sexual immorality (porneia, from which we get pornography ) has a broad meaning, referring to sexual deviance of every kind. By this term Paul includes all abuses of lawful sexual relations: fornication, adultery, and those things that tempt one to these acts. He also condemns all perversions of sexual relations, including homosexuality, bestiality, and pornography. Impurity (uncleanness) Impurity is from akatharsia, which literally means unclean and was used medically to refer to an infected, oozing wound. It is the negative form of katharsia, which means clean and is the word from which we get catharsis, a cleansing. In Scripture the term is used of both moral and ceremonial uncleanness, any impurity that prevents a person from approaching God. Paul asserts that not only actions violate the law of God, but in addition all lusts and fantasies, worked out in thought, word, and deed are sinful. The term impurity encompasses immoral conversations, as well as books, movies, and music that promote sexual impurity. The term also condemns lustful thoughts and fantasies. Sensuality (licentiousness) Sensuality is from aselgeia, which originally referred to any excess or lack of restraint but came to be associated primarily with sexual excess. By this term Paul exposes the shamefulness of immodest dress, suggestive behavior, and shamelessness. It refers to uninhibited sexual indulgence without shame and without concern for what others think or how they may be affected (or infected). Sensuality (or debauchery ) depicts the loss of all restraint and decency, a lack of respect for what is right and good. It involves not only engaging in wanton behavior, but flaunting it in public. b) Religious Sins (5:20a) idolatry, sorcery Paul lists two sins that have to do with our religious conduct: idolatry and sorcery. He is applying the Second Commandment. Idolatry This term includes false worship in all its forms. By idolatry Paul includes the worship of false gods and the false worship of the true God. Idolatry occurs whenever men worship gods of their own making. He condemns seven things. First, he condemns the failure to worship the true God: atheism; polytheism and the worship of all false gods; all non-trinitarian cults, Jews, and Muslims. Second, idolatry is the worship of the true God through images. Third, idolatry is the refusal to come to the true God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Fourth, it is Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

3 failure to worship the true God according to Scripture. Fifth, it is the failure to worship the true God from the heart by the Spirit. Sixth, it is the failure to put God first in trust, affection, and priorities trusting in things for our security or happiness, loving other people more than God, and putting things before God. Seventh, it is the failure to believe what God has revealed in His Word and base our lives on it. Sorcery Sorcery translates pharmakeia, from which we get pharmacy and pharmaceutical. It was originally used of medicines in general but came to be used primarily of mood and mindaltering drugs similar to those that create so much havoc in our own day. Many ancient religious ceremonies involved occultic practices in which drugs were used to induce supposed communication with deities, and pharmakeia thereby came to be closely related to witchcraft and magic. Aristotle and other ancient Greek writers used the word as a synonym for witchcraft and black magic, because drugs were so commonly used in their practice. The root word for sorcery refers to the use of formulas and potions to work magic and to cast spells and curses. It implies the use of narcotics. This particular term is translated witchcraft or sorcery. Paul forbids all occult activity use of mediums, fortune telling, astrology, and psychic games like ouija boards. He forbids all superstitions and superstitious acts, like knocking on wood or crossing one s fingers, as well as attributing the outcome of events to luck or fortune. The postmodern parallels to ancient witchcraft would include abortion and euthanasia forms of killing that in our culture are usually performed by doctors. c) Social Sins (5:20b-21a) hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders In this list Paul lists eight sins that relate to the breakdown of Christian community. Thus they confirm what we have already grown to suspect, namely, that divisiveness was a major problem for the Galatian church. These sins are often considered to be more respectable. These are the kind we most easily excuse as quirks of personality, failing to realize that they, although on the surface more minor in their symptoms, are deadly. In fact, they represent the hatred of man for man. Enmities Enmity refers to hateful attitudes and is a state of bitterness and vindictiveness toward another person. The Greek word for enmity (echthra) is closely related to the Greek word for enemy (echthros). This form of hatred includes any kind of political, racial, or religious hostility, whether public or private. Enmity lies at the root of many relationship problems in marriage, at work, and in the church. Few things do more damage to relationships than enmity. Strife This characteristic marks the person who, by his speech, causes tension and difficulties within relationships. It is rivalry or discord, which comes from a quarrelsome spirit. Jealousy Jealousy is a form of anger and hateful resentment caused by coveting for oneself what belongs to someone else. The jealous person is discontent with his own lot and resents what others possess or receive. He is upset, because his gifts or importance are not recognized by others. It is misplaced zeal. Jealousy produces resentment, a feeling that comes out of a me first attitude. It is a violation of the Tenth Commandment, for it springs ultimately from discontent with God s providence. Now one may experience a proper jealous, when his rights are violated or wickedness is perpetrated. Men and women may be jealous in their covenantal relationship of marriage if one violates that marriage contract. Parents may be jealous of the Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

4 allegiance of their children. Pastors and elders may be jealous for the truth of God and His righteousness. God is jealous when His people disobey His law (Ex. 20:5-6). Anger Anger is the expression of enmity, impatience, or discontent. It often manifests itself in passionate outbursts of wrath and malice, unrestrained expressions of hostility towards others, often with little or no provocation or justification. It is the all-too-common sin of unbridled temper. Jesus says that anger is a violation of the Sixth Commandment (Mt. 5:22). Disputes The disputatious nature often manifests itself in the false teacher who seeks to discredit true religion by throwing up intellectual doubts and stumbling blocks. The disputatious person wants to turn people away from the faith or lead them into some narrow, sectarian view of the faith. But one can also be disputatious while contending for the truth. For this reason Paul warns that the elder must not be quarrelsome or pugnacious (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:6). Dissensions Dissension describes the result of strife breaking out in a group, along with lack of respect for the leadership. It begins with disputing, but suddenly and subtly one is undermining authority and creating questions which lead to doubt. False teachers plagued Paul, following him from church to church, creating dissension. They began by disputing, seeking to raise doubts about Paul s authority. They were able to stir up sedition and treachery in the churches, causing dissatisfaction. Factions Paul describes factions in 1 Corinthians 1: Each clique considers itself spiritually superior to the others and subtly a party spirit develops. Such behavior destroys and is most often connected with error or narrow sectarianism. The English word for heresy comes from the Greek term for divisions (haireseis). In this context it refers to gross distortions and denials of the truth of the gospel. We quarrel and separate over minute and unscriptural distinctions. But for the grace of God, every man would become his own denomination. Envy Envy is jealousy gone to extreme. It is wicked malice; the motivated ill-natured desire to destroy others because you cannot abide them and their success. Whenever we rejoice at the misfortunes of others, including our friends, we are guilty of envy. In God s sight these social sins are as evil as the others in this list. Note as well the relationship of thoughts to words and actions. Enmity leads to strife, jealousy leads to outbursts of anger and disputing. Disputing leads to dissensions, which lead to factions. d) Appetite Sins (5:21a) drunkenness, revelries, and the like; The two sins mentioned here are actually forbidden by the Seventh Commandment and could be placed under immorality. Paul, however, places them at the end of his list in order to emphasize them. These sins probably had special references to the orgies that so often characterized the pagan worship ceremonies that many of the Gentile converts of Galatia had once participated in. The abuse of alcohol often leads to sins involving sex; thus Paul is bringing us back to the point where he began his list, perhaps hinting that sin is a vicious cycle from which there is no escape apart from grace. Drunkenness Paul condemns the abuse or addiction to alcohol or any other substance that alters your behavior to a degree that you lose self-control. Paul says it is a sin against the body. The Bible does not prohibit alcohol, any more than it prohibits food, but it always condemns getting drunk. The term used here refers to drinking bouts what people today would call getting Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

5 wasted. Under drunkenness he would include gluttony or any other form of addictions (tobacco or pain pills), as well as the abuse of other physical things. Carousing Carousing refers to following the ways of the world in the pursuit of sinful pleasures and appetites; deliberately pursuing those things that are immoral by going to places and associating with people who are debauched. The orgies to which Paul refers were not simply sexual, but involved wild partying of all kinds, including revels held at pagan temples. And the like Note that the list is representative and not exhaustive. Paul ends his catalogue with things like these to show that he could keep going. He does not intend for us to take this list or any of his other similar lists (cp. Rom. 1:23-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5-6) either separately or together as exhaustive. He puts it this way to remind us that just because we do not find our particular sin in the list, we may not conclude that it is not serious. The only thing that the sinful nature can produce is an unchaste, unholy, uncharitable, and undisciplined life. This is plain for all to see. These appear to have been sins that were dominant in the culture and by which the Galatians were still being tempted. 3. Condemning Works (5:21b) 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. The clause inherit the kingdom of God refers to eternal life. The kingdom of God is God s final kingdom the place of His eternal rule, namely, heaven. Paul warns that those who practice these things are not saved; they are lost and going to hell. Apparently Paul had warned the Galatians about this before. He had told them that while good works cannot get someone into heaven, evil deeds can certainly keep someone out of it! This is a reminder that works cannot save. Whether they are works of the law, works of the flesh, or any other kind of works, they do not lead to heaven. Does this mean that anyone who is guilty of any of the vices that Paul describes in verse is going to hell? Certainly anyone who commits these sins deserves to go there, and for this reason we should not think lightly of these or any other sins. But remember that the Christian, even the Spirit-filled Christian, still has a sinful nature. From time to time, therefore, even believers commit these very sins. Practice does not mean wrestling with a sin and at times falling into it. We all wrestle with the lust of the flesh and we daily battle with the sins Paul lists. Paul has said that the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. It is possible that a genuine Christian can fall into the practice of serious sin for a period of time. Admittedly, such a Christian while in such a state has no right to assurance of salvation. The key word in Paul s warning is practice (prassontes) which translates a present active participle of prassō, indicating durative, ongoing action. It is the continual, habitual practice of such things, not an occasional lapse, that marks a person as unregenerate and therefore barred from entrance into the kingdom of God. Scripture always assesses a person s character on the basis of his common, habitual actions, not his occasional ones. The unregenerate person occasionally does humanly good things, and the regenerate person occasionally falls into sin. Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

6 But the basic character of the unregenerate is to practice the evil deeds of the flesh (cp. 1 Cor. 6:9-10) and of the regenerate person to bear the good fruit of the Spirit (cp. 1 Jn. 3:4-10). Paul is not saying that anyone who commits one or all of these sins can never be included in the kingdom of God. Paul has in mind those who are impenitent, who continue in these sins. Paul is not talking about Christians who from time to time commit one of these sins against their better judgment, all the while knowing that they are grieving the Holy Spirit and wishing they could stop. Rather, he is talking about people whose lives are dominated by sin, who are committed heart and soul to immorality, idolatry, sorcery, and envy. There is forgiveness for every kind of transgression for those who repent and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ. What then does Paul mean by the practice of these things? First, if any one of these sins or any other expression of a wicked heart marks your life, it is the quality, the pervasive characteristic of your life, you are practicing it. Second, note that it is not just outward acts that bring a person under condemnation. Thoughts and speech may mark the person as one who practices sin. Third, the person who forsakes the practice of sin, but does not truly repent of it, remains under this condemnation. Moralists will simply substitute different practices in the place of those laid aside. What Paul is saying here refers to sanctification rather than to justification. It is a statement that is aimed against easy-believism: that one can be justified and live as one pleases. No! The grace that justifies is the grace that sanctifies. B. The Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-26) In 5:22, Paul turns his attention to the necessity of fruitfulness. He has described the barren, winter landscape of the natural man, the deeds of the flesh. He has taken us through this war zone and shown us the devastation of the human heart. Having shown us the landscape, he leads us into God s garden. In verses 22-23, he contrasts the fruit of the Spirit with the deeds of the flesh. Deeds of the flesh are done by a person s own efforts, whether he is saved or unsaved. The fruit of the Spirit, on the other hand, is produced by God s own Spirit and only in the lives of those who belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. Notice that the products of the flesh are plural, whereas the product of the Spirit is singular. A given person may habitually practice only one or two, or perhaps a half dozen, of the sins Paul mentions above. But it would be practically impossible for one person to be habitually active in all of them. The fruit of the Spirit, on the other hand, is always produced completely in every believer, no matter how faintly evidence its various manifestations may be. A sharp contrast is intended between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. The first owe their origin to and gain their energy from, the flesh. The second is a product of a power that lies outside of us. The one is the product of our activity in our fallen nature (in union with Adam). The other comes from our renewed nature (in union with Jesus Christ) through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The flesh produces works, but the Spirit bears fruit. Fruit is what arises naturally from the intrinsic character of a tree or plant. Fruitfulness in Christian living is the direct result of the Spirit within. The good works done by believers flow naturally from the activity of the Spirit within. It is by this fruit that the Holy Spirit s presence is demonstrated and His power Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

7 declared. One who is led by the Spirit cannot avoid bearing fruit, but those who are not so led can never produce it, no matter how hard they try. Scripture demands living evidence of regeneration. Spiritual fruit is not only the evidence of spiritual life. Even more important is the fact that it glorifies God (Jn. 15:8). Notice that the fruit of the Spirit is a set of attitudes that control and dictate actions, rather than the actions themselves. Thus, the believer s manner of life flows from a genuine inner principle, not from adherence to an external law. Paul does not write about specific acts such as almsgiving, hospitality, forgiveness, and the like, but rather about the basic attitudes from which such actions flow. There is, therefore, a difference in kind between the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh, where specific actions are described. The indwelling Spirit does not compel us to carry out particular actions, as if we were robots under alien control. He rather induces in our hearts and minds these Christ-like attitudes, which then issue in specific acts that glorify God. If genuine, these inward experiences will express themselves in outward actions. The reality of the Spirit within will be exhibited in visible effects. 1. Fruit of the Spirit (5:22-23) a) Spirit-Produced Fruit (5:22a) But the fruit of the Spirit is By listing these nine terms, Paul depicts the Christian graces or virtues, which are produced by the Holy Spirit. He is not describing personality traits. Unregenerate people may be loving, kind, and patient. The difference lies, in the first place, in the motive, the spring of it, which is love. Love is the chief grace, and out of love flows all the other graces. Second, Paul is not listing nine diverse fruits, of which a Christian may possess a few. The term fruit is in the singular. The nine together are the fruit that mark the Christian, like a cluster of nine grapes. They are not produced nor can they be manifested in isolation from each other. The Christian possesses all the fruit. The renewed person should have some balance, some symmetry of character, although by no means will he be perfect. Each has his or her areas of weakness, but there will be some element of each of these graces in the life of every Christian. Third, like the catalogue of the deeds of the flesh, this catalogue is representative. As we examine our hearts, we must not stop with these nine, although they are a good place to start. Fourth, Paul focuses on the character of the heart. Indeed, the character of the heart will manifest itself in outward acts, but the heart of the matter is the heart. Not that we are not talking about a legalistic conformity to external standards (outward acts), but about the heart that is being transformed. Fifth, the author of these graces is the Holy Spirit. Here Paul names them the fruit of the Spirit, teaching that the production of the fruit is a supernatural work. Therefore, the fruit is a necessary evidence of the new birth. The person who is not developing this fruit over a period of time is unregenerate. Since it is the work of the Holy Spirit, it is also a sovereign work. Just as God causes our children to grow at different rates and to mature at different paces, He causes us to grow at different speeds spiritually. None of us, of course, should be content with our degree of fruitfulness. We mourn our lack of growth and we hunger and thirst for righteousness. But we must never forget that God is sovereign in our sanctification. Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

8 b) Spiritual Fruit (5:22b-23a) The nine fruit of the spirit can be grouped into three categories of three fruit each: the foundational graces; the social graces, and the controlling graces. Alternately, we can think of the first three graces as demonstrating the believer s attitude to God; the second three graces as demonstrating the believer s attitude to other people; and the final three graces as demonstrating the believer s attitude to himself. (1) Foundational Fruit (5:22b) love, joy, peace Love the first three fruit are formative of all the others and love is the source of them all. Love is mentioned first because it is paramount; it is the chief of graces. We learned in 5:6 that faith works through love, and, in verses that our obedience must spring from love. Love, therefore, is the motivating principle of the other eight because love is the form that faith takes and it is love that gives rise to all the others. What is love? Agapē love is the form of love that most reflects personal choice, referring not simply to pleasant emotions or good feelings but to willing, self-giving service. We can define love as the affectionate disposition and commitment that seeks the well-being of its object. It is an act of the will, but it grows out of a disposition of affection and kindness. At times the disposition will be lacking. At such times you must act out the commitment. We must always obey and to do so is to love God and our neighbor. We ought, however, to cultivate the affectionate disposition. We are to have this disposition even towards our enemies, since this is the manner in which God dealt with us. We love because God first loved us (1 Jn. 4:10). Selfless love is patient, kind, contented, humble, polite. It rejoices in truth, has broad shoulders, is optimistic, hopeful, and enduring. This love mirrors the love that God showed towards us. It reveals itself first in our love to God Himself, which we shall not be able to hide from those around us. We shall love His name, His word, His house, His worship. Then it will be manifested towards Christ s people. They will be a special object of our love, for they are our spiritual family. We shall love our human families with a more than human love. Finally, we shall love all men for Christ s sake, seeking to lead them to Christ by making known to them the gospel of His grace. Above all, we are to love God (Mt. 22:37, 38). This love is the fountainhead of all obedience and is particularly expressed in the first four of the Ten Commandments, although love of God is working in all aspects of our obedience. Out of this flows love for our neighbor (Mt. 22:39). Because we love God, we love our neighbor. This love is governed by the last six of the Ten Commandments. Joy Love produces, and is accompanied by joy. The believer s joy will be more than natural happiness. It will be the joy of the Lord (Jn. 15:11). Chara ( joy ) is always used to signify a feeling of happiness that is based on spiritual realities. Joy is an attitude of delight, security, and comfort that we have as we trust God. It is more about contentment than happiness. It is the ability to take good cheer from the gospel. It is not, therefore, a spontaneous response to some temporary pleasure. It does not depend on circumstance at all. It is based rather on rejoicing in one s eternal identity in Jesus Christ. Joy is the deep-down sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person who knows all is well between himself and the Lord. It is not an experience that comes from favorable circumstances or even a human emotion that is divinely stimulated. Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

9 Joy is not the gritting of the teeth and enduring. Rather it is resting with a quiet submission in God. Peace The Bible often joins joy and peace. They are twins. If joy speaks of the exhilaration of heart that comes from being right with God, then peace (eirēnē) refers to the tranquility of mind that comes from that saving relationship. Peace is that sense of well-being that comes out of being reconciled to God. Peace echoes the familiar Hebrew greeting shalom, meaning both physical and spiritual well-being. It delivers us from anxiety. It promotes and brings contentment and prompts us to be at peace with our neighbor. Like joy, peace has no relationship to circumstances. It is important to understand that this sense of well-being arises from being reconciled with God. Peace, in the first place, is an objective reality. Having been freed from the law s condemnation and tyranny, every Christian is at peace with God. Peace with God leads to a peace of conscience. As we realize we are reconciled to God, we experience subjective peace. As we truly experience the peace of God, we will become peacemakers. These three features are foundational, for it is out of them, love flowing into joy and peace, that the other elements of the fruit of the Spirit develop. (2) Social Fruit (5:22c) longsuffering, kindness, goodness These three graces describe, in particular, our attitudes and behavior toward those around us. Patience Paul begins with patience, better translated as longsuffering. Makrothumia ( patience ) has to do with tolerance and longsuffering that endures injuries inflicted by others, the calm willingness to accept situations that are irritating or painful. In the New Testament it is usually associated with the idea of not being easily provoked to revenge despite wrong or injustice. It is the ability to endure through adversity. A patient person has a slow fuse. He or she is steady and persistent, willing to suffer aggravation or even persecution without complaint. This fruit will be seen in a patience that denies our natural tendencies, that waits upon God and trusts His promises, though their fulfillment be delayed. Kindness Kindness (chrēstotēs) is the gracious attitude that seeks the well-being of our neighbor. It has nothing to do with weakness or lack of conviction but is the genuine desire of the believer to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats him. It is the positive step beyond longsuffering; the exercise of compassion and tenderness. It is a constant readiness to help, the extension of God s grace to the people around us through practical actions of caring. Although some versions translate a later fruit as gentleness, this fruit is really the exercise of gentleness. Christians must not be sharp and bitter, but gentle, mild, courteous. Gentleness overlooks other people s faults and covers them up. Goodness The third social grace, closely connected to kindness, is goodness. Agathos ( goodness ) has to do with moral and spiritual excellence that is known by its sweetness and active kindness. It means all that is benign, soft, winning, tender, either in temper or behavior. Goodness is the moral characteristic or disposition that motivates us to do righteous acts to others, to behave towards each other on the basis of the law of God, and to do good and to seek the well-being of our neighbor. It is a willingness to be generous. Goodness signifies that our words and actions will never be motivated by evil desires or selfish intentions, but only by love that God imparts. A person is good when he is willing to help others in their need. Goodness Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

10 motivates us to seek our neighbor s good, to see righteousness prevail in our relationships, to promote that which is lovely and of good repute. (3) Controlling Fruit (5:22c-5:23a) faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These three graces, perhaps more than the others, fly in the face of our contemporary culture. Love, joy, and peace are not antagonistic to the culture. Moreover, the social graces do not directly confront our culture. These last three, however, will provoke unbelievers to animosity. Faithfulness The first is the discipline of action. Faithfulness (pistis) describes one who is honest and dependable. In secular Greek it describes someone who could be trusted, who would act according to principle (in good faith). God s faithfulness is His truthfulness. Because He is true, He is dependable. He keeps every promise and fulfills every threat. What does it mean, therefore, for us to be faithful? First, it refers how we live before God; we receive, believe, and love all that He has said in His word. Second, faithfulness demonstrates itself most frequently in how we live among those around us. The faithful Christian is the honest person; and committed to honesty. Faithfulness means we honor our obligations; it includes dependability. Another aspect of faithfulness is loyalty; it reflects the believer s loyalty to his Master. Meekness The second discipline is one of attitude. Meekness (prautēs) is not dissimilar to longsuffering and kindness (some versions translate this term gentleness ), but it is distinct and it has to do with a disciplined attitude about ourselves before God and one another. Meekness is the attitude that humbles oneself under God s Word and before one s neighbor. It has nothing to do with being wimpish and weak! But it does mean being considerate of others and slow in asserting oneself. It is often described as power under control. The gentle person has a sweet temper of spirit toward God, others, and the daily frustrations of life. He or she is not prone to anger, but humble, sweet, and mild. We are to exercise meekness in our relationships. We are not to think more highly of ourselves than we should, but ought to esteem our brethren more highly than ourselves. Meekness is not a denial of our strengths and gifts; it is a sober selfassessment. Meekness does not consist in a person s outward behavior only; nor yet in his relations to his fellow-men. Rather it is an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God. It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. It is that humble and gentle attitude that is patiently submissive in every offense, while being free of any desire for revenge or retribution. In the New Testament prautēs is used to describe three attitudes: submissiveness to the will of God (Col. 3:12); teachableness (James 1:21); and consideration of others (Eph. 4:2). Moreover, meekness manifests the humility that submits to the opinion of others and does not always insist on its own way. It would be the opposition of being disputatious. Neither does one get his feelings hurt when he is not recognized or others are exalted over him. Hence it is the opposite of jealousy and envy. Self-control the discipline of affection and appetite is self-control. Interestingly, this word (enkrateia) was often associated with sexual matters in Paul s day. But it need not necessarily be limited to sexual purity, and can refer to the strength to say no to oneself in order to meet the needs of others. Self-control means temperance or moderation, especially in sensual matters like eating, drinking, and sex. This sober virtue prevents liberty from becoming license in the Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

11 Christian life. A person with self-control has the restraint and self-discipline not to be ruled by passion, and therefore is able to resist temptation. Self-control will be the product of a heart and mind which are themselves under the control of Christ. A person who is truly self-controlled governs himself. Self-government begins with submission to the will of God and His Word. We learn to control our emotions regardless of the circumstances. We must also learn to control our appetites. God has given us all things to enjoy, but He has also called us to a temperate lifestyle. We are not to overindulge in the use of the things of the world. We must not be obsessed with satisfying appetites and pleasures. We must also exercise discipline over our bodies. Paul does not deny the usefulness of bodily discipline when he says it is of little profit (1 Tim. 4:8). Consequently, we ought to do some form of exercise to maintain regular health and stamina. Therefore, if we are bearing fruit, we will be disciplined in our actions, attitudes, affections, and appetites. c) Sanctifying Fruit (5:23b) Against such there is no law. In the end, what the list of the fruit of the Spirit gives us is a description of Jesus Christ. What Paul describes as walking in the Spirit and bearing the fruit of the Spirit finds its prototype in Jesus Himself. This catalogue of spiritual virtues is not exhaustive. Paul hints at this when he refers to the fruit of the Spirit as such things. Some graces that are not on this list such as hope, for example, or godliness appear elsewhere in the New Testament. Once again, the point is not so much the specific character traits as it is the entire lifestyle they represent. The fruit of the Spirit is one whole spiritual life that is rooted in the one Spirit of God. To change the image for a moment, these virtues are not nine different gems, but nine different facets of the same dazzling jewel. Spiritual fruit is different from spiritual gifts in this respect, since most Christians have only a handful of gifts. But one does not pick and choose among spiritual fruit the way one sorts through fruits and vegetables at the supermarket. There is only one fruit, which every Christian produces, albeit in varying quantities and with different degrees of sweetness. We do not grow this fruit on our own. This is why it is called the fruit of the Spirit rather than the works of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the natural produce of his gracious inward influence, the spontaneous and inevitable result of His uniting us to Jesus Christ. It will take time to grow, but grow it must, for God will make it grow. Notice that this is a catalogue of virtues rather than a list of rules. The reason there is no law against these virtues is that they are positively lawful, and thus people who practice them fulfill the law. Remember, we are not under the law; nevertheless, the Spirit is not lawless. His liberty does not lead to license. Instead, He works into us those dispositions that lead to godliness. His fruit is habits of the heart that produce a rich harvest of loving obedience. And paradoxically, the life that the Spirit produces in us conforms to the very law that cannot justify us. Is Paul suggesting, in opposition to the Judaizers in Galatia, that Christians do not live according to a legal standard anymore? No. It is not to the rule of law as such that Paul refers, but to the condemnation of the law. Paul demonstrates that the fruit of the Spirit is the mark of true liberty. Paul reminds us of what he said in verse 18: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is the mark that you are led by the Spirit. Therefore, if you manifest the Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

12 fruit of the Spirit, you demonstrate that the Spirit is in you. You are not under the law as its slave. You are freed from its condemning and irritating power. You are free to bear the fruit of the Spirit. Moreover, these graces are not under the law, which means they do not compete with the law. As we are accepted for Christ s sake as justified men and women, our imperfect fruit-bearing is acceptable before God for Christ s sake. In other words, perfection in the fruit of the Spirit is not what commends you to God. You are to strive for perfection, but your fruit will not make you more acceptable to God. 2. Sanctification of the Christian (5:24-26) The work of sanctification is twofold: vivification and mortification; we are to grow in conformity to the image of Christ (vivification) and we are to put to death the remnant of sin that remains within us (mortification). a) Mortification (5:24) And those who are Christ s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. The term flesh refers to the remnant of sin that is in us. Although the old man is dead, the old nature (the flesh ) lingers on. Even if our lives are not marked by the practice of the deeds of the flesh, there remains a remnant of sin within us against which we must struggle. Paul reminds us that the flesh manifests itself in our appetites and our lusts, what he calls our passions and desires. The term passion means appetites desires for food, rest, fulfillment, etc. The remnant of sin manifests itself in our appetites. Desires refer to the desire by which perverted appetites express themselves in a triad of lusts: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life. Such lust gives birth to sin. It is therefore a lifelong responsibility of the believer to go on putting to death the sinful tendencies of the flesh and thus to live a life that honors Christ. The Holy Spirit does not produce fruit in the Christian life without our cooperation. There are two things every Christian must do to remain fruitful. The first is to mortify the flesh. Mortify simply means putting sin to death. The Spirit must battle sin to the death. When the Spirit captures the flesh, he does not simply hold it as a prisoner; he commits the ultimate act of war. The Spirit puts the sinful nature to death. And not just any death. The means of execution is crucifixion. Paul boldly states that you may not spare sin; you must put it to death. He uses the language of crucifixion for both a practical and a theological purpose. Practically, crucifixion describes a slow, but certain death. Paul uses the figure of crucifixion to describe the painful, but certain work of dying to sin. Consider how appropriate it is for the sinful nature to be crucified. Crucifixion was a shameful way to die. But what is more shameful than the sinful nature, which rebels against God and murders the human soul? Crucifixion was a painful way to die, as painful a means of execution as human beings have ever devised. Likewise, the mortification of sin is painful. It is not painful to the body, but to the soul. The reason sanctification is such a painful process is that there is always something excruciating about putting our sins to death. Crucifixion was a gradual way to die. When it comes to eliminating sin, there are no shortcuts, only a long, slow, painful death. The last thing to be said about crucifixion is that it was always final. Those who were crucified may have died slowly, but they always died eventually, because soldiers ensured Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

13 that the victims were not taken down from their crosses until they were really and truly dead. The same is true in the Spirit s war against the flesh. God is not fighting a losing battle. The question is not if it will die, but only when. Sin received this death blow on the cross of Christ. Paul also uses this term for a theological reason. He reminds us that because of our mystical union with Christ, we have been crucified with Him (Rom. 6:1-11). When we are converted, the efficacy of Christ s death, burial, and resurrection becomes ours. Notice he says that we have crucified ourselves. Paul uses a Greek tense that teaches a past act that is habitual, which implies that death to sin is slow, but certain. Because we were crucified with Christ and because crucifixion is in a sense an ongoing act, we must continue to crucify the flesh. We may not climb down off the cross. If we are Christians, we will continue this work; it is a necessary part of the Christian life. What then is this work of mortification? It is the spiritual work of daily putting to death the remnant of sin that manifests itself in our persons. It is the spiritual, daily, waging of war against the remnant of sin that is within us that we might indeed die to sin. The work consists of doing a number of things. First, it grows out of the regular practice of self-examination. Second, our self-examination must lead us to hate our sin and to mourn over it. Third, act in faith in Christ. All we do in mortification, we are to depend on Christ to apply His death to our sins. Our pursuit of sanctification is to be done in dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ. Fourth, use the means of grace, prayer, the word, and the sacraments. God has appointed these means to strengthen us against temptation and sin. Fifth, cut off all occasions and circumstances of sin. If you are going to be serious about mortifying the flesh, you must avoid every circumstance, every occasion that is a temptation, anything that stirs up and incites your lust. Sixth, isolate and attack. As a wise warrior, we isolate each besetting sin and seek to kill it. We will never kill it permanently in this life, but we can weaken it. The trouble is that our sinful nature has a way of trying to climb back down from that cross. We are sometimes tempted to remove the nails, help our old sinful nature down from the cross, and nurse it back to health. This is why we struggle with so-called besetting sins sins that we commit so often that they become bad habits. This has to stop. Do not administer first aid to your flesh. Instead, threat it the way Jesus was treated at Calvary. Mortify your sinful nature. Put it to death! If you belong to Christ, you have crucified your sinful nature, with all its selfish desire. Do not resuscitate it. Do not give it CPR. Do not keep it on life support. Just leave it on the cross and let it die. b) Vivification (5:25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. There are two sides to sanctification in the Christian life. One is mortification, the putting to death of the sinful nature. The other is vivification, the coming to life of the regenerate nature. At the same time that we are putting the flesh to death, we are being revived by the Holy Spirit. These two aspects of sanctification mortification and vivification go together. As Calvin put it, The death of the flesh is the life of the Spirit. This brings us to the second thing that the Christian must do to remain fruitful, which is to walk with the Spirit. In this verse, Paul follows an indicative with an imperative; he tells us to become what we are. The reality is that because we crucified the flesh, we can live by the Spirit. Paul uses a chiasm in this verse the literal translation is: if we live in the Spirit, by the Spirit we also walk. Paul is emphasizing the responsibility to walk by the Spirit, but that responsibility is premised on the Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12

14 spiritual reality that we live by the Spirit. That reality is a power motivation; if you want to be led by the Spirit, by the power of the Spirit crucify the flesh. The way the NIV translates this verse accurately captures the metaphor: let us keep in step with the Spirit. When the apostle speaks of keeping in step he is really talking about following orders. The Greek term for keeping in step (stoichōmen) comes from the military. It means to stay in formation. First, soldiers would line up in ranks and files. Then, in order to maintain good military discipline, they would stay in line as they marched. The Holy Spirit is God s drill sergeant. It is His job to keep us in line. As He barks out the cadence, all we have to do is keep our place in the formation, running in step with His commands. Keeping in step takes discipline, and so does spiritual growth. The Holy Spirit rarely works in extraordinary ways. Instead, He uses the ordinary means of grace to bring spiritual growth: the reading and preaching of God s Word, the sacraments, and the life of prayer. Contrary to what so many Christians seem to believe, true spiritual growth does not come from some special experience of the Holy Spirit. Instead it comes from walking with the Spirit every day until, finally, keeping in step with Him becomes a holy habit. The more we keep in step with the Holy Spirit through the Word, sacraments, and prayer, the more fruitful we become. The reality leads to the exhortation: let us also walk by the Spirit. The word is literally to walk in a straight line. How does the Spirit lead you? He leads you through Scripture. He leads you as He prompts you and works within you to respond to the truth that is within Scripture. To walk by the Spirit is also to live in dependence on the Spirit. We are actively to depend upon the Spirit of Christ within us in order to love and obey. c) Exhortation (5:26) Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. In verse 26, Paul lays out the consequence of walking in the Spirit. If you are mortifying the flesh, living in the Spirit, you will not behave arrogantly. The word translated boastful sometimes means vain ambition. It means you have vain thoughts about yourself; you are puffed up, arrogant, and conceited. It is the attitude that breeds jealousy, disputes, dissensions, and factions. It is the opposite of meekness. Paul says boastfulness has two consequences: challenging and envying one another. To challenge one another is to be pugnacious, given to outburst of anger. The other consequence is envy. Envying is the bitterness and resentment arising when others receive honor or promotion that we believe we deserve. In Galatia the false teachers were driven by vain ambition and envy. They were attacking Paul and producing a similar spirit among the Galatian Christians. Only as we walk in the Spirit can we be delivered from vain ambition, which is provocative and envious. The analogy of the Spirit as drill sergeant shows us where we ought to be in relation to other Christians. We do not run alone. Our brothers and sisters are right beside us. Ideally, we are matching them stride for stride. As long as we maintain good discipline, there will not be any pushing and shoving in the ranks, the kind of provoking and envying that Paul warns about. Instead, by staying in formation, we will maintain our unity in the Spirit. For next time: Read Galatians 6:1-10. Galatians Notes.doc p Jan-12