The Epistle to the Galatians
The Epistle to the Galatians
By Richard St.James
Bible 1611.Com / Old Paths Baptist Mission © 2025
Chapter five:
Verse
one: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Now observe: A freeman
enjoys liberty. And this liberty,
is now, in his GENES, so-to-speak.
And, how so, you ask. And, just
where did he get those GENES, or those new
traits, that made him this FREEMAN?
Well, he has those
new genes, or those new traits,
because, he is NOW IN Christ. He has
now, the genetic makeup of Jesus Christ, as a
NEW CREATURE!
He got those genes, or
those traits, placed into him, when he was
born of the Spirit, and became a child of
God. As the psalmist said, in
Psalm, one hundred-nineteen, he now, walks
at liberty:
Psalm 119:45: “And I
will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.”
The Apostle Paul, by
the Holy Spirit, is warning us here, to never,
never, submit to those, who would put
you back under the bondage of the Law of Moses.
It was they, who are of the
circumcision, that had this goal to entangle
the Gentile believers again, with the yoke of
bondage, which involves the keeping of
the Law. Paul, is now, saying: Brethren,
stand fast in your liberty!
We now, refer, back to
the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and see
for this statement made by the Apostle Peter:
Acts 15:10: “Now
therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the
neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor
we were able to bear?”
Peter’s
judgment here, in other words, is this.
My dear Gentile brethren, Keep on the
firing line! And, please maintain your
walk in liberty, that you, already have in
Jesus Christ, because IN JESUS CHRIST, you have
been set FREE from the LAW.
Verse two: “Behold,
I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised,
Christ shall profit you nothing.”
So, here in this verse,
Paul is saying, Christ shall profit you nothing,
if you listen to these men. These
brethren, the believing Pharisees from
Jerusalem, are guilty of troubling
you. They are subverting your liberty.
We see this troubling operation unfolding, in
this chapter, [in chapter fifteen] of the book of
the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 15:24: “Forasmuch
as we have heard, that certain which went out from
us have troubled you with words, subverting your
souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and
keep the law: to whom we gave no such
commandment:”
My friend, we are to NOT
KEEP THE LAW! And, why is this so?
Well, it is because the Christian is already,
IN Christ Jesus.
Think it, through by
the logic of faith, for a moment, my friend,
if you are a Christian, you are already,
in the BODY of Jesus Christ, which is the church.
And, because, Jesus Christ, on this earth,
nearly two thousand years ago, perfectly KEPT THE
LAW for us all, HE thus, FULFILLED THE LAW.
We are FREE of the LAW.
We are now, FREEMEN!
Stand fast, therefore,
in the liberty, wherewith Christ hath made us free.
Verse
three: “For I testify again to every man that is
circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole
law.”
The walls of the
gigantic labyrinth will close in so hopelessly
tight on such a person, who decides to take
this road in life, in a hope that they
might obtain their salvation, and eternal
life, by the keeping of
the Law. It is a hopeless situation
i.e. the keeping of the Law. It is a
horrible, and a very cruel trap, and will bring a
bad end for that soul, that chooses to go down
that road!
Friend, no man can
perfectly keep the Law, but only ONE…Jesus
Christ. HE is the ONE, that totally satisfied
the Law’s requirements. Therefore, we
conclude: The only right way to obtain true
salvation, and eternal life, is for a
person to receive Jesus Christ, WHO is the
ONLY ONE to have perfectly kept the whole Law.
This a GIFT for you to receive:
John 1:12: “But as
many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name:”
The grace of God is here,
now, for you to confess, if you believe:
Romans 10:9: “That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Warning,
my friend: Do not say, no to grace, and then,
say yes, to works!
Verse
four: “Christ is become of no effect unto you,
whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are
fallen from grace.”
This a very terrifying
thought to entertain, that the offer of the
grace of God in Christ, may have no effect
on a person’s life. That, a person would
balk at the GRACE of the Son of God
to turn to the works of the Law, to attempt
to achieve their justification through a
faith and works gospel, is beyond utter
comprehension.
To receive the
righteousness of God is believing,
by faith of Jesus Christ. And, this,
without works, and is the requirement for
our salvation in this present dispensation of
GRACE, which is what we see in the Epistle to
the Romans:
Romans 3:22: “Even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe: for there is no difference:”
Verse
five: “For we through the Spirit wait for the
hope of righteousness by faith.”
The change in the guard
was occurring with the arrival of the apostle to
the Gentiles, which is Paul, and all the
brethren in Jerusalem [in the book of the Acts of
the Apostles, chapter fifteen] were taking note:
Acts 15:12: “Then all
the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to
Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and
wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.”
Their
world was now, being flipped upside down.
The Gospel of the Circumcision was now, on
the fly, being replaced by the Gospel
of the Uncircumcision.
HELLO! WAKEUP!
The Holy Ghost was now,
signifying, that both, the Jew and the Greek,
were to have preached the same gospel, the gospel
of Christ, everywhere, as revealed by the
Apostle Paul. See this stated in the
Epistle to the Romans:
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Verse
six: “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision
availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith
which worketh by love.”
The middle wall
has been broken down between the Jew, and the
Gentile, in this present dispensation, which
dispensation is called, the dispensation of
the grace of God. This all unfolds
completely, in the Epistle to the Ephesians,
chapter three:
Ephesians 3:2-7: “If
ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of
God which is given me to you-ward:
How that by revelation
he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore
in few words,
Whereby, when ye read,
ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ)
Which in other ages
was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is
now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by
the Spirit;
That the Gentiles
should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and
partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Whereof I was made a
minister, according to the gift of the grace of God
given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
We learn from all
the preceding, the following:
1.
The Holy Spirit
dispensed the grace of God to us
through Paul.
2.
This dispensation
was a mystery, that was first revealed
through Paul.
3.
The gospel of the
uncircumcision is the salvation by
faith, without the works of the Law.
4.
That
the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, with the Jews,
in one body.
5.
This body is
called, the church.
Now, there is a faith
spoken of here that is a type of faith that works
by love, [rather than by the outward motions of
the keeping of the Law].
Greater than all of this,
love is the very fulfilling of the
Law, according to the Epistle to the Romans:
Romans 13:10: “Love
worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love
is the fulfilling of the law.”
This love is
called CHARITY!
And this is charity,
is that, that is infused in our
faith in Jesus Christ.
Verse
seven: “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that
ye should not obey the truth?”
We were already warned
earlier [in chapter one, verse eight] that there are
others who will try to hinder us, from
obeying the truth of Paul’s gospel.
Now, it is time to
recall our comments that were made, [in chapter
two, verse seven, of this commentary] about the
Gospel of the Uncircumcision having been
committed to Paul, and the Gospel of the
Circumcision having been committed to Peter.
Observe: Paul’s gospel, according to
the revelation of the mystery, was different
from the gospel that was being preached by the
brethren in Jerusalem. Two things different
are not same!
See “my gospel” in
the Epistle to the Romans, chapter sixteen,
verse twenty-five:
“Now to him that is of
power to stablish you according to my gospel, and
the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the
revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret
since the world began,” [Romans
16:25]
Paul had received the
revelation of the mystery of the
gospel of Christ,
directly from God, while he was in
Arabia. This same gospel of Christ,
is what Paul was preaching to the Gentiles.
And, soon, all the other apostles began preaching
Paul’s gospel, the Gospel of the
Uncircumcision, everywhere from henceforth.
Now, if a
brother [Acts 15:5], or even an angel,
preaches that righteousness comes by
faith, and by keeping the Law [or works], this
person is now, accursed. That is strong
talk. But, brethren, stick here, with the
BOOK! Amen!
Verse
eight: “This persuasion cometh not of him
that calleth you.”
The change of the
guard [the event] occurs now, concurrently:
1.
With Israel, as a nation,
rejecting, for the last time [in the Acts
of the Apostles, chapter seven], Jesus Christ,
their Messiah,
2.
And, with the Gentiles coming into
the body of Christ.
Conclusion: Be on guard,
listen to no other! Obey no other gospel!
Only
listen to the genuine voice the ONE,
WHO calleth you, JESUS CHRIST:
“Faithful is
he that calleth you, who also will do it.”
[1 Thessalonians 5:24]
Verse
nine: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
We have the first
mention of leaven in the Bible, in the
Third Book of Moses, called Leviticus,
chapter twelve:
Exodus 12:15: “Seven
days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first
day ye shall put away leaven out of your
houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the
first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be
cut off from Israel.”
With repetition,
we have this same prohibition seen, in verse
nineteen:
“Seven days shall
there be no leaven found in your houses: for
whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that
soul shall be cut off from the congregation of
Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the
land.”
There is evidently now
something very wrong with leaven, if one
is to approach God.
Now, Israel, as a
nation, [in the Old Testament] was composed of
natural men [as defined in the First
Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter two].
The Levitical priests
were to approach God, in behalf of the
people of Israel, for these required feasts, as
set by the Law of Moses. The whole
congregation was only to eat unleavened
bread at these times. In fact,
leaven could not even be allowed in any of the homes
of Israel, during these convocations.
The only exception
to this rule as concerning leaven, is found in only
two places in the Bible; in the Third Book of
Moses, called Leviticus, chapter
twenty-three, and in the book of Amos,
chapter four:
Leviticus 23:17: “Ye
shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves
of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour;
they shall be baken with leaven; they are
the firstfruits unto the LORD.
Amos 4:5: “And offer a
sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and
proclaim and publish the free offerings: for
this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the
Lord GOD.”
Leaven
is likened to the effect, that sin has had in
this world. The presence of sin in this
world, is likened to the effect of leaven.
This effect gives validity to the Second Law
of Thermodynamics, which in simple
terms shows the perfect ordered system of
God’s creation, will regress in time, from order,
to disorder.
The effect of this
leavening process pictures the effect of sin
on man, and on the world. By way of
a parable, Jesus Christ shows, how a little
leaven will leaven the whole lump, in
the Gospel, according to Matthew:
Matthew 13:33:
“Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of
heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and
hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was
leavened.”
We are told [in chapter
sixteen of the same gospel] to watch out for
the leaven of the Pharisees, that this
leaven will corrupt you:
Matthew 16:6: “Then
Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”
And, just five
verses later, in this same gospel, Jesus
repeats this same warning:
Matthew 16:11-12: “How
is it that ye do not understand that I spake it
not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware
of the leaven of
the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
Then understood they
how that he bade them not beware of the
leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the
Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”
There is something very
wrong with leaven. And, why?
Well, because leaven serves as a type of
sin, and is identified, with
corruption, hypocrisy, and all manner of
carnality within men.
Now, see for more of this
truth in the Gospel, according to Mark:
Mark 8:15: “And he
charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees, and of the
leaven of Herod.”
Presently, this
leavening process has brought order, to
disorder, in the very warp and woof of
the political and moral structures of many nations
of the world. Open eyes, and observe!
We have been thoroughly, leavened!
Downward, we have descended, on this
slide to HELL, in this, our destruction, as a
people.
Conclusion:
The leaven of Sin destroys the world.
Warning:
There are those, who will glory in this
leavening process. In the First Epistle
to the Corinthians, the word of God shows
us to not to glory in this leavening
process:
1 Corinthians 5:6:
“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a
little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”
What should we do?
Spiritually, throw out the leaven!
The Unleavened New
Lump
1 Corinthians 5:7-8:
“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye
may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even
Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep
the feast, not with old leaven, neither with
the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Theorem: One bad
apple in the basket will corrupt all the
apples in the basket.
Now, there is another
thing for us to consider. Notice what, over
two hundred, and twenty-five, corrupt new age
translations of the Bible into the English language,
have done to the people of this nation, the
United States of America.
Friend, look where we are
in this 21st century. We are in a
complete mess! The scene is now one
of havoc and ruin. We have been
thoroughly leavened. We have now,
become a people that hate God. Check
this thing out, for yourself, in the Epistle
to the Romans:
“Backbiters, haters of
God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil
things, disobedient to parents,”
[Romans 1:30].
HATERS of GOD!
The Effect of the
Leavening Process:
1.
The Bibles have been
corrupted [or leavened].
2.
The churches have been
corrupted [or leavened].
3.
The schools have been
corrupted [or leavened].
4.
The marriages have been
corrupted [or leavened].
5.
The children have been
corrupted [or leavened].
6.
The family has been corrupted
[or leavened].
7.
The government has been
corrupted [or leavened].
Remember:
“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
Verse
ten: “I have confidence in you through the Lord,
that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that
troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he
be.”
The judgment that
they would bear [who troubled them] is tribulation.
We see this ominous warning given in the
Second Epistle to the Thessalonians:
“Seeing it is a
righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation
to them that trouble you;” [2
Thessalonians 1:6]
Now if we go back to the
book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter
fifteen, we will see the background of the source
of this trouble to the Galatian
believers.
In verse twenty-four, the
apostles now, put distance between
themselves, and those believing Pharisees,
concerning the need for the Gentiles to keep the
Law of Moses to keep their salvation.
“Forasmuch as we have
heard, that certain which went out from us
[see verse five] have troubled you with
words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must
be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no
such commandment: [Acts 15:24].
The apostles,
therefore, are seen backing off [in verse
nineteen], by correcting these troublers, in
a clearing of the air, concerning the need
for the Gentile believers to keep
the Law of Moses, for their salvation:
“Wherefore my sentence
is, that we trouble not them, which from among the
Gentiles are turned to God:” [Acts
15:19].
Can you see now, this
work of the Spirit of God, here, in
pulling of all things together?
Verse
eleven: “And I, brethren, if I yet preach
circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then
is the offence of the cross ceased.”
Now, often, the one
preaching the TRUTH, is the one to suffer
persecution. The sharp contention
between the Jewish church in Jerusalem, and
the Apostle Paul, had at a cost and resulted in
Paul, suffering much persecution, and
this, all to the glory of God.
Paul’s suffering of persecution,
therefore, serves, as an example for all of us, and
this, according to James:
James 5:10: “Take, my
brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name
of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction,
and of patience.”
For until all this, was
played out, the Gentile church believers
were to endure trouble over the
works of the Law of Moses being necessary for
salvation. In the end, it was settled,
for all things worked out for the churches
of the Gentiles. For they received the
confirmation of Paul’s gospel, as being the
true gospel, which is salvation by grace
through faith, without the works of the Law:
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
According to my
gospel:
Three times this,
“according to my gospel” is repeated:
“Now to him that is of
power to stablish you according to
my gospel, and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the
revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret
since the world began,” [Romans
16:25].
Romans 2:16: “In the
day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus
Christ according to my gospel.
2 Timothy 2:8:
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was
raised from the dead according to my gospel:”
Paul’s gospel
prevailed, and, so much so, that all the
other apostles began, from this point on, to
preach Paul’s gospel.
A Dispensation of the
Gospel:
1 Corinthians 9:17:
“For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward:
but if against my will, a dispensation of the
gospel is committed unto me.”
This is the gospel,
that was now preached, both, to the Jew,
and to the Gentile. Harmony, and
Unity, now live together!
Verse
twelve: “I would they were even cut off which
trouble you.”
It now, behooved,
the believing Pharisees [of Acts 15:5] to
harken to this signal, as given by
the Holy Spirit.
This
signal was now, given to them, to notify them
of the change of the guard, and their need to
conform to this change in salvation,
made by the Spirit of God.
Now, this
change, in the operation and
administration of what was necessary to obtain
salvation in Jesus Christ in this present
dispensation, was from God.
Summation: The Gospel
of the Uncircumcision was to prevail, from
henceforth.
Now, if they [the
believing Pharisees] had failed to conform,
then they would have to face the consequence, i.e.
tribulation [as revealed in 2 Thessalonians
1:6].
Operations and
Administrations of the Holy Spirit:
1 Corinthians 12:5-6:
“And there are differences of administrations, but
the same Lord.
And there are
diversities of operations, but it is the same God
which worketh all in all.”
At this point [in Acts
15], and for the next two thousand years, the
Gospel of Uncircumcision was to be preached,
world over. Now, this is that gospel,
called, the Gospel of Christ.
Verse
thirteen: “For, brethren, ye have been called
unto liberty; only use not liberty for an
occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one
another.”
The Gentile
believers are now, made free of the Law of
Moses. They are called to enjoy
liberty! Liberty enables one to
love others. Call to mind, what the Scripture
says, in the Epistle to the Romans:
Romans 13:10: “Love
worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love
is the fulfilling of the law.”
The lights are now,
flashing! There is a warning being now,
given here. And it is this, we are not,
as Christians, to use this liberty,
as a cloke to sin. The Epistle
of First Peter emphatically states this:
1 Peter 2:16: “As
free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of
maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”
Verse
fourteen: “For all the law is fulfilled in one
word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.”
Verse fourteen, now,
collaborates perfectly with what is seen in the
Epistle to the Romans, which we have already
have seen earlier:
“Love worketh no ill
to his neighbour: therefore love is the
fulfilling of the law.” [Romans
13:10]
Verse
fifteen: “But if ye bite and devour one another,
take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”
Watch it! Take
heed! What goes around comes around!
It ends up becoming dog eat dog.
Biting and devouring one another,
only brings destruction to all!
Verse
sixteen: “This I say then, Walk in the
Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the
flesh.”
The First Thing is
First:
Before one can walk in
the Spirit, one must first be born of
the Spirit:
John 3:7: “Marvel not
that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
We must be
raised up from the dead to walk in the
newness of life.
Romans 6:4: “Therefore
we are buried with him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life.”
There is something else,
to be found here. Before one can learn to walk
in the Spirit, one must first sit down.
There is found, here, an absolute necessity for one
to first be SITTING in heavenly places,
before one can attempt to walk in the Spirit:
Ephesians 2:6: “And
hath raised us up together, and made us
sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus:”
The first thing
must be first, before the second thing can come
true.
The Second Thing is Second:
Now, walk in the Spirit!
Walk worthy:
Walking in the Spirit
will make one worthy of their vocation:
Ephesians 4:1 “I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you
that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are
called,”
Walk Worthy…
·
In lowliness, and in
meekness, [This is seen in Ephesians 4:1].
·
In longsuffering,
[This is seen in Ephesians 4:2].
·
In purity, [This is
seen in Ephesians 5:3].
·
In honesty, [This is
seen in Ephesians 4:15].
·
In love, [This is seen
in Ephesians 5:2].
Lastly, if we will
walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfil the
lust of the flesh.
Now, these two
behaviors are mutually contrary.
Let me explain. The Spirit and the flesh
are against each other. A better
explanation is framed this way: They
war against each other!
Which dog will win?
Verse
seventeen: “For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these
are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot
do the things that ye would.”
The believer in Jesus Christ has two
natures. This is unlike
the natural man, or the unsaved man.
The natural man has, but one nature.
He is given, wholly to the flesh. He is
carnal. This natural man could not
even begin to understand the things of the Spirit.
For the things of the Spirit are spiritually
discerned. Now, in the First Epistle to
the Corinthians, we will find this truth:
1 Corinthians 2:14:
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned.
Again, let me repeat, the
believer in Jesus Christ has two
natures. These two natures are
the flesh, and the Spirit, and they
battle each other, inside the spiritual man.
This battle, within the spiritual man
[between the flesh and the Spirit] is fully
illuminated, and documented, in the experiences of
no less than, the Apostle Paul, himself, in the
Epistle to the Romans, which see:
The Two Natures of the
Christian:
Romans 7:14-25: “For
we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal,
sold under sin.
For that which I do I
allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what
I hate, that do I.
If then I do that
which I would not, I consent unto the law that it
is good.
Now then it is no more
I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
For I know that in me
(that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for
to will is present with me; but how to
perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I
would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that
I do.
Now if I do that I
would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that
dwelleth in me.
I find then a law,
that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the
law of God after the inward man:
But I see another law
in my members, warring against the law of my mind,
and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin
which is in my members.
O wretched man that I
am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?
I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I
myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the
law of sin.”
It is not the LAW, but
LOVE, that Propels:
Lesson:
What propelled the Apostle Paul to walk in
the Spirit, was his love for the Son of God,
Jesus Christ, and for all Christians. This was
mirrored, by the brethren, as seen in the
Epistle to Philemon:
“Hearing of thy love
and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus,
and toward all saints;” [Philemon
1:5].
Verse eighteen:
“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under
the law.”
The believer, in
Jesus Christ, because, he is powered by a
LOVE of God now, listens to a certain
drummer. This drummer, he desires
to obey is the still small voice [of
the Holy Spirit] [1 Kings 19:12].
The drummer to
ignore, is the flesh, i.e. the flesh’s
appetite, which is gained with a
self-satisfaction in an appeasement to
the of the Law of Moses.
Thus, the flesh is
propelled, by the outward codification of
all the do’s and all the don’ts of the
Law.
Verse nineteen:
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are
these;
Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,”
The flesh is, what
is, that outward part of man. It is the
part called, the body. The flesh,
along with the bones, is his body.
Ephesians 5:30: “For
we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his
bones.”
This flesh was
cursed, and made subject to death,
because of Adam’s sin, now, almost six thousand
years ago.
Ever since sin into this
world, we find, that in this flesh dwelleth no
good thing [Romans 7:18]. We all,
therefore, have these corrupted bodies,
that are, in a manner, only fit for,
so-to-speak, the manure pile. This is
true, because of our sinful nature.
So, all we cry out, O
wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from
the body of this death?
Verse
twenty: “Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,”
Let us not, pause here.
Let us continue, with our next verse.
Verse
twenty-one: “Envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you
before, as I have also told you in time past,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God.”
The works of the flesh
identified, by the Holy Spirit,
are these:
1.
Adultery: [This
is a man [or a woman], who has any sexual commerce
with any married woman [man], except with his wife,
[husband].
2.
Fornication,
[This is a man [or a woman], who has any sexual
commerce with any unmarried woman [man], outside
of marriage].
3.
Uncleanness:
[This means not clean, or foul, or dirty, or
corrupted, or filthy, because of sin].
4.
Lasciviousness:
[This is a looseness in morals with an excessive
indulgence to the fleshly desires, and given over to
captivating lusts].
5.
Idolatry: [This
is the coveting of idols, or images, or anything
that is made by the hands of man, or which is not of
God].
6.
Witchcraft:
[These are practices of sorcery, including
enchantments; of commerce with Satan, or with a
devil.]
7.
Hatred: [This is
an aversion to the things that are pure, or the
things that are right; which involve an aversion to
God].
8.
Variance: [This
is a deliberate and dishonest alteration of
something, that was already promised].
9.
Emulations:
[This involves striving to equal, or to outdo
others, or to obtain carnal favors, or honors over
others].
10.
Wrath, [This is a violent anger, a
vehement exasperation, or indignation, that is
exhibited toward others].
11.
Strife: [This is exhibited by a
contention, which involves anger, or enmity, in a
contest or in a struggle for a victory, or in a
quarrel, or in a war].
12.
Seditions: [This is a form of
insurrection, which is in opposition to a rule or to
an authority, and is close in relationship to mutiny
to an established order].
13.
Heresies: [This entails
maintaining, or teaching an error in a doctrine in
the Scripture, when it plainly differs from that
of the word of God, the Bible.]
14.
Envyings: [This is one, who feels
uneasiness at the superior condition, and the
happiness of another person].
15.
Murders: [This mostly involves the
physical act, but also, includes the thoughts
of unlawfully killing another with premeditated
malice].
16.
Drunkenness: [This is being
controlled, or overpowered, or intoxicated, by
spirituous liquors, so that one has his reason
disordered, and his walk be staggered].
17.
Revellings, and such like: [This
involves partying along with loose and clamorous
merriment, basically to carouse].
“…they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Notice first, this
inheritance is a reward for service:
Colossians 3:24:
“Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the
reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord
Christ.”
Warning:
If the Christian is sullied by the works of the
flesh, that is, if he does such things,
he shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Note: This loss of
inheritance has nothing to do with the loss of
salvation. And, why is this
so? Well, because,
the believer in Jesus is an adopted
son, and a son, is kept by the power of God,
as shown in the First Epistle of Peter:
1 Peter 1:5 “Who are
kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
However, what Christians
can forego is their inheritance, [or the
loss of their reward], which reward is
promised to the church age saints,
fulfilled, or enjoyed, in the millennial
Kingdom of Heaven.
Notice, that the promise
here, is given to the church of the
firstborn, the body of Christ, which
promise, is fulfilled in the future according to the
book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ:
Revelation 5:10: “And
hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we
shall reign on the earth.”
Understand this, also,
the inheritance is conditionally
promised to us, as Christians:
Revelation 1:6: “And
hath made us kings and priests unto God and his
Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever
and ever. Amen.”
Here is a fair warning.
Christian: Do not lose your inheritance!
The one-thousand-year Kingdom will be
wondrously enjoyed by all those, that receive this
inheritance.
The Solution:
Walk in the Spirit!
Verse
twenty-two: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith,”
We will now, continue
with the next verse, before we comment:
Verse
twenty-three: “Meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law.”
A true believer,
in Jesus Christ, will produce fruit.
The following is the fruit of the Spirit.
There are nine:
1.
Love: [This is a
strong attraction, or a rapture for some
other, which is coupled with strong desire to
see the countenance of this other, and
longing to hear their voice of this other;
for sweet is this voice].
2.
Joy: [This
is a feeling that is visited with great passion
with tremendous emotion, and which is excited by the
having, or with the expectation of having
something very precious and good].
3.
Peace: [This is
a state of freedom and quiet, or
tranquility, which flows from the King of
Salem, which is, the King of peace, Who provides
protection to all, who are under his wings, from
disturbance or agitation to the temper of the mind].
4.
Longsuffering:
[This is a patient bearing of injuries or
provocations, which over a long period of time, show
the one, who is not easily provoked].
5.
Gentleness:
[This a display of careful manners with a
mildness in temper, and with a sweetness of
disposition].
6.
Goodness: [This
is, when things, that are right and pure, are
enjoyed, and so, affects others, with infectious
cheerfulness, joy, and virtue].
7.
Faith: [This is
the trait of possessing the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen].
8.
Meekness: [This is an
alliance with truth and righteousness coupled with
humility and a submission to the will of God,
without murmuring].
9.
Temperance:
[This is a patience with a calmness and exhibits the
moderation of passion].
Verse
twenty-four: “And they that are Christ's have
crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
If one has truly been
born of the Spirit, then he has passed from
death to life, he is one, that has been
crucified with Jesus Christ.
It is the Epistle to
the Romans, that unlocks this truth, and
reveals what has happened to us, when we, that
are crucified with Jesus Christ. Are you
ready for this critical truth?
Romans 6:4: “Therefore
we are buried with him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life.”
The Sequence of
Events:
1.
Death
2.
Burial
3.
Resurrection
4.
Newness of life.
Now, remember once again,
our comments that were made, in chapter two, verse
twenty, of this commentary.
If we have, indeed,
died, and the life we now live
is in Jesus Christ, and HE is in me,
living within me, then I will, out of my
love for HIM, desire daily to crucify this old flesh
of mine, with all its attendant affections and
lusts:
“I am crucified with
Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself for me.”
It will be said: I
love Him, WHO first loved me!
Luke 9:23-24: “And he
said to them all, If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross daily, and follow me.
For whosoever will
save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose
his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”
Now, Christian, go for
it! Amen!
Verse
twenty-five: “If we live in the Spirit, let us
also walk in the Spirit.”
If, we
have been born of the Spirit, then, we are
now, sitting in heavenly places. And
if, we are sitting in heavenly places,
then we are now, equipped to walk in the Spirit,
day-by-day, and thereby, deny this flesh,
day-by-day.
FIGHT THE FIGHT!
This is combat! This is called,
spiritual warfare.
Now, remember our
comments, from verse seventeen, of this commentary.
The flesh is against the Spirit, and
the Spirit is against the flesh.
Every believer in Jesus Christ has these two
warring natures within him, or her.
Then, what? We are,
according to the First Epistle to Timothy, to
war a good warfare:
“This charge I commit
unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies
which went before on thee, that thou by them
mightest war a good warfare;” [1
Timothy 1:18]
Now, fight a good
fight!
Verse twenty-six: “Let us not be desirous of vain
glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Watch out
for VAIN GLORY. Remember, our flesh,
if it is given the opportunity, it will pop
up, time after time, to gain the
preeminence, saying, look at me.
Even more than this, this flesh will strut
around like a peacock. It will brag,
and it will cast about, looking for even greater
attention. Watch out, now! For this
is nothing more, than the flesh, attempting
to get all the glory to self. This
is vanity! Warning: The goal of
the flesh is to diminish [or quench] the
influence of the indwelling Spirit of
God within us.
We have already learned,
in verse seventeen of this chapter, that
the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to
the other. It is,
therefore, a war!
Now, while we are here on
this earth, this walking in the Spirit,
involves fighting a good fight, against our flesh.
If we do not fight the flesh, as the
members of the body of Christ, then,
envy and provocations will grow
exponentially in the church, and the Holy
Spirit, will be quenched.
Remember, nothing good
comes from the FLESH. Therefore, brethren,
give no place to the flesh, in order to not
provoke one another.
Next - Galatians Chapter Six
Friend
If you
know the Bible Is True,
And you
never received
Jesus
Christ as your personal Lord and Savior...
And you
want to come to Him for Salvation now ... Then:
1. Admit
... To God that you are a Sinner...
Deserving Hell Fire...
2. Believe ... that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God...
Who died on the Cross for
You! ...
3. Repent! ... Ask
Him to Forgive You of Your Sin...
4. Receive Him... By
Asking Him to come into Your Heart...
And You
Will Receive the Gift of Eternal Life!
Born of God! You
Are in The Narrow Way ... To HEAVEN!