Fruits vs Works- The tragic part in "christian service" absent the presence and power of the Holy Spirit produces many "works" of the flesh which will be revealed and burned. All fruit is Spirit born as the life of Christ is literally lived through the regenerated spirit of the believer. To quote Major Ian Thomas "Christ gave His life FOR us, so that He could give His life TO us." His very life lived through the believer. Amen.
Paul is talking to the christians who is tired and weak, who when they first became beleivers were very zealous but suddenly became lukeworm, telling them to stand fast in christ in whom they are made free from every kind of bondage. Because you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. They became weak by taking heed of other doctrine, hearing other teaching that is not about christ can destroy your faith. So therefore take heed of what you hear. I encourage you to walk in the spirit so that you will not fufil the lust of the flesh, for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God.
I THINK IF WE APPLY THIS TO OUR DAILY LIVING,GOD WOULD BE HAPPY WITH HIS CHILDREN,BECAUSE WE WOULD MAKE THE WORLD A SAFE PLACE.BLESS THE READERS AND DOERS OF THIS SCRIPTURE.PEACE
Your move with God seemed perfect before but a drastic change has taken place in your life who has caused the mayhem of not obeying the truth that you have stopped from running.Nothing should stop you from focusing to the truth for unto it our life abides,for anything that deviates your focus from the Lord is an enemy to you and your creator.
The Apostle Paul is teaching us how to stand fast in the liberty, where with Christ Jesus has set us free. We must walk in the spirit, and then we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Those that are born again in Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh, with it's desires, and will not yield their members anymore to do those things. As we walk in the spirit, the fruits of the spirit will be produced in our lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, self control etc.
Against such there is no law. So don't be entangled in the yoke of bondage again, for who ever keeps the law is debtor to keep the whole law. We have liberty in Christ Jesus, only do not use your liberty as a cloak of bondage. The thief came to kill, still, and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life and that more abundantly. The whole law of God is completed in one word: Love thy neighbor as thyself. So walk in Love, and you will be set free. Jesus said a new commandment give I unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you.
The fruit is "one fruit." Christ imparts His character into a believer's life. We are then to grow and mature His character in our lives as we live close to Him and His word. We can't pick and chose which one we want to mature. We are to mature all nine of the fruit--through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.
Comments on Galatians 5:18 �But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law�.
We know from 1John 3:4 that �sin is the transgression of the law�. When Christ died, �he did away with the Law� (the Old Covenant), and we entered a New Covenant ( Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:8). Now we are under Grace ( Romans 6:14).
So, let me see if I understand this �process of salvation� correctly: (1) I hear the Word of God which tells me that He loves me ( John 3:16), and that He died for me though I broke no Law. (2) I accept that I am a sinner, even though the Law that would have condemned me does not exist anymore. (3) I receive Christ as my personal Savior, Who saved me from sins that actually don�t exist, since I was born after Christ died and made the Law obsolete and of non-effect. (4) I get baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, and I am no longer under the Law, which was nailed to the cross. (5) Having received the Holy Spirit, I am now under grace. I am free from the Law, and basically I can do anything I want, since there is no more Law to condemn me. (6) Yes, it would be nice to express the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance etc. (verses 22, 23); but these are optional, �because against such there is no law�.
Now, do the statements 1-6 make any sense? I know that many Christians think so. But, let�s see: Perhaps they would have made sense if only Apostle Paul hadn�t mentioned the works of the flesh: �Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like (and the list goes on): of the which � I have also told you in time past, that THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD� (verses 19-21)� Hey, what happened to grace? We�ve already established that I can�t keep the Law because the flesh is against the spirit ( Galatians 5:17). Even Apostle Paul says: �For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do� ( Romans 7:19). What�s going on here? The sins mentioned above are transgressions of the Moral Laws that have been �abolished, nailed to the cross, gone�. Now you tell me that I can�t inherit the Kingdom of God with all that love, sacrifice and grace? It seems to me that Apostle Paul is contradicting himself: or, is he? This chapter teaches that the Moral Laws were not included with the rest of the Mosaic Laws that ended at the cross, and that we still have to keep them. They were in effect when you and I were born, and are in effect today: we broke them, and this is why you and I are sinners in need of Christ�s forgiveness and redemption. But for sure, in this letter to Galatians Apostle Paul is talking about circumcision and other Ceremonial Laws fulfilled by Christ (verses 2, 3, 6, 11, 13). You just can�t have it both ways! Brother R.R. came up with a �good excuse�: I can�t memorize the Ten Commandments; therefore I don�t need to keep them. But Apostle Paul disagrees; he says: �I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me� ( Philippians 4:13). Amen.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? I ask Christians this and they don't know how to answer it. Galatians 5:22, 23 give us the answer: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. This is how we can tell if we are walking in the Spirit.
This verse just speaks to me. My interpretation is that if God is directing and ordering your steps in life then it leaves not much room for the flesh to try and take control. When the Spirit is dominant the flesh becomes weak and sooner or later withers away. The stronger the Spirit, the weaker the flesh. Feed your spiritual man daily so life can be present on the inside.
This verse is the base of every follower of Christ. It tells us what it takes to be a follower of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. May The Grace of God and the love of Christ Be with us all.
Hi to everyone, I need to begin to read Galatians 5 everyday and I can say I mean it. I can see after reading Galatians 5, it showed me I need to stay away from those I�m around with. They are many unsaved friends, who know about Jesus but are not ready to have Jesus. Because I find it takes my peace away. I can't keep that up. God bless all.
It is by the Spirit of Almighty God and Jesus Christ our Lord that belivers can walk in His Spirit. Man's efforts can never achieve this commandment, no matter how much he strives to achieve that. Without Christ, it is impossible.
To me this is one of the best verses for us CHRISTIANS to have in our memory. Sad my memory isn't as good as it used to be, but I go back to this verse very often to keep myself reminded of one of the ways to honour my LORD in my daily walk. I LOVE all scripture that gives me instructions on how to live for my LORD AND Saviour JESUS CHRIST. PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME.
@Dales,
The principle is that ��the gifts and calling of God are without repentance�� Romans 11:29. Therefore it is our duty to strive to meet the marks, because God�s calling is abiding.
So when God calls somebody or gives duty to that one, God never dismiss that one before the person disqualifies by him/herself, like it happened with Saul in 1 Samuel 15:11. Yet if the person comes back to God, God will receive him/her, which unfortunately never happened with Saul.
Now coming to commandments, there have been situations when God rescued the people that were gone astray, in tolerating some practices, just to give them opportunity to upgrade. Like Jesus Christ said: ��Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so��. Matthew 19:8. God through Moses has tolerated divorcement, because of people�s unbelief.
God bless you.
The above quote is most important in our days as people of the MOST HIGH GOD. It is not only a free gift from God, but also a must have for all believers in this century. It is the reality of the pomegranates that God made Moses command the craftsmen to weaving together with a bell in Aaron's garment according to exodus 28 :33
Walk in the Spirit and you will make a doormat of sin, that is the only way to triumph over evil or else try observing the law sin will mess you up, ref:verse 18 and( Roman 8v1&2,6)
The Bible says be angry and sin not, but it also says deal with each other in love. So even in the depths of our anger we should still learn to keep a balance because we all lose if we allow our anger to rule our actions or reactions to each other.
I think paul was very stong in faith becouse Jesus Christ was his rock and foundation in life,we need to do the same eat the word of God more and more each day, so we can have power with in our self to be the light in this world ...God bless you all brothers in sisters in Christ our Lord.
Against such there is no law. So don't be entangled in the yoke of bondage again, for who ever keeps the law is debtor to keep the whole law. We have liberty in Christ Jesus, only do not use your liberty as a cloak of bondage. The thief came to kill, still, and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life and that more abundantly. The whole law of God is completed in one word: Love thy neighbor as thyself. So walk in Love, and you will be set free. Jesus said a new commandment give I unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you.
2 Timothy 2:15
There are seven dispensations in the Bible. Look them up and study using what 2 Timothy 2:15 says to do.
Hi Anne, can you explain how you understand Galatians 5 verse 19? I am sure we can all learn something from a 12 year young girl. Thanks.
We know from 1John 3:4 that �sin is the transgression of the law�. When Christ died, �he did away with the Law� (the Old Covenant), and we entered a New Covenant ( Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:8). Now we are under Grace ( Romans 6:14).
So, let me see if I understand this �process of salvation� correctly: (1) I hear the Word of God which tells me that He loves me ( John 3:16), and that He died for me though I broke no Law. (2) I accept that I am a sinner, even though the Law that would have condemned me does not exist anymore. (3) I receive Christ as my personal Savior, Who saved me from sins that actually don�t exist, since I was born after Christ died and made the Law obsolete and of non-effect. (4) I get baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, and I am no longer under the Law, which was nailed to the cross. (5) Having received the Holy Spirit, I am now under grace. I am free from the Law, and basically I can do anything I want, since there is no more Law to condemn me. (6) Yes, it would be nice to express the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance etc. (verses 22, 23); but these are optional, �because against such there is no law�.
Now, do the statements 1-6 make any sense? I know that many Christians think so. But, let�s see: Perhaps they would have made sense if only Apostle Paul hadn�t mentioned the works of the flesh: �Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like (and the list goes on): of the which � I have also told you in time past, that THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD� (verses 19-21)� Hey, what happened to grace? We�ve already established that I can�t keep the Law because the flesh is against the spirit ( Galatians 5:17). Even Apostle Paul says: �For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do� ( Romans 7:19). What�s going on here? The sins mentioned above are transgressions of the Moral Laws that have been �abolished, nailed to the cross, gone�. Now you tell me that I can�t inherit the Kingdom of God with all that love, sacrifice and grace? It seems to me that Apostle Paul is contradicting himself: or, is he? This chapter teaches that the Moral Laws were not included with the rest of the Mosaic Laws that ended at the cross, and that we still have to keep them. They were in effect when you and I were born, and are in effect today: we broke them, and this is why you and I are sinners in need of Christ�s forgiveness and redemption. But for sure, in this letter to Galatians Apostle Paul is talking about circumcision and other Ceremonial Laws fulfilled by Christ (verses 2, 3, 6, 11, 13). You just can�t have it both ways! Brother R.R. came up with a �good excuse�: I can�t memorize the Ten Commandments; therefore I don�t need to keep them. But Apostle Paul disagrees; he says: �I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me� ( Philippians 4:13). Amen.
The principle is that ��the gifts and calling of God are without repentance�� Romans 11:29. Therefore it is our duty to strive to meet the marks, because God�s calling is abiding.
So when God calls somebody or gives duty to that one, God never dismiss that one before the person disqualifies by him/herself, like it happened with Saul in 1 Samuel 15:11. Yet if the person comes back to God, God will receive him/her, which unfortunately never happened with Saul.
Now coming to commandments, there have been situations when God rescued the people that were gone astray, in tolerating some practices, just to give them opportunity to upgrade. Like Jesus Christ said: ��Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so��. Matthew 19:8. God through Moses has tolerated divorcement, because of people�s unbelief.
God bless you.