I should preface by saying that I use a commentary by David Guzak for my studies. This commentary is easily accessible to the general public via www.blueletterbible.org - I would encourage you to type in your search and study the Word for yourself, too!
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
- This verse is one that we can take at face value. The term, "walk" means to pattern our lives after. It's not just a once-in-a-while thing when we live in the Spirit, it is a constant thing. We should: 1) acknowledge that when we accept Christ, the Spirit dwells in us, 2) be open and sensitive to the Spirit, and 3) pattern our life after the Spirit. In response to this, the Spirit will: 1) reveal His will through the Bible, 2) use others who are living in the Spirit to influence us, and 3) mature us in our faith in order to give us direction and understanding. *John 16:13-15 tells us how we know the works of the Spirit
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
- This is a BATTLE. Straight up conflict is what we can see here. We know from Ephesians 6:10-18 that we must put on the full armor of God. This verse here demonstrates to us why it is called "armor." A good modern day analogy is this: you open up your closet in the morning to find shoes. You see black Converse and yellow Converse. You own both of them, but you can only wear one pair. You don't have 4 feet, so you can't put on both pairs, and wearing one of one color and one of the other color won't work. So, you must choose. Similarly, we have the flesh and we have the Spirit. We must choose one. We own them both, but we can't put them on at the same time.
- Q: What is flesh?
- A: Boice defines the the Greek word, "sarx" as follows: "All the evil that man is and is capable of apart from the intervention of God's grace in his life." So, the very Christianese word "flesh" does not mean your epidermis, it is all of the things we are capable of (that will destroy us) outside of the grace of God.
- The wonderful thing is that we have the opportunity to put on the Spirit of God, and the armor of God and fight against the flesh that dwells within us.
- Matthew 6:24 confirms the idea that we cannot put on both the flesh and the Spirit.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
- Another wonderful verse that be taken exactly how it sounds. We have grace! We don't need to live under the 613 commands of the Law of Moses. He have the grace of God and we should write it on our hearts. *Jeremiah 31:33 confirms this. (It is important to note that the grace of God does not decommission the Law of Moses; rather, the grace of God allows us to be saved by grace rather than by our own works).
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- This section is pretty famous - all of the major "do not's" of a Christian life in the Spirit.
- There are 4 sin categories:
- Sensual sins
- fornication (a.k.a. sexual immorality): this comes from the Greek word "pornia" which is where we also get the term "pornography." This is a wide variety of sexual sins. Whether dating or married, single or mingling, this terms applies to all of us. It can range from looking at porn, lusting with your eyes or your thoughts, self-driven sexual sins, adultery, etc.
- impurity (a.k.a. uncleanliness): this is related to sexual immorality. It's the idea that you "didn't go all the way" or "porn isn't bad because I'm not doing it with anyone" or "I only cuss when I'm angry." To my understanding, impurity relates to excuses. It is very general and broad. If you spill coffee on yourself, you would say your shirt is dirty. Sure, the stain might come out later, but when you spill, the shirt is deemed unclean. Similarly, when you sin sexually, it is an unclean sin.
- sensuality (a.k.a. lewdness): the Greek term for this is "aselgeia," meaning you don't care how much you shock the world with your sins, as long as your needs are met, you're fine. This is a dangerous state, because at this point, you no longer have shame for your sin. In my own experiences, shame from sexual sins is convicting; it draws me back to my knees before the Lord asking for forgiveness and desiring to turn from my sin.
- Religious sins
- idolatry: anything that we worship more than God. It doesn't have to be a tiny wooden statue, or gold calf. It can be the TV, money, a girlfriend or boyfriend, a book. ANYTHING that takes your heart away from the Lord.
- sorcery (a.k.a. witchcraft): anything that alters your state of mind. Hallucinatory drugs, spells, potions, etc. In this, you are putting your mindset and pleasing yourself in that way above serving the Lord.
- People sins:
- hatred: Greek "ekthra" for an attitude of the heart that causes an inner motivation for the ill-treatment of others.
- contentions (a.k.a. strife): combative and argumentative spirit
- jealousy: Greek "zelos" means a desire to have what someone else has - this is pretty similar to envy.
- Social sins
- drunkenness: we know that Jesus made water into wine (John 2:1-11). To our understanding, wine was a sign of joy and celebration. However, too much wine was destructive. This notion is very similar today.
- orgies: sex between a husband and wife, within the confines of the marriage covenant and commit is a beautiful thing. However, when sex is taken from the marriage bed, involving more people, etc., it becomes destructive and has severe consequences.
- those who DO such things - Greek "prassontes" means those who make a practice of doing, or pattern their lives. Like the previous section states that we should pattern our lives after the Spirit, the idea Paul relates here is that people who pattern their lives after these sins will not inherit the kingdom of Heaven. It's a heart thing. Our outward conduct indicates our inward status.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
- Fruit of the Spirit! The way this is written indicates that the fruit is singular - or universal! Once in the Spirit, this is the evidence! Fruit by nature is fragile (if you threw and apple on the ground, it would most likely split), nourishing, attractive, self-reproducing (meaning that if we are able to love unconditionally, there is a good likelihood that the people who receive our love, will be able to love in return), and birthed by abiding. So too is the fruit of a Christian!! How wonderful!
- love: this is God's unconditional love! We sin, he never stops loving us.
- joy: abiding and remaining, not dependent on circumstances. (Acts 16:25 - Paul and Silas are in prison and SINGING!)
- peace: Greek "chara" meaning tranquility of the heart. When I am on the ocean shore, I feel peace. But, that is peace that I understand. This peace of the Spirit, is have a tranquil heart when life is falling apart. Not being fake and saying that everything is great, but really being at peace, knowing that God knows what He is doing. It truly is incomprehensible.
- patience (a.k.a. long-suffering): Martin Luther says the following of patience: "When the devil finds he cannot overcome certain persons by force, he tries to overcome them in the long run . . . we must patiently wait for the devil to get tired of his game." This is running the good race, not quitting. This also allows us to hold onto love, joy, and peace indefinitely.
- kindness & goodness: we all know what kindness and goodness are! This is a self-explanatory fruit!
- faithfulness: this is both to God and to people. Barclay says it is the "ability to serve God through years and temptations realizing the person who does this is not a hero, but was living in the Spirit." My favorite example of faithfulness is Corrie Ten Boom. A dynamic woman, I would encourage you to learn her story!
- gentleness: this is being teachable and not having a superior attitude. Being able to find rest in Christ and to encourage/strengthen others in that rest that you have found.
- self-control: this will work on behalf of others. This is learning to control your appetite, and mouth, but through the Spirit, it is allowing the Spirit to give you insight, rather than drawing from your own.
- There is no law that compares to this fruit!
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with it's passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
- This section reminds us a what Jesus did.
- Matthew 16:24, Romans 6:6, and Galatians 2:20
- Jesus took up his cross just as we are called to do!
- Jesus' death was painful. He was publicly mocked and humiliated, whipped within an inch of his life, stabbed with a spear, had his hands and feet nailed to the cross, and thorns pushed into his scalp. We need to remember that the death of our flesh, is painful. Because our flesh is something that is a part of us, it is painful.
- It must be dealt with decisively. If you are sinning and are making excuses for why you don't quit - do it! If you're waiting to stop cussing until it becomes more common, stop now! If you are looking at pornography and are waiting to stop once it interferes with your sleep, stop now! Sin needs to be addressed decisively. Jesus asked for the cup to be taken from him (Luke 22:42). Yet, in that same prayer He asked for his Father's will to be done. Because God loves us to radically, his will is that we would not keep living is sin. If we are supposed to pattern our lives after Christ, then when our Father tells us that we must stop sinning, we need to be as decisive as Jesus was, and stop!
- Finally, this verse can be taken at face value. This all comes back to how we treat one another. The first listed fruit of the Spirit is love; and love we must!
