Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26)

SCRIPTURE

Galatians 5:16-26
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 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. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

COMMENT

Everything Paul has been saying in Galatians is the precursor to these verses. Paul has been fighting the idea of those who wanted to put some kind of conditions on salvation in addition faith in Christ. I believe their problem was fear. Fear that telling someone that faith alone is all it takes would lead to some form of licentiousness. Paul answers that fear in verse 16. If we walk in the Spirit, we will not gratify the flesh. Those who walk this way are not under the law. Want to know if you are walking in the Spirit, it should be obvious, but Paul gives some examples of living by the flesh. He then goes on to show what it should look like if we are living by the Spirit. In all of this, Paul does not feel the need to give a list of rules.

Truth is, there will be those who will take advantage of the gospel, who will here only what they want to. Paul knew this could not be avoided. So do I. You will always have your Osteens and Battersons etc. who prey in one form or another on others. Who prey on those who want to hear a particular message because of their own bias or desires. Those whose ears are itching for salvation, but not in the form of the gospel. Their condemnation is still deserved. Those are difficult words to speak and to hear, but I believe that that is exactly what Paul is saying in Galatians. Guard your privy parts!