Galatians 5:19-21
“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.”
Paul explains “the works of the flesh” and “the fruit of the Spirit.” He gives a list for each. Keep in mind the context here is relationships in the church, in particular the importance of loving and serving one another, and not fighting and bickering. When challenges and disagreements arise in the church, the sin nature (the flesh) will produce anger, jealousy, and conflict, whereas the Spirit will produce love and patience.
This is true for all relationships at home, work, with friends, and in the fellowship of the church. If you are directed by the desires/impulses of your sin nature, your attitude and behavior toward others will be unhealthy at best and toxic at worst. If you are directed by the Spirit, your attitude and behavior toward others will be positive, productive, and fruitful. It is your choice.
A key principle in E+R=O is that your R is an E for others. The way you respond to people has a profound impact on them. Your response affects more than you. If your attitude and behavior toward others is Below the Line (if you respond on Default), then you have negative impact. If your attitude and behavior toward others is Above the Line (if you respond with Discipline), then you have a positive impact.
Here’s another way to think about it that illustrates Paul’s message in Galatians: Your R is deeply personal, but it’s rarely private. Giving in to the desires/impulses of the sin nature is a deeply personal decision that has significant implications beyond you. The same thing is true for living in the Spirit. Whatever you choose — walking in the Spirit or indulging the flesh — affects the experience you deliver to people at home, at work, in your friendships, and in the fellowship of the church.
Paul gives a list of the works of the flesh. It is not a comprehensive list, but it identifies specific sins that disrupt, distort, and do great damage to our relationship with God and others. Paul’s list can be organized into four categories, which can help you pay attention to how you think and act in these four categories of life. It helps you understand how and where the sin nature seeks to get you off track.
(1) Sex: “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality”
(2) Religion: “idolatry and sorcery”
(3) Relationships: “enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy”
(4) Substance abuse: “drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”
In closing today’s devotional, I want to encourage all of us to take this inner battle between the Spirit and the flesh with the utmost of seriousness. There is no neutral ground here; we are operating in one sphere or the other. Either we are submitting to the Spirit’s leadership, or we are gratifying our flesh. If we are submitting to the Spirit, we will not gratify the flesh. As we will see, the way you deal with your sin is not simply by saying “no” to the flesh, but by also saying “yes” to the Spirit’s work in your life.
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22)
