Set Free from the Works of the Flesh

Transcript

GR 1168
2/06/2000
Set Free from the Works of the Flesh
Galatians 5:20-21

Galatians chapter 5 in your Bibles. Paul's in a section where he's going to give a couple of lists. Anytime you're working through a list of items, it can become a little bit tedious because there's a certain amount of repetition. And it's just one thing listed after another. But one of the things that happens when you go through a list, there is a building effect and something of the impact and weight of what is being exemplified is being brought home to our hearts. I think that happens when we're talking about the works of the flesh and then the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5. The works of the flesh are unpleasant to work through one sin after another sin after another sin. It seems a little bit heavy and burdensome and yet there is blessing in it. When we keep in mind that these are things that we have been set free from. This is what life is apart from the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. And because of Him this is what we are not anymore. And this is the deliverance that He has provided through His death and resurrection.

In a future study we'll get to verse 24 where we'll told in Galatians 5:24, "Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." What a joy, what a blessing to know that the flesh with its passions and desires was crucified in Christ. The flesh is what I am apart from the redeeming work of Christ. It's what I am as a fallen beings, a sinful person. The flesh is the source of all my sin and rebellion against God. Paul is writing to the Galatians and establishing they have been set free in Christ. They are free from sin. They are free from the bondage and obligations of the Mosaic Law. They have freedom. But in verse 13 he told them, "You were called to freedom brethren, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh." So we realize that even though the flesh has been crucified, there is the danger that I as a believer will misuse my freedom in Christ and indulge the flesh. Because there is a certain pleasure and enjoyment for a time even in the most vile of sinful deeds. And we need to be careful that we don't use our freedom or misuse our freedom.

How do we deal with the flesh? Verse 16, "Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." When you are walking under the control and direction of the Holy Spirit, the flesh will not manifest itself in your life. You do not need the Mosaic Law to control to control your conduct. You have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. Submit to Him. Walk under His control and you'll not carry out the desires of the flesh. This is absolutely essential Bible doctrine. And the Church has all but abandoned this wonderful biblical truth. We have set up the world's standards and patterns of psychology and counseling centers and special methodology for dealing with special kinds of sin and God's provision in Christ is the Holy Spirit. That is everything you need to deal with any and every sin. Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And whatever that sin is, whatever that lust of the flesh is covered in this provision. What a glorious and blessed and encouraging truth it is.

Now you must realize the Galatians were struggling and battling. Paul's going to list the works of the flesh in a moment in verses 19 to 21. And the bulk of that list, eight of the 15 items, will focus on matters of interpersonal kinds of conflicts, strife, contention, jealousy, envy and so on. Seems that the reason that list or those items are more extensive is because the Galatians church was in danger of allowing the flesh to assert itself in those very areas. In verse 15 he warned them, "But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed." There's a serious doctrinal war going on in the churches of Galatia. Paul has dealt sternly and severely with the issues involved and with the false teachers involved. But you know what happens in those kinds of conflicts. Sometimes we lose sight of what the issue is doctrinally and it degenerates into personalities and pretty soon people are battling and fighting and dividing over things that have nothing to do with the doctrinal issue at stake. And Paul warned the Galatian churches not to lose their focus on what is the issue. They must stand firm unshakable against the false teachers, the false doctrine. But they must not allow themselves to slide into those things which would literally tear the church apart.

The works of the flesh. Verse 19. He starts out . . . We've looked at verse 19 saying, "The works of the flesh are manifest." That word "manifest" means from a Greek dictionary, "visible, clear, plainly to be seen, evident." I mean, how do I know if I'm walking by the Spirit or I'm being controlled by the flesh? It's easy. The works of the flesh are plainly seen. They are easy to recognize.

Look over to 1 John chapter 3, if you would. All the way back almost to the book of Revelation, the back of your Bible. The first epistle of John and the third chapter. And time permitting we'll come back here at the end of our study today. First John chapter 3, "By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious." That word "obvious." It's the same Greek word translated evident back in Galatians 5:19. The works of the flesh are evident, manifest, plainly to be seen. First John 3:10, "By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious," evident, clearly to be seen. How do you recognize them? "Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother." So if you don't practice righteousness. If you are doing the works of the flesh, you are clearly manifesting you are a child of the Devil. That's why Paul will conclude the section on the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:21 to say those who do these things are not going to be part of the kingdom that Christ will establish.

Come back to Galatians 5. So the works of flesh in verses 19 to 21 of Galatians 5 are the manifestations of the character and conduct of those who are the children of the Devil. They live under his authority, they live their lives under the control and domination of their fallen, sinful flesh. And Paul sets this forth so we can clearly recognize these things and also realize that these are the kinds of things that have no place in our lives as God's people. The first three sins that were mentioned--immorality, impurity and sensuality--revolved around sexual misconduct. Now as I noted last time some categorized this list, break it down into groups. Others believe it's just a random list. It doesn't really make a difference in the meaning of what is said. I mentioned groupings just so you are aware of how they are grouped. But we deal with them individually and we come to the same point. But the first three are tied around sexual activity and misconduct. And one of the clear manifestations that the flesh is in control of a life is the person is immoral. They are in rebellion against God and His will for them in the area of mortality. They've taken what God has made as beautiful to be enjoyed within the marriage relationship only and are misusing it and abusing it and demonstrating their sinful rebellion against God.

The next two items in the list--idolatry and sorcery. And this is where we pick up our study today. Idolatry and sorcery. These are two items related to religious activity, false religious activity. Idolatry involves worship and devotion to something or someone other than the true and living God. That's all idolatry is. Anything you worship or are devoted to and thus replaces the true and living God. That makes you an idolater.

Turn back to Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1. In Romans chapter 1 Paul is describing and talking about those who have rejected God and His truth. At the end of verse 18 he said, "They suppress the truth in unrighteousness." Down in verse 23, "They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man, of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures." Verse 25, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, amen." That's what idolatry is. Worshipping and serving creation rather than the Creator. That can take a variety of forms and manifestations. That's why in Colossians chapter 3 verse 5 Paul says that greed or covetousness is idolatry. We ought not to think that this is just some kind of pagan ritual with carved statues. Colossians 3:5 says that greed or covetousness is idolatry. Why? We have as the devotion and desire of our heart something other than the true and living God. We are serving the creation rather than the Creator.

And while you are in Romans chapter 1 you ought to note how intricately intertwined is sexual immorality and the rejection of God in worship. We had the sexual sins first in Galatians 5 followed by the false worship. In Romans 1 he makes the rejection of God first in his discussion. Then out of that as a result of rejecting God and worshipping the creation rather than the Creator, verse 24 of Romans God says God gave them over in the lust of their heart to impurity. Verse 26, "God gave them over to degrading passions," which include all forms of homosexual activity. Sexual degradation joined together with the rejection of God. Down to verse 28, "They did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind."

You know, the world does not see how intertwined their sinful behavior is. They would exclude God, reject Him, reject His truth and with that we have a proliferation of all kinds of sins and they are not able to put it together. Immorality plagues our country. And we say it's terrible, but we can't really call it immorality because we have no standard of what is moral versus immoral any longer because we have no God so we have no message from God. So as we noted we are not concerned about the morality of our children. We're just concerned they don't get diseases. And the world cannot sort out the futility of this. But the Scripture sets it forth. It's all a manifestation of the flesh. You've rejected God. You've rejected His truth. You've rejected His morality. And so this behavior is simply a manifestation of a person who is in rebellion against God.

Come back to Galatians chapter 5. I appreciate much of what the reformers did and said. I like them because they were so black and white. Martin Luther said, "The best religion, the most fervent devotion without Christ, is plain idolatry. Every religion which worships God in ignorance or neglect of His Word and will is idolatry. That says it very concisely.
The second sin related to false religious activity is sorcery. Now you're familiar with this word. Let me mention the Greek word to you. It's "pharmacaia." Pharmacy is the English word we get from it. The word basically drugs. It came to be used of sorcery or witchcraft because of the drugs that were used in mixing potions and so on. Part of the spills or witchcraft that were being performed. Interestingly, in the Roman empire at this time, sorcery was forbidden. It was a capital offense. In fact, if you went on trial for sorcery, you were dealt with in the same way that a person who had used drugs to murder someone would be dealt with. Cause what's a sorcerer doing? Well, you are mixing potions and so on. He wants to kill that person and destroy them. Well, what's the difference whether he makes them drink it or he does it with his magical spills? And so this activity was forbidden at the time even though it was widely practiced.

So this is just a form of false religious activity. And the different forms of religion. We ought to note the flesh is very religious. That's not the issue. The issue today in society is you know; you don't say anything about anybody else's religion. You don't try to convert anyone because everybody has their own religion. But you understand fallen, sinful man is very religious and he has a god (small "g"), the god of this world. And even our fallen, sinful flesh does not totally abandon religious activity. I am always amazed at how religious people are. I mean, they could be doing something fun like going golfing, going boating, watching television, eating a roll. Why do they get up and go to all the trouble and do religious things? There's something in them. But in that religion, there is a rejection of the true and living God.

All right, now he moves into a list of eight items that if you want to connect them together the connection would be that they involve interpersonal relationships and conflicts. The manifestation of sinful behavior in our relationships with others. He begins with the word "enmities" in that part of the list, a word that means hatred, hostility. It's the opposite of the word "love." If you are going to talk about love and wanted to give its opposite, you would use this word "enmities," hatred. It's used of unbelievers who are hostile toward God. Their hatred of God. And that would be involved here but it seems Paul's primary focus is the manifestation of this in other relationships as well but that as its foundation, the hatred or hostility toward God. Basically means that we deal with others as enemies. They are the enemy and I hate them so I deal with them in hostility. It's not only the attitude of my mind but the expression of that in my actions. As see as we move through this list why we have so much division and strife and conflict, national division, racial division, religious division and on we go. Why? The very heart of fallen man is hatred, viewing others as the enemy. And he's always looking for those kinds of opportunities.

Related to this in idea and you'll see as we move through this, these are different words but they sort of have overlapping connections. Strife--the word "strife," discord, quarreling, contention. That's the meaning of this word. Paul uses it nine times in the New Testament. In fact, all nine of its uses in the New Testament are by the apostle. Sadly, several of those uses refer to conditions going on in churches. And here we see the works of the flesh's fallen sinful nature manifesting itself in rebellion against God and it's going on in the church?

Back up to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. You know the church at Corinth was a great church. It had many strengths, greatly gifted, many admirable qualities to learn from but you know isn't it sad every time you want to give an example of what a church ought not to be, you end up going to Corinth. Turn to the letter of Corinth to see how a church ought not to function. Turn to the church at Corinth to see how the church had factions, strife. Sad to be. What could they had been if they had devoted that energy to devotion to Christ and serving him more totally or completely.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 11, "For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you." That word "quarrel" is the same word Greek word translated "strife" in the works of the flesh in Galatians 5. Now I was thinking about this. What if the apostle Paul was living today and had visited here at one time and now writes a letter back? And he starts the letter and says, "Someone told me, in fact, it was Don Goertzen's family who told me, there are quarrels among you." Can you imagine what you'd feel like sitting there. Your face getting redder. You'd say now the whole church knows I told. You note the apostle Paul doesn't deal with it that way. Sin has to be dealt with up front. Chloe's family told on you. Tattle tells! Should Chloe's family be embarrassed at the reading of this letter? Chloe's family didn't sin. They simply told Paul that the church at Corinth was sinning. You understand quarreling, strife, is a work of the flesh. And we are not joined in a pact to cover for each other for sin in that sense. Chloe's people told me there's quarrels among you. That's a sad state of affairs that the flesh is manifesting itself among you.

Turn over to chapter 3 verse 3, "You are still fleshly." There's our word "fleshly." The flesh is manifesting itself. You are producing the works of the flesh. "For since there is jealousy and strife among you." There's our word "strife." We are going to get to the word "jealousy" in a moment in the works of the flesh. Strife, quarrels. "Are you not fleshly, are you not walking like mere men?" What's he saying? You're living like men, walking like men, who don't have the Holy Spirit, like mere men, men apart from the power of the Holy Spirit in the life. You're manifesting the flesh. You ought to be walking by the Spirit, not walking like mere men who are controlled by the flesh. Sad testimony for the church. What's the evidence of it? Quarrels, strife, that kind of conflict.

You know it's interesting in this list of the works of the flesh, some sins get more tolerated in the church than others. Give the Corinthians their due. They tolerated them all. They'll tolerate incest in chapter 5, immorality as well as quarrels. We, well, we need to take a harder line on immorality but quarrels, strife, you know, just part of human nature. Well, you're right there because human nature is fallen but it's not acceptable in the church.

Turn over to Philippians. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians chapter 1. Paul is writing to the church at Philippi. He's in prison when he writes. And he says in verse 15, "Some to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy," and that word is coming up in our works of the flesh in a moment, "and strife." They are preaching Christ out of envy and strife, quarreling, contention. Why? Verse 17, "They proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment." You realize how wretched the flesh is that it takes the pure Word of God and the beautiful message of Christ and uses it to promote itself. There were those preaching Jesus Christ while Paul was in prison for the Gospel and their intention in preaching Christ was to make his life more difficult. You say how can you do that? Paul doesn't even go into that. He just says I'm glad Christ gets preached and leaves it with the Lord. But a reminder of how vile and deceitful the flesh is. You need to take the Word of God be preaching the Word of God and the intention is that it is envy, strife, quarreling, desire to make Paul's life more difficult and more miserable.

Come back to Galatians 5. The next word in the list is jealousy. The word "jealousy" basically carries the idea of intense feelings or desires, each used both a good sense and a bad sense in the New Testament this particular word because you can be intensely passionate, desirous of something, in a good sense as well as a bad sense. The context determines meaning. Here it's clearly bad. And on at least three other occasions Paul uses this word in connection with strife, denoting what we would call jealousy. A jealous person is dissatisfied with the way God is dealing with them. They desire what other people have. It eats them up. We use that kind of expression. Being eaten up with jealousy. Why, it just consumes them that other people have things. Why do they get a new car? Why did they get a raise? Jealousy. Why? I'm dissatisfied with what God is doing with me. We will see related ideas a little bit later.

You know, it's a sin we have to be careful of--jealousy. And at the root of it is I'm dissatisfied. I come in parking lot and say Why is everybody driving a new car but me? What kind of church is this? Worldly. What would you rather do go to a church where everybody drove a worse car than you? That makes you feel better. I can't understand that. I'm not going to that church. That's a wealthy church. Well, why wouldn't you come and say praise the Lord look what He's given. I'm so happy that they all have so much. I have hardly anything but it's just a blessing to me to come and see how God can bestow His goodness on people who love Him. No, my flesh wants to react and say . . . Of course, I credit to your worldliness that you have more than me. Well, what? I want to twist it around. I want to make myself spiritual. I don't want to say you know, I'm fleshly, I'm jealous of your new car. I'm jealous of your raise. I'm jealous of your nice house. I'm jealous of fill in the blank. I wouldn't tell you. I have to come out of this spiritual. So we turn it around and we have to be careful of the flesh as we are willingly diluted by the flesh.

Outbursts of anger--the next one in the list. This is basically a person who loses his temper. Now we credit this to a lot of things nowadays. Genes is a good one. And I used to credit to my genes until my own kids and then I told them that was no excuse. Outbursts of anger--a person loses their temper. It's simply a manifestation of the flesh. Now wait you haven't heard my side of the story. You know, no one ever makes me sin. Now people can encourage me in my sin. People can make my sinning easier but no one ever makes me sin. So my outbursts of anger, my losing my temper, is simply what it is--a manifestation of the flesh. And sadly even in the church, we can have people we say you have to be careful what you say. Why? I mean the characteristic of the Spirit at work in a life is patience as we'll see. Well, you know, they can lose it. You mean they sin. Well, you know, they might lose their temper.

I was talking with a pastor in another church and he was going to confront someone in his church. He says I'm taking a man with me. I said that's a good idea. He said well, my real reason for taking him is I'm afraid the person I'm going to talk to will lose control. Oh, you are afraid he's a fleshly person. Probably not a believer. Well, I have to admit I don't know. We need to be careful.

What's it like. What's it like at home. This is a good one for men because men tend toward this sin more than ladies at least as a general rule. At least I had the good sense to marry a woman who was a bit smaller than me, realizing I'm not very big myself. But you know, what's it like at home. Well, you know I have a hard day at work, I have this. Sometimes I lose my temper. It's a work of the flesh. If you're walking by the Spirit, you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. You know, what the solution to losing your temper is--outbursts of anger--walk by the Spirit. Ah, it's easy for you. You don't understand. Well, maybe I don't but I do know what God says and He understands. Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desire of the flesh. Outbursts of anger means you are not walking by the Spirit.

Disputes--and the word "disputes," the root idea, basic idea of this word is selfishness. It becomes associated in meaning with factions or disputes because that's what results from selfishness, selfish ambition. So these are disputes that are a manifestation of my selfishness, my selfish ambition. That brings me into conflict and division with others. Selfishness.

Turn back to Philippians again. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians chapter 1. Remember those who were preaching Christ from selfish ambition in verse 15 of Philippians 1. Then we read in verse 17, "the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition." That's the problem. The factions here driven by self, selfish desires. And they are opposed to Paul. Why? What's he doing? Ministering the pure Word of God. We have conflict. Paul says there are those preaching out of selfish ambition, creating disputes, not over a doctrinal issue in conflict with those who are departing from the Word. This is personal and selfish desire.

Down in chapter 2 verse 3, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind let each esteem others better then himself." You do nothing from selfish, disputes, that contentiousness that comes from a person driven by self. Humility--we'll get to the fruit of the Spirit and see these qualities. The problem is you have people manifesting the flesh. We have to be careful that it doesn't become driving theme.

You know, I'd like to think I'm redeemed. I'm above these things. It can be disheartening when I stop and consider how jealous I can be, how selfish I can be, how easily I can let myself lose it if I want. All these things. The flesh hasn't disappeared. It has been defeated but it has not been annihilated. That's why Paul has to write to believers and say do no nothing from selfishness, the disputes, the selfish ambition that is a manifestation of the flesh. And that includes our ministries.

Come back to Galatians 5. Dissensions. And you see how some of these words have more of an overlap than others. Dissensions--means divisions, disunity. That's a manifestation of the flesh, the conflict. Now you realize Paul's writing this in the last part of a letter that has been a thunder bolt wherein the first chapter he condemned to hell those who were preaching a different gospel, anathema, where he called the Galatians fools. Oh foolish, Galatians, who's put you under a spill. And now he says divisions. Wasn't Paul being divisive? If he hadn't been so hard-hearted. If he hadn't just hit the Galatians in the faith. You know what he did? He said that their practice of circumcision was mutilation and that woe be you talk about editing the tape. He says I'd wish you go ahead and cut it off. How are you ever going to have harmony when you have such a hard-nosed guy like this. And then he writes about the works of the flesh and some of those things are strife, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions. Paul, you ought to read your own letter. Why? Work of the flesh. Defending the truth. Standing for truth. There's not personalities here with Paul. There's not disagreement about the color of the stucco on the house. This is the truth of God that he's standing for and there ought to be passion about that. There is division over truth. But these others things--personal motivation, personalities, differences like he had to deal with the Corinthians. Some say I'm a Peter. Some say I'm a Paul. He says forget it.

So here dissensions. The only other use of this word is Romans chapter 16 verse 17. "Now I urge you brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned and turn away from them." You know who causes dissensions and divisions? Those who would teach contrary to the pure truth of God. They are guilty. You know who were guilty of the dissensions in the churches of Galatia? Not Paul. The Judaizers. Paul's doctrine was correct so he warns the Romans, watch out for the teaching of those who would cause dissensions. They bring the kind of teaching into the Body that divides it because it's not truth. It's not biblical truth.

The next word is related to that back in Galatians. The word "factions" at the end of verse 20. Factions--you know this word. We get the English word "heresies" from it. That's the Greek word "heresy." What does it mean? It's a faction. The word comes from the word to mean "to choose." So a heresy is a choice. A person is made a choice, chosen to oppose biblical truth and thus create a faction or a sect. It's used in good sense in the Bible--the sect of the Pharisees. If it was translated the heresy of the Pharisees, would have some truth to it. But it's used in just a general way of that group that was united around certain teaching. But it comes to have the negative connotation as it does here of a faction or a group that is gathered around that which is contrary to the Word of God.

Paul used it back in 1 Corinthians. Turn back there if you would. First Corinthians 11. Here we go again. We keep going to Corinthians for examples of what you don't want to be. Terrible things to have to tell a church. Verse 17 of 1 Corinthians 11, "In giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse." How'd you like it . . . Paul stand up and say, you know, when you get together on Sunday morning as church, it's for the worse, not the better. Sad thing to have to say but look at verse 18, "For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions." And that Greek word we get the word "schism" from it. "Divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must be factions [heresies] among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you." You know, one thing that the heresies do and the factions that come up even within churches, they serve to sift the church. And they make clear those who are genuine and are committed to truth and willing to stand for the truth. So there must be factions and heresies among you. Disheartening as that is and God allows it to happen to sift the church so that those who pass the test, who are approved, might be more clearly manifest. Good thing for us to be reminded of. We don't want to be part of the heresy. We don't want to be part of a faction. But when they do arise it's an opportunity for me to pass the test, to be approved and manifested as one committed to Christ and His truth regardless.

You could just jot down 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 1, "There will be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies even denying the Lord and Master who bought them." And in Titus chapter 3 verse 10 Paul said, "Reject a factious man [a heretic] after the first and second admonition." The church ought not to mire down with these heresies. You confront a person, try to get them to turn from their heresy to the truth. You confront them again, but I don't have endless time to devote to those who want to divide the church and create their own faction, turn it away from the truth. And there have been those that we have asked to leave because they would not let go of their heresy.

Back to Galatians 5. "Envyings." The beginning of verse 21. And this is a word that would be close in meaning to jealousy in verse 20 although this word is always used negatively. One person noted, "It is the grudging spirit that cannot bear to contemplate someone else's prosperity." It just grates on them anytime someone has something they don't have, seems to be doing so much better than they are doing. It's like a wait--envy. It's like jealousy. It just eats them up. Instead of rejoicing . . . Even though they are just about making it, they are just so thrilled at the blessings of others, the prosperity of others, the good fortune so to speak that God has brought into their lives that they don't begrudge them that. Sure they would like to have a new house, a big house, a car that ran, a job they enjoyed, money to take vacations. But they accept the fact God in His grace is doing in my life what is best for me and in their life what is best for them and even though I don't enjoy those things, and have those things, I can rejoice with them that they do.

You know that is just not natural to my fallen sinful flesh. I quickly grope around for some spiritual reason to justify my envy and putting them down. I say, Gil, why. Why are you so troubled by their blessing? Well, if they were spiritual they had given that money to the building fund. Anybody knows that. I mean you just don't buy a new car when you have building fund. I don't begrudge them a new car. I just want them to be spiritual. Get serious. How do I know what God has moved them to do? Did I do with the building fund what He wanted me to do? Well, if I'd a known they were getting a new car, I would have given less and got one myself.

You know, I got a problem here? Envy. I'm stuck on someone else. Lord, if they are not handling their blessings and prosperity properly, by Your grace work in their life. And Lord, use their prosperity to build me up and help me to learn to appreciate what you are doing in my life in giving to me and not be envious and jealous. It's a work of the flesh. And we need to recognize it as such and deal with it.

The last two go together. These are two vices that someone called intemperate excesses--drunkenness and carousing. And they go together. Drunkenness is drunkenness. We'd today put alcoholism in there. Well, you know, it's a work of the flesh. It's drinking too much. Today we say a person who drinks too much too often is an alcoholic. You know what we do is try to make it something they are not totally responsible for.

You know, you watch the weather channel, you know, where they run it on a bead across the bottom after they tell you about everything else and here's the weather and the time and they'll have all these things. And you know here's a meeting of the wives of sex attics. And you say, a wife of a sex attic. And you know, all these things. And for those who have this kind of addiction, they're meeting here.

You know, there's no doubt sin enslaves. Drink can enslave. The flesh enslaves you. And not everybody gets enslaved in the same way to the same sins. So I'm not minimizing a certain element of truth of what is being said. We just need to recognize what it is. It is sin. And I am indulging in that sin to the point it is consuming me and controlling me. but you know what the solution to it is--redemption in Christ. Well, I am a Christian. Then the solution is even simpler. Verse 16, "Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desire of the flesh." That's why I don't recommend people to alcoholics anonymous. I'm not saying that alcoholics anonymous hasn't helped some people quit practicing this sinful behavior. It hasn't done anything for them ultimately. Your life is always better when you are not practicing sinful behavior. You must understand that you are no closer to heaven. And for a believer you have the provision of God in your life--the Holy Spirit. We come up with all these alternatives. That's why I'm deathly against all these self-help groups and everything else that's proliferating in the church as though sexual sin like homosexuality or infidelity is your problem, we got a self-help group for you in our church. If drinking is your problem, we've got a self-help group for you. If envy is problem, we've got a self-help group for you in our church. If drinking is your problem, we've got a self-help group for you. If envy your problem, we've got a self-help group for you. If spending so much money shopping, we've got shopper alcoholics . . . You know, whatever.

I say what does that do to verse 16 of Galatians 5? It says the Holy Spirit doesn't do anything more for you than the world has. How's the church buy into this. All you got to do is read and say walk by the Spirit. You'll not fulfill the desires of the flesh. You mean, like drunkenness? Yes. Well, I'm not a drunk. I'm an alcoholic. You're a drunk. And whatever else sin. And you know, that's the freedom. That's the liberty because it is a work of the flesh. There's hope. There's redemption. There's freedom. There's new life and there's the ongoing power of the Spirit. I'm not minimizing these sins. Paul is not minimizing them. The strangle hold they get on a life to bring you to almost total despair. That's not bad. By God's grace maybe that will bring you to Christ when you realize the sin consumes you and by His grace you turn from your sin to Christ. You are redeemed.

So, oh, I'm sure I'm a Christian, but I still can't . . . Now wait a minute. The two don't go together. I'm a Christian but I can't . . . No, that's not true. That's a lie. If you are a true believer you have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. You can walk by the Spirit. I'm not saying it will be easy. It is simple. You don't have to go through any of our self-help program. Whatever your sin, we have one solution. Believe in Christ and walk by the Spirit. Now wait you haven't heard my story. Praise the Lord, I don't need to. You don't have to tell it and I don't have to listen to it. Believe in Jesus Christ and walk by the Spirit. You don't know how I was raised. Believe in Jesus Christ and walk by the Spirit. You don't know how my wife . . . Believe in Jesus Christ and walk by the Spirit. But I come from a long line of drunks. Believe in Christ and walk by the Spirit. Isn't that liberating. Praise the Lord for the beauty of what He has done in Jesus Christ.

Let me just wrap it up as Paul does. "Things like these." This is not a complete list. This is a simple. These are the kind of things are what characterize those who are controlled by the flesh. Not everybody does all these things. It's just examples of what the flesh looks like as it manifests itself and its control in a life.

"Of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you." Evidently when Paul was at Galatia and preached the Gospel to them, he told them this very thing. That those who practice sin will have no part in the kingdom of God. You know I find that tremendously encouraging. When Paul went to Galatia he didn't soft peddle the Gospel. He didn't go there with the idea well first we want to break down barriers. We want to create an openness and an atmosphere where we can talk and then on our next missionary journey there will be an openness on more people to hear us. You know what he told them on that first missionary trip? Sin will keep you from the kingdom of God. And those who practice sin are not going into the kingdom. He went and preached sin and salvation. I told you this before. This is a reminder. When was the before? When he was in Galatia.

Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Acts chapter 14 verse 22 before Paul left Galatia he said through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. Jesus told Nicodemus in John's gospel chapter 3 verse 3, "Unless you are born again, you will never see the kingdom." Kingdom is that kingdom Jesus Christ will establish on this earth. All those who have believed in Him will be part of that kingdom. So those who are not part of the kingdom are not saved. They are not going to heaven. Heaven is not equated with the kingdom here but the same truth. They are unsaved. They are lost.

You know what he says here, "Those who practice such things." Present participle. This is the characteristic of their lives. That doesn't mean a Christian can't do these things. Some of these sins showed up in the church at Corinth, the church at Philippi. They need to be dealt with. We're not saying Christians never sin. But if these kinds of things are what characterize your life, you don't belong to Christ, you're not on your way to the kingdom. The issue is clear.

Come back to 1 John 3. First John chapter 3. Again, at the back of your New Testament. First John 3 verse 5, "You know that He [Christ] appeared in order to take away sins." Praise the Lord. The sins we've been talking about. He appeared, He came to earth to take them away. "And in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him." You note the line. Without a horrible twisting of Scripture, the meaning is absolutely clear and simple. The line is between a believer and unbeliever. That doesn't mean a Christian never commits an act of sin but sin is not the practice of his life, present tense.

"Little children let no one deceive you." Don't let anybody bring in any heresies. "The one who practices righteous just as He is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil." Verse 9, "No one who is born of God practices sin." Why? Because His, God's seed, abides in Him. We have become partakers of the divine nature Peter wrote. He cannot sin he's born of God. I can't commit an act of sin? Of course I can. I cannot live a life of sin. I mean, can I go up and grab onto the branch of the tree and swing back and forth? I can. Can I live in the tree like a monkey? No. Can I sin? Yes. Can I live in sin? No.

Well, how do you draw that line? How do you know what's living in sin? How do you know when it's practiced? If you were to the point that that's kind of thing you are trying to sort out in your life, you better get on your knees and say Lord, I think I need saved. If it's that confusing, if there's that much doubt, if the issue of whether you're practicing sin, living in sin is that much in doubt, you better assume you're unsaved. That's why Paul had a right to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 5 and say, Exam yourself. See if you're in the faith. Don't you know that Christ is in you? Unless you don't belong to Him. The Holy Spirit is present in you. Christ is present in you. You ought to see--we are going to look at the fruit of the Spirit in our coming studies--that manifest in your life. Exam yourself. Be honest. You can't deceive God. What's your life like? Not just when you're here on Sunday morning and what you put on for the people. What's it like in your home? Your job? When you're alone? Well, I have to say there's a lot of the flesh there, a lot of the works we talked about, a lot of sin. Well, then, don't deceive yourself. Don't let anybody deceive you. This is a matter of eternal importance. Don't get deceived on this point.

The one who practices righteousness is righteous. The character of God manifests itself. The one who practices sin is of the Devil. We are not talking about the people who are good and the people who are not good, people who are better and people who are not. We are talking about people who have been redeemed by God's grace and people who have not, people who have been cleansed through faith in Christ and those who have not. That's the dividing line. How do you get from the not to the ones who have? You recognize you're a sinner. You turn from that sin and place your faith in Christ alone. And supernaturally, marvelously you are cleansed, you are forgiven, you are made new, you are set free, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in you. Now how do you live? Allowing the Holy Spirit to control and direct and guide my life. As long as I do that I don't do any of the works of the flesh. And when I do a work of the flesh it means I've rebelled against the Spirit's control and exercised my will to have the flesh manifest itself. And it's liberating to know I never should do that and I never have to do that. Let's pray together.

Thank you, God, for Your grace. Thank you for a salvation that is gracious through and through. Thank you for the freedom and liberty we have in Christ. May we see sin as ugly and vile as destructive and ruinness, and Lord, above all as offensive to You, the God who loved us, the One who saved us, the One who's provided His Holy Spirit to control us, to led us. May our lives be testimony of that marvelous saving grace. We pray in Christ's name, amen.