Study of Galatians Part 17 - Galatians 5:14-21

Last week, we heard of the freedom that we have in Christ, allowing us not to be wrapped up just in ourselves, but enabled, through the Holy Spirit, to serve others in Christ’s love. This is a struggle, though, as we heard, between the new person we are in Jesus and our old sinful nature, which still troubles us. Paul encourages the Galatians (and us) to “walk by the Spirit” and not “by the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). There are good things we really want to do in following Christ, but the desires of the flesh are opposed to these good things. That is the battle we now face, as Christians (Galatians 5:17).

Paul reassured the Galatians and us, though, that if we “are led by the Spirit,” with faith in Christ, we are “not under the law,” in the sense that we must keep that law to earn God’s grace and be saved (Galatians 5:18). The law still serves its purposes, though, in reminding us of what is right and wrong and showing us where we may be going wrong and calling us to repentance.

Galatians 5:19-21 describes sinful “works of the flesh” for us. Paul says that they are “evident” - open to the eyes of people, in showing what these sinful cravings are. Paul groups them in categories, according to some commentators, including Lenski.

The first three are “sexual” sins, which were a serious problem for Greek and Roman cultures, including those in Galatia, because of very low sexual moral standards of that time - which we seem to be getting back into in our own day. The first is the term for all kinds of sexual sin, for the married and the unmarried. We get our English words “porn” and “pornography” from this word. The second word is “uncleanness” - not just specific sexual sins but what also leads to them. The third word has the idea of having all restraints removed, “plunging on as a runaway horse,” with no limits or controls on oneself (Galatians 5:19). Our sinful nature wants to do what it wants to do, not what what others think or say.

The next two words have to do with worshiping of false gods or gods of our own making. The first word is the word from which we get the English word “idolatry.” It does make a difference what or whom we worship. There is only one true God, and the Triune God alone is to be worshiped. The second word is the word from which we get the English word “pharmacy.” This does not refer to the work of modern medicine with genuine, approved pharmaceutical products; but in the ancient world, drugs and other potions were often used for “sorcery” and other secret pagan religious rites, connected with idolatry. Even today, don’t we also have much use of illegal drugs and pills and potions that can be harmful and even deadly to us (Galatians 5:20)?

The next four words refer to personal, individual animosity and conflict we can have with others. The first word is “enmity” - personal dislike and hatred toward others. That can quickly lead to the second word, “strife” and “struggling” with others, motivated by things like the third word, “jealousy” toward others. That can also result in the fourth word, “fits of anger” that we direct toward others (Galatians 5:20).

The next four words refer to conflict that also develops between parties or groups of people. People begin to take sides, in support of some and in opposition to others. This leads to “rivalries” among people and “dissensions” and can even lead to “divisions.” This third word is the word from which we get the English word “heresies," for some divisions can become so serious that some groups go away from the truth and reject it in their lives and beliefs. (Paul used the same word in 1 Corinthians 11:19, saying that such “factionalism” can ultimately show who is correct and who is not, according to the Word of God.) Such divisions are not what God wants, though, and often flow from the fourth word, “envy” even among various groups. The divisions created by the false teachers at Galatia are particularly what Paul is talking about in referring to these particular works of the sinful flesh. They had created so many problems and much confusion among the Galatians (Galatians 5:20-21).

Paul added two more works of the flesh: “drunkenness” and “orgies” (carousing and revelry that gets far out of hand and becomes immoral). He also indicated that he could add many other examples of “works of the flesh,” too (Galatians 5:21). You can find lists of “works of the flesh,” the sinful nature, in Scriptures such as Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:3-5, Colossians 3:5ff., 1 Timothy 1:8-10, Revelation 22:15, etc. Paul also added the solemn words, “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21).

When we hear those last words, it might seem that there is no hope for any of us. Don’t we all sometimes have “fits of anger” and “strife” and “jealousy and envy,” etc.? We still sin, at times, because we are still in the struggle between the Spirit and the flesh,” as long as we are in this sinful world.

A better translation of Galatians 3:21 is that we are in danger if we “keep on doing such things,” without remorse or concern or seeking God’s forgiveness and His help to do better. These lists show that we are sinners and drive us back, as Christians, to our Savior and the forgiveness and acceptance that come only through faith in Him. We will inherit the Kingdom of God not by getting everything right, but by clinging to our perfect Savior Jesus and His mercy for us. We will talk about this more next week and as we think about “the fruit of the Spirit.”

One last thought. What Paul talked about in Galatians 5:15 is a danger when the “works of the flesh” get control of us at times, even in churches and families and other groups. We can ”bite and devour one another” when “strife, jealousy, rivalries, dissensions and envy” get the best of us. May the Lord help and forgive us and give us greater love and service to each other, when these difficult times come, as they did at Galatia and as they still can today.