Paul Details the Works of the Flesh to the Galatians
Galatians
5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you
before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. KJV
Immediately Paul now contrasts being led by God the
Holy Spirit to the “works of the flesh” that is the result of a believer not
being led by God the Holy Spirit. The believer in Jesus Christ can operate in
the “works of the flesh” and everyone born of the Spirit of God surely has
recognized this reality in their own personal walk with our Lord Jesus Christ.
However, the truly regenerated believer cannot make the “works of the flesh”
his or her habitual or usual way of living because we have the “seed” or
“sperm” of God “in us” as declared by the Apostle John with these words, “No
one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices
sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the Divine sperm,
remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is
born (begotten) of God.” (1 John
3:9). On the contrary, the unregenerate man or woman is bound only to their
nature received from Adam (1 Corinthians
2:14) and can only practice the “works of the flesh” at all times as the
Apostle John also declares with these words, “[But] he who commits sin [who
practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one],
for the devil has sinned (violated the Divine law) from the beginning. The
reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen,
and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].” (1 John 3:8). The English word flesh Paul uses is translated by the Greek word sarx which means in this usage the human nature of man inherited from the first man Adam due to his disobedience making all of mankind after him “born sinners”; man’s human nature with its frailties, feebleness, built in infirmity, and moral weakness. It was our Lord Jesus Himself who detailed for us the condition of man’s heart (absent His Presence and Control) with these words, “And He said, What comes out of a man is what makes a man unclean {and} renders [him] unhallowed. For from within, [that is] out of the hearts of men, come base {and} wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, Coveting (a greedy desire to have more wealth), dangerous {and} destructive wickedness, deceit; unrestrained (indecent) conduct; an evil eye (envy), slander (evil speaking, malicious misrepresentation, abusiveness), pride (the sin of an uplifted heart against God and man), foolishness (folly, lack of sense, recklessness, thoughtlessness). All these evil [purposes and desires] come from within, and they make the man unclean {and} render him unhallowed.” (Mark 7:20-23).
If we examine this list that our Lord Jesus spoke of to what Paul has listed here, we see practically all the same sins being documented. It is the heart of man that is sick and out of it flows these things that are disgusting, deplorable, and despicable to God (Jeremiah 17:9). The sins that the Apostle Paul list for the Galatians and for us here can be separated into three (3) distinct categories sensual sins, spiritual sins, and societal sins. The sensual sins are the sexual acts, actions, and activities that are opposed to or completely opposite of the “will of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8). All sensual sexual sins whether they be in the mind or acted out through the human body that is outside of marriage between one man and one woman is against the “will of God” and the writer of Hebrews puts it for us in this manner, “Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept un-dishonored); for God will judge {and} punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4).
The spiritual sins which are idolatry and witchcraft result in the deifying of things or other people rather than the One True God. Idolatry is the worship of anything or person rather than God. Witchcraft is the practice of Satanic worship that brings a person into contact with the demonic world and it is that which is repulsive to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as Moses documented for us when he wrote this, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).
The societal sins are those thoughts and actions that can and do cause injury, harm, and even death to other human beings as listed here by Paul, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, they can all lead to the most anti-social behavior any society can witness. Notice that Paul concludes his list at the end with “such like” and the English word like is translated by the Greek word homoios meaning others similar in appearance and character or in like manner. In other words Paul has just given us a small sample of the depths of sinful works that pour out of the heart of man. Paul also declares these “works of the flesh” to be manifest and this English word is translated by the Greek word phaneros which means they are apparent, they shine forth, they are public, and they are external as they come forth from the heart or inner man. The heart of a man cannot but bring forth what it is full of at the time.
Paul brings this list to these Galatians and to us as a warning and a red flag tying into what he said to them with these words, “But if you bite and devour one another [in partisan strife], be careful that you [and your whole fellowship] are not consumed by one another.” (Galatians 5:15). Paul’s warning is clear and without vague or obscure language when he declares to them and to us finally with these words, “I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:21). The English phrase “they which do” is translated by the Greek word prasso which is a primary verb that means to practice or perform repeatedly or habitually, which is in contrast to the Greek word poieō for occasional doing. This is likewise in agreement and accord with exactly what the Apostle John wrote in his epistle in 1 John 3:8-10.
The believer can get into the “works of the flesh”, but if he or she stays in them too long defying the chastening hand of our Heavenly Father (Hebrews 12:4-13), then just as an earthly Father would go outside and get his son who kept disobeying while playing at his friend’s house and take him home for being a disgrace and disappointment to the Father in public, even in a similar way our Heavenly Father will remove His son or daughter that continues to sin against Him in rebellion not heeding His corrective discipline as described by the Apostle John with these words, “If anyone sees his brother [believer] committing a sin that does not [lead to] death (the extinguishing of life), he will pray and [God] will give him life [yes, He will grant life to all those whose sin is not one leading to death]. There is a sin [that leads] to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin which does not [involve] death [that may be repented of and forgiven].” (1 John 5:16-17).
My own Personal Note: The “works of the flesh” Paul enumerates for us are all and always committed against God, but also they are committed against our fellow human beings, and finally against ourselves. Our fallen nature (which each and every son and daughter of Adam inherits) is our number one enemy. Even if the world and the devil could be removed right now, man would still have a problem with sin because of our fallen nature. This is a fact that many people are not aware of, do not understand, or do not believe.
“The law cannot change or control the old nature. The old nature must be crucified. He does not tell us to crucify ourselves, because this is impossible. (Crucifixion is one death a man cannot inflict upon himself). He tells us the flesh has already been crucified. It is our responsibility to believe this and act on it.” Warren Wiersbe
“The Holy Spirit brings influences to bear which act upon the germs of sin, as a disinfectant upon the germs of disease. If we yield ourselves to these influences, and are filled with the Spirit of Jesus, we shall be delivered from the self-life, which the Apostle describes as the flesh. As Jesus is more and more formed in us, the new flower and fruitage of the risen life will appear, while the corrupt works of the flesh will shrink and drop away.” F. B. Meyer
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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