Verse 5:22–23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. The tendency here is to dissect these fruits one by one like we did with the works of the flesh. I could do that [& I might a little], but it misses the point. The works of the flesh are all about division, separation, and the like. The fruit of the spirit … Continue reading →
Looking for freedom? You need the Holy Spirit for that Verse 5:15 If you fight and squabble, be careful that you do not end up consuming one another. This love thing is key. If you let the flesh get involved and you start biting and devouring each other [the terms used in the NASB], you can end up destroying each other. Verse 5:16–17 My instruction is: walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires … Continue reading →
Verse 5:13 My dear family, you were called to freedom; however, do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Here we start getting into the area that has caused so much confusion in the church for the past decades, centuries, and millennia. If we are free from the law, why do we bother to obey its precepts at all? Paul acknowledges that we are free, but we must … Continue reading →
Galatians 5:7–8 You were doing so well until someone talked you out of obeying the truth. This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. We must always be careful who we listen to. Over the years my wife and I have spent countless hours correcting strange beliefs held by immature Christians. Note carefully, I do not see any hint here that Paul is calling these people heathens. What he is saying is that the result … Continue reading →
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Continue reading →Galatians 5:2–3 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. [ESV] This is outside most of our experience. It’s hard for us to fathom that becoming a male Jew … Continue reading →
We are made in the image of God. Creativity is a major part of God’s image. One of the primary attributes of God is His creativity. Even a casual examination of flowers, clouds, trees, mountains, or anything else in His creation will prove to you His immense creativity. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the … Continue reading →
Spiritually cleaning up your work place does not have anything to do with the drek seen from Hollywood. Office help: let’s start with the basics As I ramp up to start producing help for you in your daily work, it strikes me that the most basic things are often forgotten. So, let’s start with something real basic. Gaining spiritual control of your office As we get started on this we need to talk about some basics of … Continue reading →
Maintaining a spiritual sanctuary should be one of your basic Christian skills. Of course, the Holy Spirit enables the sanctuary to work and be safe. Maintaining a spiritual sanctuary helps security in the midst of a war Before we get started on this we need to talk about some basics of warfare. Rest assured, it would be extremely easy to prove to you (if you don’t already know) that the Christian walk is warfare. As a soldier … Continue reading →
Galatians 5:1 The Messiah has truly set us free. Stand fast and stay free, and do not get bound up in slavery again This is a glorious statement to us—Americans who have made freedom the center of our culture. But it is always a struggle because freedom assumes responsibility. Yes, we are free, but we are responsible for our actions. Are we really free before we realize that the basic freedom is to choose the one we … Continue reading →