Galatians 5: 13-26 WOW!

I wish I could reproduce whole sections of my commentary today.  What awesome words!

 

God, through the Holy Spirit, works in us to free us from ourselves and the tyranny of our sinful natures.  “What God the Father planned for you, and God the Son purchased for you on the cross, God the Spirit personalizes for you and applies to your life as you yield to Him … The Spirit frees us from the power of sin in our daily lives.”  God substitutes love in the heart for the laws and threats that were there under the law.  The Holy Spirit within us gives us the love that we need, and obeying out of love is always easier than obeying out of fear.

 

Paul did not mean the body when he spoke of the flesh (the old nature), my commentary said.  “The human body is not sinful; it is neutral.  If the Holy Spirit controls the body, then we walk in the Spirit; but if the flesh controls the body, then we walk in the lusts (desires) of the flesh.  The Spirit and the flesh have different appetites, and this is what creates the conflict … The solution is not to pit our will against the flesh (the old nature), but to surrender our will to the Holy Spirit.”

 

It’s very important to understand that when Paul says the person who practices these sins shall not inherit the kingdom of God, he’s not talking about an act of sin, but a habit of sin, my commentary noted. 

 

“He tells us that the flesh (the old nature) has already been crucified.  It is our responsibility to believe this and act on it … We must accept what God says about the old nature and not try to make it something that it is not.  We must not make provision for the flesh (the old nature) by feeding it the things that it enjoys.”

 

“In short, the secret is the Holy Spirit.  He alone can give us that fifth freedom – freedom from sin and self.  He enables us to fulfill the law of love, to overcome the flesh, and to bear fruit.”

 

Father, I so needed a fresh look at the Holy Spirit and a reminder of how He energizes and empowers my life.  Keep this constantly before me, that I may always remember the difference He makes between my old nature and my new life in You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford