Lesson 62
November 3, 2002
Review:
Back to Gal.
5:15 The Result of a lack of
Love
But if you bite and devour one
another, take care lest you be consumed by one another.
If since
this is a 1cc Paul assumes
the reality of the condition he details here.
Then a Strong Warning!
take care lest you be consumed by
one another.
Summary 5:15
1. A church
which tolerates or promotes legalism or even the opposite extreme of
antinomianism, (no standards at all) will deteriorate into veritable jungle.
2. One
"animal" attacks another verbally for not living up to their
particular false system of legalistic standards.
3. Legalism
like the law does nothing to restrain sin, here the sins of the tongue, and
gives rise often to illegitimate boasting.
4. The
gossiper and maligner operating under a cloak of human good and
self-righteousness will destroy a local church if they go unchecked.
5. What was
occurring in these churches was a far cry from what Paul has been teaching to
this point that should characterize the relationships within the local
assembly.
- vs:6
faith working through love
- vs:13
through love keep serving one another
- vs:14
you shall love your neighbor as
yourself.
6. The
solution to their situation is found only through true spirituality. That is making order out of chaos by living
life according to the Spirit.
Gal 5:16
- 26 Since we are in the Spirit as
believers we are to walk by the Spirit
Intro:
Here we find once again the central importance of the Holy
Spirit in our life as believers.
5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you
will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Here
is the antidote to the rulership of the Sin nature!
Focus
of the phrase is the normal Christian life,
being empowered by the Holy Spirit
Then Paul makes a most profound statement:
and you will not carry out
the desire of the flesh.
Point is Paul has drawn absolutes here, your either walking by the Spirit or your dominated
by your OSN.
Note: some
passages that give us a handle on the sin nature, the lust of the flesh, and its impact on the life of the believer if
not dealt with by walking by the Spirit!
- 1 Pet.
1:14
- 1 Pet. 4:1-3
- 2 Pet 2:18
- Eph. 4:22
- Rom. 6:12
- Titus 3:3
- 2 Tim 3:6