GALATIANS 5
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
– Galatians 5:16-26
GALATIANS 5 IF YOU WALK BY THE SPIRIT
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
If you haven’t starved your flesh you’ll struggle with sin
Because the desires of the flesh are against God’s spirit
You will be unable to please God since you will prioritize yourself
If you walk by the Spirit of the Lord, you will crucify your desires
Serve the Lord your God alone and you will bear fruit of the Spirit
You will overcome evil if you obey the Lord and follow his will.
In this letter, Paul differentiates what it would look like if you live under law or if you live under grace. He says that they are opposed to each other. One of them is to give God all the glory and the other one is to give oneself praise. To walk in the Spirit is to manifest his fruit which he mentions in verses 22-23. Paul says that against them, there is no law. In other words, Paul is saying that it is not fabricated by the work of a man to be good or follow the rules. It is the result of the work of the Spirit that we are able to give evidence to God’s work in our hearts. In verse 18, he says that if you walk in the Spirit, you are not bound by the law, but by God’s grace and mercy. It is not your work but God’s.
REFLECTION
· Why is it impossible to walk in the Spirit if you haven’t repented of your sins?
