In The Word
Read Galatians 5:2-24
2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. 12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice 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 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Have you ever been in a situation where everything was going well because you were living in God’s will, but then someone told you something that you listened to and it put you on a wrong path? This seems to have happened to the Galatians because Paul told them, “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough” (Galatians 5:7-9). Paul had shared God’s truth with them; they listened, put his words into practice, and their lives displayed faith and the fruit of the Spirit. But apparently some other teachers with ungodly motives came along and influenced the Galatians to go back to traditions and old ways of behavior.
We must be careful whom we listen to, measure every word of advice or teaching we receive against God’s Word, and, in prayer, listen to the Holy Spirit to make sure that we are not led astray from God by someone’s words. Someone’s advice may appeal to our flesh, which is the problem because our flesh desires a path away from God and will lead us into the destructive behaviors detailed in Galatians 5:19-21. But when we follow God’s Word, the wonderful fruit of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 will become real in our lives. Following God will take crucifying the flesh by telling it, “No!” and being careful to only listen to godly friends and teachers.