Galatians 5:26

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Galatians 5:26

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26 Let us [ginomai] not [me] be [ginomai] desirous of vain glory [kenodoxos], provoking [prokaleomai] one another [allelon], envying [phthoneo] one another [allelon].  KJV-Interlinear

26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.   NASB

One of the biggest failures in human personality is the tendency to become petty, making mountains out of molehills, making huge issues over little nothings.  Unreasonable expectations, inordinate ambitions, inordinate competitions lead to gossip and maligning and all manner of social disorder.

Empty glory or vanity, provoking or challenging or bullying, envy or jealousy, all of these arise out of a weak huge foundation of a dysfunctional life.

And when society is filled with this type of behavior, then younger generations become more and more violent, while older generations with their pettiness can’t figure it out.

With everyone stuck deep in their opinions, truth is squeezed out and something like insanity becomes the norm, and stupid becomes reasonable, and reason becomes unreasonable.

Here, the Galatians were arguing over circumcision, of all things.  A nothing topic that should be obvious to all that it does not apply to all.  Something that applies to only one segment of a population, and in this case men only, cannot possibly be a prerequisite for something like salvation, which does affect all people, male and female.

Any measure of human works or human good, cannot possibly be applied fairly and evenly across all peoples, because people have sin natures and people will inevitably fail at everything sooner or later.

Thus, the Law which Moses put into writing, is not the textbook of human life or human behavior, but written proof that people cannot live up to the standards of the Law, and thus need a higher law, namely Christ, who can obtain perfection in our behalf, because we cannot.

Therefore, faith is the only thing that apples fairly to all, requiring no human effort, and establishing no human credit for something that they did not and cannot do.

The only way to avoid this petty behavioral trap is to obey Gods mandates.

Believe in Christ first, in order to be saved, and then after salvation, then live your life, for the rest of your life, in fellowship by means of confession of your sins, and function within your life by means of doctrine which you must learn through a daily bible study.

Galatians 5:25

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Galatians 5:25

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25 If [ei] we live [zao] in the Spirit [pneuma], let us [stoicheo] also [kai] walk [stoicheo] in the Spirit [pneuma].   KJV-Interlinear

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  NASB

There are two aspects of your spiritual life.  Most people know of only the salvation aspect, but unfortunately most are not familiar with the daily life and spiritual growth aspect.  Thus they fail without realizing it.

Salvation takes but a single moment when you believe in Christ.  Once saved, you enter into the second part of your spiritual life, which goes on for the rest of your life.

To be saved, you simply believe in Christ.  ‘Father, I believe in Jesus Christ.’  A simple thought directed at God the Father.  And that completes your salvation.

The spiritual life aspect runs day after day for the rest of your life.  Your spiritual life is the growth aspect of your life wherein you learn and understand and thus grow up to spiritual maturity.  And this is done while living in fellowship.

Fellowship is where you reside, symbolically, when you confess your sins.

When you sin, you are out of fellowship.  When you confess, you are in fellowship.

Confession is directed to God the Father, ‘Father I did this and that and this and that,’ as you list your sins to Him. You do this as often as is necessary from day to day.  Once a sin is named then you forget it and move on.  You do not list the same sin repeatedly unless of course you are committing it over and over.

Living in fellowship, is the same as living in the spirit.

Walking in the spirit, is the day to day, moment to moment function of your life while you are in fellowship.

And not only do you get up and go to bed, get dressed and go to work and come home and eat and watch television and on and on, but also, you are to engage in a daily bible study so that you can learn bible doctrine and learn what it is that God expects of you.  In this, you grow up in your spiritual life with the goal of advancing to spiritual maturity.

While in fellowship, you study and learn and understand and learn some more and understand some more.  The bible doctrine that you learn becomes the building material for the inner structure of your soul, your temple, your fortress, your mansion so to speak.  Your activities of life become your spiritual production, which is the finish work of the construction within your soul.  That finish work, turns into spiritual muscle, which in turn develops your faith, and that in turn results in your spiritual power or maturity.

All of this leads to your qualification for greater rewards for eternity, which rewards you receive when you stand before Christ and receive your spiritual evaluation.

Those people who do not pursue their spiritual life, receive a poor evaluation and little if any reward.  Those who pursue their spiritual life as God has designed it, receive a great evaluation and a great reward for eternity.

Your spiritual growth brings stability, insight, knowledge, wisdom, happiness, a relaxed attitude, patience, discernment and much, much more into your life.

The lack of a functioning spiritual life, brings instability, ignorance, misery, discontentment and so forth.

There are great advantages and reasons for living your life in fellowship and pursuing your spiritual life.

To do otherwise, brings only a failed spiritual life.

Believers receive blessings that are infinitely greater than what unbelievers will have.  Heaven vs. the Lake of Fire.

Spiritually mature believers will receive blessings and rewards that are infinitely greater than what immature believers will receive.

Therefore the smart person will pursue their spiritual life, while the fool will ignore it.

Galatians 5:24

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Galatians 5:24

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24 And [de] they that are [ho] Christ's [Christos] have crucified [stauroo] the flesh [sarx] with [sun] the affections [pathema] and [kai] lusts [epithumia].   KJV-Interlinear

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  NASB

The single thought, ‘Father, I believe in Jesus Christ,’ is how you are saved, and simultaneously entered into the family of God.  Belonging to Christ, is a phrase that identifies all Christians, or all people who have believed in Christ. 

At the very moment that you believed, your entire life was transformed as many, many things occurred in your favor.  Even though you did not realize it at the time, and probably still do not fully understand all of the changes, God in His infinite wisdom and power and plan, caused changes, in and for you, that will never be taken away from you.

And here is one of those changes.

The flesh, or the power of the carnal life, or as it is more often called, the sin nature, which had total and complete control over your life as an unbeliever, no longer has that control.

The destiny of the sin nature is eternal condemnation.  That destiny, in Christ, is now gone, cancelled, removed forever from you, and now you have eternal life, or life with God in heaven forever.

The crucifixion of the flesh is a phrase that means that you are now free from the chains with which it once had hold over you.

As an unbeliever, you are unsaved and lost to the Lake of Fire forever, which is a life separated from God and therefore separated from the only one who can hold life and all that exists, together.  You as a person cannot hold anything together, and certainly not this planet or this universe.  Only God can do that.  And when you are turned loose in the hereafter, without God, then you will be totally on your own and alone and helpless and powerless, and terror, extreme terror and worse, will be your only companion.

But as a believer in Christ, that fearful future is no longer a threat.  Eternal life with God in heaven where all things are really good and better, is far more preferable.

But there is much, much more to this.

The flesh or the sin nature, is the environment of living your life outside of Gods will.

The spirit, or the spiritual life, is the environment of living your life inside of Gods will.

In the sin nature you gain nothing.  In the spirit, you gain everything and more.

The affections and lusts, refer to all of the passions and desires and drives of the sin nature, but more than that, it speaks of the ultimate outcome of those drives, which is a failed life.

This does not mean that you cannot turn back to this lifestyle and ruin your own life.  For you certainly can do that.  That is where confession and your daily study and the development of your spiritual life, or lack of it, come into play.

But, what you cannot do, is destroy your salvation, or undo it as though it never occurred.

Once saved, always saved.  And no matter how much of a worthless person you try to be in life, your salvation will always be there.

Jesus Christ went to the Cross to pay the penalty of sin and death, and that has been accomplished.  Paid in full.  No one and nothing can re-issue a debt or another debt for sin.  It was paid off.

And so too, when you believed in Christ, then you in effect received a receipt for that paid debt and now you are no longer obligated for the repercussions of sin and death.  You in effect crucified, or obliterated, that debt with regard to your life through your faith in Christ.

So, do not live under the rules of the sin nature, but live under the rules of the spirit, because the sin nature gives you nothing, while the spirit gives you everything.

And living under the rules of the spirit is very simple.  Confess to obtain the fellowship sphere of life and study and learn and use doctrine every moment of every day of your life.

Galatians 5:23

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Galatians 5:23

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23 Meekness [praotes], temperance [egkrateia]: against [kata] such [toioutos] there is [esti] no [ou] law [nomos].  KJV-Interlinear

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  NASB

Some try to explain that the Law applied to only the Old Testament times as their way of life and that we of the New Testament times live by Christ, and both terms are typically used in ambiguous ways.  Meaning that anyone who promotes this concept hasn’t a clue as to what they are talking about.

The Law does not apply to the policy of grace, or to any aspect of the spiritual life.  The Law, and we are referring to the Mosaic Law, only applies to the works of man, because by the Law, no person can live the perfect life, and therefore all die, by it.

The Law is filled with innumerable barriers and pitfalls.  Man is incapable of fulfilling the Law.

And that was the purpose of the Law in the first place.  No one can live by it, and therefore the sacrifices demonstrated that another, a savior, was required in order to provide the salvation that man could not accomplish on his own.  This savior principle applies to all of humanity.

The production of the law amounts to empty and false values.  While the production of the spirit, which is not mans works, amounts to intrinsic value that lasts forever.

The final two examples of the production of the spirit are meekness or humility, and temperance, or self-control or tolerance or patience.

In the spiritual life, as defined and designed by God, there is no condemnation, only salvation and much, much more.

In the carnal life, there is only condemnation and loss.

The carnal life is fueled by arrogance and can get no better than the corruption and decay of the earth.

The spiritual life is fueled by Christ or doctrine, revealed and sustained by the Holy Spirit, and the Father authored and designed it all.  The spiritual life is one-hundred percent the work of God and none from man.

To live in and obtain the benefit of the spiritual life, you have to genuinely want it, and then submit yourself to learning it, and then living it.  And that takes a daily commitment to pursue a daily study every day for the rest of your life.  And for that, the rewards for all of eternity are beyond imagination.

Galatians 5:22

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Galatians 5:22

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22 But [de] the fruit [karpos] of the Spirit [pneuma] is [esti] love [agape], joy [chara], peace [eirene], longsuffering [makrothumia], gentleness [chrestotes], goodness [agathosune], faith [pistis],  KJV-Interlinear

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  NASB

The fruit of the spirit, is the spiritual production that you have when you are, in fellowship. The fruit of the flesh is the carnal production that you have when you are, not in fellowship.  Most people live their lives, out of fellowship, and therefore most human production is carnal and not spiritual.

You get credit for spiritual production as far as your spiritual life goes.  You never get credit for carnal production.

Gold, silver and precious stones, are the typical references for spiritual production.  Wood, hay and stubble refer to carnal production, or production of the flesh.

When you get to heaven and stand before Christ, a special fire will burn away all flesh production and only spiritual production will remain.  Such that only the spiritual production will remain for credit for eternal reward.

If you do good, while out of fellowship, that is carnal production and useless.  If you do anything while in fellowship, then you get credit for all that you do while in fellowship.

But as we have already seen, all works of the flesh are transgressions, or evil, or corruption, based on arrogance and human effort.  God does not recognize human effort.

Spiritual production, or the fruit of the spirit, begins with knowledge of doctrine, ‘agape,’ which is the content of the scriptures, that you must learn and assimilate into your soul.

And this continues with joy, or a calm delight.

And peace, or a relaxed mental attitude.

And longsuffering, which is patience.

And gentleness, which is charity.

And goodness, which is virtue.

And faith, which is certainty and confidence.

Galatians 5:21

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Galatians 5:21

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21 Envyings [phthonos], murders [phonos], drunkenness [methe], revellings [komos], and [kai] such [toutois] like [homoios]: of the which [hos] I tell [prolego] you [humin] before [prolego], as [kathos] I have [proepo] also [kai] told you in time past [proepo], that [hoti] they which do [prasso] such things [toioutos] shall [kleronomeo] not [ou] inherit [kleronomeo] the kingdom [basileia] of God [theos].  KJV-Interlinear

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 shall not inherit the kingdom of God.   NASB

If man cannot live by the Law, then man must die by that Law.  The study in Galatians pits the works of man against faith.  Since man in incapable of fulfilling the works as set forth in the Law of Moses, then another answer is needed in order to escape the terror of the Lake of Fire.

The overall subject is salvation.  What is required in order to gain salvation?

Is it works, or mans efforts that gain him salvation, or is it something else? And if works, then what does that really entail?

And here Paul has been itemizing the real production of the efforts of mans fleshy efforts in life.  They come from all categories of sin and nothing more.  And if anyone maintains that his efforts are good enough, then the inheritance that God offers will never be received.

Here, the third category list is continued from the previous verse with envying and murders, both of which seek harm to others.  Envying includes jealousy, and gossip, while murder seeks a more permanent end to ones victims or targets of ones hatred.

The fourth category includes sins of excess.

Drunkenness, includes any escape from reality through alcohol or drugs or even eating in excess.  One can also become drunk with an intense focus on daily activities, wherein you block out any and all responsibilities of life, as God defines responsibilities.

Reveling, speaks to partying or socializing or entertainment, as ones escape from reality, wherein any and all spiritual considerations are ignored.

And so, when faith is excluded, and all human efforts are focused on within ones life, the salvation is lost or missed, and ones destiny, which should have been an inheritance in eternity with God, will also be lost.

You cannot take that which God gives.  You cannot work for that which God has already done the work.

You cannot add to Gods work, or take away from Gods work. You cannot add to Gods plan, or take away from Gods plan.

Gods plan calls for only one thing from you, as far as salvation is concerned, and after that as far as spiritual growth is concerned, and that one thing is faith.

Any and all human effort, any and all human good, any and all human plans are all false, void of substance, illegitimate, and really nothing more than an application of this long list of sins and transgressions just listed in these three verses.

Your sincerity or opinion is as worthless as these.

Galatians 5:20

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Galatians 5:20

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20 Idolatry [eidololatreia], witchcraft [pharmakeia], hatred [echthra], variance [eris], emulations [zelos], wrath [thumos], strife [eritheia], seditions [dichostasia], heresies [hairesis],  KJV-Interlinear

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,  NASB

Continuing the study in Galatians where works are set against faith.  As we have noted, the Mosaic Law as set out in the Old Testament was set out to prove that man could not live by that Law.  And if man cannot live by the Law, then man must die by that Law, which means that the Law in its entirety was set forth in order to condemn man and demonstrate that man needs something and someone better, in order to retain life.

Paul continues the example list of works of the flesh, or of the carnal life that we have been studying.  He places these sins in four categories.  The second and third categories are listed here in this verse, and are those of irreligion and malignity.

The first two, idolatry and witchcraft, have to do with false religions.

The next describe characteristics of malignity or that of intense hatred and the desire to do harm.

False religions include anything that is established as a priority over ones life, replacing God and doctrine as the priority.

Remember that religions in general are those belief systems that elevate man or mans efforts, to a place equal with God, such that God will accept man as His equal or better, as a result of mans efforts.  In religion man is able to define his own path to the divine level and beyond.

False religion includes all religions, obviously, but it also includes all attitudes that disregard God, or reject God, as well as all attitudes toward do-gooder, or self-made, or human effort or hustle, as well as human defined self-righteousness or eliteness, or self-appointed destinies.

False religion includes all attitudes that disregard God, Christ, and the scriptures, and especially the mandates of God that are set out in the scriptures.

Idolatry has to do with any and all worship or pursuit of false objectives that promise contentment, completeness, happiness or some sense of security in ones life.  Be that a stone idol, or the pursuit of secular things, or the idea of ancestral influence in ones life or destiny, and so forth. Idolatry looks to things outside of oneself, that somehow are seen to complete oneself or give one an advantage of some sort, for life.

Witchcraft or sorcery, look to the supernatural through satanic methods, in order to gain access to the beyond life or spiritual realm.  And given that satan is the father of lies and deception, then all sorcery is a lie and a deception.  Whether it is demon worship or zodiac analysis, the same end of gaining some spiritual advantage by some supernatural or secret code, is all a false pursuit.

Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship, totally dependent on Gods work, whereby man receives the benefit of Gods work, through grace, as a gift from God to man.  Mans efforts, human good, works, and so forth are rejected within the entire plan of God.  Man can earn nothing, man can deserve nothing.  Only God does the work of life, of salvation, of everything.  Only God deserves credit and receives all the credit for all that He does.

In Christianity, man depends and lives on faith, and not on luck or magic, or even science.

The next several words denote antagonisms against others that wish harm against others for selfish reasons.

Hatred is the hostility of anger. 

Variance is the quarrelling or arguing or debate aspect. 

Emulation is the jealousy or the indignation or the heat of emotions in this regard. 

Wrath describes the heavy breathing or passion or fierceness. 

Strife describes the contensciouness or discord of annoyance. 

Seditious describes the division or dissention or disunion or rebelliousness of breaking up or apart. 

Heresies describe the profanities in the form of lies that are expressed and superimposed in place of truths.  This can include anything from abusive laws or political views to rigid attitudes on clothing or makeup or social norms.

Galatians 5:19

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Galatians 5:19

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19 Now [de] the works [ergon] of the flesh [sarx] are [esti] manifest [phaneros], which [hostis] are [esti] these; Adultery [moicheia], fornication [porneia], uncleanness [akatharsia], lasciviousness [aselgeia],  KJV-Interlinear

19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,  NASB

Paul begins an example list of works of the flesh, or of the carnal life that we have been studying.  He places these sins in four categories.  The first group listed here, are related to sins of chastity.

The works of the flesh are those things that are natural productions or tendencies of the carnal life.

The first activity listed here, adultery, represents the unfaithfulness that one displays toward that to which one has dedicated ones life.  The typical example is in the violation of the marriage vows, but it is not restricted to marital infidelity.  It includes the unfaithfulness of one spouse in refusing or withholding marital relations with their spouse.  It includes the refusal of normal interactions that are expected between spouses.  But also, since marriage in life is a symbolism of the relations that we have with God, through Christ and doctrine, then when one refuses doctrine, or seeks out other forms of philosophy, or seeks out other forms of spirituality, then one is in effect cheating on God.

Fornication is the act of interaction with something or somone with whom you should not be  having relations.  Typically this is thought of in terms of sexual relations, but again, the symbolisms of failure in the spiritual life, portray ones relations with non-spiritual activity, or any activity conducted outside of the fellowship sphere.

Uncleanness, indicates a much wider range of sinful activities, indulgencies, or lusts, or non-spiritual priorities.

Lasciviousness, points to reckless activities, lusts, drives, activities that lack boundaries, morals, or concern for anyone other than ones own self.

Galatians 5:18

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Galatians 5:18

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18 But [de] if [ei] ye be led [ago] of the Spirit [pneuma], ye are [este] not [ou] under [hupo] the law [nomos].  KJV-Interlinear

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.  NASB

There are two and only two spheres of influence that run or control your life.  The first is the sin nature by which your carnal life functions, and the second is the Holy Spirit under which your spiritual life is guided and controlled and functions.

You are under the control of one or the other, never both at the same time.

When you, as a believer, confess your sins, God forgives you those sins and restores you back into fellowship, 1 Jn. 1:9.

When you commit a sin, then you are of course knocked out of fellowship.

When you are out of fellowship, you are ruled by the sin nature within you.

When you are in fellowship, then you are ruled by the Holy Spirit.

You cannot feel or detect, or measure the presence or affect that either has on you.  You cannot sense the sin nature, nor can you sense the Holy Spirit.  Despite what some holy-rollers try to fake.

When you were saved, then at that very moment of your initial belief in Christ, all three members of the trinity came into and dwell in you.  They will remain in you forever.  You cannot feel their presence.  You cannot measure their presence.  You cannot detect their presence.

Even before you were saved, you were born into this world with the sin nature in you.  And again, you cannot feel it, measure it, or detect it in any way.  But the sin nature is the mechanism that brings deterioration and corruption into your body and life.

But unlike the spiritual side of life, the sin nature is restricted to your physical body, and will leave you, when you die.  The body remains behind to disintegrate back into the dust of the earth.   The soul, on the other hand, goes off to heaven and will one day be united with a new permanent body, your resurrection body, which will not have the sin nature in it.

But while you are alive in this world, you have to live with what you have, and learn to control which sphere in which you will live your life.  That control is through confession.

In the carnal life, your sin nature has control of your life.  You never really ever have any self-control while living out of fellowship.

When you confess your sins, then your life is within the boundaries of the spiritual life within which the Holy Spirit exercises control.  But the Holy Spirit’s control is in making clear the spiritual things of life and forming the various attributes of your soul using doctrine as the primary building ingredient.  You still have to believe the doctrine learned and utilize it before it becomes efficacious in your life.

But using the Holy Spirit as your chief communicator and builder, gives you far greater freedoms and control over your life, than you would have under the sin nature.

The sin nature takes your life away.  The Holy Spirit promotes greater life opportunities for you.

And remember, by definition, each sphere is separate from the other.  You are either in one, or the other, never both simultaneously.  So, by that standard and your conscious use of confession, you can know when your life is functioning in the spiritual sphere, or the carnal sphere.

Galatians 5:17

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 5:17

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17 For [gar] the flesh [sarx] lusteth [epithumeo] against [kata] the Spirit [pneuma], and [de] the Spirit [pneuma] against [kata] the flesh [sarx]: and [de] these [tauta] are contrary [antikeimai] the one to the other [allelon]: so that [hina] ye cannot [hina me] do [poieo] the things [tauta] that [hos] [an] ye would [thelo].  KJV-Interlinear

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.  NASB

These are the only two environments in which you can live your  life.  There is no third alternative.  Most folks do not know the difference.  The activity of the flesh and the activity of the spirit are in opposition to each other.  The flesh, representing the carnal aspect of your life.  The spirit, representing the aspects of your life that are performed while in fellowship, herein referred to as, in the spirit.

The two events that separate them are sin and confession. For it is from that activity in our daily life, that we usually oscillate back and forth between the two.

Unfortunately most folks do not confess and thus live their entire or greater portion of their life, out of fellowship and under the influence of the sin nature.  Sooner or later life inundates a person and almost by accident they confess in the form of a poor-me prayer to God, but that is usually a type of knee jerk reaction to a situation and not a pattern of life that they should be following.

Occasional confession gets you into fellowship and thus under the power of the holy Spirit, but typically that lasts only as long as the time to the next sin, which could be but minutes or even hours away.  And then you are out of fellowship again.

And make a note, that confession, while a very important component of the spiritual life, is not the spiritual life.  It is merely a door through which you must go, in order to live inside of the spiritual life, which we call, being in fellowship.

Once inside the fellowship sphere, or as Paul describes it here, once under the spirit, then you must pursue your spiritual life as it is supposed to be pursued, namely pursue a daily study, learn, and grow up in your spiritual life.  This can only be accomplished while living in fellowship.

No spiritual growth occurs while you are out of fellowship and in the carnal fleshy state.

And this is where this verse is so important.  Each side of life is in conflict with the other.  You cannot live both simultaneously.  The spiritual side benefits and completes you, while the carnal side destroys you and prevents your completion.

At some point in your life you must decide whether you want something better, or just want to waste your life away with nothing to show for your life when it is all said and done.

It is easy to do nothing, but then you get nothing when you do nothing.  And it is also easy to float back and forth from sin to the spiritual, but that only ends up compromising your spiritual life and you lose.

The most common failure that people experience is their failure due to their trying to define their own form of spirituality rather than following Gods.  Again it is easier to do nothing, not study, not learn, not grow up, than it is to follow a regimented daily habit of study. 

A five minute daily study habit is pretty burdensome, ya know!!!

And people fool themselves into thinking that they can get along just fine without a daily study, or they believe that whatever they are doing now is good enough.

Remember too, that disregard for Gods mandates is also a form of sin, which is the arrogance of thinking that you do not need to comply with Gods mandates, or that you can comply in your own way.

Another failure form, is rebelling against the role that God has defined for you in trying to be something that you are obviously not.

Sins are not limited to just criminal acts or social misbehavior, they also include disobedience or irresponsibility toward Gods expectations.  That disobedience is generally tied up in the arrogance of believing that you are somehow exempt.

Galatians 5:16

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 5:16

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16 This I say [lego] then [de], Walk [peripateo] in the Spirit [pneuma], and [kai] ye shall [teleo] not [ou me] fulfil [teleo] the lust [epithumia] of the flesh [sarx].   KJV-Interlinear

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  NASB

Science does not study the things that are not a part of this universe as opposed to the things that are a part of this universe, namely the essence of life.  But instead, science studies the field of relativity, or the theory of how big things work together, as well as the field of quantum or the theory of how the very small things work together. 

When God created this universe, the angels already existed.  When God created man, the universe already existed.  But one day this universe will be removed as though it never existed, and humanity, in resurrection bodies, and angels will still be here.  Thus we are not a part of the elements of this universe with respect to our resurrection bodies, our soul, our human life residing in the soul, our human spirit and our eternal life residing in the human spirit.

So, the very core of our existence is separate and apart from this universe

Likewise, while we are alive in this world, there is a component of our life that is separate and apart from this world. We call that component our spiritual side of life. 

In contrast to our spiritual side, is the flesh side of life, which we also call the sin nature or the lusty side or the carnal side of life.

These two sides are mutually exclusive, and neither cross over into the sphere of the other.

You are either living within your spiritual side of life, or your carnal side of life.  You are never living inside of both sides simultaneously.

And while this universe seems to be extremely complicated, our spiritual life is relatively simple and easy to understand.  The only thing that prevents anyone from understanding the spiritual life is their continued residence within the carnal side, which blinds them from seeing or knowing the spiritual side of their life.

To ignore or be indifferent toward your spiritual life, is to leave out the greatest and most important aspect of your entire existence.

Paul sums up these two opposing lives. 

To walk in, means to live your life within the boundaries of the environment in which you are advised to walk.

Thus live in the spirit, and do not live in the carnal side of life.

And so how do you distinguish between the two and how do you place yourself within the boundaries of either?

We can define the spiritual side of life, and since the two sides are exclusive, then everything else will be the carnal side of life.

First you must have already believed in Christ.  The spiritual side of life requires a relationship with God, and to obtain that you have to be saved. 

All unbelievers are not saved and thus do not have a spiritual life. All unbelievers are therefore excluded from having a spiritual life.

Does this mean that all believers are living in the spirit?  No.

Believers in Christ are also subject to life in the carnal world, because believers are subject to sins and lusts and so forth just as unbelievers are.  The only difference is that believers can get out of the carnal and into the spiritual, whereas unbelievers cannot, at least not until they believe in Christ.

So, in order to operate within the spirit, you must confess your sins on a regular basis.  Confession of sins places you in fellowship and that is the place of your operational spiritual life.

To confess your sins you simply list your sins to God the Father thus, ‘Father I did this and I did that and this and that and this and that….’

When you commit a sin, then you are out of fellowship and in the carnal state.  When you confess that sin, then you are placed back in fellowship and thus again spiritually operational.

All of your spiritual life occurs and functions while you are in fellowship. 

All of your relationship with God functions properly, while you are in fellowship. 

All of your spiritual growth occurs while you are in fellowship. 

All of your spiritual development and growth occurs while you are in fellowship. 

All of your spiritual benefits and blessings and advancements and so forth, occur while you are in fellowship.

Therefore, live your life in fellowship, which is in the spirit, which is also sometimes referred to as living under the control of the Holy Spirit.  For it is the Holy Spirit that makes your spiritual life operational and effective and efficacious and successful and meaningful and with purpose and fulfills your destiny.

While living out of fellowship or in the carnal state, causes you to lose out on all of these things. 

If you live your life in fellowship, then you will not live the carnal life and not lose out on Gods many blessings for you.

And since your spiritual life is infinite or eternal, then its value is likewise infinite.  Only a fool would throw away an infinite fortune.  Isn’t having an infinite fortune worth pursuing?

Are you wise or a fool?

Galatians 5:15

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 5:15

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

15 But [de] if [ei] ye bite [dakno] and [kai] devour [katesthio] one another [allelon], take heed [blepo] that ye be [anaideia] not [me] consumed [analisko] one [allelon] of [hupo] another [allelon].  KJV-Interlinear

15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another.  NASB

Biting and devouring, are terms that relate to carnivorous animals killing and consuming their prey.  And here, when applied to people it relates to animosity and bitterness and in-fighting and nagging and arguing and so forth. But what is in view here, is the destruction of ones soul as a result of any and all of these adversarial relationships.

Quite a contrast to the relationship of love by means of principle, described in the previous verse.

A legitimate relationship with God completes and enhances the individual.

A relationship of animosity and contentiousness or bitterness, or simply self-righteousness with regard to ones own false beliefs, utterly destroys the individual.

And it is the destruction of the soul which is important.

We all have the equal opportunity to advance to spiritual greatness and completion of ourselves, simply by engaging in a daily study of the scriptures.  Not self-study, but by means of an orderly and consistent and constructive study.

And we can always get angry and opinionated and lose ourselves and our destiny, if we choose that course.

The trick too, is to not get caught up in the arguments of others.  For evil will try as it may, and come in many different forms, to draw you into its debates.  Evil believes that debates are more important than your principles.  Destroying you is its only objective.

Evil will represent you as the suborn one, not willing to listen to its side.  But the side of evil is not worth listening to, because it leads only to failure and destruction.

Remember that evil wants to destroy, utterly destroy, your soul.  Winning you over is never an issue, because there is nothing in evil to win you over, too.  So, Paul says, take heed, be on your guard, do not get fooled into a petty argument.

All is fair in love and war.  You have love and its boundless array of principles on your side and certain victory.  And evil has nothing more than its derisiveness and deception and certain destruction.  Which do you suppose it better?

Galatians 5:14

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Galatians 5:14

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

14 For [gar] all [pas] the law [nomos] is fulfilled [pleroo] in [en] one [heis] word [logos], even in [en] this; Thou shalt love [agapao] thy [sou] neighbour [plesion] as [hos] thyself [heautou].  KJV-Interlinear

14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, " You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  NASB

There is a companion passage found in Rom. 13:8, ‘for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.’  The word for love in both passages is, ‘agapao,’ which refers not to the emotions but to the principles and content of doctrine.  And here is where nearly everyone fails to understand and therefore fail in their spiritual life, because too much emphasis is placed on the emotions of love rather than the principles of doctrine.

After all, it is far easier to ‘feel’ about something, which simply means that you don’t have to do anything or be responsible, and certainly not study daily, and that is where the excuses and therefore the failure exists.

People want to say they obey God, but they do not want to do what God tells them to do.  After all, again, obeying God means that you have to fulfill the obligations He expects of you, that you have to become responsible with respect to your spiritual life, and that means that you cannot make things up yourself as you go along, conveniently pretending to be spiritual when you are not.

To anyone who knows the difference, then you make a fool of yourself.  And to those who do not know the difference, then you are playing to a naïve and foolish crowd.  A fool playing to fools.  No glory in that.

So the fulfillment of the Law is what?  Truth.

But what is the Law?

Well, if you have been around for a while then you know that the Mosaic Law represents the path to perfection through works, but more than that, it reveals that no person is capable of achieving perfection, and therefore no person is capable of fulfilling the Law, or capable of achieving perfection.

Meaning simply that we need something else to achieve perfection, lest we remain imperfect forever and thus lost to oblivion forever.

Why would we want to be perfect?

So that we can live with God. God demands perfection and if you do not have that then you cannot live with Him.  That leaves you out, so to speak, with your only option the Lake of Fire.

The Lake of Fire is a place without God. And where there is no God, there are no rules, no order, nothing to bind elements together, just pure terror and aloneness, and horror and chaos and far, far worse because it never ends.  And if that appeals to you, then you really need to take some medication to bring you back to reality and common sense.

So, how does one achieve perfection so that you can live with God, and not in that chaos?

The answer is right here.  Love.  But not just any love.  Not the, make love not war kind.  Not the, lovey-dovey kind.  Not the do-gooder kind.  Not the, I am holier than thou, kind.  Not the, I am better than you, kind.  Not the, I am elite and you are not, kind.  Not the, work for God, kind.  Not the, God accepts me as I am, kind (most people are really confused on this one).  And certainly not the, I am good enough and do not have to comply with Gods mandates, or I can comply by doing things my way, which is also good enough, kind.

So, all of these and many more examples, are all rejected by God and none of them fulfill the Law.  None of them make you perfect.  None of them make you better.  All of them perpetuate and assure your utter failure.

But, there is one way, to achieve perfection, and that way is doctrine, which is herein identified as love, but a specific love, namely ‘agape’ which is the content of the scriptures.

And you are introduced to the scriptures by way of salvation, believe in Christ, and then beyond that to your spiritual life by way of a daily study.

That is perfection, or the transformation of the soul by way of knowledge, learned by study through instruction, day after day, throughout your entire life.

To be perfect is to be mature, spiritually mature.  And to be spiritually mature means that you have to comply with Gods mandates.  Namely, first being saved of course.

Then after salvation, confessing on a regular basis so as to function in fellowship, then learning through a daily study, then utilizing what you learn within your daily life, and repeating this every day every moment of your life, for all of your life.

To love thy neighbor as thyself, simply means to apply doctrine and its principles to others, just as you would to your own self.  Be responsible, be accountable, be honest, be polite, be charitable, don’t be naïve, don’t deceive, don’t be deceived, etc, etc, etc.