Galatians 5:13-26
For, brethren, ye have been called unto
liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve
one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed
that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against
the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to
the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of
the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest,
which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell
you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have
crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let
us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not
be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Yeshua has freed us by faith from the old man from Adam and
made us a new man by faith with the same liberty to live for YHWH that He has
for we are one with Messiah through His Spirit; and If we are one with the Son
then we are one with the Father. Why then does Paul warn us about the flesh and
what does this warning mean.
The scripture witnesses to two men who found they lived in
this liberty of a oneness with the life of YHWH, and both these men were
tempted by the flesh in as much as they were tempted to act in the interest of
the self.
The first of these two men was named Adam. He was the first
man and though formed of earth his life was the breath of YHWH shared
(breathed) into him. It was not robbery if Adam said he and his father where
one but Adam was also a creation for YHWH had formed Him in flesh and a son is
subject to his father. The temptation that came to this first son of YHWH was
to be a self; despising that his Father had shared all of Him and held nothing
back from him. He instead desired to be his own source of living.
When he threw off his freedom of his father’s life in him he
discovered too late that the creation is dead without the creator. When Adam
became a self he was cut off and held no more life than we see in a stone. It was in this condition that the father
after the flesh of us all brought forth sons and daughters. In them was the
darkness of the self-willed desires. YHWH would come to those in this darkness
who by foreknowledge were known to desire what they did not know existed His
life. In the existence inherent from Adam we are all a self and as such we are
alone. No one knows the true us and we do not know anyone except by what they
let us see.
The second man born into the liberty of oneness with YHWH
was formed of flesh in a young maid’s womb. Through some linguistic gymnastics
most of the world has come to know His name as Jesus; I often use Yeshua
because it is closer to His name (after two thousand years languages change so
who can be sure) and its meaning reflects His life. He knows if you are
speaking to him; regardless of pronunciation. This second Adam was born and
raised among a people who YHWH had prepared by speaking to them His words and
promises and when He came of age to become a minister of YHWH unto all men, the
liberty of oneness with YHWH’s life was tested in Him also.
We see Yeshua tempted in three distinct ways which show us
that He was fully tempted body (hunger), soul (recognition of who He was from
men),and spirit(purpose for which He was born). With each of these temptations
we see Him drawn to trust in the self to bring about that which is His life.
Yeshua answers each temptation with faith in YHWH’s life for His providence.
, but by love serve
one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself.
If we use our deliverance from bondage as a way to provide
anything for the self we will go in the way Adam went before us the result will
be death of self once more this death brings forth the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness(joining oneself
to the death of the world), lasciviousness(lust for things of this world),
Idolatry(to submit to anything other than YHWH inorder to receive from it),
witchcraft(to manipulate others with words ), hatred, variance, emulations(trying
to be equal to or surpass another), wrath, strife, seditions(stirring up a
rebellion), heresies(separating one from another), Envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God.
Our great defense is to love, not as men love which is for
the benefit of them whether from the one “loved” or others, but as a selfless
love which is generated by YHWH’s life in us. This love never considers the
need of the self but instead only seeks for that which can be to the benefit and
good of others. This love is entwined with the life of YHWH so that to walk in
one is to walk in the other. To say you have love and no need of His life is a
lie, and again to say you have his life but not this love is also a lie.
As a side note YHWH does not want you to hate you; He
desires that the self dies in Messiahs cross that you would be one with Him.
This I say then, Walk
in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are
contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
This is a two way door if you place your trust in your flesh
to bring life you will not be able to do what the Spirit desires for you, but
if your trust is in the Spirit to be your life then the self will find no place
in you.
Being under the law is about trying to perform the things
described in the law and is dependent upon the self; who’s fruit can only produce the works of the flesh.
Paul has said our faith works by love in 5: 6 then said if
we by love serve one another we will fulfill the law in 5: 14 if we walk in the
Spirit (the trust dependence and expectation of YHWH’s life in us) we are not
trying to perform the law but are transformed by love into that which the law
describes.
. And they that are
Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in
the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one
another.
Galatians 6:7-10
Be not deceived; God
is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that
soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to
the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in
due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity,
let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of
faith.
Brothers all of us have known what it is to try to have life
by the self; it is the failure of the flesh to live that made us to cling to
the offer of life from YHWH through His Messiah. If we are honest we will also
admit to trying to bring that life promised to us to pass in our own way and
time but as Paul points out Hagar is in bondage and can only produce bondage.
The promise has its own life in need of nothing more than acceptance.
I have heard over the years legion of sermons on the fruit
of the Spirit, they are legion because they are many but they are men’s teachings
telling men how to attain fruit. The fruit of the land is not formed by men; in
the same way the fruit of YHWH’s breath shared with us is not developed by us. We may water and weed and plant all our days
but only YHWH brings fruit to manifestation and only when we place all trust in
Him will He give himself to us.
If we were allowed to
deceive ourselves that our actions brought His life we would be a self alone
forever with no life in us. YHWH is purging the old leaven of self from us for
if any self is left it will leaven the whole lump. So don’t hide any leaven of
self in your heart but freely give all
to Him that He may purge you.
You are the garden of YHWH there is a fruit of the self and
a fruit of Spirit within you if you have accepted Messiah. If you will approach
this tree of life you will lose your life; for the sword of the word will
pierce you and divide you asunder. This flaming sword will burn away the chaff
of men’s ways but in your death you will find the tree of life and when you eat
its seed you shall become that seed and that seed will produce fruit of Him.
