GALATIANS LESSON 10


     We will begin this lesson in Galatians 5:14 "For all the law is
fulfilled in one word, [even] in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself."

     Notice in the following verses, that love is the basis for
Christianity. Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with
all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment."  Mark 12:31 "And
the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." We know
the key word is love. Love does away with things not of God. I John
4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every
one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."  I John 4:8 "He that
loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

     Galatians 5:15 " But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed
that ye be not consumed one of another."

     James 3:14 "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your
hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth."  James 3:15 "This
wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual,
devilish." James 3:16 "For where envying and strife [is], there [is]
confusion and every evil work."  We find in the Scriptures here from
James and from the Scripture in Galatians above, that trying to
destroy others comes home to us, and many times we are destroyed in
the process. Fussing and fighting have no place in the church. Look,
with me, in the next Scriptures how it should be. James 3:17 "But the
wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and]
easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy." James 3:18 "And the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." Be a
peacemaker, not a troublemaker.

     Galatians 5:16  "[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye
shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

     The lust of the flesh of man is what brings trouble and strife.
When we walk in the Spirit of God, we have no lust of the flesh and
have no desire to do wrong to anyone. When we make Jesus Lord of our
life, He makes our decisions for us.

     Galatians 5:17 "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."

     The flesh is of the earth. It is then earthy. The flesh and
spirit have been in mortal combat to control the will of man. The lust
of the flesh has destroyed many a person. We must bury our flesh that
our spirit might take control. The Spirit of God within us is the only
thing that can overcome the flesh of man. The flesh centers on the
wants of man. The Spirit centers on the will of God. That which is
born of flesh, is flesh, until the Spirit of God gives us new life in
Him. Jesus spoke to the temptations the devil set before Him by
saying, It is written. This is the only way that any of us can
overcome the lust of our flesh. We must give our will over to the
Spirit of God.

     Galatians 5:18 "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under
the law."

     Jesus was free from sin. If we are full of Him, we are full of
His righteousness. There is no law against righteousness. When we are
led by the Spirit of God, we are walking in righteousness.

     Galatians 5:19 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which
are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,"

     When the man is walking in the lust of the flesh, he does
whatever feels good to him, right or wrong. It seems that this
adultery, here, is, also, covering homosexual acts. There are two
kinds of adultery. Spiritual adultery is when you follow and give
allegiance to false gods. Physical adultery is having sexual relations
with anyone you are not married to. This includes having sexual
relations man with another man, and, also, women with other women.
"Fornication", in the verse above, is speaking of all harlotry and
incest.  Uncleanness, here, means impurity, physical or moral.
Lasciviousness covers many acts including wantonness and any filthy
act. We would call it perversion.

     Galatians 5:20 "Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,"

     Paul is going on with many of the things so prevalent in our
society today. He says they are all works of the flesh. Idolatry is
image-worship. "Witchcraft", in this special instance, means drugs,
magic and sorcery.  We all know what hatred is. Variance is wrangling
and quarreling. It, also, includes debate. Emulations means jealousy,
malice, indignation, and zeal. We know what wrath and strife mean.
Seditions means divisions. "Heresies" means disunion and sect.

     Galatians 5:21 "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."

     What this is really saying, is that to continue to do these
things would cause you to be a flesh man. Flesh does not inherit the
kingdom of God. When you receive the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and
Lord, this is that old flesh that must be buried. You rise a new
person in Christ.  The Christian has given his will over to the Spirit
of God.  These things may have been in his past, but must not be in
his future. I do not mean by this that you never, ever sin again. I
mean that this is not your way of life anymore. You become a new
creature in Christ. If you do unwillingly sin, ask for forgiveness.
We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He
intercedes with the Father for us.

     Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,"

     Notice the drastic difference in the fruit of the Spirit and the
flesh. The fruit of the Spirit is all good. These are the type things
that all Christians should have in their life. These seven are
examples of all the rest. Everything good in your life is from the
Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit of God brings these things into the
life of the Christian. I have found that as we walk with the Spirit in
control, these grow every day, until one day we look around and they
are all active in our life. Be filled, right now, with the Spirit of
God.

     Galatians 5:23 "Meekness, temperance: against such there is no
law."

     As we said earlier, there is no law against all of these good
things. We would not even need a police force, if these were active in
everyone's lives.

     Galatians 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the
flesh with the affections and lusts."

     Notice who does the crucifying. We must crucify our own flesh. We
must get in obedience to the Spirit of God. God will not invade the
will of man. Operating in our own free will, we must decide to give
the Spirit of God control of our will. The Spirit does not lust, that
is the flesh. If we truly are Christ's, then we have turned everything
over to Him. A man can not have two masters, either the flesh will
rule, or the Spirit.

     Galatians 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the
Spirit."

     What is meant by walking in the Spirit? It means that all of the
gifts of the Spirit will be evident in our life. We will no longer
have a desire to sin. We will walk in the newness of life that Christ
gave us. Our walk should be such that the world around can look at us
and see Jesus in us.

     Galatians 5:26 "Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking
one another, envying one another."

     To God be the glory for all things. The glory, spoken of above,
is speaking of one person glorying over another. What we are, what we
do, and even what we will become, is because the Lord blessed us. We
should not build ourself up over others. One of the problems in our
society today is that everyone wants what everyone else has, even if
they have not worked to get it. Be satisfied with what you have. If
you desire more, work for it. Envy of others will not help you. Work
hard, ask God to help you better yourself, and then be happy with what
you have, whatever it is.
                        Galatians 10 Questions


1.  What one word is the law fulfilled in?
2.  Quote Mark chapter 12 verse 30 and 31.
3.  Beloved, let us ______ one another.
4.  Everyone that loveth is ________ of God. Quote 1 John chapter 4
    verse 8.
5.  What will probably happen, if we bite and devour one another?
6.  Where envy and strife is, there is _____________.
7.  How does James describe the wisdom that is from above?
8.  When you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the
    _________.
9.  What lusts against the Spirit?
10. What are the flesh and the spirit in mortal combat over?
11. What does the flesh center on?
12. How can we overcome the lust of our flesh?
13. When are we not under the law?
14. Name some of the works of the flesh.
15. What two kinds of adultery are spoken of here?
16. What is fornication?
17. What are some of the things witchcraft covers?
18. What does heresies mean?
19. Those who commit these works of the flesh shall not inherit the
    _______ of _____.
20. These works of the flesh may have been part of your past, but must
    not be in your ____________.
21. Who intercedes for the Christian?
22. Name 7 of the fruits of the Spirit?
23. Quote Galatians chapter 5 verse 24.
24. If we live in the Spirit, let us _________ in the Spirit.
25. Who should all the glory go to.
26. If we want to better our position in life, what should we do?