https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/PathIChoose.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Galatians 5:19-23<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. In the book of Galatians, Paul has severely chastised the brethren for attempting to bind\nthe Old Law on Christians\n
A. It was a different gospel, not what they were taught – Galatians 1:6-9<\/p>\n
B. Paul has stood opposed to such trends – Galatians 2:11-14<\/p>\n
C. To live under the law was to be under a curse – Galatians 3:10<\/p>\n
D. The law was temporary – Galatians 3:24-25<\/p>\n
E. To live under the law is to separated yourself from Christ – Galatians 5:1-4<\/p>\n F. As Paul wraps up his arguments, Paul points out that those who desired to bind\nthe Old Law are worldly minded\n
1. He hints at this from the beginning – Galatians 1:10<\/p>\n
2. It did not come from God – Galatians 5:7<\/p>\n
3. It was causing arguments among the brethren – Galatians 5:15<\/p>\n G. Paul points out that the way a person thinks about God directs his behavior and\nspiritual growth – Galatians 5:16-17\n
1. A spiritually minded person will battle against the desires of the flesh.<\/p>\n
2. A worldly minded person will resist the desires of God<\/p>\n
3. You cannot be spiritually minded and participate in the works of the world<\/p>\n
II. The deeds of the flesh – Galatians 5:19-21<\/p>\n
A. The deeds of the flesh are those actions which come from the physical world. <\/p>\n 1. When the physical world is a person’s focus, it shows in that person’s\nbehavior – it becomes evident.\n
2. Paul then gives a sample list of deeds that demonstrate worldly-mindedness<\/p>\n
B. Sex<\/p>\n
1. Immorality – porneia<\/i><\/p>\n a. Some translations use the word “fornication,” which is more\nspecific.\n b. It refers to having sex outside the bonds of marriage – Hebrews\n13:4\n c. Some Greek texts have both the words for adultery and fornication\nin this passage, others omit the word adultery.\n
(1) It doesn’t matter since adultery is a subclass of fornication<\/p>\n
2. Impurity – akatharsia<\/i><\/p>\n
a. Also translated as “uncleanness.”<\/p>\n
b. Refers to a general moral impurity in a person<\/p>\n (1) When people left God, they followed their impure thoughts\n– Romans 1:24\n (2) It is a state of mind that is the opposite of holiness –\nRomans 6:19; I Thessalonians 4:7\n c. Sometimes we refer to someone having a “dirty mind.” While it is\noften connected to sexual thoughts, it is not limited to that.\n (1) These are the people how tell and laugh at dirty jokes –\nEphesians 5:3-5\n (2) These are the people who talk dirty to their boyfriend or\ngirlfriend. Who text things they wouldn’t say in public, or\nsend images they wouldn’t want others to see.\n
3. Sensuality – aselgeia<\/i><\/p>\n
a. Also translated as “lewdness”<\/p>\n b. This is a person who shamelessly pursues sensual pleasures. What\nother people may think of his behavior doesn’t bother him.\n (1) It is usually connected with sexual things – this is the\nperson involved in fondling and kissing to arouse passion.\nHowever, it is not limited to sex.\n (2) Often this person gets so wrapped up in the moment that\nevents go further than he intended.\n
c. It is a characteristic of people with no moral restraint – I Peter 4:3<\/p>\n
4. Idolatry – eidololatreia<\/i><\/p>\n
a. Literally means “image worship”<\/p>\n b. People want something to be in control, but when they make up a\ngod, it mimics what is known – Romans 1:22-23\n c. With an imagined god, people remove the restraints on behavior,\nand the first thing to go is typically sexual restraint – Romans 1:24-25\n (1) This is why many ancient idols were fertility gods,\nworshiped through sex\n
5. Sorcery – pharmakeia<\/i><\/p>\n a. Literally this word refers to someone who is abusing drugs or is\nmixing potions. Drug usage has been tightly coupled with\nwitchcraft and sorcery. People who are high on a drug will believe\njust about anything and do almost anything for a high.\n b. Drugs lower a person’s inhibitions against doing wrong –\nHabakkuk 2:15\n
C. Meanness<\/p>\n
1. Enmities – echthra<\/i>i<\/p>\n
a. Also translated as hatred<\/p>\n b. These are people who seemingly live for hate. Hate groups and\npeople with a nearly irrational hatred of certain classes of people.\n (1) Such as the hatred between Jews and Gentiles – Ephesians\n2:15-16\n
2. Strife – ereis<\/i><\/p>\n a. Also translated as contentions or discord. It is the same name as the\nGreek goddess of war\n b. These are people who argue constantly. They quarrel. They are\nnever happy with things as they are – Titus 3:9\n
c. A problem seen in the Corinthian church – I Corinthians 3:3-4<\/p>\n
3. Jealousy – zeloi<\/i><\/p>\n a. We get our word “zealot” from this Greek word. It literally means\nto boil or seethe with emotion.\n b. This is the fanatic. The person so zealous for a cause that they\ncannot consider another position. They cling to an ideal and\njealously guard it from all detractors.\n
c. James 3:14-16<\/p>\n
4. Outbursts of anger – thumoi<\/i><\/p>\n
a. Also translated as “fits of rage”<\/p>\n b. This is a person lacking control over his temper, often because of\nhis passion for a cause or belief – Acts 19:28\n
5. Disputes – eritheiai<\/i><\/p>\n
a. Also translated as “selfish ambitions”<\/p>\n b. This is a person who does not outwardly show his hatred, but\ninvolves himself in games of intrigue. He acts only for his own\ninterests and backstabs his opponents.\n (1) It was originally used of politicians who sought to promote\nthemselves by unfair means of attacking their opponents.\n (2) They find fault with the purpose of promoting themselves\nor their cause.\n
c. Philippians 2:3<\/p>\n
6. Dissensions – dischostasiai<\/i><\/p>\n
a. It literally means a person who stands apart<\/p>\n
b. A person who causes divisions between people – Romans 16:17-18<\/p>\n
7. Factions – haireseis<\/i><\/p>\n
a. We get the word “heresy” from it. It literally means to choose. <\/p>\n b. It is a person who chooses sides. For example, the Sadducees and\nPharisees were religious factions of the Old Law.\n
c. I Corinthians 1:10-13 – dividing over imagined differences<\/p>\n
d. II Peter 2:1 – promoting man-made doctrines that divide<\/p>\n
8. Envying – phthonoi<\/i><\/p>\n
a. Refers to the desire to harm someone, to ruin them or destroy them<\/p>\n
b. Why the Jews delivered up Jesus – Matthew 27:18<\/p>\n
D. Uncontrolled<\/p>\n
1. Drunkenness – methai<\/i><\/p>\n
a. A person under the influence of alcohol<\/p>\n
2. Carousing – komoi<\/i><\/p>\n
a. Also translated and revelries or orgies<\/p>\n b. This is a riotous party, like the ones often associated with fraternity\nparites.\n
E. “And things like these”<\/p>\n 1. Paul did not intend for this to be a complete list, but one that gives a\ngeneral idea of what being worldly minded is like\n 2. No one can claim not to know that these things are wrong. Warnings have\nbeen given and continue to be given.\n 3. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking you can reach heaven through such\nbehavior or mind-set.\n
III. The fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-25<\/p>\n
A. The teachings of the Spirit produces a different result in people<\/p>\n
B. Love – agape<\/i><\/p>\n
1. A devoted love. A love that gives even when it is not returned. <\/p>\n
2. Defined in I Corinthians 13:1-8<\/p>\n
C. Joy – chara<\/i><\/p>\n
1. Happiness or a calm delight<\/p>\n
D. Peace – eirene<\/i><\/p>\n
1. A quietness that comes from harmony with God and man. <\/p>\n
2. It is the opposite of war.<\/p>\n
E. Patience – makrothumia<\/i><\/p>\n
1. Also translated as longsuffering. <\/p>\n
2. The willingness to endure. <\/p>\n 3. It is shown by God toward us in giving us many opportunities to turn from\nsin – II Peter 3:9\n
4. It is needed by us to deal with the shortcomings of our fellow men.<\/p>\n
F. Kindness – chrestotes<\/i><\/p>\n
1. A gentle person who is kind, good, and honest<\/p>\n
G. Goodness – agathosune<\/i><\/p>\n
1. A person with a zeal to be good. It is the opposite of evil.<\/p>\n
2. Romans 15:14<\/p>\n
H. Faithfulness – pistis<\/i><\/p>\n
1. A person of conviction who has his faith, trust, and confidence in God. <\/p>\n
2. It also refers to a person who is reliable and trustworthy.<\/p>\n
I. Gentleness – praotes<\/i><\/p>\n
1. Also translated as meekness<\/p>\n
2. A gentle, humble person. He is the opposite of a hot-tempered man.<\/p>\n 3. This is a person who is more concerned about other people and doesn’t\nthink about himself – Ephesians 4:2; Titus 3:2\n
J. Self-control – enkrateia<\/i><\/p>\n
1. Also translated as temperance<\/p>\n
2. A person able to control his desires<\/p>\n
K. “Against such things there is no law”<\/p>\n 1. Again, this is not a complete list but enough to give an idea of what\nhappens to a Christian as he follows the teachings of the Spirit.\n 2. The character produced by the Spirit never goes out of fashion, even\namong worldly people.\n
IV. Which path? – Galatians 5:24-25<\/p>\n
A. You can’t walk both ways.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Galatians 5:19-23 I. In the book of Galatians, Paul has severely chastised the brethren for attempting to bind the Old Law on Christians A. It was a different gospel, not what they were taught – Galatians 1:6-9 B. Paul has stood opposed to such trends – Galatians 2:11-14 C. To live under the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[763,413,710,38,238,179],"class_list":["post-63232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-decisions","tag-flesh","tag-galatians","tag-morality","tag-righteousness","tag-sin"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51463,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-paul-talking-about-physical-circumcision-or-something-else-in-galatians-53-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":63232,"position":0},"title":"Is Paul talking about physical circumcision or something else in Galatians 5:3-4?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi. I've read some of your articles and they've been helpful. Thanks. I'm a kind of confused about what is written in Galatians 5:3-4 \"I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12277,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-would-like-to-ask-you-about-the-book-of-galatians-and-paul\/","url_meta":{"origin":63232,"position":1},"title":"I would like to ask you about the book of Galatians and Paul","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 12, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I would like to ask you about the book of Galatians and Paul. I was reading this book for one of my Bible studies. I had not done so before in-depth, only certain verses. As I was studying and reading, it seemed to me that what Paul was saying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":93531,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-are-you-listening-to\/","url_meta":{"origin":63232,"position":2},"title":"Who Are You Listening To?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Hugh DeLong Text: Galatians 3 The promise to Abraham - all nations bless in his 'seed', which is Jesus. The law was given to Israel, but was their 'tutor' or 'guardian' to bring them to Christ, and now they are no longer under that tutor (the Law). However, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56944,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/holy-days\/","url_meta":{"origin":63232,"position":3},"title":"Holy Days","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 16, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 24, June 13, 2008 Question: Does Galatians 4:9-11 refer to holy days (religious observance)? Or could it have a reference to such days as July 4th or our birthdays? Answer: The letter to the Galatians was written primarily to teach these\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56753,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/have-you-been-bewitched-galatians-31-5\/","url_meta":{"origin":63232,"position":4},"title":"Have You Been Bewitched? – Galatians 3:1-5","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Thomas Thornhill In these verses, Paul calls the Galatians \"foolish\" and \"bewitched\" for being deceived by Judaizing false teachers. He doesn't believe in such superstition but uses it as sarcasm to make them think. How did they receive the Spirit that brought justification and salvation? Paul is deeply distressed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/magicWand.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5197,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-marks-of-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":63232,"position":5},"title":"The Marks of Jesus","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 17, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Galatians 6:11-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul battled much of his life with his own Jewish brethren \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They insisted on preserving the Law in many ways. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A motivation is to be expected - Galatians 6:12 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It appears some tried to justify it by appealing to Paul. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0After all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63232"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63232\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}