Galatians Reading (#16)
Take a few minutes to catch up and pray that God would bless you through the reading of His word.
Read Galatians 5:16-21
[5:16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21] envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Observation:
- What does Paul tell the Galatians to do (v 16)? What will they not do as a result?
- How are the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh related to each other (v 17)? What is the result?
- What will be true of them if they are led by the Spirit (v 18)?
- What are the works of the flesh (v 19-21)? Is Paul’s list complete and exhaustive (v 21)?
- What does Paul warn them is true of those who “do such things” (v 21)?
Interpretation:
- What does it mean to “walk by the Spirit”?
- What is the flesh? How do the Spirit and the flesh both produce desires in us?
- What does it mean that we are kept from doing the things we want to do?
- How does being led by the Spirit mean that we are not under the law?
- Take a moment and define/explain each of the works of the flesh.
- What does it mean that “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God”? Is Paul saying that anyone who is guilty of those sins cannot go to heaven?
Application:
- Which of the “works of the flesh” do you struggle with most?
- How can you “walk by the Spirit” in that matter this week?
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