Galatians: #15 The Evidence of the Flesh
/Galatians #15 The Evidence of Flesh
Last week, we focused on this verse of scripture:
Galatians 5:17 (ESV)
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.
We learn valuable information related to our ongoing walk with God within this verse:
1. There is a battle between our flesh and the Spirit of God.
It is important for believers to understand that the desires of the carnal nature are in opposition to the desires of the Spirit of God. Essentially, this causes a battle of the wills. Jesus submitted His human will to the Father (Luke 22:42) and we must do the same!
It is also important, in my opinion, to have an understanding of the flesh. What does God’s word mean by using this terminology?
We covered the fact that the word is used in a variety of applications in the New Testament. Furthermore, the Greek meaning of the word sarx has multiple uses: a) the outer flesh of an animal, b) the natural birth of a human without an inference to sin [John 1:14], c) the fallen nature of man, which incites his natural flesh towards sin (Romans 7:20). His flesh, energized or animated by his sinful nature, engages the fallen/ sinful world around him (1 John 2:16).
We also took time to explain that the spirit of a born again man is made one with the Spirit of God through the new birth. The two spirits are joined as one (1 Corinthians 6:17). Therefore, when a believer lives their life in such a way that their spirit is subservient to the Holy Spirit, then their desires promote the natural body to engage the world in which they live in a godly way (under the direction of the Holy Spirit).
However, if they are led by the natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14), they will improperly perceive flesh vs spirit. This word for natural is soulish psuchikos and it’s important that we understand that the natural man: his mind, his will and his emotions, not being renewed by the truth of the Holy Spirit, will lead his physical body to follow the desires of his flesh. In other words, he will succumb to the evil desires that his fallen nature craves and the fallen world around him offers.
2. Again, the flesh and the Spirit are opposed and contrary to one another.
When the flesh is allowed a voice and position of influence, the child of God will find themselves not being able to do (accomplish) the desires of the Spirit. This battle of the wills is a war in the Spirit. The very vessel that now belongs to God through purchase of the blood of the eternal Lamb is being directed away from the will of God and His purposes for His body.
A simple explanation would be that when I am led by my flesh, I am influenced by what my fallen nature desires instead of being influenced by the mind of Christ given to me in my new birth (1 Corinthians 2:16). The Holy Spirit communicates through your spirit and speaks to the mind of Christ in you. Your mind still wants to get in the way. Your mind must be renewed and this is done through your growth in understanding the truth about God, which comes through the truth of His word and is taught by the teacher of God, who is the Holy Spirit.
The verse in reference stated
…for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
And verse 19 picks up from this thought:
Galatians 5:19 (ESV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality…
The word work is ergon- labor, toil, doing, business, employment…
In the previous teaching of Galatians 5:17 and Romans 8:5, the person is being influenced towards and eventually agreeing with it. Now, the person is engaging in “work.” Work produces results. The product of fleshly work is now revealed.
It is evident ESV or manifest KJV.
The thought is that the desires of the flesh become apparent, external, open and known.
The scripture is clear that our sin will find us out (Numbers 32:23). However, I am not certain that the words evident or manifest are only referring to an outward exposure. I believe without a doubt that the Lord is saying that He has made available to us multiple ways to communicate His will for our lives. Here are a couple that we have recently been exposed to:
Out of the abundance of the mouth the heart speaks (Matt 12:34).
The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12)
The lusts of the flesh are evident…
If you commit adultery, and your sin is exposed, it will become open and evident to all around you. And this is the first word used in the list of the lusts of the flesh.
The KJV used adultery but the ESV uses sexual immorality. The word means adultery. The next word is impurity in the ESV and fornication in the KJV. The Greek word is porneia, which is obviously where we get our word “porn” from. This word describes various types of sexual impurity.
If we use this word to describe the lusts of the flesh becoming manifest, I believe we gain a better understanding of what the heart of the passage is teaching. You could be under the bondage of pornography for years and no one may never know. Sometimes things can happen that will expose this sin. But honestly, a person could live this way for years. This same person could attend church, read their Bible sometimes and even pay their tithes. All the while it’s not evident to the people in the world around them, but it sure is supposed to be evident to them based on the truth of the word, the divine nature, the mind of Christ and the Spirit of God living in them!
The next word is sensuality in the ESV and lasciviousness. It means to have an unbridled lust but another word is shamelessness. A bridle is used on a horse to control the animal. To control its direction and also its behavior. A human that does not submit to the Spirit of God will be unbridled in the self control regarding sexuality and it will begin to show up in the way they dress, the way they act and the way they speak. Something as simple as giving someone your phone number with improper intent could also fall under this category.
The following is a list of these words comparing them from the KJV and the ESV:
ESV KJV
sexual immorality Adultery
impurity fornication
+++++ uncleanness
sensuality lasciviousness
Idolatry Idolatry
sorcery witchcraft
*enmity *hatred
*strife *variance
*jealousy *emulations
*fits of anger *wrath
*rivalries *strife
*dissensions *seditions
*divisions *heresies
*Envy *Envying
++++++ murders
drunkenness drunkenness
orgies revellings
Words with an asterisks were marked because the last time I studied the lusts of the flesh, it became apparent to me that all these words had in common the the idea of division and disunity related to them. Also, the last time I studied it, I compared it to a passage out of Proverbs 6. Interestingly enough Proverbs 6 was the reading in Proverbs today:
Proverbs 6:16-19 (ESV)
16 There are six things that the LORD hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.
Discord— strife dissonance, strife, contention
Enmity/ hatred echthra— the cause of enmity- hostility- opposition, antagonism
Strife/variance eris— debate, contention- heated disagreement, strife
Jealousy/emulations zelos— jealousy, zeal, excitement of mind
Fits of anger/ wrath thymos— passion (as if breathing hard), fierceness, angry, heat, boiling up
Rivalries/ strife eritheia— intrigue, faction- clique, infighting, make secret plans to plot
Dissensions/ seditions dichostasia— division, disunion, sedition- conduct or speech inciting people towards rebellion against authority, dissension- disagreement
Divisions/ heresies hairesis— a choice, a party, act of taking, capture, eg storming a city. The Greek word describes a sect
Envy/ envyings phthonos— jealousy, spite- malice (a desire to hurt, annoy or offend someone) ill-will
Murders phonos— to be slain by slaughter
1 John 3:12 (ESV)
12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
The word in the Greek is different. It is sphazo but both Greek words mean to slaughter.