Until we understand grace and righteousness, we sometimes tend to view scripture verses through a consciousness of sin and see verses as condemning when in reality they are not. Galatians chapter 5 is one example. To understand what Paul is saying in these verses, we should search the Word to see what the kingdom of God really is.
John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, 'truly, truly I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." We must be born again to see or perceive the things of God. They are not seen with the five senses.
Luke 17:20-21 "And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God comes not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo, here it is! Or lo, there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Jesus was telling the Pharisees, who were looking for a physical kingdom to be established, that the kingdom of God would be within people. When we are born again, God comes to live within us. So His kingdom is within us.
Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking (carnal, fleshly things), but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
This describes some of the fruits of the born again spirit. It also describes the pathway into the kingdom of God. When we understand righteousness by faith apart from our works, we will be at peace within ourselves. Then we will experience joy in the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 32:17 "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever." We have peace and confidence before the Lord forever. Praise God.
Acts 20:32 "And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." The message of grace in the New Testament will help us to walk in the inheritance that we received when we were born again. It does not automatically happen just because we are born again. We can have God within us, or have the kingdom of God within us, and not walk in our inheritance. We can walk just like an unbeliever if we do not renew our minds to His Word of grace.
You should now be able to see clearly what Paul was talking about in Galatians 5:16-25. I will hit some of the main points.
Galatians 5:16 "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Walk implies action. "In the Spirit" refers to who I truly am in my born again spirit. So Paul is saying that our actions and behavior should be guided or directed by who we really are in our born again spirit. He has made us holy and righteous. Everyone who is born again has God living in them. This is where the kingdom of God is, within you. We must choose to walk in the spirit, so that we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Obviously Christians can and do commit these acts, otherwise Paul would not be telling them this.
Now we come to verse 21 which has condemned many. Galatians 5:21 "....of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Remember that the kingdom of God is not referring to heaven, or going to heaven. Paul is not telling these believers that if they commit these works of the flesh, they will not go to heaven someday. He is telling them that if they spend their time fulfilling and practicing these fleshly actions, they will not inherit the kingdom of God already within them. They will not walk in the fruit of the Spirit listed in verses 22-23.
These verses have been used to try and scare Christians into walking in outward holiness. Has it worked? No. If we are born again, we will go to heaven, even if we do not walk in or inherit the kingdom of God which is within us. We have a choice to make. If we spend time with God and renew our minds with His Word of grace, we will inherit the kingdom of God within us.
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." We as Christians should be controlled by the Spirit of God within us. One interesting way to look at the fruit of the spirit: it may be somewhat of a spiritual progression. When we understand God's love for us, we will have joy and be at peace. As we understand how longsuffering and kind God is toward us, we should be patient and kind and gentle toward others, and so on. Oddly enough, the last fruit listed is self-control. If it takes awhile for believers to start exercising self-control and walking in outward holiness, we should be patient and kind to them. God knows that He has been, and continues to be, patient and kind to me!
Keith Oliver
