APR 5

Galatians 5:16-23
Memorise Galatians 5:22-23
“… Walk in the Spirit…”

We have learnt that a reformed life involves good works that can be seen, and that these good works must be consistently shown in our lives. Today’s passage provides us with more details on what these good works are, and why they are important.

The necessity of works is once again highlighted here when Paul says, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh”. Therefore, living a reformed life will help us ensure that we do not fall so easily into fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, and thus live a life that is glorifying to God.

The reason is simple: Paul again notes that the flesh and the Spirit are at war with each other. He describes the flesh as “lusting” against the Spirit, and the Spirit also doing the same against the flesh – this means that the strong desires of one are completely against the strong desires of the other. There is no way to fulfil the desires of the flesh while fulfilling the desires of the Spirit, and vice versa. Paul then lists out examples of where the lusts of the flesh are seen, and what the fruit of the Spirit is. Over the next few days, we will examine each fruit – each good work – in greater detail.

But coming back then to the idea of our lusts: which desires do we spend more time fulfilling? The more time we spend on fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, the less we will spend on fulfilling the desires of the Spirit. The reverse is also true. If we are actively engaged in the work of God, focused on growing in faith and performing good works, then we will be less inclined to sin.

We must take a moment to reflect on how we spend our time. Are we serving God in a ministry or in some other capacity outside of a formal area of service in church? Do we spend time studying God’s Word in Bible studies and fellowship groups? These are the things that will help us fulfill the desires of the Spirit and help us fight against the lusts of the flesh.

Thought: Am I walking in the Spirit, or am I too busy fulfilling the lusts of the flesh?
Prayer: Lord, help me to be engaged in serving Thee and in showing forth the fruit of the Spirit.