Inherit (Part 2)

Last week we looked at “The works of the Flesh” (15 of them)

Paul ended them with the statement “and things like these.” (21)

What we know about these 15+ works of the flesh is that they are “what the human natures does.” (Todays English Version).

The word “Works” (Ergon) deed or act; achievement

Occurs in an ethic sense of human actions; Good or Bad

In this case (BAD)

Being that it is plural it cal also mean “over History”

Bad ethical actions throughout History. That have been produced by our human actions.

Paul is saying “DON’T GO BACK”

(21c) “will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

This morning we are going to move on in this letter to the region of Galatia.

Galatians 5:22-26 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Let’s look at these virtues listed in this pericope.

Love: (Agape)

In the NT in nearly every case, it is used top speak of God’s relationship with man.

Never negative .... always in the sense of the Love of God; love toward men, man’s love of God.

or referring to the divine love for other men which the pressence of God God evokes.

This Agape love is referenced in Col. 3:12-17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Joy: (Chara)

The State of Joy

This joy has it’s source beyond mere earthly human joy.

It is Joy (en Kyrio) in the Lord, and therefore outside of ourselves.

Peace: (eirene)

harmonious relationship between man (Man and God)

Order in the Church

Patience: (Makrothymia)

capacity for restaint in the face of what is provocative

in response to obnoxious acts or attitudes

patient enduring of evil

prolonged restraint of anger

Kindness: (Chrestotes)

Quality of having a high level of usefullness

Understood in the Mediterranean world as an important factor in maintaining a well-ordered society

Moral goodness, integrity

Goodness: (Agathosyne)

This is very close to kindness (Chrestotes)

The difference ...... Kindness describes the kindlier aspect of goodness.

Goodness includes the sterner qualities by which doing “good” to others is not necessarily by gentle means.

EXAMPLE: Jesus cleansing the temple (Matt 21:12-13 “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.””

This wasn’t viewed as KIND but it was GOOD.

Faithfullness: (Pistis)

Faith “Assurance or guarantee”

Gentleness: (Prautes)

inward grace of the soul (Meekness: HUMBLE)

Reference: Ephesians 4:2 “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,”

Talks about the same thing

Self-control: (enkrateia)

The virtue of one who masters his desires and passions.

especially his sensual appetite (Sexual)

This word was introduced into ethics by Socrates as one of the chief virtues.

Works - Paul emphasizes that the manifestations of human nature stems from human endeavor (Doings) “Works of the Law”

The Law exist for restraint

Fruit - is the natural product of the Christian’s relationship with the Spirit, and so it issues forth spontaneously in the Christians behavior.

There is nothing to restrain in these “fruits qualities”

Definition of “qualities” - a distinctive attribute or characteristic possessed by someone/something.

So the questions remains then ..... “What is possessing you?”

The works of the flesh or the fruits of the spirit?

What Paul was asking these churches and what Paul is asking us today is this .....

Are we going to go back to the vices the enemy has been using against us (Works of the Flesh) or are we going to be live in the virtues the Spirit has to offer.

Its rather simple ......

Paul is urging us to live in our inheritance and “BE NOT” and but let us “BE”

Be not .....

Sexually immoral

Impure

Sensual

and the rest of the vices listed

Be .....

Love

Joy

peace

patient

Kind

Good

Faithful

Gentle (Humble)

Self-controlled