Lust
Notes
Transcript
EXPLANATION
EXPLANATION
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; 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.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Transition- When I first started reading and praying into this section of scripture my mind was blown by some of the things that I knew but God had started to talk to me about this word Lust, but also in the scripture I had been led to for preaching this Sunday.
Context- Paul had gone to Galatia and while he was there and he had connected with People God started to do a work. Gentiles who were involved in other religions to other God that would be labeled as pagan were hearing what Paul had to say and they were freely and happily leaving their religions to follow this Jesus that Paul had been speaking about.
-Paul left when the people had been showing growth in the Spirit
A group of Jewish-Christian Missionaries came into Galatia and started talking with the relatively new followers of Jesus and started talking to them
-If you want to have a relationship with God you need to live by the law
-Your adherence to the law is what made you able to live in relationship with God
-Caused confusion and the potential for damaging the spiritual lives of the new followers of Jesus
-Some followed what the missionaries said and some held to what Paul had said and taught about the resurrection of Jesus
The missionaries were teaching that cross didn’t have the power to save, but the law did have the power to save.
-circumcision
-sacrifices
-Modeling after Abraham
So Paul wrote this fiery letter to reaffirm what he had taught them about Jesus and other various aspects of life with Jesus.
Chapter 5 he is talking with them about Freedom in Christ
So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.
This section 16-26 is all focused on LIVING IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
LUST (Gk. epithymía “desire”).* The word “lust” has become more narrow in meaning since the time of the KJV; the RSV generally reserves the term for passionate evil desires, usually sexual (cf. the verb epithymeín; also LXX, Exod. 20:17; Deut. 5:21; see COVET). As in English, the Greek term is of wide meaning, with particular meaning dependent on the context. It can represent any strong desires, including those that are sinful (e.g., Eph 4:22; 1 John 2:16–17; cf. Rom. 7:7, “covet”) and those that are not (e.g., Luke 22:15; Phil. 1:23; 1 Thess. 2:17; RSV “desire”), and can be as broad as materialism (Mark 4:19; Rev. 18:14; RSV “longed for”) or as specific as sexual passion or obsession (Matt. 5:28; Rom. 1:24; 1 Thess. 4:5).
Desire.....not always a negative issue
Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.
I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.
Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again.
Transition-The different sins that are described within the context of this section of scripture are so diverse in which words are used almost each translation I was looking at had a different set of words that were similar, but could communicate something very different from what Paul wanted to communicate and the nuances in these words are so important. So we will look at the words that come directly from the greek writing of the Gospels.
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary
FORNICATION (Gk. porneía “unchastity”).* Sexual intercourse performed outside the bonds of marriage, considered an immoral work of the flesh (Matt. 15:19 par. Mark 7:21; cf. Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:3; Col. 3:5; RSV “unchastity, immorality”). The Old Testament depicts this as “harlotry” or “playing the harlot” (e.g., Gen. 38:24; Deut. 22:21); as such the concept is used figuratively with regard to Israel’s abandonment of its covenant ideals (e.g., Isa. 23:17; Ezek. 16:26; cf. Rev. 17:2, 4; 18:3; 19:2).
IMMORALITY (Gk. porneía).† Sexual activity contrary to biblical principles. The RSV also translates the Greek term as “fornication” (so KJV throughout), “unchastity,” and “impurity.”
Paul is particularly concerned with such behavior, listing it among the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19). He views it as a deterrent to participation in the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9–10; Gal. 5:19–21) and suggests marriage as a proper preventative to immoral sexuality (1 Cor. 7:2). Specific concerns include incest (5:1) and prostitution (6:12–20; cf. 2 Cor. 12:21).
In the book of Revelation, immortality is used figuratively with regard to pagan practices, including idolatry and sacred prostitution (Rev. 2:14, 20–21).
Licentiousness
Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) 816 ἀσέλγεια
816 ἀσέλγεια (aselgeia), ας (as), ἡ (hē): n.fem.; ≡ Str 766; TDNT 1.490—LN 88.272 sensuality, debauchery, licentiousness, lewdness, i.e., be unrestrained in moral attitudes and behaviors (Mk 7:22; Ro 13:13; 2Co 12:21; Gal 5:19; Eph 4:19; 1Pe 4:3; 2Pe 2:2, 7, 18; Jude 4+)
Idolatry
Putting something or someone else in the place of honor and worship that is reserved for God alone
Sorcery Magic
Enmity
to be hostile, to hold a grudge, to have an ill will for others
Strife/ Contention
to speak discord, argue,
Jealousy
be envious of what some is or has.
Outbursts of Anger
Selfish Ambition
ambition that creates rivalry between brothers and sisters
Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me.
Dissnesion
tearing apart
Factions
Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) 146 αἵρεσις
146 αἵρεσις (hairesis), έσεως (eseōs), ἡ (hē): n.fem.; ≡ Str 139; TDNT 1.180—1. LN 11.50 religious party, sect (Ac 5:17; 15:5; 24:5, 14; 26:5; 28:22+); 2. LN 33.241 false teaching, heresy (2Pe 2:1+); 3. LN 63.27 division, faction, separate group.
Envy
Drunkenness
Carousing/revelry
Concise Oxford English Dictionary Orgy
orgy
■ noun (plural orgies)
1 a wild party characterized by excessive drinking and indiscriminate sexual activity.
2 a period of excessive indulgence in a specified activity: an orgy of buying.
3 secret rites used particularly in the worship of the Greek god Dionysus, celebrated with dancing, drunkenness, and singing.
Paul turns right around after giving this list of things to avoid and says here is what the Jesus is calling you to live into in this life
Love , Joy , Peace , Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control
When we live these things out there is nothing that can be brought against us......the fear of reproach or negative consequences disappears because we are living according to the law of love....as Jesus did.
Paul wanted to bring these issues that the missionaries had brought up to a close and show the people that the issue that was a greater threat was
-a greater desire LUST for living in the principles and Kingdom of this world than living as people of the Kingdom of God
-a desire LUST for the things that are contrary to the Kingdom of God lead to bondage and actually can limit the freedom God wants for our lives.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
What is Paul NOT saying?
Our lives need to be boring
We need to live passionless lives that are moderate and lack excitement
Don’t have fun
Stay away from people who have fun
Don’t go to parties
Don’t go to dances
Don’t go to movie theaters
What Paul is saying
When the passion that consumes our lives lines up with the principles of the Kingdom of God
-WE WILL LIVE IN FREEDOM
-WE WILL LIVE IN LIFE GIVING COMMUNITY WITH LIKE MINDED PEOPLE
-OUR LIVES WILL LIVE IN CONSTANT SURRENDER TO GOD
We need to understand something......
-God doesn’t only call us AWAY from SIN
-He calls us INTO relationship with Him.....
Sometimes our focus can be on what WE CAN’T DO
-Kind of like a diet ....I CAN’T EAT.......
-God is not a diet ......
The life we can have in him when we really understand the freedom involved is so beautiful
-we can’t come in like the Jewish-Christian Missionaries did in Galatians and change the gospel message based on our tradition or practices.
-This is what turns people off the gospel…the GOOD NEWS
People who don’t have a relationship with God rarely are attracted to him because of what we have to avoid
People are attracted to a relationship with God because of the transformation in our lives.
-the contrast between the love of Jesus and the condemnation of this world is glowing and it will draw people into him.
THE MORE WE GROW CLOSER IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE MORE THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM BECOMES MORE UNAPPEALING.
So the issue of LUST of our DESIRES becomes an issue of what we want, focus on, feed in our minds.
-If your passion and your desire for your relationship with Jesus is relaxing then ask him for more desire
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your instructions are written on my heart.”
I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O Lord, well know.
I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Scripture says he will give us the desire of our hearts
WHAT IF I DON’T DESIRE GOD.......?
-DO YOU WANT TO?
-ASK HIM
Ask him to show you himself.....if you see Jesus through scripture and hear the love he has for you I don’t know many people who would not want to be in a relationship with him.