Joy and Peace

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace….
— Galatians 5:22

I’ll never forget many years ago when a so-called “brother in the Lord” tried to destroy our ministry in the former USSR. When I finally discovered the destructive schemes he was covertly planning, I was dumbfounded — stunned that someone I had worked with so closely could be deviously used by the devil. It was a true “Judas Iscariot” situation.

Thanks to God’s Spirit alerting us to what was happening and to staff members who sensed something was wrong in the Spirit, we probed into this man’s activities and discovered what he was attempting to do. Soon I found myself on an airplane with several key members of my team, flying to another city to deal with the consequences of his dishonest, deceitful, fraudulent plans.

As we flew that day to an encounter with evil that is forever etched in my memory, my staff commented on how joyful I was in the midst of this potentially devastating situation. I must admit, even I was amazed at the joy that exuded from down deep inside me that day! I knew the joy I felt was being produced in me by the Holy Spirit, for only the Holy Spirit could give such joy in a situation as difficult as the one I was facing that day.

That experience reminded me of Paul’s words to the Thessalonians in First Thessalonians 1:6. He told them, “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.” In most of Paul’s writings, he associates “joy” with times of affliction. The word “affliction” used in this verse is the Greek word thlipsis. This word is so strong that it leaves no room for misunderstanding regarding the intensity of the afflictions the Thessalonians faced.

The word thlipsis conveys the idea of a heavy-pressure situation. One scholar says it was first used to describe the specific act of tying a victim with a rope, laying him on his back, and then placing a huge boulder on top of him until his body was crushed. Paul uses this word to alert us to moments when he or others went through grueling, crushing situations that would have been unbearable, intolerable, and impossible to survive if it had not been for the help of the Holy Spirit.

Joy:

One of the ways the Holy Spirit helps in these situations is to give us supernatural “joy.” However, it’s important to understand that this divine joy isn’t on the same low level of mere happiness. Happiness is based on circumstantial pleasure, merriment, hilarity, exuberance, excitement, or something that causes one to feel hopeful or to be in high spirits. These fleeting emotions of happiness, although very pleasurable at the moment, usually go just as quickly as they came. All it takes is one piece of bad news, a sour look from a fellow employee, a harsh word from a spouse, or an electric bill that is larger than what was anticipated — and that emotion of happiness can disappear right before a person’s eyes! But joy is unaffected by outward circumstances. In fact, it usually thrives best when times are tough! It is God’s supernatural response to the devil’s attacks!

The Greek word for “joy” is chara, derived from the word charis, which is the Greek word for grace. This is important to note, for it tells us categorically that chara (“joy”) is produced by the charis (“grace”) of God. This means “joy” isn’t a human-based happiness that comes and goes. Rather, true “joy” is divine in origin, a fruit of the Spirit that is manifested particularly in hard times. Someone may feel happiness, merriment, hilarity, exuberance, excitement, or “high spirits,” but all of these are fleeting emotions. On the other hand, “joy” is a Spirit-given expression that flourishes best when times are strenuous, daunting, and tough!

In the example given in First Thessalonians 1:6, the Thessalonians were under great stress due to persecution; yet in the midst of it all, they continued to experience great joy. In fact, the Greek strongly implies that their supernatural joy was due to the Holy Spirit working inside them. Paul even called it the “joy of the Holy Ghost.”

An interpretive translation of First Thessalonians 1:6 could be the following:

“You threw your arms open wide and gladly welcomed the Word into your lives with great enthusiasm. And you did it even in the midst of mind-boggling sufferings — a level of stress and intensity that would be suffocating and crushing for most people. But while you were going through all these hardships and hassles, you were simultaneously experiencing the supreme ecstasy and joy of the Holy Spirit.”

The best that the lost world has to offer is a temporary happiness. But when the seed of God has been placed inside your human spirit, that divine seed produces a “joy” that isn’t based on outward events or circumstances. In fact, when times get very challenging, the supernatural life of God rises up inside you to defy that devilish pressure! This supernatural “joy” will sustain you in even the hardest of times!

Peace:

On the day when we faced that difficult ordeal with the man who was trying to destroy our ministry, there was something else I couldn’t help but notice: Supernatural “peace” was ruling me and my emotions! Under such circumstances, most people would have been very upset, but I was completely controlled, level-headed, and at rest. My fellow associates kept asking me, “How can you be so peaceful in the midst of this situation?” It was simply a fact that supernatural peace had risen up from deep within my spirit, enabling me to be a rock in the middle of a terrible storm that was threatening to disrupt the outreach of our ministry.

I knew this “peace” wasn’t something I was producing by myself; it was a fruit that the Holy Spirit was producing in me. Paul listed this supernatural “peace” in Galatians 5:22 when he wrote about the fruit of the Spirit. He said, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace….”

The word “peace” comes from the Greek word eirene, the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word shalom, which expresses the idea of wholeness, completeness, or tranquility in the soul that is unaffected by outward circumstances or pressures. The word eirene strongly suggests the rule of order in place of chaos. When a person is dominated by eirene (“peace”), he has a calm, inner stability that results in the ability to conduct himself peacefully, even in the midst of circumstances that would normally be very nerve-racking, traumatic, or upsetting.

The Hebrew counterpart, the word shalom, indicates that this dominating peace ultimately gives rise to prosperity in one’s soul. Rather than allowing the difficulties and pressures of life to break him, a person who is possessed by eirene (“peace”) is whole, complete, orderly, stable, and poised for blessing.

The New Testament is filled with examples of this supernatural peace that the Holy Spirit produces. One classic example is found in Acts 27, when the apostle Paul found himself in a ship that was being dangerously tossed back and forth by the raging waves of the sea. In fact, the storm was so severe that Acts 27:14 and 15 says, “But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.”

Notice verse 14 says, “…There arose against it a tempestuous wind….” The word “against” is the Greek word ballo, which in this verse means to throw, to dash, to hurt, or to rush. It indicates that a massive, terrible force of wind had come against them. He continues to say it was a “tempestuous wind” — which is the Greek word tuphonikos, a compound of the words tuphos and nikos. The word tuphos means typhoon, and nikos means to subdue or to conquer. Put these two words together, and it pictures a typhoon from which there is no escape. This is a storm so immense that it conquers and dominates everything in sight. Acts 27:14 tells us that this storm was called “Euroclydon” — the term professional sailors used to describe the deadly northeastern winter storms that blew across the Mediterranean Sea, causing many shipwrecks that resulted in the loss of many lives every year.

This typhoon became so fierce that Acts 27:15 says, “…The ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind….” The word “caught” is the Greek word sunarpadzo, which means to seize violently or to seize and to carry away. This word lets us know that the sailors had lost control of the ship. The winds were so violent that they could no longer fight them. One scholar notes that it must have felt as if a monster had seized the ship and was tearing it to pieces. The situation was so completely out of the sailors’ control that they “let her drive.” In other words, they chose to let the storm take them where it wanted rather than try to fight the winds that could not be conquered. Their hope was that the winds would carry them into the smoother waters near the small island of Clauda, which was a mere twenty-three miles south of Crete.

Acts 27:17 tells us that, once in the smooth waters off the shores of Clauda, the crew had much-needed repair work to do before they could continue on their dangerous journey in the winter storm. The ship had sustained a substantial amount of damage because of the fierce winds already endured on this trip. Verse 17 describes the work they undertook to prepare for the rest of the dangerous, windy trip: “Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.”

The words “when they had taken up” are from the Greek word boetheia, which referred to the ropes or cables used to secure the ship in one location. Before work on the ship could commence, the ship first had to be securely tied in one spot. Once it had been secured, the crew began to repair and prepare the ship for the rest of its hazardous journey.

But notice that this verse also mentions “quicksands,” which is from the Greek word syrtis, meaning terror. This referred to the sandbars that were located off the coast of North Africa. The fact that these professional sailors feared these sandbars, which were located four hundred miles south of their location at the island of Clauda, tells us that the winds they were fighting were strong enough to take them that far off their navigational course. Ships were constantly wrecked as a result of these sandbars, which were widely known to be the graveyard of countless sailors.

After all the crew’s efforts to fix the ship and try to avoid the winter winds, Acts 27:18 continues to tell us, “And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship.” The word “exceedingly” is from the word sphrodros, which means vehemently, violently, or intensely. The word “tempest” is the Greek word cheimadzoamai, which is the Greek word for a storm. But when you put these two words together into one phrase, as in this verse, it pictures a very vehement, violent, and intense storm.

In other words, rather than escaping the storm, the crew must have felt like they were driving right into it! It was such a serious situation that Acts 27:20 says, “And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.”

But right in the midst of all this hopelessness, Paul stood up and said, “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not…” (Acts 27:22-24). Paul had heard from the Lord, which caused supernatural peace to rise up on the inside of him. Therefore, he was able to be a rock in the middle of a very serious situation. His peace brought strength to everyone on that ship!

As noted earlier, this kind of “peace” is produced by the Holy Spirit. Now think back on the meaning of the word eirene (“peace”) in light of Paul’s experience on that ship. Remember, this word expresses the idea of wholeness, completeness, or tranquility in the soul that is unaffected by outward circumstances or pressures. It strongly suggests the rule of order in the place of chaos. When a person is dominated by eirene (“peace”), he has a calm, inner stability that results in the ability to conduct himself peacefully, even though circumstances normally would be very nerve-racking, traumatic, or upsetting. Isn’t this the exact quality Paul manifested that day on the ship?

I know that this supernatural peace of the Holy Spirit is what was working in me the day we were facing such difficulties because of that so-called brother in the Lord. That same peace has worked in me in many other difficult situations — and it will work in me many times more in the days that lie ahead!

So don’t think you have to give way to upsetting emotions in difficult or challenging moments. If you’ll let the Holy Spirit work in you, He will release a supernatural joy and a dominating peace from way down deep inside you. These fruits of the Spirit have the power to keep you joyful, calm, stable, and peaceful, even though you are facing circumstances that would normally push you over the edge! Why don’t you take a few minutes today to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to produce the supernatural fruits of joy and peace in you?

My Prayer for Today

Lord, thank You for sowing Your Spirit and Word into my life. Forgive me for allowing the flesh to dominate so much of my life. Help me yield to the divine seed You have planted inside me. I know that Your life resides in me, longing to be released, so today I make the choice to let Your Spirit start working mightily inside me. Thank You for the life of God that is flowing up from my spirit right now, producing the life and the nature of Jesus Christ in me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that the Holy Spirit lives in me and is producing His fruit in my life. The flesh no longer rules or dominates me, for I yield to the peaceful fruit of the Holy Spirit in every sphere of my life. I demonstrate love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance in my life. God has sown His Spirit and His Word into my heart; therefore, I expect this divine fruit to be produced inside me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you think of a time in your life when you should have been very upset about something, but a supernatural joy came rising up out of your spirit that sustained you during that hard time?

2. Can you also recollect a moment when the peace of God replaced the fear and worry that normally would have conquered you? What do you think would have happened that day if you hadn’t been ruled by this supernatural peace?

3. Do you think you have anything to do with the fruits of joy and peace operating in your life? Can your words or actions either stop them from functioning or release them to function more freely in your life?

The First Fruit Is Love

But the fruit of the Spirit is love….
— Galatians 5:22

When the New Testament was being written, there were four primary Greek words to describe the concept of “love”: 1) eros, 2) stergo, 3) phileo, and 4) agape. These four words conveyed four very different types of love. I want to talk to you today about these four different types of love; then I’ll tell you which of these four is the type of love the Holy Spirit wants to produce in your life.

The first word for “love” in the list given above is the Greek word eros, which is the Greek term for sexual love and where we get the word erotic. In Greek culture, this word referred to sensual, carnal impulses to satisfy or gratify the sexual desires of the flesh. It shares a common root with the word erao, which means to ask, to beg, or to demand. This confirms that eros is not a giving type of love; rather, it denotes a sexual demand. It is not a love that seeks to give or to please someone else, but a carnal love that seeks the fulfillment of its own desires.

It is very interesting that this word never appears once in the New Testament, not even in the context of sex in marriage. Even in Greek culture, the word eros represented a carnal, raw, base, low-level craving, yearning, ache, or appetite for sexual fulfillment. This type of “love” is so flesh-based and so far removed from the level of love that God expects of believers that it is never included in New Testament language.

In the New Testament, regardless of whether the context is friendship, brotherhood, or romance, all believers are urged to continually operate from the perspective of agape love, which is a love more focused on giving than it is on receiving. Because the word eros primarily describes a self-satisfying, self-gratifying, self-seeking, self-pleasing type of sexual appetite found mainly among unbelievers or those who are focused on themselves, it is not the type of love that believers should aspire to in their marital lives.

The second word for “love” mentioned in the list above is the Greek word stergo. The word stergo primarily pictures the love that exists between parents and children or the love that exists between members of a family. One scholar has noted that on occasion, the word stergo portrayed the love of a nation for its ruler or even the love of a dog for its master. Consequently, the real idea of the word stergo is that of devotion.

Although the word stergo does appear in the New Testament, it is very rarely used. We find it used in a negative sense in Second Timothy 3:3, where the King James Version translates it “without natural affection.” This suggests a time that will develop in the last days when strong family ties and devotion to one’s family will deteriorate. By using this word in a negative sense, the apostle Paul warns that one of the principal signs of the last times will be the deterioration of the family and of traditional family values.

The third word for “love” is the Greek word phileo, which describes affection — such as the affection felt between a boyfriend and girlfriend or the affability shared between two friends. It carries the idea of two or more people who feel compatible, well-matched, well-suited, and complementary to each other. Although this word describes the attributes of friendship, it is not representative of the highest form of love, which is agape. Other words derived from the word phileo are numerous. Here are a few of them:

The fourth word for “love” is the word chiefly used in the New Testament to depict the love of God. This is the Greek word agape — and it is this word that Paul uses in Galatians 5:22 when he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love….” This is what I call high-level love, for there is no higher, finer, or more excellent love than agape love.

In fact, the word agape is so filled with deep emotion and meaning that it is one of the most difficult words to translate in the New Testament. Trying to explain this word has baffled translators for centuries; nevertheless, I will now add my attempt to clarify the meaning of this powerful word.

Agape occurs when an individual sees, recognizes, understands, or appreciates the value of an object or a person, causing the viewer to behold this object or person in great esteem, awe, admiration, wonder, and sincere appreciation. Such great respect is awakened in the heart of the observer for the object or person he is beholding that he is compelled to love it. In fact, his love for that person or object is so strong that it is irresistible.

In the New Testament, perhaps the best example of agape is found in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” In the phrase, “For God so loved the world,” the word “love” is the word agape.

This means when God looked upon the human race, He stood in awe of mankind, even though man was lost in sin. God admired man; He wondered at man; He held mankind in the highest appreciation. Even though mankind was held captive by Satan at that moment, God looked upon the world and saw His own image in man. The human race was so precious to God and He loved man so deeply that His heart was stirred to reach out and do something to save him. In other words, God’s love drove Him to action.

You see, agape is a love that loves so profoundly that it knows no limits or boundaries in how far, wide, high, and deep it will go to show that love to its recipient. If necessary, agape love will even sacrifice itself for the sake of that object or person it so deeply cherishes. Agape is the highest form of love — a self-sacrificial type of love that moves the lover to action. In contrast:

Agape is a love that has no strings attached. It isn’t looking for what it can get, but for what it can give. Its awe of the one who is loved is so deep that it is compelled to shower love upon that object or person regardless of the response. This is the profound love God has for the human race, for He loved man when he was still lost in sin with no ability to love Him back. God simply loved mankind without any thought or expectation of receiving love in return.

When you love with such a pure love that you expect nothing back in return, it is impossible for you to feel hurt or let down by the response of the recipients of your love. You don’t love them for the purpose of getting something in return; you shower them with love simply because you love them. This kind of love is much higher than eros love that is based on selfishness; stergo love that is restricted by limitations; or phileo love that is rooted in mutual satisfaction. These three types of love are what I call low-level love, but agape is high-level love. It is a love that has no strings attached, a love that loves simply and purely — the God-kind of love.

In First John 3:16, we are urged to possess agape for each other. It says, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” This plainly means that we are to love and appreciate each other just as fully and freely as God loves us.

The Father loved us to the point of self-sacrifice. Jesus’ agape drove Him to lay down His life for us. In the same way, we are to agape our brothers and sisters to such a high extent that we would be willing to lay down our lives for them. If we are truly operating in agape and they don’t respond in like fashion, it won’t offend or hurt us. We are not looking for what others can do for us; we are simply focused on how to love others with no strings attached. Therefore, the way other people respond to us has no effect on our desire to shower them with agape love.

Further explaining the role of agape in our lives, John said, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (v. 18). The word “love” is again the word agape, which tells us that when agape is at work, it is a force so strong that it demonstrates itself with deeds and actions. This is not an empty love that talks but does nothing. It is a love that does something, just as God loved us and then did something to save us from our lost and sinful condition.

This is the love that Paul urged us to follow after when he wrote in First Corinthians 14:1, “Follow after charity [agape love]….” The word “follow” is the Greek word dioko, which means to hotly pursue. It was a hunting term that pictured a hunter following the tracks of an animal until he finally gets his game. This means that attaining this high-level love doesn’t come easy. If we want to attain agape love and regularly walk in it, we must hotly pursue it! It must be the focus and the aim of our lives.

If agape is the basis of your sexual relationship with your spouse instead of eros, you will always seek to serve and please your spouse rather than being self-centered and focused only on your needs. If agape is the basis of your family relationships rather than stergo, you will always remain devoted to your family, regardless of the disappointments that may occur along the way. And if agape is the basis of your friendships rather than phileo, you will be a faithful, immovable friend for life rather than a come-and-go friend who is faithful only as long as you get what you want out of the relationship. In fact, if agape is the driving motivation of your life and the force behind all your relationships, it will make you to be the best, most devoted, faithful, and reliable friend anyone has ever known.

You may ask, “But how can I possess such love? Is it really possible for me to regularly exhibit such love in my life for other people?” If you were seeking to walk in the kind of love that originates in the power of your flesh, it would be impossible, for flesh is selfish and self-focused and therefore cannot love that highly. But because the seed of God’s Word has been sown into your own human spirit, the potential for this divine love is within you all the time. Now it is up to you to shove the flesh aside and release the love of God from down deep inside. If you will let the Spirit of God release it from your heart, you will discover and enjoy the fruit of the Spirit called “love.” This high-level love is already inside you. Now it’s time for you to free that love and allow the Holy Spirit to manifest it in your life!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me turn my attention to Your kind of high-level love and make it a part of my daily life. Forgive me for those times when I’ve fallen into low-level, “you-scratch-my-back-and-I’ll-scratch-yours” love that gets easily offended. Help me climb up to the higher realms of love that You desire to be manifested in my life. Holy Spirit, it is impossible to continually walk in this kind of love in the power of my flesh, so I turn to You to awaken this divine love inside me and to help me manifest it in my life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am hotly pursuing agape love in my life. I want to attain this high level of love and regularly walk in it, so I treat this fruit of the Spirit like it is one of the most important aims of my life. Because the seed of God’s Spirit and Word is sown in my own human spirit, I have the potential for this divine love within me all the time. So right now I determine to shove the flesh aside and release the power of God from down deep inside. Because agape is the driving motivation of my life and the force behind all my relationships, I am the best, most devoted, faithful, and reliable friend anyone has ever known!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you think of one person who has loved you with real agape love at some point in your life? What kind of impact did that “no-strings-attached” kind of love have on you?

2. Would others say that agape love operates in you or that you have strings attached to your demonstrations of love?

3. What can you do to move up into God’s high-level agape love? Think it over, and write down your ideas of what you need to do to leave behind the place of low-level love and move up to God’s higher realm of agape love.

Here’s What the Holy Spirit Wants To Produce in You!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Galatians 5:22,23

One day while visiting a remote village in southern Moldova, a precious Moldavian family invited our family to come to their home for lunch. When we arrived, we could see a huge table set up outside the house under a veranda. The veranda was covered with luscious green vines laden with the biggest grapes I had ever seen anywhere in the world.

As I sat there with Denise and our boys, I looked up to examine the green, white, red, and purple grapes — mixtures of grapes I had never seen before. Soon it was time for dessert, but instead of ice cream or cake, oversized platters overflowing with grapes were placed on the table right before us. We had never seen such plump, colorful grapes, so at first we just looked at them in amazement. When we finally put them in our mouths and bit down, the juices literally flowed. That was the sweetest fruit we had ever tasted in our lives! My taste buds can almost taste them again as I write about it now.

Fruit is wonderful! It is healthy, beneficial, and delicious. This is one reason the apostle Paul used the word “fruit” to describe the wonderful things the Holy Spirit wants to produce inside our lives!

After Paul discusses the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21, he begins to elaborate about the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in a believer’s life. In Galatians 5:22 and 23, he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance….”

Just as Paul previously described the works of the flesh, now he tells us what the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us — and what a contrast there is between the flesh and the Spirit! The flesh produces “works” — from the Greek word ergos, which implies hard work or hard labor. As noted earlier (see July 14), a life dominated by the flesh is filled with excess, imbalance, unhealthy extremes, laziness, self-abuse, hatred, strife, bitterness, irresponsibility, and neglect. It is the hardest route for any individual, yet the flesh still cries out to be in charge, screaming to have its own way, demanding to be the boss. On the other hand, a life dominated by the Holy Spirit is filled with benefits and blessings!

Look at what the Spirit produces — fruit! The word “fruit” is from the Greek word karpos, which describes the fruit of plants, the fruit of trees, or the fruit of one’s body, such as a person’s children or offspring.

Regardless of whether it is a plant, an animal, or a human, all fruit is produced from some kind of seed. If there is no seed, there is no fruit — and the kind of seed that is sown determines the fruit that will be produced (Genesis 1:11,12). Apples always produce apples; oranges always produce oranges; dogs always produce dogs; cats always produce cats; humans always produce humans. The character of the seed determines the fruit.

The moment you received Jesus as your Savior by faith, God sowed His Spirit and Word into your heart like a seed, and you were spiritually born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). And just like apples always produce apples and oranges always produce oranges, God’s seed inside you immediately began to produce God! The kind of seed always determines the outcome of the fruit; therefore, you should expect your life to yield the fruits of the Spirit, for that is the seed God has sown into your heart.

Does a vinedresser worry that his grapevines might produce oranges? Of course not! He knows that grapevines only produce grapes. Does the owner of an orange grove run to the orchard to see if his tress produced watermelons? Of course not! He knows his tress will produce oranges because orange trees only produce oranges. If someone wants to grow watermelons, he has to plant watermelon seeds. Once those watermelon seeds are in the ground, he can rest assured that eventually he will have long vines growing juicy watermelons in his garden.

The same principle holds true in the spiritual realm. To get what you want, you have to plant the right seed, because seed always produces fruit after its kind.

So if God has sown His Spirit and His Word into your heart, you have every right to expect divine fruit to be produced inside you! The fruit that the Spirit produces is wonderful, godly fruit, overflowing with blessings and life. As you allow the Holy Spirit to produce these fruits in you, you’ll find that people love to be near you because you’re such a pleasurable experience for them. Once they partake of the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance that is evident in your life, they will want to come back for multiple servings of that luscious fruit!

So don’t give way to the flesh and allow it to produce its ugly work in your life. Instead, yield to the Spirit and allow the seed of God’s Spirit and Word to produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life. You are the one who makes the ultimate decision of who is going to rule you, so choose wisely today. Do you want to walk in the cruel, hard, bitter works of the flesh? Or would you prefer to mortify the deeds of the flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to produce His wonderful fruit in you? Which path are you going to choose?

My Prayer for Today

Lord, thank You for sowing Your Spirit and Word into my life. Forgive me for allowing the flesh to dominate so much of my life. Help me yield to the divine seed You have planted inside me. I know that Your life resides in me, longing to be released, so today I make the choice to let Your Spirit start working mightily inside me. Thank You for the life of God that is flowing up from my spirit right now, producing the life and the nature of Jesus Christ in me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that the Holy Spirit lives in me and is producing His fruit in my life. The flesh no longer rules or dominates me, for I yield to the peaceful fruit of the Holy Spirit in every sphere of my life. I demonstrate love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance in my life. God has sown His Spirit and His Word into my heart; therefore, I expect this divine fruit to be produced inside me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you think of one person who manifests the character of Jesus Christ so much that when you are with him or her, you feel as if you have been with Jesus? What specific qualities are exhibited in the life of this person that make you feel that way?

2. What steps do you need to take so the Holy Spirit can more readily produce this godly fruit in your own life? For instance, what role do you think prayer or reading your Bible has in developing the fruit of the Spirit in your life?

3. If you were to ask others what kind of fruit they see in your life, how do you think they would answer?

A True Child of God Cannot Continue To Habitually Practice Sin!

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
— 1 John 3:6

A true child of God cannot continue to habitually live a lifestyle of sin! It is impossible! In fact, if someone claims to be a child of God but continues in a life of sin, it is more than likely that he was never genuinely born again in the first place. You see, the Bible makes it clear that it is simply impossible for a bona fide child of God to continue in a life of sin! Today I want to tell you the reason why this is impossible.

First John 3:6 says, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” Do you see the word “sinneth” used two times in this verse? In both cases, the Greek tense indicates continuous action, which means the verse could be more accurately translated, “He who abides in him does not go on continually, habitually sinning as a way of life; he who continually goes on routinely sinning as a way of life has not seen him, neither known him.”

I realize this is a very strong statement, but this is precisely what John said to us in this verse. According to this verse, anyone who continues to live in habitual sin does not know Jesus. It could be that this individual has come close to the Kingdom of God and has even tasted the powers of it. But the fact that he has continued uninterrupted in the practice of sin shows that he has never become a real child of God. The fact that his life never changed demonstrates that his nature was never changed. This is exactly what John wrote in First John 3:6.

John then goes on to tell us, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9). The tense of the word translated “commit” again indicates continuing action, which means the verse could be translated, “Whosoever is born of God simply cannot go on continually sinning….” And then John tells us why!

John writes, “…for his [God’s] seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” The word “seed” is the Greek word sperma — and yes, it is where we get the word sperm.

According to this phenomenal verse, God injected His own seed into you the day you gave your life to Christ! Just as the sperm of a human father carries the DNA of that father, God’s seed — the Word of God — carries the life and nature of God within it. When that divine seed was implanted on the inside of you, it imparted the very nature of God Himself to your spirit.

Peter referred to this miraculous event when he wrote that you are “…born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23). This means the day you got saved, that divine seed came rushing into your spirit, carrying the life and nature of God within it to give you a new nature. Just as a human seed produces a human life, God’s divine seed immediately began to produce the life of God inside you.

In Genesis 1, God declared a spiritual law — that every living thing produces after its own kind (vv. 21,24,25): Humans produce humans; horses produce horses; plants produce plants, and so on. This principle is also true in the spiritual realm. The day that God’s divine seed was planted in you, that seed transported the very nature of God Himself into your spirit, with the full expectation that His very life and nature would be reproduced on the inside of you. This is why your desires suddenly changed after you were born again. This is also why you felt so badly about sin that previously didn’t bother you at all and why you became so driven to possess a holy life. You weren’t the same anymore, because you had a new nature. The nature of God Himself had been planted in you!

This is the reason a genuinely born-again person cannot continue habitually in his past sinful patterns. His new nature will drive him to be different, to be holy, to be like God. His born-again spirit will grieve and sorrow if sins are committed, because such actions violate the new nature that has been implanted in his spirit. If a person continues in sin as though nothing happened inside him, then nothing is probably exactly what did happen! More than likely, he was never really born again, for if he had been born again, that new nature of God within him would not permit him to continue living habitually in sin.

What does this mean for you and me? If a person who claims to be born again continues uninterrupted in habitual sin, we can take it as a strong indicator that he has probably never really been born again. This person may have come close to the Kingdom of God; he may have even learned the lingo of the saints. But the fact that his actions are unchanged indicates that his nature has never been changed. If he had really been infused with the divine seed of God, that life-giving seed would have so changed him that he wouldn’t be able to continue living as he had lived in the past.

This is why I say that people who claim to know the Lord but whose lives never reflect a change should question if they have ever really been born again. The great preacher, Charles Finney, once remarked that most people who attend church are probably not born again. When asked why he believed this, Finney remarked that it was impossible for true children of God to live in blatant sin as many believers do. Finney made this statement over 100 years ago. As I contemplate the amount of sin that is so prevalent in the Church today, it makes me wonder, How many people who attend church in our own day are not genuinely born again?

First John 3:9 plainly declares that an authentic child of God cannot routinely commit and live in uninterrupted sin. Because he has been “born of God,” he is so inwardly changed that it affects him outwardly. He acts differently because he is different. Now God’s seed resides in his spirit, and that seed is producing the life of God in him; therefore, he thinks, behaves, and acts like God’s child.

On the other hand, if a person’s life does not emulate God, perhaps it is an indication that he has never really received God’s divine seed into his spirit. If he had been implanted with God’s seed, that seed would have caused clear and visible changes in his life.

You must remember that in regard to the works of the flesh, Paul said, “…They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). The word “do” is the Greek word prasso, which means to practice. The Greek expresses the idea of a person who performs these things as a matter of routine. These actions are his ritual, his norm, his pattern of life. It means the verse could be translated, “…Those who put these things into practice and who do these things routinely shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

This is not the story of someone who has lost his salvation; rather, this is the story of someone who thought he was saved but who never really possessed genuine salvation in the first place. If he had truly been saved, he wouldn’t have been able to continue living a consistent life of sin. The apostle John made this point emphatically clear in First John 3:9.

There is nothing more important than your salvation, friend. If you make a mistake about your spiritual condition, it is a mistake you will regret for all of eternity. Because this is such a vital, eternal issue, I advise you to carefully examine your own life to see if you reflect the life and nature of God.

This question is too serious for you to make a mistake. If these questions disturb you, take the time to let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart and tell you the truth. If your life gives proof that you are saved, then rejoice! But if an honest evaluation reveals that you have only become more religious but have never really changed, perhaps you need to reconsider whether or not you have ever really been saved.

If you find that this last statement best describes you, it’s time for you to make your heart right with God. Don’t let pride hold you back from doing what is right. Many people will have an eternal destiny in hell because they couldn’t bear the thought of publicly admitting they weren’t saved. Don’t let pride stop you from doing what is right. The question of where you will spend your eternity is too important to ignore! Determine to put aside your pride so you can do what God’s Spirit is urging you to do! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for placing Your divine life inside me! You have changed my whole view of life and given me new desires. I am so grateful to You for bringing about such change in me. I am truly a new creature with new desires, new longings, and new aspirations. I am so thankful that when I look at my life, I can see Your life and Your nature working in me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I have a new nature with new desires! I am not the person I used to be. By looking at me, it is evident that God’s new nature is alive and working inside me. His divine seed is reproducing God’s life in me so that every day I am thinking more like God, acting more like God, and possessing less tolerance for any sin that might still be active in my life. I don’t have to wonder if I’m really saved, for my life gives proof that I have received a brand-new nature!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever known someone who claimed to be born again, but you never witnessed any changes in his lifestyle, behavior, attitudes, or actions? Did it make you wonder if that person was really saved?

2. If you know someone who claims to be a child of God but whose life continues uninterrupted in a lifestyle of sin, what does this person’s unchanged life indicate to you now?

3. What changes occurred in you when you received Jesus Christ into your heart? Why don’t you write down some of the biggest changes that have taken place since you were born again? It might be interesting for you to see how much your life has changed!

Do You Practice Sin in Your Life?

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
— Galatians 5:21

When I was young in the Lord and read the list in Galatians 5:19-21 of the works of the flesh, I was afterward afraid that I wouldn’t be admitted into the Kingdom of God if I ever unintentionally slipped into one of these fleshly works. That’s what I thought Paul meant when he said, “…they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” I wondered, Would an occasional, unintentional act of the flesh keep me or someone else out of God’s Kingdom? What does it mean when it says, “they which do such things”? If I fall into one of these vices once, does that mean it’s all over for me?

So when I first started to learn New Testament Greek, one of my top priorities was to study Galatians 5:21 to see exactly what the original Greek was saying. What I discovered brought great relief to my mind, and I believe it will bring assurance to your heart and mind as well.

When Paul says, “…They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God,” he uses the word “do,” from the Greek word prasso, which means to practice. Had he used the Greek word poieo, which means to do, it would have referred to an occasional act, but Paul carefully chose to use the word prasso, which conclusively communicates the idea of something that is done repeatedly or habitually. These are the actions of a person who has put these things into practice in his life, performing them as a matter of routine. These actions are his ritual, his norm, his pattern of life. Thus, the verse could be translated, “…Those who put these things into practice in their lives and do these things routinely as a manner of lifestyle shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

For a review, let’s look quickly at the following list of the works of the flesh that are not to be routinely practiced or habitually performed:

Remember, when Paul wrote, “…They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God,” he used a Greek tense that categorically means he is talking about those who perform these things as a manner of lifestyle or who are habitually controlled by fleshly thoughts or deeds. To such people, the works of the flesh are their ritual, their norm, their pattern of life. So I must ask you:

If you routinely do these things, you need to be very concerned about whether or not you are genuinely a child of God.

As you will see in tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem, it is impossible for a real believer to continue habitually in sin. If these works of the flesh are the norm, the pattern, the routine of a person’s life, it may be an indication that he was never born again — thus providing the reason he will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

If you occasionally struggle with sin, then go to God and allow Him to show you how He sees your sin. Get a revelation of what sin is — how grievous it is to the heart of God and how damaging it is to your own soul. Then ask Him to forgive you and to cleanse you — and He will! But if you routinely do many of these things as a manner of lifestyle, I believe you need to go to God and ask Him to tell you the truth about your spiritual status! You cannot afford to make a mistake about this eternal question!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for saving me by the power of God. Help me put aside the works of the flesh once and for all. Please teach me to walk in the Spirit. I know that You have designed a powerful life for me, and I want to enter into that life in all its fullness. My heart’s desire is to know You better and to walk with You, so today I am asking that Your Spirit propel me forward into this newer and higher way of living!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I do NOT routinely perform the works of the flesh. As a genuine child of God, I live to please my Heavenly Father, and I am repulsed by sin when it tries to operate in my life. My spirit is sensitive to God, and my heart is tender to the voice of the Holy Spirit. I hate sin and its consequences, and I do everything I can to live and to stay in the Presence of God!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Are any of the above works of the flesh routinely performed in your life? If yes, how does today’s Sparkling Gem affect you?

2. Has the Holy Spirit been trying to deal with you about certain works of the flesh that are operating in your life? What are those areas? Are you going to permit Him to purge those grievous actions and attitudes from your life?

3. Do you need to take some time today to get before the Lord and confess your sin? If your answer is yes, please don’t leave your quiet place until you have done so. You need to respond to God while your spirit is sensitive to what He is speaking to you.

Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like….
— Galatians 5:19-21

When the Jewish leaders turned Jesus over to Pilate to be criminally tried in a court of law, Pilate knew they did it because they were jealous of the popularity that Jesus was gaining in the nation. Mark 15:10 says, “For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.”

The word “envy” in the above verse is the Greek word phthonos. It depicts a hostile feeling toward someone because that person has something — an advantage, a benefit, a position — that the other does not possess but would like to have. The despicable feeling toward that person with a perceived advantage is so strong that the one who feels “envy” takes action to remove that person’s advantage in the hope that it will pass on to him. This kind of envy is evil, sinister, and full of maliciousness.

Mark 15:10 tells us that Pilate could see the real motives of the chief priests. Pilate knew the real issue: The chief priests felt threatened and insecure because of Jesus’ growing popularity. Pilate knew insecurity was driving the chief priests to demand that Jesus be charged with a criminal offense and that He be publicly declared guilty and crucified. Although the chief priests acted from a different pretense, the real issue was evident. They wanted to remove Jesus so that the publicity that had been focused on Him would shift back to the priesthood, where it had been before Jesus came on the scene. These horrible attitudes and appalling actions are communicated by the word “envy” in Mark 15:10.

Envy:

In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul included “envy” in the works of the flesh. As noted above, the word “envy” is the Greek word phthonos. This word implies a deeply felt grudge because someone possesses what a person wishes was his own. Because the person who feels envy has a chip on his shoulder, he begrudges what that other person possesses and is covetous of the person’s belongings, accomplishments, relationships, or titles in life. Every time he sees that other person, he inwardly seethes about his success. He deeply resents that person’s blessing and tries to figure out a way to seize it away from the person he envies in order to make it his own.

In the example given above, the chief priests were envious of the acclaim Jesus was gaining. To get rid of the competition, the chief priests therefore decided to kill Jesus. That is the way this type of envy reacts. It is so strong that it propels a person to take some kind of action — most often, some kind of evil action designed to do away with the person who has the advantage.

This may explain why the King James Version next mentions “murder.” The problem is, the word “murder” doesn’t appear in the Greek language! So we must ask, “Why did the King James translators insert the word ‘murder’ if it doesn’t appear in the original Greek?” The only possible answer is that they perceived this “envy” to be so strong that it would even drive a person to “murder” in order to get what he wants.

There are examples in classical literature where the word phthonos is also used to represent a person who uses others as stepping stones to get where he wants to be in terms of money, prestige, and power. This is an unscrupulous person who uses and abuses people so he might grasp the things he desires.

Perhaps you’ve seen this work of the flesh manifested at the office, your place of employment, or even at your church. Have you ever witnessed a moment when a fellow employee or believer tried to snuggle up close to you, but you found out later that this person was only feigning friendship? In reality, he didn’t want to be your friend; he just wanted to be close to you so he could befriend someone you knew. To get to that other person, he had to go through you. So he acted like your friend in order to gain his own advantage and then dropped you like a lead balloon.

Or perhaps someone acted as if he wanted to be your friend when in truth all he wanted was your job! This goes on in the secular world all the time, but it should not happen inside the church. Such behavior is hurtful, manipulative, and unkind. It wounds souls; it makes people feel like they have been abused; and it cheapens the concept of friendship. No wonder Paul calls envy a work of the flesh!

The next time you find yourself tempted to get envious over someone else’s blessing or position, call upon the Spirit of God to help you mortify that deed of the flesh. Put it to silence by deliberately choosing to rejoice when someone else gets blessed! What you sow is exactly what you will reap. If you sow anger, resentment, and bitterness, that negative harvest will come back to you in the future. But if you sow joy for those who have been blessed and who are ahead of you, a time will come when blessings will come back to you. Then people will rejoice with you about YOUR success!

Drunkenness:

The word “drunkenness” is from the word methe, which refers to strong drink or to drunkenness. The consumption of wine for the sake of intoxication was common in the first century due to many pagan religions that employed wine as a part of their religious practices.

For example, the religion of Bacchos (whom the Greeks called Dionysos) was centered around wine and intoxication. In fact, Bacchos was called the god of wine. Once the worshipers were completely inebriated due to their consumption of wine, they threw off all restraints and fully yielded themselves to every temptation of the flesh. Nothing was off limits. Plunging themselves into the most vulgar sexual excesses and unnatural acts, the participants attempted to breach every known moral code, committing the grossest extremes of sin possible in order to experience a realm of excess never before tasted or known to man. That was the deliberate goal of this religion; hence, the participants were drawn into perverted and shameless orgies. While under the influence of wine, the people fornicated as the priests beat drums and clanged cymbals, adding to the rage, emotions, and uncontrolled passion of the moment.

Often drugs were mixed together with the wine, which caused the participants to convulse or to dance in frenzied circles. This frenzied condition was called entheos — a compound of the words en and theos. The word en means in, and theos is the word for god. Thus, if a person was entheos, he was “in the control of a god.” Interestingly, this is where we get the word enthusiasm. It was believed that when a participant fell into one of these uncontrolled, frenzied moments, he had passed the moral barrier and was now caught in the control of a god or spirit. This entheos experience was the ultimate goal for those who participated in the religion of Bacchos.

The consumption of wine was a key factor in this pagan religion. But Bacchos was not the only religion that used wine. The use of wine was a widespread practice in nearly all the Greek and Roman religions. Recent archeological digs of ancient cities testify to the prevalent use of wine at that time. Great numbers of homes have been discovered with huge underground caverns designed to hold a vast supply of wine. In some of these sites, the houses were found to have openings in the floor through which a person could dip down into the massive wine supply below. The fact that this much wine was available to individual homes clearly demonstrates the major role that wine played in first-century society.

Paul knew that when flesh became absorbed with wine, a person lost his ability to think rationally, often leading to devastating excess. This is precisely why he told the Ephesian believers, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess…” (Ephesians 5:18). This word “excess” is the Greek word asotia, which when literally translated means one who has lost his ability to save or to spare himself. This is a person who wastes his life, squanders his money, or desecrates his body because he is drunk and cannot think straight. Due to a mind that has been altered by excessive alcohol consumption, this person thinks irrationally, acts irresponsibly, and commits acts of excess that would normally not even be a temptation.

The principal pagan religion of Ephesus was the worship of Artemis. This was another religion that employed vast amounts of wine in its worship. The Bible provides a strong indication that although the believers in Ephesus had been redeemed and delivered from the temple of Artemis, they were allowing the consumption of wine to remain a common feature in their lives. Paul urged them to stop this practice, telling them to put aside the wine and to “be filled with the Spirit” in its place. Paul knew that once these believers were under the influence of God’s Spirit, they would be positively affected! Under that influence, they would be so changed that they would start speaking to themselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in their hearts to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).

A drunken state suppresses the mind’s ability to think correctly and releases the flesh to fully express itself. The believers in the first century were trying to walk free from the power of their flesh. The last thing they needed was to drink wine, inhibit their ability to think correctly, revive the flesh, and then do things that were sinful or damaging! So Paul urged them to leave the wine alone! The undisciplined consumption of wine only leads to the works of the flesh!

Revellings:

Last in his list of the works of the flesh is the word “revellings.” This interesting word comes from the Greek word komoi, which describes a festive procession or merry-making. Most who see the word “revellings” imagine that it refers to drunkenness, street fights, or those who run from one drunken party to the next. Is this what you thought this word means? Let’s look at it and see what it really means in the original Greek!

The word komoi (“revellings”) describes a person who can’t bear the thought of boredom and is therefore continually seeking different forms of amusement or entertainment. This person is actually afraid of being bored, so he constantly contemplates what he can do next to have fun or to be entertained. The word komoi can refer to a person who endlessly eats at parties or who seeks constant laughter and hilarity. Certainly there is nothing wrong with laughter; the problem with this person is that he is consumed with the need for comedy, light moments, fun, pleasure, entertainment, or constant eating. He lives for the next meal, the next restaurant, the next movie, the next vacation.

In Second Timothy 3:4, Paul prophesies that this kind of hedonism would be an especially prevalent problem in the last days. He wrote that in the last days, people would be “lovers of pleasures.” These words come from the Greek word philedonos, which is a compound of the words philos and hedone. The word philos means to love, and the word hedone means something that tastes sweet or something that is pleasant or enjoyable. In classical Greece, it denoted the exaltation of pleasure, especially signified by the freedom to sexually express oneself. Any sexual expression was permissible as long as the parties involved agreed. In other words, there was no moral standard when hedonism ruled ancient Greece. Of the five times where the word hedone is used in the New Testament, it is used in a bad sense to describe the unrestrained seeking of carnal pleasures.

By using the word philedonos (“lovers of pleasures”), Paul tells us explicitly that in the last days people will be obsessed with pleasure — with eating, partying, and entertainment. They will be preoccupied with new methods to alleviate boredom. Life will become so soft and luxurious that people will overeat, be lazy, take unwarranted time off work, exist on borrowed money, and permit questionable moral behavior — all the while thinking that this is a normal, acceptable way to live.

Now do you see why Paul included “revellings” in his list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21? The flesh wants to escape responsibility, thrive on fun, and avoid the seriousness of life. If you let your flesh lead you, it will waste your time, your talents, and your energies on things that are not eternal. You’ll spend all your time watching television, going to movies, and eating at restaurants — and in the end, you’ll have nothing to show for it but tons of credit card debt. One day you’ll hold your credit card bills in your hands and realize that you are head over heels in debt because of a few fleeting moments of pleasure. Were all those fleshly pursuits really worth the slavery to debt that you now have to live with for the next couple of years?

You see, that is what the flesh wants to do to you. It says, “Come on, it will feel so good if you do this. It’s true that you probably shouldn’t, but just one more time won’t hurt. Besides, what else do you have to do? There’s nothing to do at home!”

The truth is, there is plenty to do at home! You could be reading your Bible; playing with your children; developing your relationship with your brothers and sisters; visiting your neighbors; volunteering to serve in some area of your church; mowing your yard; learning to cook; cleaning the garage; or reading a book and developing your mind. There is a host of things you could do that would be healthy for you and your family!

So the next time your flesh says “There’s nothing to do! It’s so boring!” — just take a look inside your garage; check the condition of your backyard; or peek into your clothes closet. I think you’ll see that there is plenty for you to do to keep from being bored! Your flesh may recoil from doing these things, but afterward you’ll feel like a champion! You’ll feel so good that you didn’t go into more debt for more stuff you don’t need. You’ll be so thankful you didn’t waste your precious time doing things that don’t matter. And you’ll feel so victorious for accomplishing something that has needed your attention for a very long time! Somebody say, “Amen!”

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me the next time I am tempted to get envious over someone else’s blessing or position. Help me to keep my head on straight and not to allow things in my life that will recharge my flesh and stir me up to do things that are sinful or wrong. Forgive me for thinking that I constantly have to be entertained. I’m so sorry that I’ve wasted so much of my time and thrown away so much money on things that don’t matter. I don’t want to be dominated by my flesh anymore. Today I am calling on You to help me break away from my past patterns so I can start on a new and higher path!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am not dominated by the flesh but by the Spirit of God. I am completely committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to doing what pleases Him most with my life. I refuse to let my flesh lead me astray, and I have decided to take up my cross and follow wherever Jesus leads me. I am serious about life; I am serious about doing what God wants me to do; and I am a good steward of my time, resources, and talents. 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1.  The next time you feel tempted to get envious over someone else’s blessing or position, what are you going to do about it? Remember — what you sow is exactly what you will reap!

2.  What changes do you need to make in your life to stop reactivating and recharging the power of your flesh? Is there any habit, hobby, preoccupation, or relationship you have that encourages you to think or to act wrong?

3.  The next time your flesh says, “There’s nothing to do! It’s so boring!” what are you going to do? Will you grab a newspaper so you can see what is being shown at the local movie theater, or will you decide to do something productive and edifying?

Strife, Seditions, Heresies

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies.
— Galatians 5:19,20

I pray that God is opening your eyes to see the works of the flesh from a new perspective. This is clearly very important; otherwise, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have included this list in the New Testament. Each word selected by the Holy Spirit to depict the works of the flesh is pungent and powerful. There is no room for misunderstanding. The Spirit of God wants us to be able to identify the works of the flesh so we can prohibit their activity in our lives.

Strife:

As Paul continues listing the works of the flesh, he next moves to the subject of “strife.” The word “strife” comes from the Greek word eritheia. It is very similar to the word eris, which is translated “variance” in the King James Version and was discussed in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem.

The word eritheia describes a self-seeking ambition that is more concerned about itself and the fulfillment of its own wants, desires, and pleasures than it is in meeting the same needs in others. When eritheia is working in someone’s life, it means that taking care of himself and getting what he wants is that person’s principal concern. In fact, he is so bent on getting what he wants that he is willing to do anything, say anything, and sacrifice any standard, rules, or relationship to achieve his goals. It is a selfish, self-focused attitude that is engrossed with its own desires and ambitions. It is so self-consumed that it is blinded to the desires or ambitions of other people.           

When someone has this attitude, he is bound to hurt and to offend people. It makes me think of one pastor I know in the former Soviet Union. This pastor is so committed to his own cause that he can’t see anything but himself. If someone mentions a church other than his own, he immediately turns the conversation back to his own church because he can’t tolerate anyone talking about anything but his own work. This characteristic of his gives the impression of conceit. In fact, I know of no other pastor in the city where he lives who can get along with him! Other pastors have spent years trying to build bridges to this pastor, only to have him turn around and do something hurtful and offensive to everyone who has tried to befriend him. Simply put, this man’s flesh is out of control and has devastated many people.

If you hear yourself talking nonstop about your own projects, dreams, and aspirations, but you never stop to inquire about anyone else’s, maybe you need to get into the Presence of God and let Him speak to you about selfishness in your life. Do the people in your life know all about you, but you know nothing about them? If your answer is yes, what does this tell you about your attitude toward other people? Are you mindful of others? Do you think about ways you can be a blessing to them, or do you always think of how others can be a blessing to you?

It is simply the nature of carnal flesh to be self-consumed. Don’t let this be you! God’s Spirit is inside you — and if you will yield to the Holy Spirit, He will make you compassionate and caring about the needs of others. From time to time, you will have to deliberately speak to the carnal nature and tell it to be still so the life of Jesus can flow up from your spirit to recognize and then meet the needs of those around you.

Seditions:

The word “seditions” is derived from the Greek word dichostasia, which is a compound of the words dicha and stasis. The word dicha means apart, as in a separation, and the word stasis means to stand or to rebel. When these are compounded into one word, it means to stand apart, as one who rebels and steps away from someone to whom he should have been loyal. Thus, the word “sedition” gives the impression of disloyalty.

The word statis is used in Matthew, Mark, and Luke to describe the insurrection that Barabbas had led in the city of Jerusalem. His rebellious deeds deemed him a terrible and notorious criminal in the mind of the Roman authorities. He had led an insurrection, a sedition — an act of dichostasia. Barabbas defied the powers, rejected their authority, and stepped away from their rule, taking other rebels with him as he went his own way. As often happens when seditious flesh has its way, Barabbas and his companions eventually united all the rebels in the city together in an attempt to overthrow the government. It was the ultimate act of defiance or disloyalty to an established authority.

Paul lists “sedition” as one of the works of the flesh. It is important for you to know that the flesh hates rules, regulations, and any order that is imposed upon it. This is why children rebel against parents, wives rebel against their husbands, churches rebel against pastors, and people in general rebel against God. Defiance and rebellion to authority is the source of most world wars, civil wars, and regional conflicts. Ninety-nine percent of the world’s conflicts are due to flesh that refuses to be told what to do and thus rises up to defy the authority or the rules it doesn’t want to accept!

This is even the reason a beautiful little baby throws his food across the room! When a baby acts like that, it makes one wonder how in the world such an innocent-looking child could behave so badly. But the reason a young child can act so defiantly is that he is wrapped in flesh — and one of the works of the flesh is to be rebellious and defiant! The flesh simply doesn’t want to be told what to do!

So when you find your flesh rising up in anger because your boss, your parent, or your pastor acts like he or she has authority in your life, it’s time for you to settle down and mortify the deeds of your flesh! Don’t give in to your carnal desires by stepping away from your God-appointed leader. If you do, you may find yourself in a company of rebels like Barabbas, who got so caught up in his rebellion that he tried to lead an overthrow in the city of Jerusalem. Your loyalty is important; your disloyalty is hurtful and destructive. Stick close to those whom God has called to be your leaders, and be faithful!

Heresies:

“Heresies” is next in Paul’s list of the works of the flesh. This comes from the Greek word hairesis. In the New Testament, it has a meaning that is unique and used differently than in secular literature. It carries the idea of a person or group of people who are sectarian. The word “sectarian” refers to a group of people who adhere to the same doctrine or who ardently follow the same leader. The adherents of a sect are usually limited in their scope and closed to outsiders, staying primarily to themselves. In New Testament times, these groups were considered to be unauthorized because they were not submitted to the authority of the church leadership.

In today’s contemporary language, we might label these sectarian groups “cliques” — referring to groups of people who believe or conduct themselves as if they are exclusive. Such groups often function in secret to keep their dealings, associations, contacts, and interactions unknown to others. They give the impression that they are better or more enlightened than those outside the group or that they have a special assignment that no one else can know about. This is the reason they keep outsiders on the outside and allow so few to have an inside peek at their fellowship, meetings, conversations, or activities.

Although the word hairesis can describe different schools of thought, branches, or arms of a movement, it primarily suggests a division, a faction, or as noted, an unauthorized group. Because this type of group was viewed to be so disruptive to the Early Church and because it didn’t fall under the spiritual covering of church leadership, the apostle Paul viewed it to be heretical — which, in this sense, meant divisive. The adherents usually followed a leader who was not the pastor but who acted as if he had spiritual authority, even though authority had never been given to him by the church leadership. This leader usually demanded the highest commitment from group members, even demanding that his followers’ commitment to himself and to the group be greater than their commitment to the overall church body.

Let’s face it — the flesh delights in deceiving itself into believing that it is better, more spiritual, or more enlightened than anyone else. It thrives on being puffed up, prideful, and boastful. It enjoys thinking too highly of itself. It adores being selfish, self-consumed, and self-focused, and it takes pleasure in caring for its own selfish interests. And if allowed to do so, flesh will separate into a faction, a division, or a sect. It will gravitate to others whose flesh also wants to believe they are better than others. When all that flesh gets together in one place, they will inevitably form a super-elite clique inside the church that is so tight no one else will be able to get in it — including the pastor!

Paul was against spiritual elitism and even forbade it! He even included it in his villainous list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21.

Never lose sight of the fact that you are a part of the whole Body of Christ. God has not given you or anyone else a revelation or truth so special that it is only for a handful. You are a member of the Body of Christ, so act like it! Don’t let your flesh deceive you into thinking that you are a member of the higher spiritual class! Tell your flesh to come back down to reality and get busy loving and serving other brothers and sisters in the local church!

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My Prayer for Today

Lord, I don’t want these works of the flesh to be active in my life! I stand against them in Jesus’ name, and I yearn for the Holy Spirit to produce His divine fruit in me. Please help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit and to the needs of others and to stay alert for those times when my flesh is trying to take me in one of these wrong directions!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

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My Confession for Today

I confess that I have the mind of Jesus Christ and I think the thoughts of God! I crucify the flesh; I mortify its deeds; and I release the resurrection life of Jesus Christ in me! Although I live in the flesh, it is no longer I who live, but Jesus Christ lives in me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

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Questions to Answer

1. Do people in your life know all about you, yet you know very little about them? If your answer is yes, what does this tell you about your attitude toward other people? Do you spend much time thinking about how you can be a blessing to them, or do you always think about how others can be a blessing to you?

2. Consider again the fact that flesh hates to be told what to do and that it rises up to defy the authority figure or the rules it doesn’t want to accept. Can you think of any areas of your life in which your flesh is rebelling against God-appointed authorities or rules right now?

3. Have you ever allowed your flesh to deceive you into thinking that you are a member of a higher spiritual class? Have you ever seen a group act like this in your church? If so, how did it affect you?

Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath…
— Galatians 5:19,20

I once heard our six-year-old son tell his nine-year-old brother, “I hate you!”

I quickly went to my son and asked him, “What did you say to your brother?”

He firmly told me, “I hate him!”

I didn’t know what my older son had done to provoke this reaction, but I knew I had a responsibility to teach our sons this type of language was not acceptable in our home. I took our six-year-old into the bathroom, pulled out a bar of soap, and said, “Son, in our house, we don’t use language like you just spoke to your brother. Your mouth has said some pretty ugly words, so it’s time to give your mouth a bath! We’re going to wash out your mouth with soap!”

Taking a bar of soap, I inserted it into his mouth, pushed it this way and that, until I knew his mouth was full of a soapy taste. Then I pulled it out and told him to spit into the sink.

My son exclaimed, “Daddy, that soap tastes so bad!”

I answered, “Yes, it tastes just as awful as those ugly words you spoke to your brother!”

Our two other sons stood outside the bathroom watching as their middle brother spit bubbles out of his mouth. I could visibly see they were inwardly resolving that they would never say the words “I hate you!” As far as I can determine, that was the last time those words were ever spoken in our home!

Hatred:

When Paul wrote Galatians 5:19-21, he included “hate” in his villainous list of the works of the flesh. In Greek, this word “hate” is from the word echthra. This word expresses the idea of an intense hostility that one feels toward someone else. It is often used to picture enemies in a military conflict. In the New Testament, it primarily denotes a personal enemy.

This is the very word used in Luke 23:12 to depict the animosity, hostility, and hatred that existed between Herod Antipas and Pilate before they became friends at the time of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. Prior to that moment, they hated each other. To say they were enemies is not even sufficient to express the deep animosity they felt for each other. They were bitter, sour, hardened enemies who despised one another — and all of this is expressed in the Greek word echthra.                 

This word echthra pictures people who cannot get along with each other. They have deep issues with each other, holding resentments, grievances, complaints, and grudges that go way back in time and have very deep roots. Something occurred along the way that caused one or both of them to be offended. Instead of letting go of the offense, they became divided, hostile, and fiercely opposed to each other. Now they are antagonistic, aggressive, and harsh. They hate each other. They have a grudge and are determined to hold on to it. Doesn’t that sound just like the flesh?

If you have hatred in your heart, the Spirit of God wants you to forgive and release your offender. I realize your flesh wants your offender to feel bad, to emotionally suffer, to be paid back for his actions. Even if your flesh does finally rally around to offer a very weak version of forgiveness, it will probably still try to inflict a little punishment on your offender. You see, that is what the flesh produces! That is why it must be crucified! If you will pull the plug on the flesh and walk in the Spirit, it won’t be long until that hostility and animosity is replaced with love, joy, peace, and longsuffering!

Variance:

Paul next lists “variance” as one of the works of the flesh. This old English word is the Greek word eris, which was used in a political context to describe political parties that had different platforms or agendas. For this reason, some newer translations of the New Testament translate it as a party spirit.

In a democratic system, people tend to align themselves politically with people of like opinions. Once they congregate, discuss the issues, and concur about their political views, they then proceed to build a platform from which they can promote their own political agenda. Once the agenda is decided upon and the competition has begun, the fighting can be fierce.

As you are well aware, political races can become very ugly. Often nasty words are spoken. False representations are sometimes publicized by opponents who wish to discredit their contenders. Lies are often told and repeated as facts. As unfortunate as this behavior is for people who are running for public office, it has been this way since ancient Greek and Roman times, and it will continue to be this way because this is the nature of the flesh!

When Paul writes to us, he uses this word eris to depict how flesh erupts to divide families, destroy relationships, ruin churches, and pull apart people who once stood side by side. Those who have been offended are drawn like a magnet to others who have been offended or who feel hurt. Once they discuss their feelings and realize they have similar stories or opinions, it isn’t too long before they start thinking they are right and everyone else is wrong! That’s when they begin the process of building their own platform from which they can divide and promote their own agenda!

The apartment where my family lives in Moscow was vacant for a very long time because the family who owned it got into a terrible family fight about how the apartment should be rented, how much they should charge for rent, what should be done with the rent money, and so on. The family members who were once so close to each other all took sides in the bitter fight, and the quarrel finally divided the family in half! Both sides had their own view and were not willing to compromise. This horrible attitude is exactly what Paul was talking about when he used the word eris in Galatians 5:20.

This case may sound extreme, but it happens all the time in families, churches, and businesses. The word eris (“variance”) depicts a bitterly mean spirit that is so consumed with its own self-interests and self-ambitions that it would rather split and divide than to admit it is wrong or give an inch to an opponent! This is exactly why church splits occur and families frequently dissolve. Most of the issues that bring such division aren’t even that important. But the flesh simply hates to surrender or compromise — to admit it is wrong or to let someone else be right. The flesh would rather blow issues all out of proportion and wreak havoc than to let someone else have his way! Don’t allow this work of the flesh to operate in you!           

Emulations:

Paul goes on to state that “emulations” is also a work of the flesh. This word “emulations” is not used much in our contemporary world, so what does it mean?

The word “emulations” comes from the Greek word zelos, which often denotes enthusiasm, fervor, passion, devotion, or an eagerness to achieve something. It is where we get the word zeal. In a negative sense, it depicts a person who is upset because someone else achieved more or received more. This person is therefore jealous, envious, resentful, and filled with ill will for that other person who got what he wanted. As a result of not getting what he desired, he is irritated, infuriated, irate, annoyed, provoked, and fuming that the other person did get it! In short, you could say that this person is really incensed and ticked off! He can’t rejoice with the other person because he is so jealous.

A perfect example of the negative aspect of the word zelos is found in Acts 7:9, where it depicts the jealousy that Joseph’s brothers felt for him. It says, “And the patriarchs, [Joseph’s brothers] moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt.…” The words “moved with envy” are from the word zelos. This indicates that the brothers were incensed with Joseph. After seeing him richly rewarded over and over again by his father, they couldn’t bear it any longer. Rather than rejoice that their younger brother was so loved, they cringed every time Joseph received a blessing. Eventually, they were filled with so much ill will toward Joseph and were so overcome by their jealousy that they sold him into slavery.

It is very important to note that Acts 7:9 says they were “moved with envy.” This word zelos — envy or jealousy — is such a strong force that it will move you to action when it starts to operate in you. Unfortunately, it will usually move you to do things that are hurtful or that you will later regret. So don’t allow “emulations” or jealousy to work inside you! It is a work of the flesh that brings great hurt and destruction.

Wrath:

Next, Paul lists “wrath” as a work of the flesh. The word “wrath” is the Greek word thumos, which is used throughout the New Testament to picture a person who is literally boiling with anger about something. Although the person tries to restrain this anger by shoving it down deeper into his soul, it intermittently flares up. When it does, it is like a volcano that suddenly blows its top — scorching everything within its reach as it hurls its load of deadly molten lava onto the entire surrounding landscape. Have you ever seen someone blow his top like I’m describing to you right now?

The Greek word thumos (“wrath”) vividly paints the picture. People get hurt, offended, or upset. Rather than take the offense to the Cross and deal with it there, they choose instead to meditate on the perceived offense. The longer they think about it, the more upset they become. Soon they are inwardly boiling. They know if they don’t do something quick to restrain themselves, they are going to say or do something really ugly — so they shove it back down deep inside in an attempt to keep it under control. But if those angry emotions were never properly dealt with in the first place, one day something will happen that triggers their release.

Perhaps this has happened to you. If so, you may think those vile emotions are gone, but if you never let the Lord really deal with them or the situation that created them, they are still lying dormant inside you, just waiting for the right moment to be released. Finally, when that person who made you angry in the first place does something to make you angry again, it will be like someone opens a door on the inside of you, releasing a flood of vile and rank emotions that immediately rise to the surface! That’s when you’ll come unglued, saying things you later regret and speaking in tones you should never use!

The word thumos perfectly illustrates the way the flesh tries to deal with problems. Rather than confront the problem head-on when it happens, the flesh says, “Just shove it down deep, and keep it to yourself!” The problem is, when you shove down unresolved issues, they just keep boiling and boiling deep inside. You may think that the matter is over, but the truth is, those issues are simmering and waiting for the moment of eruption. Even though the flesh is attempting to avoid confrontation, in the end its eruption creates a confrontation more scorching and hurtful than ever. It would have been far better to deal with the issue when it first happened!

I know that confronting people and problems can be challenging, but the mature path is to take care of the problems when they first occur. It is the route of the flesh to delay issues and then to erupt in madness.

If any of the works of the flesh called hatred, variance, emulations, or wrath are trying to operate in your life, it is time for you to put an end to these strongholds right now. Go to the Lord and confess that you have allowed these fleshly works to operate in your life. Ask Him to forgive you; then ask Him to fill you with the power and fortitude you need to say no to these ungodly attitudes. With God’s help, you can allow the Holy Spirit to produce His godly fruit inside you!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for opening my eyes to the truth about how You see these works of the flesh. Forgive me for being too tolerant of these areas in my life. Help me to see these fleshly works the way You see them and to detest them as much as You detest them. Teach me to hate sin! Show me how to say no to ungodliness and to yield my mind and my body as instruments of righteousness. After what You have shown me today, I never want to be the same!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I think clean thoughts and that I don’t allow the devil to mess with my mind. My mind belongs to Jesus. It is filled with the Word of God. That Word renews my mind to think God’s thoughts; therefore, Satan has no entrance into my mind or emotions to deceive me with thoughts of sin. I crucify my flesh, and I bring my body under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I am no longer the servant of sin — I am the servant of righteousness!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

  1. Have you ever had one of those moments when you erupted and said hurtful things that you later regretted? Were you shocked that such ugly things could proceed from your mouth? What was the immediate result of this behavior? Did it help the situation or make it worse?
  2. When this occurred, what did you do to let people know you were sorry for your actions? If you did nothing to let them know you were sorry, what do you think you should have done? If someone did that to you, what would you expect that person to do or say to make it right with you?
  3. Have you ever been a part of a church split? If yes, what was the reason for the division?

Idolatry and Witchcraft

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft.…
— Galatians 5:19,20

When people hear the word “idolatry,” they almost always visualize a great, carved stone statue of a pagan god, with wild, naked natives dancing in the light of a huge fire burning at its base. But is this what the apostle Paul had in mind when he included “idolatry” in his lists of the works of the flesh?

Idolatry:

The word “idolatry” is from the Greek word eidololatria, which means the worship of idols. However, it is a compound of the words eidolon and latria. The word eidolon is Greek for a manmade idol; a heathen edifice; a pagan statue; or an image of a false god. Such idols were an offense to God in the Old Testament, and they were forbidden to believers in the New Testament. God’s hatred of idols is clearly demonstrated in First Samuel 5:1-4. The Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant, which represented God’s Presence, and sat it on a ledge right next to an idol of the pagan god called “Dagon.” When the Philistines came into their pagan temple the next morning, the Ark of the Covenant remained high on its ledge, but the statue of Dagon lay on the ground. The Philistines put their idol back in place; but the next morning they found Dagon lying on the ground again, facing downward with its head and hands cut off. God refused to share space with a false god!

The second part of the word eidololatria (“idolatry”) comes from the Greek word latria, derived from the word latreuo, which means to work or to serve. However, it primarily has the meaning of one’s extreme devotion and service to something he worships. In a positive sense, it is used in the Old Testament Septuagint to depict the service of the priesthood. The priests faithfully served and fulfilled their duties in the temple, believing that part of their worship was the manner in which they served.

In Romans 1:9, Paul says, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit.…” The word “serve” is the word latreuo, which means Paul, like the Old Testament priests, viewed his service to God as a part of his worship. As a New Testament priest, Paul’s service to God was the highest goal of his life. This is the reason he served God with all his spirit — because serving God demanded his best efforts, his best work, and his undivided attention. This was how Paul viewed his worship and service to God.

When Paul wrote Romans 12:1, he used the word latreuo again. This time he said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” The words “reasonable service” are from the word latreuo. This implies that because of all God has done for us, it is just and fair for us to serve Him with our undivided devotion. This is one of the principal ways we worship Him. So when Paul declares that yielding our bodies as living sacrifices is our “reasonable service,” he is emphatically telling us that it is reasonable for us to give our very best efforts and our complete, undivided attention to the service of God.

However, when the word latreuo is attached to the word eidolon, it forms the word eidololatria, which depicts the worship of idols, or simply put, idolatry. The act of idolatry transpires when an individual gives his complete and undivided attention, devotion, passion, love, or commitment to a person, project, or object other than God. When something other than God takes first place in that person’s mind, he has entered, at least to some measure, into the sin of idolatry.

If you don’t mortify the flesh by the power of God’s Spirit, it won’t be long until you are preoccupied with other things that steal the devotion and passion that should belong only to Jesus Christ. If you’re not extremely careful, your family, spouse, parents, children, friends, job, dream or vision, profession, possessions, school, church activities, or even your own talents will unintentionally become the focus of your worship and service. You’ll find yourself serving in your own self-consumed priesthood, giving your best effort and your undivided attention to the fulfillment of your own self-interests.

So let me ask you: What do you think of more than anything else? What consumes most of your thoughts? What do you live for? Your answer will probably tell you what you worship most in your life. You don’t have to own a carved stone statue of a pagan god in your living room in order to be an idolater. If you are attempting to place any other person, project, or object in your life on the same level with God, you are probably committing a form of idolatry. If this is the case, it won’t be long until God does something about it. Just as He shoved Dagon off that ledge and decapitated him in First Samuel 5:1-4, God will do something radical to get your attention! He will teach you that He is not willing to share His position of Lordship in your life with anything or anyone else!

Make sure that Jesus remains the primary focus of your life. God isn’t against you possessing any of the things mentioned above —family, spouse, parents, children, friends, job, vision, profession, possessions, school, church activities, or personal talents — but God is against any of those things possessing you!

Jesus promised that if you would seek the Kingdom of God first, God will make sure you have all those other things (Matthew 6:33). Therefore, refuse to allow your flesh to take you down the road of self-worship, the worship of family, or the worship of material things to such an extent that you commit the act of idolatry.

Witchcraft:

Now let’s turn to the subject of “witchcraft.” Paul lists this next as one of the works of the flesh. The word “witchcraft” is from the Greek word pharmakeia, the Greek word for medicines or drugs that inhibit a person’s personality or change his behavior. We would call these mind-altering drugs. The Greek word pharmakeia is where we get the words pharmaceutical drugs or the word pharmacy. This word was used in connection with sorcery, magic, or witchcraft. But why was this word used in connection with witchcraft, and why would Paul use this word to depict the works of the flesh?

When the Church of Jesus Christ was being established in the first century, paganism ruled the Roman Empire. These were dark, demonic, pagan religions, of which one prominent feature was the use of drugs to alter the state of one’s mind.

Heathen worshipers would come to the pagan temples to find relief from their sicknesses, mental stresses, or a myriad of other personal problems. Rather than confront the real needs of the heathen worshipers and identify real solutions for their problems, the priests of these pagan religions poured hallucinogenic drugs into vials of wine, stirred it all together, and then gave the mixture to the worshipers to drink. After the recipients were medicated and under the influence of these mind-altering drugs, the priests would send them home, telling them that they would feel better. However, once the drug wore off, the worshipers still found themselves facing the same or even worse problems.

The only way these seekers found relief from their problems was to return again and again to the pagan temples for more doses of drugs. The drugs gave the people temporary relief but offered no permanent solution. The priests were powerless to heal and incapable of solving anyone’s problems. All they could do was keep dousing the worshipers with more drugs, thus temporarily altering the state of their minds and giving them a brief respite from their problems and pain. These priests were charlatans who tried to literally hypnotize people into believing their problems had gone away. But the truth is, they never dealt with the root of the problems and therefore did nothing but prolong the pain of those they pretended to help.

How does this apply to you and me today, since people in our modern-day society no longer go to pagan temples to worship? The flesh behaves the same way the pagan priests behaved in the illustration above. It doesn’t know how to fix itself or anyone else. In fact, the flesh doesn’t even want to be fixed. The flesh will try to convince a person to ignore his problem, to hide it with some superficial covering, or to drink alcohol and take drugs to make himself feel better. The alcohol and drugs may give that person a brief hiatus from reality, but when their effects wear off, he will still have the same problems to deal with that he had before.

People who refuse to look at themselves and find out what needs to change often develop chemical dependencies in their efforts to avoid seeing the truth. You see, the flesh hates confrontation. It doesn’t want to look into the mirror to see the truth. If the flesh is confronted and forced to look squarely at itself, it will have to acknowledge the real problem. Rather than look the facts squarely in the face, the flesh tries to run, to hide, to sleep, to consume itself with recreational activities — anything to stay busy, to keep from slowing down long enough to think about vital issues. In other words, flesh would rather try to learn how to cope then to be crucified and changed!

I am not giving you medical advice. If your doctor has prescribed medication for you, be faithful to take your medication. However, I am giving you spiritual advice. Don’t let your flesh tell you that you can keep covering up your problems with temporary solutions. Those temporary solutions will eventually wear off or run out, and when they do, the same ol’ you will resurface again.

What will you do then? Are you going to be like the heathen worshiper who keeps running from place to place, trying to find another temporary solution? Or are you going to let the Spirit of God deal with you and change you forever?

The Holy Spirit wants to identify the root of your problem and rip that ugly thing clear out of your soul. He wants to bring permanent change to your life. But for you to receive this soul-cleansing work of God, you will have to make your flesh shut up and move out of the way. And after you tell your flesh to be silent, then you’ll have to allow God to speak truthfully to you. This will demand that you spend time looking into the mirror of God’s Word so you can see what is wrong and what needs to be changed.

If you’re willing to do all this, God’s Spirit will set you free. Yes, your flesh will scream in pain; but when it does, just take authority over it and tell it to be silent. It is screaming because it knows that it is losing the power it has always exercised in your life!

So for our purposes in today’s world, the word “witchcraft,” from the Greek word pharmakeia, would refer to the flesh’s attempts to avoid being confronted and changed. In fact, the flesh would rather be told a lie than confronted with the truth! It wants someone to stroke it and to assure it, “You don’t need to change! Here, let me make you feel better! Just ignore those wrong things in your life, because if you ignore them long enough, they will somehow go away!” Doesn’t that sound just like someone on drugs?

Friend, it’s time for you to quit playing these games and to let the Spirit of God really deal with you. If you’ve allowed your flesh to keep you on the run from your problems, or if you have committed idolatry by worshiping something or someone else more than Jesus Christ, today is the day for you to stop what you are doing and get your heart right with God. Don’t you think that right now would be a good time to do this?

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My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want to walk in the Spirit and to mortify the deeds of the flesh! I don’t want the flesh to have the superior role in my life that it has had in the past. I know that if Your Spirit empowers me, I can say no to the flesh and to its demands to control my life. I am tired of struggling with the same old sins again and again. So right now I am asking You to help me see the truth about what needs to change in my life. Once I see the problem, give me the courage to tell that work of the flesh that it is going to die. Then help me to fully embrace the new life You are wanting to release inside me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

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My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that I am no longer dominated by the flesh; instead, I walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. There is therefore no condemnation for me! I am careful to read my Bible and to hear the truths that the Holy Spirit wants to show me. When I become aware of areas that need to be changed, I quickly ask Jesus to release His power to transform me. Instead of running from the truth, I run to the Cross to find permanent solutions for the problems I confront along the way.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

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Questions to Answer

1. Is there anything in your life that you worship more than Jesus? Don’t lie to yourself about this, because Jesus knows the truth anyway. Why don’t you take a few minutes to ask the Lord to show you anything in your life that you worship more than you worship Him?

2. Have you ever known a person who refused to see the truth about himself? Instead of facing the truth and embracing change, did this person run from place to place or from person to person, trying to find assurance that he was “okay” and didn’t need to change?

3. If that person is you, what are you going to do about it now that you know your flesh is causing you to run all over the place in order to avoid the truth that can set you free?

Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness.
— Galatians 5:19

We live in a day when moral standards have deteriorated. Things that were considered sinful and shameful one generation ago are now practiced in a widespread manner throughout the Church. Rather than acknowledge their sin and repent, believers try to justify their actions as they can continue in their deeds. But no matter how painstakingly Christians may try to dress up sin, God still sees it as sin and hates it.

If I just gave you my personal commentary about the current status of the Church, I might make you angry at me. So instead, let me explain to you the meaning of the following Greek words from Galatians 5:19. Then you’ll be able to see the works of the flesh as God sees them.

I will talk about these words purely from the viewpoint of their linguistic meaning. I believe the Greek definitions of these words in themselves will speak loudly enough for you to get the point. After reading these definitions, please take a few minutes to examine your own view of such actions. Determine if you see them as God sees them, or if you have been affected by a generation that has grown numb to the consequences of sin.

Adultery and Fornication:

When Paul begins his list of the works of the flesh, he begins with the sexual sins of adultery, fornication, and uncleanness. The word “adultery” and “fornication” both come from the same Greek word — the word porneia. This word includes all sexual activity outside of marriage — including both adultery and homosexuality.

When referring to a woman who has committed adultery, the New Testament used the word pornos. This is the word for a prostitute, and it very vividly informs us that a woman who has committed adultery has prostituted herself. She may not have sold herself for money; perhaps she traded her heart, her body, or her emotions for romance, for emotional support, or for a variety of other things. But regardless of why she did it, God says she has sold herself and entered into the sin of prostitution.

Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that this term refers only to a professional prostitute who walks the streets at night or who works in an escort service. This word pornos describes any woman who has committed adultery. It leaves no room for doubt that in God’s view, a woman who commits adultery has fallen into the sin of prostitution. She is a prostitute. One may try to give a myriad of reasons or excuses to explain why the illicit relationship occurred, but the fact is, God views such a relationship as an act of prostitution.

When referring to a man who has committed adultery, the word porneia depicts a man who has had sexual intercourse with a prostitute. Although his emotions may try to tell him that he has found the sweetheart of his dreams, the Greek word porneia means he has slept with a prostitute. A person may try as hard as he can to put a different light on this subject, but this is how God sees it. Whenever a man has sexual relations with a woman who is not his wife, God says his action is equivalent to seeking a prostitute for a cheap and dirty thrill.

I must point out that the word pornography comes from this same Greek word. In fact, pornography is from the Greek word pornos (the same word used above for an adulteress or a prostitute) and from the word grapho, which means to write. Thus, pornography refers to the writings or reflections about prostitution. This means that when an individual meditates on the writings or the photography contained in pornography, it is the equivalent of committing mental prostitution. Such a definition sheds new light on what Jesus said in Matthew 5:28: “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

What I have shared with you thus far today is not my opinion; it is the actual meaning of the Greek word “adultery” that is used throughout the New Testament. So how does this affect your view of someone who has committed adultery? If you have committed adultery, how does this affect your view of what you have done? And how does this affect your view of pornography?

If you are reading the King James Version of the New Testament, the next word in the works of the flesh is “fornication.” However, this word does not appear in this text in the original Greek; it speaks only of porneia, the word discussed above, which includes all forms of sexual activity outside of marriage. In Greek, the next point that Paul lists is “uncleanness.”

Uncleanness:

The word “uncleanness” is the Greek word akatharsia, which is the word kathairo with the prefix a added. The word kathairo means cleansed or pure, but when the a is added to it the condition is reversed, making the object dirty or unclean. In the New Testament, this word refers to lewd or unclean thoughts that eventually produce lewd or unclean actions. As it is used in the Gospels and Paul’s epistles, it strongly suggests that these actions begin in the mind as unclean thoughts before they manifest as unclean deeds.

Mark 1:23 says, “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit.…” The Greek actually says that this man was “gripped by the control of an unclean spirit.” It seems this man had pondered on lewd thoughts for so long that he had thrown open the door for these thoughts to seize and control him, so that eventually he found himself “in the clutch” of an unclean spirit. Although the text doesn’t explicitly say it, the usage of the word akatharsia makes one wonder whether or not this demon found entrance into this man’s life because he allowed his mind to dwell on things that were forbidden. Had he committed mental prostitution to such an extent that it opened the door for him to be completely controlled by spirits of uncleanness? The Bible doesn’t say exactly so, but the usage of the word akatharsia definitely makes this a possibility.

In Mark 5:2, we find another example of a man with an unclean spirit. It says, “And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.” The word “unclean” is also the word akatharsia. Just as Mark 1:23 depicted the man in the synagogue as being “gripped by the control of an unclean spirit,” this word could be translated exactly the same way in this verse. In the first five chapters of Mark, we thus have two very demonized individuals whose demon-possessed condition seems to have begun with impure, lewd, dirty thoughts, since this is exactly what the Greek word akatharsia means that is used in both texts. Did Satan lure them into the pornography of unclean ideas or into adultery, and then build a stronghold of uncleanness so robust in their minds that he was able to eventually cause unclean actions to be manifested in their lives and thus completely control them?

Never forget that Paul told us, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey…” (Romans 6:16). Whatever you give your mind to will eventually be your master. Was this the case with these two demon-possessed men in Mark 1:23 and Mark 5:2? I am not stating it emphatically, but the Greek suggests this very strongly. However, it should certainly make us want to take charge of our thought life and not allow uncleanness to have any place in our minds!

Lasciviousness:

As Paul continues listing the works of the flesh, he next mentions “lasciviousness.” This strange word comes from the Greek word aselgeia. This Greek word describes excess, but it primarily refers to the excessive consumption of food or wild, undisciplined living that is especially marked by unbridled sex. The word aselgeia is listed as the principal sin of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (see 2 Peter 2:6) and the reason that God overthrew them.

It must be noted again that the word aselgeia also refers to the excessive consumption of food. This means that in God’s mind, it is just as perverted to overindulge in food as it is to engage in sinful sexual activities! So how does this make you feel about overeating?

All of the works of the flesh can be forgiven — but before forgiveness comes, sin must be acknowledged. This is why we must understand exactly what these words mean. Once sin is comprehended, it can then be repented of and confessed. This is God’s requirement.

If you have fallen into any of these works of the flesh, ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see these sins as He sees them. Once you get a revelation of His perspective, you won’t want to be the same! You’ll understand the grossness of sin in God’s sight, and you will want to be changed!

Once you confess your sin, God will forgive you and you can move on with your life. If your actions have violated your spouse or anyone else, pray for God’s mighty grace to be upon them to forgive you. Then begin to take whatever steps are necessary to make that relationship healthier than ever before.

Dear friend, God is with you, and He wants to change your life. Open your heart and let the Holy Spirit be your Helper. He wants to help you get clean, get free, and become morally strong and stable. With His help, you can do it!

sparking gems from the greek

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for opening my eyes to the truth about how You see these works of the flesh. Forgive me for being too tolerant of these areas in my life. Help me to see these fleshly works the way You see them and to detest them as much as You detest them. Teach me to hate sin! Show me how to say no to ungodliness and to yield my mind and my body as instruments of righteousness. After what You have shown me today, I never want to be the same!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

sparking gems from the greek

My Confession for Today

I confess that I think clean thoughts and that I don’t allow the devil to mess with my mind. My mind belongs to Jesus. It is filled with the Word of God. That Word renews my mind to think God’s thoughts; therefore, Satan has no entrance into my mind or emotions to deceive me with thoughts of sin. I crucify my flesh, and I bring my body under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I am no longer the servant of sin — I am the servant of righteousness!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

sparking gems from the greek

Questions to Answer

1. How do you feel after reading today’s Sparkling Gem? Has this discussion challenged any actions or secret thoughts in your life?

2. Has overeating become a part of your life? If so, how do you view overeating and gluttony now that you know it is listed in the works of the flesh? Do you view it as merely a hang-up in your life, or do you see that overeating is not only hurtful to yourself but offensive to God?

3. What steps do you need to take now that you know how God views these things?