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A Study of the Works of the Flesh
“Envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). The final group of sins that a Christian is not to partake in and that will keep him or her out of heaven includes all sins one commits against himself: drunkenness, revelries, and other sins in the same category. Drunkenness refers to intoxication from consumption of alcohol, and experts say drunkenness actually begins with the first drink. Revelries refer to carousing or even rioting and are the result of drunkenness. Carousing refers to drinking and to drinking bouts, rounds, or contests. But Paul doesn’t stop here. This fourth group includes other kinds of activities that are in the same category as drunkenness and revelries—that is, any activity that causes one to harm himself or that will prohibit him from being able to function rationally as a human being. The prohibitions in this verse are precise and emphatic. Christians are to have nothing to do with these kinds of activities or behaviors if they want to “inherit the kingdom of God.” A Study of the Works of the Flesh
“Envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). The plural form of the word murder is the last in the third group of the sins of the flesh. These sins have the common theme of having an evil disposition toward others. While other sins in this group involve an intense emotion against others, this sin involves drastic physical action against another. Beginning with the first human family ever to occupy the earth, God has condemned the deliberate act of taking the life of another person. That prohibition was repeated when God gave the Ten Commandments to His people. And it is carried over into the Christian Age. Punishment for being guilty of this sin is clear: a person who commits such will not be allowed to go to Heaven on judgment day unless, of course, he sincerely repents. Such direct teaching demands our attention. A Study of the Works of the Flesh
“Envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). Beginning with hatred in the previous verse, Paul is giving a third group of sins labeled as the sins of the flesh: this group has the common thread of malignity, that is, having an evil disposition toward another and even perhaps attempting to destroy his or her name or credibility, sometimes without regard for truth. Envy means “the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantage or prosperity of others,” and it should be included in this third group. In other scriptures, it is always grouped with what we would label as really serious sins. One writer describes it as “boiling resentment” against another. This sin is different from jealousy, which means we desire to have something someone else has. Envy is a step stronger, meaning a person resents what someone else has and may even take action to attempt to deprive him of it. A Study of the Works of the Flesh
“Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies” (Galatians 5:20). Outbursts of wrath can also be translated “fits of rage” or “bursts of anger.” Such demonstrations invariably damage a Christian’s reputation and reflect negatively upon the church. Selfish ambitions eventually lead to factions developing within a group, with almost everyone taking a side; and rivalry usually develops. In such a setting, peace and harmony are impossible; and with time, such a situation will lead to “dissensions” or division. The Lord does not approve because He Himself prayed for the unity of the saints. Heresies occur not just because a person or group believe a doctrine that is contrary to scripture. They occur when this person or group pushes an idea or an agenda with disregard for scriptures or even the feelings of others. They try to force others to accept their false ideas. A Study of the Works of the Flesh
“Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies” (Galatians 5:20). The word “hatred” here refers to those qualities that make enemies—like private feuds or family feuds. Instead of loving each other, they become enemies. Contentions can also be translated strife and refers to the second level of hatred: a situation in which men or women take opposite sides, sowing discord. This situation allows the enmity to grow deeper, and it can even end up as bitterness between groups or individuals. Jealousies can develop when one person elevates himself above another or when one person becomes envious of another’s talents or position. With this frame of mind, one can never be happy for another’s good fortune or blessing. |
Joe NortonArchives
September 2023
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