Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. A Galatian Christian might argue that the religion of Christ had not wrought for him the deliverance which he had expected; that whereas he had been taught to believe in the Almighty power of Christ, and of Christ's grace, he found that there yet abode within him another power of a wholly different kind, a power antagonistic to the grace of Christ, a power constantly inclining him to evil. How was he to account for this state of things? was it that Christ's gospel was ineffectual; or that he had not rightly apprehended it? I. THE ABIDING PRESENCE OF THE LAW OF SIN IN THE BELIEVER'S SOUL. Scripture everywhere assumes and asserts this (James 3:2; 1 John 1:8). II. ITS HOSTILITY TO GOOD. Compromise is impossible. If sin be false to everything else, it must be true to its own nature; it must be hostile to that principle which aims at its destruction. III. NOTE CERTAIN FEATURES IN THE ACTION OF SIN. 1. It is secret. 2. It is constant. 3. It is subtle.Seeks to discover the weakest parts in the soul's defences; to deceive and beguile the soul, and so lead it captive. IV. THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. (1) The spirit acts upon the soul as the Revealer of spiritual truth; and (2) as the Giver of spiritual power. (3) There must be co-operation on our part. No tampering with evil. A circumspect walk. (Emilius Bayley, B. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.WEB: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. |
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