Enough Already, Paul!

For those of you who read my September 15 post (both of you), this may sound familiar.  However, we as fallen men need reminding over and over again and Paul quite often repeats the same teaching in different places to drive home a very important point that usually has eternal significance. Consider the passage that I focused on in my September 15 post, I Cor 6:9-11. 

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,  10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

 In the post I attempted to drive home the point that those who practiced the offenses listed as an on-going lifestyle were just kidding themselves when they claimed to be followers of Christ.  I'm not sure that those who read it picked up on the main points but Paul uses similar text in the book of Galatians although the list of sins is different.  The gist of the passage is just the same:  If you remain in these sins for extended periods of time and are identified by others as practicing these offenses, you might be deceiving yourself when you say that you are a Christian.  Consider the passage,       Gal 5:16-24

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

In my September post, I defined the terms using the Greek word for each transgression.  I will try to use English words this time to keep things simple, so simple, that maybe even I can understand. Some of the evil practices are the same as in the I Cor passage but most are different.  They are all called deeds of the flesh as opposed to spiritual or spirit-led deeds.  Neither of the lists are exhaustive as indicated by the use of "things like these" and "such things."  As we go down the list, examine yourself as I will.  Do I continually practice these things?  The Holy Spirit (if you are a believer in Christ) will convict and convince and spur you to repentance and a turning away from these things.

• Immorality or sexual immorality - this includes any type of sexual activity outside of marriage including adultery, homosexuality, fornication, bestiality, prostitution, etc.
• Impurity - usually referred to ceremonial uncleanness, in other words, anything in your life that would separate you from approaching God.
• Sensuality - this is a word that describes American society today - blatant sexuality and uninhibited sexual indulgence.  Sex is used in most advertising because "sex sells".  Look at the most popular celebrities - Miley Cyrus is the perfect example, no shame or concern as to what others think of you.
• Idolatry - would be the act of worshiping anything more than you worship God.  It usually involves man-made images but could be other individuals, life-styles or activities, and the list could go on and on.  What is more important to you as you live day-to-day than your God?
• Sorcery - could be the use of mind-altering drugs.  Aristotle and other ancient Greeks used the word as a synonym for witchcraft and black magic.
• Enmities and strife - hateful attitudes and bitter conflicts among individuals would be included here. Strife usually brings about wrong actions.  It seems that too often this strife is self-contained within the family unit which damages all who are around it.
• Jealousy - is a form of anger and hateful resentment caused by coveting for oneself what belongs to someone else.
• Fits of anger - sudden unrestrained expressions of hostility toward others with little or no provocation or justification would describe this phrase.
• Rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and envy represent animosities between individuals and groups that sometimes continue to fester and grow long after the original cause of conflict has passed.  Are you holding grudges?  They can become very destructive when established as a way of life.
• Drunkenness - excess use of alcoholic beverages which usually leads to rowdy, boisterous, and crude behavior.
• Carousing or orgies - related to pagan worship ceremonies which often included the temple prostitutes. Does not really require definition in our society, it has almost become a way of life, especially during spring breaks.

"Do such things" in verse 21 is translated as "practice" in the NASB and clarifies the meaning.  This is not a one time occurrence of these transgressions, but an everyday, on-going practice that has become your lifestyle.

If you profess the name of Jesus Christ, you must not be practicing these things.  You are dragging the name of Christ through the proverbial mud by your lifestyle.  You should be very afraid if you fall into this category and the following scripture may apply to you in the eternal future when you stand before our omnipotent, omniscient God to give an accounting of all that you have done.   

Matt 7:21-23

21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  22  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'  23  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessnes

Next post will include 5:22 and the fruit of the spirit as evidenced in the lives of those who are walking by the spirit and not the flesh.