Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 23

Watch Out

 

Galatians 5:19-21NIV 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Crumbs

These are the sins which disqualify us from inheriting God’s kingdom. These are the same sins that proved so unacceptable to God in the Old Testament. They all affect our relationship with God and with each other. Three broad areas are covered; sex, self control and society.

Our bodies are described as the temples of the Spirit. Sexual sins are Therefore sacrilegious. They wound our relationship with God and with our nearest and dearest. Marriage is used in Scripture as a metaphor for Christ’s relationship with the Church. His sacrificial love should be our guide in our sexual love.

The occult is clearly censured; It is seeking God and His help from agencies other than God. We all need to seek our hearts to find out if any of our faith is placed in some thing or someone else other than God.

Loss of self control whether through alcohol, group activity or excess anger militates against the love and unity which God so much desires, We often do things which we regret later under peer pressure in a group situation or when we have yielded control of ourselves to other things than the Spirit.

We are so self centred that contention is bound to follow. How God loves harmony and is grieved by division between us !

All these things are so natural to us we are hard put to find an antidote. The key is walk by the Spirit.

 

 

Queries ( for private thought or joint discussion)

 

1. What changes in attitude and life style do we need to combat these temptations ?

2. How are these sins inter related one leading to another ?

3. Which works of the flesh pose most threat to the 21^st cent church ?