Chapter 5:15-26; Chapter 6:1-10
The apostle wishes that they who were troubling the Galatians would cut themselves off, but that has not happened; Christendom is today saturated with the doctrine of law-keeping as an aid to salvation. The believer has been called to liberty, but that is not to give opportunity to the old nature, the flesh; instead, we are by love to serve one another. The whole law is fulfilled in one word—"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
Liberty to the flesh might well take the form of attacking those who were not circumcised; so the apostle says, if ye bite and devour one another, see that ye are not consumed one of another. Religious flesh is capable of almost anything.
"But, I say, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall in no way fulfill flesh's lust. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these things are opposed one to the other, that ye should not do those things which ye desire; but if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under law (verses 16-18, JND).
How important to heed the admonition of verse 16! The old nature, the flesh, is opposed to the new, in which the Holy Spirit works, in order that the believer may not do the things which he desires, but the Spirit is always prepared to be the believer's strength, to lead him where the flesh has no power.
Next, we are provided with an index to the works of the flesh, and following that, with the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit (verses 19 to 23).
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, disputes, schools of opinion, envyings, murders, drunkenness’s, revels, and things like these; as to which I tell you beforehand, even as I also have said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit God's kingdom" (verses 19-21 JnD).
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (verses 22-23 JnD).
"The works of the flesh"—the things that are natural to it; what a shocking catalog! And what a contrast, the fruit of the Spirit! "Love, joy, peace"—these come from God, from His own nature. How lovely these nine specimens of the fruit of the Spirit are, as we compare them with the sixteen samples from the works of the flesh! Neither is a complete list, of course.
"But they that are of the Christ have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts" (verse 24, JND). It is by faith; the work is only really and fully done in Christ; it is in His cross that the crucifixion of the flesh with all its lusts, has taken place.
"It is true of every believer, distinguishing him from the unsaved. We are to believe it, and to act accordingly.
"If we live by the Spirit, let us walk also by the Spirit." One more word of caution is needed, because pride comes out of the pretense of keeping the law:
"Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another." Verse 26 (JND).
"Brethren, if even a man be taken in some fault, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." chapter 6:1 (JND). The case supposed is of a child of God who through carelessness commits a fault, is surprised into what is evil. The spiritual ones are to restore him in a spirit of meekness, considering each of them himself, lest he also be tempted. And who is a spiritual man? Is it not plain that it is one who not only lives by the Spirit (every believer does that), but walks also by the Spirit; such a one habitually judges himself before God.
Closely related to this is what follows in verses 2 to 5: "Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of the Christ. For if any man reputes himself to be something, being nothing, he deceives himself; but let each prove his own work, and then he will have his boast in what belongs to himself alone, and not in what belongs to another. For each shall bear his own burden." (JND).
Should we not concern ourselves with the burden or burdens under which a brother may be groaning—need, distress, sorrows, trials, other difficulties? That was "the law of Christ," the rule of His life as He passed through this world. The Galatians wanted to be under law, and here was one for them, though the ten commandments included no such requirement.
Legalism, trying to keep the law for salvation, easily leads into prideful thoughts of self; he deceives himself; let him prove his own work, if there really was any Christian work of which he had been an instrument. In so far as the new teachers among the Galatians were concerned, it was not by themselves, but by Paul that the work of Christ had been wrought in that region. Verse 5 speaks of personal responsibility, as verse 2 treats of active love taking up the burdens of others. It is not a question of the judgment of God upon our sins in the fifth verse, but our responsibility now that we are Christ's to live to Him.
"Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teaches in all good things." Verse 6 (JND).
Here is a responsibility not shouldered by all the saints, and it is a cause of leanness in the soul. The Lord has His servants going about as they are able; their needs are known to Him, and He exercises the hearts of His saints here and there to meet these needs. If they were better provided for, would they not be able to visit saints, not now visited, and more often some who are not sufficiently visited? And those who labor in foreign lands—are they not apt to be neglected; the Bible Truth Depots, too?
There follows a solemn and an encouraging word: (verses 7 to 10):
"Be not deceived: God is not mocked; for whatever a man shall sow, that also shall he reap. For he that sows to his own flesh shall reap corruption from the flesh; but he that sows to the Spirit, from the Spirit shall reap eternal life; but let us not lose heart in doing good; for in due time if we do not faint we shall reap. So then, as we have occasion, let us do good towards all, and specially towards those of the household of faith." (JND).
There are consequences that follow the walk down here, that will be reflected in the position accorded each of us in glory. We have eternal life already, and it is put before us as a reward above for faithfulness down here.