The Circumcision Wars #11

Galatians 5 & 6—The Operation of the Spirit

Fred R. Coulter

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We've come through some of the most difficult Scriptures that are in the New Testament. If we understand these Scriptures, let's be thankful that we understand them and let's also realize a very important principle. We're about ready to get into the section concerning the fruits of the Spirit. That's starts off with the love of God.

What we need to understand and helps us realize, as the Apostle Paul brought out here, it's one thing to know and understand the difficult Scriptures and the technicalities of them, and what all of those things mean, but unless there is the love of God, that knowledge does not have the working within you in the way of conversion to really help you continue to grow in grace and knowledge. That's why Paul wrote:

1-Corinthians 8:1: "Now, concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge…. [here's the principle]: …Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." You can have knowledge of these things, but it's not knowledge to make you superior or to make us above anybody else, because it's knowledge that comes from God!

If we take it to ourselves that it's knowledge that we're great in understanding this and how smart we are then we become vain. "…but love edifies"; and edification means to build. That's the whole purpose of it. All this knowledge is to be coupled with the love of God so it becomes

• a building thing
• an edifying thing
• something that is going to uplift

It's kind of like building a building from which the verb edifying comes—to build. The knowledge is kind of like the bricks, the love is the cement that holds it all together. You can build something out of brick, but if you don't have the cement then it's not going to stick together. But if you have the love of God—which is likened to the cement—then it is going to stick together and you're going to have the full use and purpose of the knowledge.

Here's another principle, v 2: "But if anyone thinks that he knows anything… [at the level of knowledge that we have attained to this point of what we understand in Galatians and Romans and so forth, there is still much more for us to learn.] (because Paul says): …he knows nothing yet to the degree thathe ought to know." That's why we are to continue to grow in grace and in knowledge.
Verse 3: "But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him." An important key, because if you truly love God and you're lacking in knowledge, don't worry, God will give you the understanding because you love Him, because He knows you and you know Him. That's why when we come to Gal. 5, after all of these arguments and bickering and going back and forth with whether to circumcise or not circumcise, to be perfected in the flesh or to be perfected in the Spirit, it comes down to the use of the Holy Spirit in your life! That's what Paul is talking about.

Galatians 5—we're going to see some really important things here. Let's review again, and notice how the emphasis is to the Spirit all the way through. Galatians 5:5: "For we through the Spirit are waiting for the hope of righteousness by faith; because in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision of any force, nor uncircumcision; rather, it is the inner working of faith through love" (vs 5-6).

In this chapter the most important thing that comes out is the Spirit of God and love. Isn't it interesting that faith works through love. That's how you grow in faith. You grow in love and then you grow in faith and that gives you the hope of the righteousness by faith. Right here we have faith, hope and love, which ties in with 1-Cor. 13. 'These three remain, faith, hope and love and the greatest is love.' See the consistency in Paul's writings.

Verse 13: "…rather, serve one another with love."
Verse 14: "…'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Verse 16: "Now this I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh." That's how you overcome lust:

• with God's love
• with God's faith
• with God's knowledge
• with God's Spirit

If you have a particular problem that you are working on, or a particular lust that keeps coming into your life, then what you do is you walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Verse 17: "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh… [here's this inner battle that goes on; put in Rom. 7 & James 3 which has the whole fight and battle that he describes] …and these things are opposed to each other, so that you cannot do those things you wish to do."

This becomes an important factor. What makes you rely upon God? When you know you're not sufficient to yourself! If you could do these things yourself, without the Spirit of God, you wouldn't rely on God—would you? Therefore, God even uses our sinful nature, the overcoming of the sinful nature, to a good purpose, because then we rely on God.

We rely on the Spirit of God, and that's why we go along and God let's us sin—God never prevented sin—so that we can understand we cannot be perfected by our own means. We begin in the Spirit, and the whole point is that you cannot be perfected in the flesh.

Galatians 3:1: "O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you into not obeying the Truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ, crucified, was set forth in a written public proclamation?…. [for all to read] …This only I desire to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit of God by works of law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh?" (vs 1-3).

That's the whole difference between walking in the Spirit and converting God's way to a 'religion.' If you receive the Spirit of God it is obvious that the only thing that is going to perfect you is the Spirit of God.

• not any physical means
• not any carnal means

That's what Paul is talking about here.

Galatians 5:18: "But if you are led by the Spirit…" Notice that we have:

• through the Spirit
• wait for the hope of righteousness
• walk by the Spirit
• begin in the Spirit
• led by the Spirit

"…you are not under law. Now, the works of the flesh are manifest…" (vs 18-19). He is saying here that if you go back and try and do these things by physical or fleshly means you're going to end up being carnal. All of these things are going to take place:

"…which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strifes, jealousies, indignations, contentions, divisions, sects, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such things as these; concerning which I am telling you beforehand, even as I have also said in the past, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God" (vs 19-21).

What did I just read to you? The works of the flesh, which are a litany of the works of the Catholic Church as well as the world and any other religion! The long and short of it is that if you take God's way and convert it into a 'religion' you're going to end up with all the works of the flesh because you're seeking perfection through physical means. We saw that through the church experience that we've been through—haven't we? Every one of the things that I read here of the works of the flesh were in the churches that God called us out of—correct? Yes! Even witchcraft, meaning contact with demons!

Some men (in a former Church) who thought that they had the power of God ended up playing around with demons and crystals and casting demons in and out of people. This is absolute spiritual rule: Since God is Spirit and you must worship Him in Spirit in Truth, and He calls you and gives you His Spirit, therefore you have to:

• walk by the Spirit
• be led by the Spirit
• have the fruits of the Spirit
• be living by the Spirit

The only way that perfection comes is by the Spirit of God and not through physical means. When you go to physical means, or worldly means, even the things concerning psychology and psychiatry and those substitutes of God's Word in the world, you are going to end up with every one of the works of the flesh! Guaranteed! What is happening, there is a spiritual work that is being done in your life.

Verse 22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (vs 22-23). These things are the fulfilling of the law—are they not? Yes!

Verse 24: "But those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live by the Spirit, we should also be walking by the Spirit" (vs 24-25). Right here in the space of ten verses:

• v 16—walk in the Spirit
• v 18—led by the Spirit
• v 22—fruit of the Spirit
• v 25—living by the Spirit; walking by the Spirit

That's an awful lot when you consider the other ones that we have covered. This is the whole thing that Paul is trying to get to, that you can't rely on physical things to accomplish a spiritual goal. You must rely on the Spirit of God.

Let's talk about the Spirit of God and how it works. Let's look at some other Scriptures that show about the Spirit of God and how we are to live our lives. Here is the key; here is the basis; here is the thing that is so absolutely fundamental and important, where everything that we do must be built upon this foundation.

We've gone over this many, many times, but it's like everything else, like we started out, if you have knowledge but don't have love then you're going to become vain and you're not going to edify. That's why Jesus said:

John 14:15: "If you love Me, keep the commandments—namely, My commandments." That's where it all starts.

Verse 20: "In that day, you shall know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. The one who has My commandments and is keeping them…. [present tense] …that is the one who loves Me…" (vs 20-21). Loving is a perpetual thing, always in the present tense. You are loving, because everything that God does in your life is present tense. What you did yesterday is past tense. What you do in the future is future tense, and you haven't arrived there, yet. Everything must be based on present tense. If you are always loving God in the present, then

• you will have loved Him when the present becomes the past
• you will be loving Him when the future becomes the present

Do you understand that? That's why Christ spoke it this way.

Now then, a profound thing is going to happen: "…and the one who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him" (v 21). That's what Christ has done to you, He's manifested Himself to you. How? First of all, you had to have a desire, regardless of how rudimentary that may be. That's where it begins.

John 4:23: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth… [getting back to exactly what Paul was teaching in Gal. 5] …for the Father is indeed seeking… [actively looking for] …those who worship Him in this manner. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth" (vs 23-34). Therefore, as Paul has written, you cannot fulfill spiritual things with the works of the flesh!

God one day in His search—He's always searching—reached down in your life. I don't know if you can look back and see the exact instant that God used to begin working with you or not. But there is that instant, and that's how God begins manifesting Himself to you on a spiritual level.

First you begin to question and think differently than the people around you. Then you want to seek God, and God is seeking who wants to seek Him. You're tired of all the rigmarole of all these 'religions.' The next thing that happens is that God begins to draw you. At that first point, you can just drop it and go on, go right back into the world. Or, you can desire more. As you desire more, then God is going to do the next thing:

John 6:44: "No one can come to Me unless the Father, Who sent Me, draws him… [God begins to draw you] …and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'…." (vs 44-45). That's how God and Christ begin to manifest Themselves to you. God begins, spiritually, with the Holy Spirit with you—not yet in you, that comes after baptism—and begins to teach you.

How does He begin to teach you? He doesn't knock on the door of your mind and say, 'Hello, this is God speaking.' NO! He puts a thought in your mind. Or you observe something in the world and you think that's wrong! That's not right! That's against God! Why does that happen in your mind and not somebody else's mind? Because God is drawing you and teaching you!

"…Therefore, everyone who has heard from the Father, and has learned, comes to Me" (v 45). It's quite a profound thing that God is doing when that happens.

Let's see what happens next, and this is how Christ manifests Himself to those whom He calls and not the rest of the world. Judas, who was not Iscariot, said, 'Lord, how are You going to manifest Yourself to us and not to the world?' The world doesn't know—does not know! They could look at us, we could go into any shopping mall and walk down the mall and anyone could look at us and they wouldn't know that God has manifested Himself to us. He does it spiritually! Then the next thing that happens is:

Romans 2:4: "Or do you despise the riches of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the graciousness of God leads you to repentance?" God begins to lead you to repentance. You begin to see that 'sin is the transgression of the Law.' You begin to see that there are penalties for sin. All of that is God teaching you.

If you don't respond you go one way, v 5: "But you, according to your own hardness and unrepentant heart, are storing up wrath for yourself against the day of wrath and revelation of God's righteous judgment, Who will render to each one according to his own works" (vs 5-6)—'ergon'; works are important!

The two ways that this is going to happen, v 7: "On the one hand, to those who with patient endurance in good works… [doing the will of God] …are seeking glory and honor and immortality—eternal life." The end result is eternal life, which is the 'hope of righteousness by faith' (Gal. 5)—the resurrection.

Verse 8: "On the other hand… [to those who are not being manifest; Christ is not manifesting Himself to them] …to those who are contentious and who disobey the Truth… [you have to have an obedient and willing heart] …but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish—upon every soul of man who works out evil, both of the Jew first, and of the Greek; but glory and honor and peace to everyone who works good, both to the Jew first, and to the Greek, because there is no respect of persons with God" (vs 8-11).

When Christ begins to manifest Himself to you, that's how He does it. I know that I can look back and I know the very day and the instant that God used to do it, though at the time I didn't understand it. That was when I was going to the College of San Mateo and I came into this class where there were 400 students—in the amphitheater—and I was back about a third of the way up. Of course, all the students are chattering and yakking and talking. The bell rings, the professor comes out and he stands on a platform about six inches or foot off the ground and he crosses his arms and walks back and forth and finally comes and stands in the middle and just looks. Gradually it begins to get quiet.

Then it's dead silence! That's what he was waiting for. He probably does this the first day of every class that he has. The first words out of his mouth were, 'If any of you believe in God and the Bible there is the door! I will not have any arguments in this class!' Well, that got my dander up! I can look back and see that is the thing that God used to begin to call me. That's how He manifests Himself to those whom He calls and not to the world.

John 14:21: "'…and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.' Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, what has happened that You are about to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?'" (vs 21-22). Now you understand.

• It's a spiritual thing!
• It begins spiritually!
• It must be perfected spiritually!
• It must end spiritually!

All the way through based on the love of God.

Verse 23: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We… [both; there are two parts to the Spirit of God, which you have] …will come to him and make Our abode… [dwelling place] …with him.'"

Paul said, 'Know you not that the Spirit of God dwells in you?' We have to know that, and do know it:

• by Truth and conviction
• by feeling, knowledge and understanding
• by experience in living

Here again is the difference, the dividing line, v 24: "The one who does not love Me does not keep My words…" There is the difference. The Truth of the Word of God leads you to repentance! God's Spirit also leads you to repentance! That's how God manifests Himself to you.

If you hear the Truth of God and you reject it and you don't love Christ, you're in deep trouble, because He's not just a man. That's why Satan likes to try and reduce Christ to just a man. It's hard to reject God, but it's easy to reject a man. 'O well, that's your opinion'—just a man!

"…and the Word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father's, Who sent Me" (v 24). In truth, in fact, the world doesn't know it, but they are rejecting the Sovereign of the universe God the Father, all the while they are thinking they are rejecting a man, or a Bible, or a book that they don't want anything to do with, because it convicts them of sin! They don't want to be convicted of sin.

Let's carry on and see more of the operation of the Spirit of God. Here's what it does, and again we see the difference, the comparison, what it is to be led of the Spirit of God if we're going to led of the Spirit of God and walk in the Spirit of God, and all of those in Truth and Righteousness.

Romans 8:1: "Consequently, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." No condemnation from what? Of overcoming the law of sin and death that is within you! That's what it's talking about.

Verse 2: "Because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has delivered me from the law of sin and death." Justified me! That's what grace is all about. Though you still have the law of sin and death in you, though you are fighting against the things that the Spirit lusts against the flesh and flesh against the Spirit—these two are contrary so you can't do the things that you wish to do (Gal. 5). Paul says that through Jesus Christ we have been justified from 'the law of sin and death.' Here's how God did it:

Verse 3: "For what was impossible for the law to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh… [Please, all Protestants, pay attention]: …in order that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us… [Spiritually, not only in our lives within us, but in our lives as people observe the reflection of what we are doing. Anyone who says the law is done away, you've got them right here.] …who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (vs 3-4).

You see how closely that the writings of Galatians by Paul and Romans fit; expressed a little differently. Again, here's this dividing line:

Verse 5: "For those who walk according to the flesh mind the things of the flesh… [that's called carnal-mindedness] …but those who walk according to the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit." That's why you're concerned about the things of God, because God's Spirit is leading you to do that. Your concern is to develop the relationship between you and God the Father, and the end result is eternal life. That's minding the things of the Spirit.

The Sabbath is spiritual, by the way, and requires faith to keep. It requires no faith to keep Sunday; just choose a church and go. It requires faith to keep the Sabbath so that you know that God has obligated Himself by His promise to bless you for keeping the Sabbath. That's by faith. Same way with all the commandments of God. You're minding the things of the Spirit. The greatest thing the mind of the Spirit is the love of God.

Verse 6: "For to be carnally minded is death… [The flesh! That's why Paul says that if you begin in the Spirit and you're finishing in the flesh, it's going to lead to death. It's going to lead to all the works of the flesh. They all come!] …but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God; neither indeed can it be" (vs 6-7).

Take the opposite of that: If you are spiritually minded you are subject to the Law of God—correct? That shows that all Protestant thought is licentious grace. As I have come to realize and understand, Protestantism is only the grace branch of the Catholic Church. You think on that! The misapplied grace branch of the Catholic Church. If they have not forsaken Sunday and the pagan holidays, they know nothing about God in Truth. They may have some fractious knowledge of Christ and God, but not in Truth and sincerity.

Verse 8: "But those who are in the flesh cannot please God." How much more important it is for us to realize that growing in grace and knowledge and doing the things of the Spirit, then we can accomplish spiritual things.

Verse 9: "However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit…" How can that be if you're sitting here with a fleshly body? It doesn't mean that you're a spiritual body, it means that God does not look upon you as a carnal-minded, fleshly individual without the Spirit of God.

"…if the Spirit of God is indeed dwelling within you…." (v 9). God doesn't view you as carnal and physical. Isn't that great? Though we are! God looks upon the things that are to be as if they already are. We are the children of God! 'But it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we will see Him as He is, for we shall be like Him.'

• God is looking toward that!
• God is looking to the ultimate purpose of your life!

"…But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him" (v 9)—which tells us clearly this: If anyone professes to be a Christian, the professing of being a Christian does not make him so if he does not have the Spirit of God.

The Spirit of God is that which makes him a Christian, not the proclamation or taking the label of being a Christian. There's a clear dividing line. I guess you could put it this way, in the modern vernacular: Either you is or you ain't! Either you have the Spirit of God or you don't have the Spirit of God. The only ones on the in-between are those that have the Spirit of God dwelling with them, because God is calling them. It's up to them to answer the call so they can be baptized and then have the Spirit of God in them.

Notice something very important here, "…But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ…" (v 9). The Spirit of God has two parts to it. In John 14 Christ said that the Father will love you and WE—Father and Son—will come and make OUR abode with him; dwell in him.

Verse 10: "But if Christ be within you, the body is indeed dead because of sin; however, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Now, if the Spirit of Him [God the Father] Who raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling within you…" There we have the two parts.

(go to the next track)

Let's look at the two aspects of the Spirit of God:

• The Spirit of Christ

Romans 8:9: "…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. But if Christ be within you… [spiritually through the Spirit of God] …the body is indeed dead because of sin… [through the operation of baptism you died] …however, the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (vs 9-10).

• The Spirit of God the Father

Verse 11: "Now, if the Spirit of Him [God the Father] Who raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling within you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortal bodies because of His Spirit that dwells within you."

John 14:23: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.'" Christ in us is the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). What the part of the Spirit of God that Christ works with gives us the mind of Christ.

Philippians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you… [That's interesting, isn't it? You have to let it! God is not going to force it upon you! You must, by choice, want it!] …which was also in Christ Jesus." The aspect of the Holy Spirit of Christ brings you the mind of Christ and is the hope of glory!

Let's look at the aspect of the Spirit of God that is from the Father, which is the begettal for sonship. As I mentioned this is one of the worst translated in the King James:

1-John 3:9: "Everyone who has been begotten by God does not practice sin…" That's the only way you can reconcile that verse with the rest of the Bible, and especially with:

1-John 1:7: "However, if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His own Son, cleanses us from all sin." If being converted is being born again in the sense that the Protestants think of, then you cannot sin, so therefore, you do not need to have your sins cleansed from you, because you have no sin.

However, v 8[transcriber's correction] says: "If we say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the Truth is not in us."

That would contradict 1-John 3:9 if it were as the King James is: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin…" You have no sin to repent of after you supposedly have had the conversion experience of what they call born again. You don't need to confess your sins. You don't need to go to God, because you cannot sin, therefore, anything you do is not sin. And God is obligated to take you to heaven or into the 'rapture' as one Baptist woman said even in the act of committing adultery, because 'I've been born again and I cannot sin.' That's a perverted mind of Satan!

Therefore, 1-John 3:9 must—and by the Greek has to—read: "Everyone who has been begotten by God does not practice ['poieo'] sin; because His seed ['sperma'] …of begettal is dwelling within him… [the begettal to be a child—son or daughter—of God at the resurrection] …and he is not able to practice sin because he has been begotten by God." It doesn't say you won't sin. The Greek does not mean that at all. But you can't practice it.

• What happens when you find yourself sinning?
• God leads you to repentance!
• You cannot practice that sin!
• You may do it, but you can't make it your way of life any longer—can you? No!
• What gives you the conscience so that you don't practice sin?
• The Spirit of God to convict you that it is sin!

Therefore, you don't practice it, though you may commit it. That's why we confess it and we have forgiveness. That is the operation of grace.

Verse 10: "By this standard are manifest the children of God… [because of the seed being in us we are the children of God] …and the children of the devil…." There are children of the devil dedicated to the devil, worship the devil, follow Satan in the most insidious manner, by calling evil good:

• It is to the greater glory of the Church to kill heretics!
• It is the greater glory of the Church to lie!
• It is the greater glory to the Church
• to destroy
• to corrupt
• to undermine
• to control
• to create war
• because the greater glory of the Church will be served!

Straight from The Vatican Assassins—the Jesuits—the children of the devil, as well as those people in the world who are other children of the devil. There are those, here it is:

"…Everyone who does not practice ['poieo'] righteousness is not of God…" (v 10). What is righteousness?

• All Your commandments are righteousness!
• To do things from the Spirit of God—that's the true righteousness that comes from God!
• Whosoever does not practice righteousness is not of God!

That is why 'religions' are not of God, though they may have a form of righteousness, they do not practice true righteousness with the Spirit of God and the love of God from the heart.

"…and neither is the one who does not love his brother" (v 10).

Verse 1: "Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God!…." That comes from the begettal of the Holy Spirit that we are the sons and children of God. Christ is the model and through the Holy Spirit with Christ in us, and the Father in us, then we become spiritually the kind of children of God that God wants with the mind of Christ. That's a tremendous thing to understand, brethren.

"…For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children ['teknon'] of God…" (vs 1-2). Very interesting! 'teknon' means that it is the begettal, that you are the literal child of God. It's different than adoption. When you adopt someone who is not your own genetic offspring. Here you are the genetic offspring of the Father. That's why Satan wants to destroy us. This is so great, brethren, this is so marvelous it's just incredible.

"…and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is" (vs 2-3).

1-Peter 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His abundant mercy… [they had no other alternative than to translate this correctly] …has begotten us again…" You were begotten once so you could be born of the flesh; now you're begotten of the Spirit, in the spirit of your mind, with the seed of God the Father, which also then brings with you the aspect of the Spirit of Christ that is Christ in you. So, you're begotten again.

"…unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (v 3). There's the operation of the two aspects of the Spirit of God. Now you see why Paul is so concentrating on not going back to the works of the flesh, because this whole thing is a spiritual operation. This is why we're to be

• led of the Spirit
• walk by the Spirit
• have the fruit of the Spirit

I could go through and give a whole sermon on carnality, covering the works of the flesh. I could give a whole detailed sermon or two or three or four—depending on how God inspired it to be done—concerning all the fruits of the Spirit. I'll leave that for you to study. You can get out your concordance and go through and do a study, and that will help you.

One thing I want to compare, Galatians 5:22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (vs 22-23).

Let's see where Paul emphasized this again in just a little different way, Ephesians 5:1: "Therefore, be imitators of God… [How can you follow God or imitate God unless you have the Spirit of God? You can't! It's an impossibility!] …as beloved children; and walk in love…" (vs 1-2). We have

• walk by the Spirit
• led by the Spirit
• having the Spirit of Christ in you
• having the begettal of the Father in you
• you "…walk in love…"

"…even as Christ also loved us, and gave Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor" (v 2). Notice again the comparison between the works of the flesh and we will see the works of the Spirit here:

Verse 3: "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, do not permit it even to be named among you, as is fitting for saints; nor filthiness, nor foolish talking or jesting, which are not becoming; but instead, thanksgiving. For this you know… [you realize, you understand or comprehend] …that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous person, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God" (vs 3-5). This is almost a parallel with Galatians—isn't it?

Verse 6: "Do not let anyone deceive you with vain words… ['O, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched or deceived you?' (Ga. 3).] …for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be joint partakers with them. For you were once darkness; but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, (because the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and Truth)" (vs 6-9).

Then the mind of Christ, with the Spirit of God in you, is going to cause you to do, v 10: "Proving what is well pleasing to the Lord." Whenever you hear something, what do you do? Do like Bereans, check the Scriptures is it there!

• You prove it!
• You test it!
• You try it!
• You examine it!
• You look at it!
• You understand it!
• You prove and know what is acceptable to the Lord!

Verse 11: "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them…" That's what reproof means; some people don't like to have them exposed.

Of course, if you're in a political church organization, if you try that and it's something they want covered, you're going to get yourself in deep trouble. But you have determine: Are you going to stand for the Truth and stand for God? or Are you going to go along and become a political pawn? That's the question that has to be asked. That's why when the Church becomes a 'religion' and it becomes carnal and has to be purged to get rid of these things.

Verse 12: "For it is shameful even to mention the things being done by them in secret. But all of these things being exposed by the light are openly revealed. Therefore, He says, 'You who are sleeping—wake up, and arise from the dead!…." (vs 12-14). What happens? When you become political, carnal and compromising, what happens? You go to sleep! You become in a stupor and become numb!

A man wrote in one of those mail-outs and he was talking about how terrible that bureaucracies are, because when he went to the Soviet Union—just before its collapse—everyone had this blank stare in their eyes. He said, 'That's what bureaucracies create. I saw the same thing when I went to the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. This blank stare of resignation that the bureaucracy controls my life. I cannot think unless they tell me to think, and they must tell me what to think because if I think not what they think then I'm in trouble with the bureaucracy.'

When a church becomes that way—that you can only think what you're told to think, and you can only understand what you're allowed to understand, and you cannot have that personal one-to-one relationship with God—you have the same blank stare that you witness in people who are locked into that kind of thing. They wouldn't be able to handle coming into a congregation here, as we have done today, with a lot of give and take. They wouldn't know what to do. That's what happens, expose them! Quite a thing when that takes place. They're asleep, just walking in their sleep. All they can do is parrot back.

True teaching involves this: you understand the Word of God and—if someone asks you a question—you answer that question from the Word of God, because you know it, because you have proved it, not because you've heard it and you parrot it back. There's a vast difference. In the one case you parrot it back because you've memorized it. In the other case, the spiritual case, you say and teach it because you know it and you believe it and it is part of you, not a part of a bureaucracy that has been put in you or programmed in you by another individual. But that which is in you because of the Spirit of God!

Therefore, those who are truly Christians are dangerous to this world! Christ will teach you to think with His Spirit, with the Truth! The Federal government has gotten caught not only with its pants down, but almost totally naked.

I don't know if you've been following the Timothy McVeigh thing and the documents that have been withheld. The FBI set out to get their man. They got one and they knew they had to get two, so they had the other fellow Nichols. They don't want to hear anything else. Even though Timothy McVeigh said, 'I did it' what they don't want to expose is the man who controlled him.

Did you see the picture on television of the sketch by the FBI artist? You take a look at that picture; that is a picture of a strong-willed man who was controlling Timothy McVeigh to do what he did. But they withheld that information because they had Nichols and they, the establishment, didn't want to know that Timothy McVeigh was controlled by one of their agents. (speculation—that's what I see in the situation).

The very day that that building was blown up, Clinton has his anti-terrorist bill already typed up and ready to go to congress. Those are the works of darkness, of this world! That's how they work! I do hope that there's someone out there that has enough guts to find out who his controller was. You may never know, just like with the assassination of President Kennedy. Those who have ears to hear…!

Galatians 5:24: "But those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts." That's how you crucify the old man. Bring every thought into captivity and take those thoughts and kill them. If we live by the Spirit, we should also be walking by the Spirit. We should not become vain-glorious, provoking one another and envying one another" (vs 24-26). It always happens that way—doesn't it? When you get a carnal organized religion. That's why they have to have a hierarchy, so they can have the graduations going up. It's all vanity!

Galatians 6:1: "Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in some offense, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted." Understand and know that you have your own problems and difficulties.

Verse 2: "Bear one another's burdens…" That's how you do it, by:

• praying for one another
• helping one another
• serving one another
• encouraging one another
• assisting one another

"…and so fulfill the law of Christ" (v 2)—put in Matt. 5-7, that's the main basis of it; and 1-Cor. 13, the love chapter. That's how you fulfill the law of Christ. For all of those who don't believe in keeping law, pray tell, what is the law of Christ? It's called a law!

Verse 3: "For if anyone thinks himself to be something,when he is nothing…" In other words, 'man at his very best is altogether vanity.' It doesn't matter what you think of yourself; you're actually nothing. Put your thumb under your armpit or suspender straps and go stand before God and tell God how good you are. You will soon learn you are nothing!

"…he is deceiving himself. But let each one prove his own work… [In other words, you're responsible for your own life] …and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another" (vs 3-4). That is you're not going to be controlling someone else's life.

Verse 5: "For each one shall bear his own burden. Let the one who is being taught in the Word share all his good things with the one who is teaching him" (vs 5-6). We just did that today—didn't we? We all learn from each other—don't we? Yes, that's all part of it! The teacher is not above those he is teaching. He's on the sideline to teach, and 'it is sufficient that the disciple become as the teacher.'

Verse 7: "Do not be deceived. God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap." You have to wait; you have to be patient. If something is wrong with someone, pray and ask God to reveal it to them so they can repent. But if there is someone out there in the world who is your enemy, God will take care of them.

Verse 8: "For the one who sows to his own flesh shall reap corruption from the flesh…." And sooner or later they will not be there. God will fight your battle for you. Remember Mordecai! When everything lost, the battle was won!

"…But the one who sows to the Spirit…" (v 8). There we go:

• walk by the Spirit
• live by the Spirit
• through the Spirit
• led by the Spirit
• fruits of the Spirit
• sowing to the Spirit

This is part of building and growing.

"…shall reap eternal life from the Spirit" (v 8). That's the whole end result of it.

Verse 9: "Now we should not lose heart in doing well… [That is sure a message for today—isn't it?] …because we who do not faint will reap in due time." God will bless you!

• Never faint or get weary of keeping the Sabbath or the Holy Days!
• Never faint or get weary of praying and studying!
• Never faint or get weary of tithing and offering!
• Never faint or get weary of helping the brethren and helping them overcome—though some things may be very difficult for them!

I remember a man who came to me and said, 'I shouldn't take the Passover because I haven't quit smoking.' I said that's the reason you need to take it, because you need God's Spirit to overcome. The next Passover he came up to me and said, 'Well, I still haven't overcome smoking.' I said, 'You need to take the Passover and you need to really get serious and go to God and ask him to really help you overcome. You need to understand that you yourself must get rid of the desire, and you yourself must ask God to help you overcome the lust.'

The next Passover he came to me and said, 'Guess what, I've quit smoking!' That means that in bearing one another's burdens and helping each other, we need to understand that sometimes you don't reap for a while. It takes time! Whether in Sabbath services or Holy Days and understanding them, it takes time. Whether in your financial affairs with God, taking God into your life as a partner in tithes and offerings, it will take time. God will always bless you in many different ways than just the physical return.

One of the greatest blessings that God gives is His Spirit and His understanding! Never weary in well-doing, "…because we who do not faint will reap in due time" (v 9). That's why we always live in the present! Today! What you do today is what counts. If yesterday was a good day, that also counted, but that's yesterday. Today is what is counting. If today is good, then tomorrow will probably be good.

If tomorrow turns out to be bad, then ask God to help you overcome that and it will become yesterday the day after. Therefore, never carry your problems forward into the next day. 'Never let the sun go down on your wrath.' Never let the sun go down on a problem. Do all you can to solve it so that you don't carry it in to the next day. Then you're not going to get 'weary in well doing,' because each day is a new day, and each day is an opportunity

• to grow
• to overcome
• to walk in the Spirit
• to be led by the Spirit
• to repent
• to change
• to grow

and all of those things are all applied here in 'don't weary in well-doing.'

Verse 10: "So then, as we have opportunity, we should do good to all, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. See with what large letters I [Paul] have written to you with my own hand. As many as desire to make a good impression in the flesh, these are the ones who compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ" (vs 10-12). So, he gets back to the original problem:
Verse 13: "For those who are circumcised, neither do they keep the law… [spiritually] …themselves, but they want you to be circumcised in order that they may boast in your flesh." Look at the numbers that we have, brethren, and all circumcised!

Verse 14: "But as for me, MAY IT NEVER BE that I boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world…. [That's how you walk in the Spirit!] …For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any spiritual force; rather, it is a new creation that avails." (vs 14-15). You're created in Christ Jesus!

Verse 16: "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God…. [the Church of God] …From this time forth, let no one trouble me…" (vs 16-17). I'm sure the Apostle Paul can say that with greater meaning than any other human being, but there comes a time when you just have to hang it up on some of these people with their pet doctrines and the troubles their causing.

One man called up and said, 'Do you believe that Eve had sex with the serpent in the garden?' I said, 'No, I don't! Do you believe it.' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'This conversation has ended.' Click! Sometimes you have to end the troubles that way.

"…for I bear the brands of the Lord Jesus in my own body" (v 17)—by stoning, lashing, beating and everything that he went through. So, when Paul wrote this, he was really in a way at his wits end, after all the work and all the things that he had done, now he's going through all of this again. It was very troublesome to him.

Verse 18: "Brethren, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen." That's the saga of the circumcision wars! Those wars can sprout out in all kinds of things like false doctrines and different physical things. The whole long and short of it is, if

• you live in the Spirit
• walk in the Spirit
• seek the fruits of the Spirit
• let God's Spirit be in you and lead you

that ends all circumcision wars!

All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in its Original Order, A Faithful Version by Fred R. Coulter (except where noted)

Scriptural References:

• 1 Corinthians 8:1-3
• Galatians 5:5-6, 13-14, 16-17
• Galatians 3:1-3
• Galatians 5:18-25
• John 14:15, 20-21
• John 4:23-24
• John 6:44-45
• Romans 2:4-11
• John 14:21-24
• Romans 8:1-11
• John 14:23
• Philippians 2:5
• 1 John 3:9
• 1 John 1:7-8
• 1 John 3:9-10, 1-3
• 1 Peter 1:3
• Galatians 5:22-23
• Ephesians 5:1-14
• Galatians 5:24-26
• Galatians 6:1-18

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• 1 Corinthians 13
• Romans 7
• James 3
• Colossians 1:27
• Mathew 5-7
•  

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 10-14-012