_LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY_ ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.’ Galatians 5:1 We are bound to assert for the Church of Jesus Christ her true and rightful place in the affairs of men. I. THE CHURCH IS THE GREAT WITNESS TO LIBERTY IN THIS WORLD.—It was to... [ Continue Reading ]
_CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHRISTIAN WALK_ ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit.’ Galatians 5:16 It is important to observe that it is not the spirit of man that is here intended, but the Holy Spirit of God. The contrast is not between the flesh and the spirit in man, as e.g. in the passage, ‘The sp... [ Continue Reading ]
_POSITIVE CHRISTIANITY_ ‘Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.’ Galatians 5:16 These Galatians were a fierce, brave, generous, but untamed race of mountaineers, whose chief vices were unbridled fleshly self-indulgence. And here St. Paul urges them to struggle to be se... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE CONFLICT WITH SIN_ ‘For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ Galatians 5:17 Whoever knows anything of the nature of his own heart would expect that the presence and... [ Continue Reading ]
_A GREAT CONTRAST_ ‘The works of the flesh … the fruit of the Spirit.’ Galatians 5:19; Galatians 5:22 What a contrast there is presented to us in these few lines! The works of the flesh against the fruit of the Spirit! From the one the higher nature of man turns in utter abhorrence, while the oth... [ Continue Reading ]
_A GREAT CONTRAST_ ‘The works of the flesh … the fruit of the Spirit.’ Galatians 5:19; Galatians 5:22 What a contrast there is presented to us in these few lines! The works of the flesh against the fruit of the Spirit! From the one the higher nature of man turns in utter abhorrence, while the oth... [ Continue Reading ]
_FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT_ ‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.’ Galatians 5:22 No efforts of ours can cast off the unsightly works of the flesh; but as the blessed Spirit works in us, to will and to do of His good pleasure, th... [ Continue Reading ]
_CHRISTIAN JOY_ ‘The fruit of the Spirit is … joy.’ Galatians 5:22 The end of religion is not penitence, it is not contrition, it is not conviction of sin; it is something better than all that. The end of religion, to which it is all working, is joy. Jesus Christ Himself ‘for the joy which was se... [ Continue Reading ]