Galatians 5:19-21 – Looking Back, Part 1

The acts of the flesh are obvious …

Summary: Looking back over Paul’s two lists, we find there are still more treasures of insight to explore.

Having waded through Paul’s lists of “acts of the flesh” and “fruit of the Spirit,” we have earned a rest. Let’s sit on a rock by these two bodies of water and study them from afar. 

As bodies of water go, the “acts of the flesh” remind me more of a swamp or a bog than anything else. There is nothing good on the list. Everything on the list has an evil smell. 

Looking over his list, I notice a pattern similar to Paul’s list of “fruit of the Spirit.” In both lists, there is a root that feeds everything else. In the “fruit of the Spirit,” that root is love. In the “acts of the flesh,” the root is hatred. 

Love and hate are natural opposites, so it is no surprise to find the “acts of the flesh” built on the opposite of love. 

Interestingly, hatred is an emotion that hides inside a person. We can’t always see it, but sometimes it surfaces and becomes an “action” we can observe. Hatred leads to other topics on Paul’s list. It leads to discord, jealousy, rage, dissension, and factions. 

Another “root” included in Paul’s list is “impurity.” From a spiritual perspective, everything on Paul’s list could be considered an impurity. As a practical matter, impurity is the root that leads directly to sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, and envy. 

Almost everything on the list is a “root” that leads to something else. For example, debauchery leads to orgies and drunkenness. Fits of rage, in turn, lead to dissension and factions. Nothing good comes from anything on this list. 

Well, perhaps that is not exactly true. 

How we define “good” depends on who we are. The “flesh” is motivated by hatred for anything or anyone who threatens it. How do we know this? The Bible is full of examples, beginning with the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1–16). The “flesh” may not call hatred “good,” but it doesn’t think of it as a bad thing either. 

So what does the flesh call “good?” 

Drunkenness and orgies probably top the list. Idolatry and witchcraft follow close behind. The first gratifies the flesh, and the second offers the promise of power to get more. 

The important thing to remember is not what feels “good” in the flesh, but what feels good for eternity. When we realize that God is real and serious about obeying his law (see Matthew 22:37–40), we also realize that he is not pleased with our selfish behaviors. Even a cursory look at the Bible tells us that God is serious about separating the “good” from the “bad.” Not according to man’s definition of “good,” but his own. The Bible is also clear about where those who are not good end up: the eternal lake of fire (Matthew 18:8, Revelation 20:15). 

Fortunately for those who prefer eternity with our loving Father rather than being tossed into the eternal fire, Jesus waits for us to turn to him. He offers forgiveness to the repentant and the gifts of the Spirit to all who believe (Matthew 26:28). 

Application: Desire what is truly good: Jesus!

Food for Thought: How do the “acts of the flesh” reflect Satan’s relationship with God?