THE KING’ S -BUSINESS
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shall not fulfill the lusts o f the flesh. The reason is that “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,” i. e., the flesh does not desire the thing which the indwelling ¡spirit desires, but on the other hand “the Spirit (lusteth) against the flesh,” i. e., the Holy Spirit has eager desires which are not at all along the line o f the desires o f the flesh. These intense desires, or longings, o f the Holy Spirit go out in other directions from those in which the lusts of the flesh go out. God’s purpose in this is “that (rather, in order that) ye may not do the things that ye would,” that is to say, the eager desires o f the Holy Spirit which dwells in us, if we surrender our lives to His control and walk by Him, keeps us from doing the things which we naturally would do, so if we “walk by the Spirit” and allow our selves to be governed by His yearnings we do not do the things we naturally would do, we do “not fulfill the lusts o f the flesh.” ' Every true Christian man is con scious how the Holy One within him by His yearnings after what pleases God has overcome the natural inclinations o f our hearts. In verse 18 Paul brings this truth into relation with the believer’s freedom from the law. I f we give ourselves up to be led by the Spirit we are not under the law. Why not? (1) Because the law is not for holy men such as we become if we are led by the Spirit (cf. vs. 22, 23; 1 Tim. 1:9). (2) Because we do not need a law o f ordinances, “thou shalt do this and thou shalt not do that,” outside o f us, for we have the Law Giver Himself within us gov erning us. To be governed by a law out side o f us is bondage. T o be led by a Holy Person within us is highest liberty. (3) Because the Spirit has set us free from the law o f sin and death (Rom. 8:2 ), and we do not need the law to tell us what we must do (Rom .'8:4, 14). But if we have not given ourselves up to be led by the Spirit, we are still “under the law.” Friday, May 24 . Gal. 5 : 19 - 21 . Having told them that if they were led by the Spirit they were not under the law, Paul here goes on to tell them what the
Wednesday, May 22 . Gal. 5 : 16 .
Paul now tells the simple but glorious secret o f not fulfilling the lusts o f the flesh. The secret is simply this: “walk by the Spirit.” Our walk is our daily con duct: to “walk by the Spirit” is to give the control o f our daily conduct into the keeping otf the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:14). The Spirit o f God dwells, within every true believer in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8 :9 ), and is ready to take com plete control of every act and word and thought, if we will give the Holy Spirit control of every act and word and thought. I f we will givq the Holy Spirit control o f our thoughts, our imaginations, our feel ing, our ambitions, our will, o f everything, we “ shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” But if we will not hand over the control o f everything to the Holy Spirit, we cer tainly shall “ fulfill the lusts o f the flesh. The flesh is our natural self, what we are in and of ourselves as uncontrolled by the indwelling Spirit o f God. Our natural self is called “ the flesh” because it is largely under the control o f our physical nature. W e all have “the flesh,” and we all have “the lusts o f -the flesh” (lusts o f the flesh simply means strong desires o f the flesh), but it is our privilege in the power o f the Spirit to live every day and hour without fulfilling “the lusts o f the flesh.” Paul begins his statement o f our blessed privi lege of living without fulfilling the lusts of the flesh by walking in the Spirit, with the word “but.” It is thus put in contrast with what many o f the Galatians (and equally many professed Christians today) were doing, biting and devouring one another (cf. v. 15). This walking in the Spirit must be a daily walk. The lusts o f the flesh are not something overcome once for all by some momentary experience by which we enter into the higher life, but they are overcome by daily walking ‘ by the Spirit.” Thursday, May 23 . Gal. 5 : 17 , 18 . Verse 17 begins with “ For” and tells us why it is that if we walk by the Spirit we
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