GALATIANS ~ Chapter 5/Thursday Bible Study
Spiritual Freedom vs Bodily Bondage
“*Christ set us
free, that we should be free men. Stand fast, therefore, and do not submit
again to a yoke of slavery. And so I, Paul, say to you: If you go and become
circumcised, Christ will not be of any help to you. I warn you again that if
anyone become circumcised, he thereby becomes obligated to keep the whole Law.
You who expect to become justified by means of the Law thereby cut yourselves
off from Christ, and you fall away from grace. It is by Faith, through the **Ruach HaKo’desh, that we hope for
sanctification. For is Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts
for anything. Faith only brings about the union, Faith that finds expression in
love. (vv. 1-6)
‘The Love of God’ song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUy3yaSd9b0
Warning against Judaism
You were making progress. Who has been hindering you from
obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from Him Who is calling you. It does
not take much yeast to leaven the whole lump. Still, I have faith in you, in
the Lord (Christ), that you will not hold other views, and that the man
who is disturbing you will receive his condemnation, no matter who he may be.
As for me, brethren, if I still advocated circumcision, why should I be
persecuted? No, and if I did, then the hostility due to the cross would be done
away with. Oh, how I wish that those who are disturbing you would cut
themselves off from you! (vv. 7-12)
The Freedom of Sonship Is by Love, Not License
Brethren, you have been called to freedom, but be careful
that this freedom does not become an excuse for sinful gratifications, but
rather you should serve one another in love. In fact, the whole Law can be summarized
and fulfilled in the one command, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself!’
But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, look out lest you destroy
one another altogether! (vv. 13-15)
Heed my advice: walk by the Ruach HaKo’desh, and do not in any
way yield to the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are
contrary to those of the Ruach HaKo’desh – and the desires of the Ruach HaKo’desh
are against that of the flesh. These two are opposed to each other, and
therefore you cannot always do what you would or should. But if you let the
Ruach HaKo’desh lead you, you are not under the Law. The works of the flesh
are evident, which are: adultery (sexual infidelity, disloyalty, falseness,
treachery, betrayal, deceitfulness, faithlessness), fornication (agreeable
sexual activity between a bachelor man and a bachelorette woman, extramarital
sex, a ‘free-for-all’ indulgence in sexual activity), licentiousness (extravagance,
wastefulness, reckless, decadence, debauchery, immorality, shamelessness, depravity),
idolatry (the worship of someone or something other than ***Elohei Ha’Elohim – anything that you love, treasure, prioritize,
identify with, or look to for fulfillment outside of Elohei Ha’Elohim), sorcery (bewitchment = familiarity with
demons/casting of spells, conjuring = invoking/summoning the spirits
of the dead, enchantment = charm, magic = mystical, paranormal, necromancy
= black magic/communicating with the dead to foretell the future,
witchery/wizardry = witchcraft) enmity (hostility, antagonism,
rancor, hatred), strife (conflict, discord, contention, fighting,
friction, rivalry), jealousy (envy, covetousness, resentment,
suspicion), ill-temper (irritability, hostility), contentions
(aimless arguments, continual conflicts), dissensions (discords,
rebellions), divisions (angry rifts, hostile breaks with unity);
envy (resentment, spite, grudges, jealousies), murder (hateful
killing, slaughter, slay), drunkenness (alcoholism, intemperance,
inebriation, intoxication), carousing (partying = revelry, riotous
behavior, bragging/boasting, swaggering, gloating, showing off), and
the like. (vv. 16-21)
The Fruit of Living by the Spirit
But the fruit of the Ruach HaKo’desh is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control.
There is no law against these. Note that it is those who belong to ****Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, who have
crucified the flesh with its worldly passions and desires.
Then, if we live by the Ruach HaKo’desh, let us also walk by
the Ruach HaKo’desh. Let us not become conceited (vain = hallow/empty,
proud/smug, arrogant, big-headed, narcissistic), nor should we provoke
(needle = goad, irritate, bait/inflame, hassle/whip up) one
another, or envy (moved by jealousy to resent or begrudge) one another.”
(vv. 22-26)
*Christ (from the Hebrew
word, Ha’Mashiach ישוע המשיח & the Greek word, Christos/khris-tos) = The Anointed, Yeshua the Messiah, in both
languages.
**Ruach HaKo’desh: In Hebrew, the Holy Spirit (רוח הקודש, Roo-ahk
hah-Koh-desh) refers to the divine force, quality, and influence
(aka, power) of God.
The Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16 & 11:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9;
Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; Titus 3:5; and Jude 1:20),
is referred to more than 90 times in the Brit Chadashah.
B’rit Chadashah = The New
Testament. B’rit Chadashah in Hebrew, means, “The New Covenant” (the word
B’rit means “covenant” and Chadashah means “new”). The literal meaning
of B’rit Chadashah is “a New Covenant By Blood” … aka Yeshua’s Blood.
***Elohei
Ha’Elohim (Hebrew word: אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים)) = God of gods; above all gods.
****Yeshua Ha’Mashiach: is Hebrew for “Jesus the Messiah”; the name Jesus is the
Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua.
**Galatians 4: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/07/galatians-chapter-4thursday-bible-study.html
