Does obedience matter to God?
Nov 2, 2011
The Race for Grace - part twenty-one in a study of the book of Galatians
By Mike Gaudet
Does obedience matter to God?
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21
The “acts of the sinful nature” (literally, “flesh”) listed here are “obvious.” We don’t have to look far to see them in our world. They are apparent, “out in the open.”
We naturally seek solace in being able to say that we have not committed the more egregious sins in this passage. It’s important to note that they are all lumped together . . . “sexual immorality” listed alongside “jealousy,” “witchcraft” alongside “envy.” It seems strange to see “sacred felonies” listed alongside “spiritual misdemeanors.”
What links all of these “acts” together?
They are the inevitable by-products of living to gratify our fleshly desires. While some of these sins are certainly more damaging and dangerous than others, they all emerge from the same soil . . . the desire to possess what we see and parade what we possess.
It’s not surprising to find behavioral boundaries in the Bible. At some level we understand that we can’t live any way we want to live. “I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Fortunately, God doesn’t merely tell us “what” to do. He also tells us “how” to do it. “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Galatians 5:16
The one and only way to live the kind of life God wants us to live is to “live by the Spirit.” To rely on self-discipline and self-control to eliminate “sexual immorality,” “selfish ambition,” “fits of rage,” and “jealousy” is a huge mistake.
Our “self-help” solutions don’t work . . . God’s “Spirit-help” solution does.
“For if you live according to the sinful nature (flesh), you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” he Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:12-16
The Spirit of God must “put to death the misdeeds of the body.” When God’s Spirit lives in us, He will actively suppress actions that serve the interests of our “flesh” at the expense of our “spirit.”
How does the Spirit put the misdeeds of the body to death?
God uses “the Spirit of sonship” to motivate us to live godly lives. The Spirit encourages us to relate to God as “Abba,” or “Daddy.” God’s Spirit tells us that God is our Father and we are His sons and daughters.
This gets to the heart of the matter. When we feel abandoned and alone, we act in self-centered, self-serving ways. The Holy Spirit encourages us to trust in God’s care in order to promote loving actions and attitudes. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
The Spirit does not “frighten to death” the misdeeds of the body . . . “you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear.” When the Bible talks about the “fear of the Lord” it is encouraging us to revere and respect God, not be afraid of Him.
When we are driven by fear, we attempt to change our behavior in order to escape God’s punishment. This isn’t biblical. Children of God do not need to fear God’s condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
Obedience matters . . .
. . . that’s why God’s Spirit “testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”