Corona Devo 1365
Sometimes the things/ideas/principles that God tells us in the Bible seem ambiguous and general...hard to pin down and to actually know exactly what He means, and exactly what we are supposed to (or not supposed to) be doing to experience God's ways and desires for us as His children.
But sometimes God gets specific about His desires for us, and He spells them out very clearly.
Galatians Chapter 5, verses 19-25 do just that for us and give us a list of "Do's" (fruit of the Spirit) and "Don't's" (acts of the flesh) that exemplify how we can best live lives that mirror God's heart and ways, instead of man's (sinful) heart and ways.
God spells out "What Not To Do" if we are living for Him...and then God gives us the tell-tale signs/outcomes/outpourings (fruit of the Spirit) that we will experience when we are living in God's ways.
Interested?
Me too.
God is clear about all of it...and thus, we can be clear too--even if it hurts or convicts us. This is the purpose of our loving Heavenly Father and His Word (the Bible): to draw us nearer to the heart of God and to make us more like Him.
Ready?
Me too.
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The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality...
"In the New Testament, the word most often translated “sexual immorality” is porneia. This word is also translated as “whoredom,” “fornication,” and “idolatry.” It means “a surrendering of sexual purity” ... From this Greek word we get the English word pornography, stemming from the concept of “selling off.”
Sexual immorality is the “selling off” of sexual purity and involves any type of sexual expression outside the boundaries of a biblically defined marriage relationship"... (https://www.gotquestions.org).
The acts of the flesh are obvious... impurity...
"When we think of impurity, we often think of sexual sin... but there is more to it than that. Impurity really includes all kinds of sin and encompasses any activity, thought, word, or action that does not conform to God’s will for our lives"... (https://www.gotquestions.org).
The acts of the flesh are obvious... debauchery...
"Debauchery is the habitual and unrestrained indulgence of lust and sensuality"... (https://www.gotquestions.org).
The acts of the flesh are obvious... (20) idolatry...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... witchcraft...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... hatred...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... discord...
"Today’s social media and internet chat platforms have become tantalizing playgrounds for those who enjoy stirring up arguments. But the Bible has nothing good to say about a person who sows discord... (Proverbs 6:12-15)
In Proverbs 6:14, “discord” is translated from the Hebrew (madan), meaning “strife, bitter conflict, heated and often violent dissension.” “Sowing” discord implies spreading conflict or scattering it widely (https://www.gotquestions.org).
The acts of the flesh are obvious... jealousy...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... fits of rage...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... selfish ambition...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... dissensions...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... factions...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... envy...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... drunkenness...
The acts of the flesh are obvious... orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law. (24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (25) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ~Galatians 5:19-25 (New International Version-NIV)
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When I studied material in high school and college, I used multiple resources, often reading different versions of the same book/essay/work--just to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning through the different nuances in versions. It helped me to learn more and to learn more deeply.
The varying translations of the Bible can add a similar layer of study and understanding to our Bible knowledge and growth.
While "The Message" translation produces a more general version of original Bible translations, I cannot deny the way God speaks through this contemporary-vernacular version also.
See if God's list of "Do's" and "Don't's" sinks in a little deeper when utilizing a contemporary Bible translation:
(19-21) It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.
This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.
(22-23) But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity.
We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
(23-24) Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.
(25-26) Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. ~Galatians 5:19-25 (The Message)
~~~
Interested?
Me too.
God has spelled out "What Not To Do" if we are living for Him...and then God gives us the tell-tale signs/outcomes/outpourings (fruit of the Spirit) that we will experience if we choose to live His way.
Ready?
Me too.
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