Galatians 5:16-25

Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

Question:

QUESTION: My pastor asked that anyone who was actively committing the sin of unrepented fornication not take Holy Communion. He later responded to my concern by quoting “the sexually immoral shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” When I told him the Bible also says that about gluttoners, he said only fornication is committed inside the body. I believe overeating is also inside the body, but I don’t want to contradict what the Bible says Jesus said.

COMMENT: It is difficult to know just what your pastor is referring to in the Bible. It is not the teachings of Jesus, since he was never so judgmental. It is clearly Paul; this passage from Galatians 5:16-25 may be the reference:

Comment:

Paul has been addressing in this letter the first major controversy of the followers of Jesus Christ: The question of whether it was necessary to become Jewish before becoming Christian. The church based in Jerusalem believed it was; Paul, whose ministry was to Gentiles, was convinced it was not. Jesus had fulfilled the law, Paul insists, and what is now required is not obedience to the law but faith in the Christ—faith in our innate Oneness with the divine that will allow us to live our lives for spiritual good as Jesus lived his. In this particular passage, he is cautioning that this freedom from the law is not to be interpreted as licentiousness. When we “walk by the Spirit,” trusting the Christ to guide our choices, we will intuitively live lives of moderation and loving kindness. The “desires of the flesh” Paul describes are not so much issues of behavior as of excess. They are based in a focus on our perceived human needs and desires, rather than our true Christ nature. When we center ourselves in the Christ, our choices will be based in unconditional love, and the result will be a life filled with the ‘fruits of the Spirit.’

Blessings!

Rev. Ed