The different vices: (5:19-21,24):
Paul sums up all the sins in 4-categories:
- Sensual sins: (5:19):
Adultery is illicit sex between married people, while fornication refers to the same sin among unmarried people.
Impurity is the filthiness of heart and mind that makes the person defiled. The unclean person sees dirt in everything (Tit.1:15). Debauchery or Lasciviousness speaks of a wanton appetite that knows no shame. It goes without saying that all of these sins were rampant in the Roman Empire.
- Religious sins: (5:20):
Idolatry is like the sins named above, is with us today. Idolatry is simply putting things ahead of God and people. We are to worship God, love people, and use things, but too often we use people, love self, and worship things, leaving God out of the picture completely. Jesus tells us that whatever we worship, we serve (Matt.4:10). The Christian who devotes more of himself to his car, house, or boat than he does to serving Christ may be in danger of idolatry (Col.3:5).
Witchcraft is a Greek word equivalent to the word Pharmacy. The abuse of drugs which bring evil effects and sorcery is forbidden.
- Temperamental sins: (5:20b):
Hatred means enmity.
Discord is causing divisions, jealousy is the greediness again making divisions, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions etc are all causing divisions and causing stumbling block to others. These cause the Christians to compete with one another and try to make one another look bad in the eyes of others.
Wrath means outbursts of anger, and strife carries with it the idea of “self-seeking, selfish ambition,” that creates divisions in the church.
- The lust of flesh: (5:21a): Drunkenness and revellings (orgies) need no explanation. When a person is drunk, he loses complete control on himself and behaves indifferently causing all sorts of sins. He loses his consciousness.
All those believers or Christians who ignore the above 4-categories of sins and refuse to deal with them cannot inherit the kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit is not with them. In order to accept Christ as Saviour, we need to turn from our sins and willingly nail our sinful nature to the cross. This does not mean that all believers are pure and holy. We have the traces of its evil desires. A believer has the capacity to sin, but we have been set free from sin’s power over us and no longer have to give into it. We must daily commit our sinful tendencies to God’s control, daily crucify them and moment by moment draw on the Spirit’s power to over them.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit: (5:22-23, 25-26):
The contrast between works and fruit is important. A machine in a factory works, and turns out a product, but it could never manufacture fruit. Fruit must grow out of life. In the case of the believer, it is the life of the Spirit (Gal 5:25). When we think of works we think of effort, labour, strain, and toil but when we think of fruit we see the beauty, quietness, the unfolding of life. It is important to observe that the fruit here described is not produced by a believer, but by the Holy Spirit working through a Christian who is in vital union with Christ. The word “fruit” is singular, indicating that these qualities constitute a unity, all of which should be found in every believer who lives under the control of the Spirit. In an absolute sense this “fruit” is simply the life of Christ lived out in a Christian. It also points to the method whereby Christ is formed in a believer (Phil 1:21). All the 9-fruits can be put into 3-categories, each category consisting of 3 virtues: viz,
- The inward habits: The first three virtues of mind and heart are: Love, Joy and Peace:
- Love (agape): It is listed first because it is the foundation of the other graces. God is love and loves the world (1 Jn. 4:8; 3:16). Such self-sacrificing love that sent Christ to die for sinners is the kind of love that believers who are Spirit-controlled should manifest.
- Joy: It is a deep and abiding inner rejoicing which is promised to those who abide in Christ (Jn. 15:11). It does not depend on circumstances because it rests in God’s sovereign control of all things.
- Peace: It is again a gift of Christ (Jn. 14:27). It is an inner repose and quietness, even in the face of adverse circumstances; it defies human understanding (Phil 4:7).