Walk in the Spirit, not in the Lust of the Flesh

I was reading Galatians today for our Sunday School lesson. I was struck by the additional insight provided by this letter from Paul. This thought picks up from an earlier post called What Motivates Our Works?

Paul has a very simple statement of what is expected of us once we have learned of Jesus Christ and begun to exercise faith in Him. In Galatians 5, he says:

  13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. ...
  16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

He does not let us believe that anything goes once we feel of Jesus grace. Rather, he suggests that the liberty gained through Jesus' atonement should build within us a desire to love and serve each other. Knowing that our sins are forgiven is not an invitation to the lusts of the flesh. He goes on to compare these two paths. Continuing in Galatians 5:

  19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
  20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
  21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul is very clear that those who engage in the works of the flesh, as described in these verses, will not inherit the kingdom of God. God's willingness to forgive sin does not allow us to continue in the works of the flesh. The true impact of God's love and forgiveness is seen in a person who is transformed by the love of God through the workings of the Spirit. Paul describes the traits of such a person in the latter verses of Galatians 5:

  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
  23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
  24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
  25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The punch line is delivered in Galatians 6:

  7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
  8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

We are saved by Grace. Our works are evidence of how we have been transformed by Jesus' love for us. If our works are after the lusts of the flesh then our works will condemn us.