Why Believers Still Struggle — Galatians Chapter 5 Explained

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick, an Oklahoma rancher and farmer. Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for over 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. OK, it's good to have everybody back with us again. And this is our second half hour for this afternoon. And that reminds me, for those of you watching us on television, especially where you're picking it up daily, always remember we only produce four programs a month. And if you're watching daily, those are simply programs from the past out of inventory. And the day will come when they catch up to us where we're presently taping, and then either we have to stop going daily or go back to Genesis. So just bear with us. And if some of you watch a weekend program, and it's up close to where we're taping now in Corinthians or Galatians, and then your weekday programs are back in Genesis or whatever, it's just because we're using our inventory in order for you to get the program daily. OK, I guess you'll show the books on the screen. All the past programs are available in print or by video or the audio tapes. And if you're interested in any of that, you give us a call or drop us a note. Again, we always like to remind people we're just an informal Bible study, and we just like to open up the Scriptures and help people to study and read the Word on their own. OK, we're in Galatians chapter 5, and we're still going to be in verse 17 where we ended in our last half hour, where I like to depict the two natures of the believer. Now I know a lot of folks have no concept of the two natures, but when we become a believer, the old sin nature, the old Adam that we're born with had to be crucified. He had to be literally put to death in the realm of the Spirit, and that is done when we believe the Gospel and Christ reckons it as crucified, and we'll see that in Romans again in just a moment. And so then as we put it on the board in our last half hour, that old sin nature, as soon as Adam sinned, became the only nature, and it's the one we're born with. And then in order to come back into a right relationship with God, that old Adam has to die. He has to be put to death by crucifixion, which of course is accomplished in the realm of the Spirit by God when we believe the Gospel. And then immediately God places opposite that old Adamic nature a new nature, a new divine nature, and I maintain that new nature cannot sin because it's divine. So when we as believers sin, it's just a simple matter that old Adam has taken control for a moment or so, and it's through the old nature then that we continue to sin. Now I emphasize that in our closing moments, always realize that in God's eyes, so far as God is concerned, old Adam is dead. That's why He can declare us justified. We are just as if we had never sinned because old Adam is dead and gone, so far as God is concerned. But experientially, in our everyday life, old Adam is still there, but we try to keep him suppressed, and the new nature now, as we saw then in our last program, the new nature is imparted by a divine act of God. And so in this area between the old sin nature and the old Adam and the new nature, which now is receiving its prompting and its power, if I may use that word, from the Holy Spirit, who also at the very same time that the new nature becomes a reality, the Holy Spirit, according to the teachings of Paul in 1 Corinthians 3 and again in 6, the Holy Spirit comes in and indwells and takes up residence as well as regenerates our spirit, which of course in Adam's case died the moment he sinned. And so with the Holy Spirit now in consort or in complete agreement with our spirit, now we once again have that means of fellowship with God through the Spirit, and then here is the crucial part. The Holy Spirit working on our spirit is going to influence the new nature, and the new nature in turn is going to control the acts of the physical body. And so as long as we�re led by the Spirit, as we�re going to see now in Romans again in just a moment, when we�re led by the Spirit the body is going to find itself in complete agreement with the laws of God that are good for society, they�re good for family, they�re good for marital relationships, all of these things prompted by this God given part of us make the difference. Now like I just said, we as humans are still going to sin. We all fail, we all fall, and it�s when this part of us suddenly withdraws and comes away from the battle line, and old Adam immediately jumps at the opportunity, and then old Adam comes in and begins to control the acts of the body. And then of course we find ourselves as believers naturally sinning. I mean believers sin. We can�t get away from that. But the whole idea is that we keep that spirit part of us literally exercised by the Word, by prayer, by Christian fellowship, and then we can pretty much control the activity of the body. Now then, let�s move into verse 18, and then we can go back and compare some other Scriptures. So that even though these two natures are contrary one to the other, we cannot do the things that we would, but if we�re led of the Spirit, then here comes what I�m always teaching. You�re not under the Law. All right, now let�s show this from Scripture. First and foremost, we cannot do the things we would. Let�s not find ourselves beating our breasts and say, �Oh, we�re without hope. I can�t seem to win.� Because the Apostle Paul went through that same thing, and let�s look at his dilemma in chapter 7 of Romans 1. Let�s go back to Romans a minute first and look at Paul�s dilemma in Romans 7. And maybe that�ll give us some comfort that we�re not alone when we know we should do something, and we just don�t do it. We know we shouldn�t do certain things, but the first thing we know, we�ve done it. All right? In Romans chapter 7, we aren�t going to look at the whole chapter, we haven�t got time for that. But let�s just drop down to verse 15. I mean, this just says it all. Romans 7, verse 17, �For that which I do, I allow not.� Well, what does he mean? Well, that what he is doing in the body and in the flesh, this new nature prompted to the Holy Spirit, tells him it�s wrong. And so the things he says that I do, I know better. I don�t want to do them. All right? Move on. �For that which I would, I do not, and that which I hate, I do.� Well what�s he saying? The things that now the Spirit and His new nature hate, old Adam is still slipping in and getting the job done, whatever it is. But in order to control the failures of the body, this part of us has to be strengthened and become uppermost in all of our thoughts, in our acts and deeds, and we have to constantly keep that old Adamic nature in suppression. Now, I think you�ve all heard the expression, �Well, the devil made me do it.� Well, that�s not very often the case. It�s old Adam who makes us do it. But let�s not leave Satan out of the picture entirely. Where does Satan work? Well through that old nature. That�s his playground. That�s where he loves to fulfill his desire, is to get our old Adamic nature to control and to exercise the desires of the old nature. But, we have Him that is in us, but He that is within you is greater than the powers of Satan. So we have that comfort. All right, now since you�re near Romans chapter 7, let�s also come across the page to chapter 8, because I like to show that Paul doesn�t write these things in just one place and then leave it. But it�s a constant repetition of these things. All right, let�s start with verse 1. It�s been a long time since we taught Romans 8, and when the time came to teach it, I think I made the world know that I love Romans 8, and especially verse 1. There is therefore, in spite of our dilemma, now remember this is following chapter 7, in spite of our dilemma, that the things we know we shouldn�t do, we find ourselves doing them betimes, but in spite of that, there is therefore now no condemnation. How can anybody twist that? That�s what it says, that in spite of our dilemma, in spite of our failures, God has promised that there is no condemnation. But what�s the criteria, what�s the requirement? That we are in Christ Jesus. Now remember, no unbeliever is in Christ. Oh, he may try to walk like a Christian, he may try to behave like one, but unless he�s in Christ, he�s not one. But for those of us who are in Christ, and remember we get to that position by faith and faith alone in the Gospel, and that�s an act of God. So now there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. And then I�m going to leave the last part of that verse, because I�d rather pick it up in verse 4. But now verse 2, for the law. And remember I explained in Romans that the word �law� doesn�t always mean the Ten Commandments, but in this case it means a fact of life. That�s what �law� means here in this second verse. For the law, or the fact of life, of the Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus hath made me free from another fact of life, and that is what? The law of sin and death. Alright, verse 3. For what the law, now we�re coming back to the Mosaic Law, the Ten. For what the law, or the Ten Commandments, could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, gone. See now He takes preeminence. See we can�t do it, but God can. And so now God, by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, in other words, to take care of that old problem of old Adam, He condemned that old Adam in the flesh. Now here�s the verse. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled. Now we�ve got to stop here a minute, because see when we start talking about law and grace, we can�t be confused. The law from God�s viewpoint was what? Perfect, that�s right, I�m glad you see. The law was perfect from God�s viewpoint. It was the very mind of God expressed, so far as being the best for mankind�s benefit and his own good. But from the human standpoint, the law was what? Weak, and baggardly. It was a yoke. Now why? Why those two seemingly contradicting statements of the same Ten Commandments? Well you see, God revealed His righteousness and His holiness when He gave the Ten Commandments. But man over here, without the power of the Holy Spirit, and in his own flesh, couldn�t begin to keep that perfect law, and so it became what? Weak, beggarly, a yoke that poor old Israel just chafed under constantly. And so here�s the whole concept. Yes, the law is perfect, but we cannot keep it in the flesh, because it had no power to impart to man to keep it. Now I hope I�ve made that plain. The law had no power to help mortal man keep it. That was its weakness. Oh, it was holy, it was perfect, but it had no power within it to help the law keeper keep the law. And consequently, they couldn�t. They couldn�t even come close. But all right, now that�s why under our economy, under grace, we�ve got something far better. Now we�ve been studying the Book of Hebrews in our Muskogee class, and I�ve been trying to get people to understand that all through that letter to the Hebrews, Paul lays out that which was good under the law, but under grace it�s far what, Joe? Better! See, oh now we�ve got something far better. Now then, look what he says here in Romans. Verse 4, that the righteousness of the law, which is perfect from God�s point of view, but now we have the possibility of it being fulfilled in us as Grace Age believers. Why? Because of the power of the Holy Spirit. All right, reading on to the end of the verse, that it might be fulfilled in us who, not that we�re better at law keeping than Israel was, but because of our position, because of the power of the Holy Spirit, we no longer walk after the flesh, or after old Adam, but after what? The Spirit. All right, now here it is. Just as soon as old Adam is crucified, and in God�s eyes he�s completely dead, he�s out of the picture, but in our experience he�s still here, but he�s defeated. He doesn�t have to remain uppermost. If he remains uppermost, it�s because we�re not fighting the battle. But at the same time, remember, the Holy Spirit came in and empowered our spirit that was in creation, body, soul, and spirit, remember? And so the Holy Spirit working in consort with our spirit, now we can live victoriously. But old Adam is powerful, and he will come to the fore at times, but here is where the warfare exists. And there would be no warfare were it not for the indwelling Holy Spirit. Otherwise there wouldn�t even be a battle line. We wouldn�t stand a chance against the forces of old Adam, and the forces of Satan, if we didn�t have the Holy Spirit. That�s the secret. In fact, I was reading here a year or two ago, and it just made such an impression, in fact I think I put it on the program a long time ago. And in the Greek it is the Pneuma Hagion, the Pneuma Hagion. And you know what that really means? In the English it is that power from where? On high. Some of you remember it, sure you do. That power from on high, that�s what this is. The Holy Spirit is the person, but when He gives us that which we need to confront the old nature and His desires, and to live victoriously in the flesh, we cannot do it without the Pneuma Hagion, which is the power from on high that is exercised through the person of the Holy Spirit. And that�s what we have to come to understand by faith. By faith we take this, but Lord I have the Holy Spirit. I can draw on Him, and I don�t have to force myself to be a law keeper. It just simply now comes naturally to let the Spirit run the race for us. Alright, while you�re in Romans chapter 8, this is all fitting with Galatians so perfectly, now come down to verse 5. Galatians 5, verse 5, �For they who are after the flesh,� they�re still living in the realm of old Adam, and they know nothing of God�s saving grace, �for they who are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.� Now you want to remember that�s the grand majority of the world�s population. All they�re out there for today is to gratify the flesh. They have no concept of eternity. They have no concept of spiritual things, and all they�re concerned about is to gratify the flesh. Oh, they may do it with pomp and circumstance. They may do it in high echelons of society, but it�s still nothing but the gratification of the flesh. Galatians 5, verse 5, �For they who are after the Spirit,� in other words under the control of the Holy Spirit, that person is going to be more concerned with the things of the Spirit. And Iris and I can tell no matter where we go in our travels. I don�t care whether they�re in the upper areas of economics or at the lower. We don�t care. We enjoy the whole spectrum. But we�ve noticed now over the last several years that every place we go, when we�re invited to come in and spend the night or have dinner, they don�t talk about the weather. They don�t talk about sports. They don�t talk about politics. The minute we sit down, it�s in the book. Well, that�s as it should be. And granted I know people have questions and maybe think I�ve got the answers, but nevertheless we always come away from those places just thrilled. Now these people have only one thing on their mind, and that�s the things of the Spirit. Now you see that�s not the natural person. He�ll talk about anything but the things of the Spirit. Now then let�s go back to Galatians. We�re going to make a little headway. So if you�re led of the Spirit, verse 18, then you�re not under the law. Now that�s what the book says. They don�t have to write and tell me, �Malice, you can�t say things like that.� But I�m not saying it. The Bible says it. God�s Word says it. That when we are under grace and under the working and the power and this pneumahagion, that power from on high, then we�re not under the law. In other words, I don�t have to check the Ten Commandments. Now let�s see, have I broken that one today? Can I break that one tomorrow? No, that�s not the way we look at it. It doesn�t even enter our mind that I have to keep the law, because the Holy Spirit is the place, the law. Again, I can�t help this, honey. Let�s go back to Romans. Back to Romans chapter 7, verse 6, and this says it better than I can. Romans 7, verse 6, and we�re going to keep repeating it, and repeating it, and repeating it until people know it forwards and backwards. But now, we as believers, now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. What are the two concepts there? Are we going to work and live under the idea of the new nature who is being prompted and encouraged by the person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, or are we going to still try to satisfy old Adam, and see old Adam knows enough that maybe he should try to keep the law. A lot of people realize it�s wrong to steal, it�s wrong to do these things, and so old Adam can recognize that. But you see on the other hand, he knows he can�t keep it anyway, so pretty soon he gives up. But see, the new nature doesn�t have that problem. Our new nature under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we realize we can�t keep the law by the energy of the flesh, it�s impossible. But when we let the Holy Spirit lead us, and guide us, and direct us, then the law takes care of itself. All right, so read it again. Now verse 6, we are delivered from the law, and that means exactly what it says, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of Spirit. Now that word newness means exactly what it says, a whole new ball game. When we become a believer, and we receive this new nature, it�s a whole new ball game. I don�t care what prime time of life you�re in, whether you�re a teenager, or whether you�re in middle age, or whether you�re in the advanced years, and like our pastor put it last Sunday, I hope I can remember it, he said, �Some of you are in the spring time of life. Some of you are in the summer time of life. Some of you are in the fall of life. Some of you are in the winter of life. Some of you are on the fifth season.� Well, that says it, see? And it�s the whole idea that regardless of where we are in our life, once we enter into this Spirit led life, we�re not under the Law, we�re under Grace. Now come back to Galatians, and we get into the part that really gets explicit. No punches pulled here, there�s no ifs, ands, buts, there�s no questions. Galatians 2, verse 19, �Now the works of the flesh of old Adam, the works of the flesh are manifest.� In other words, there�s no hiding it, there�s no doubting it, it�s just like looking in a microscope again and seeing everything exposed by that bright light from below. All the works of the flesh are manifest, and here they come. And what does it start with? Sexual sins, adultery. And you know, as you look at the world all the way back through history, what has always been the most hideous of mankind�s sins? Sexual immorality. The pagans were rampant, and we expressed that in Corinthians, and we saw it when we were in the Mediterranean and visited some of the places that Paul was confronted with, and the gross sexual wickedness that was evident all the way back. And so it�s always been that way, and I think even going as far back as Ishmael and Esau, in fact Esau, that�s a good one, so that you know what I�m talking about. Turn to the right a little bit. I didn�t intend to do this, you know that�s the way I teach, I can�t help that. But come on over to Hebrews chapter 12, even all the way back to Esau, one of the twins, you remember, of Isaac and Rebekah. Hebrews 12, verse 16, I want you to see this, because this has always been, I think, the most crucial shortcoming of the human race, and we�re seeing it explode all around us in the 90�s. Alright, verse 16 of Hebrews 12, "...lest there be any fornicator, or profane person..." Now the two go hand-in-hand. When you have someone who is immoral, he�s profane for all practical purposes. Alright, this is Esau now. "...lest there be a fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, the twin brother of Jacob, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright." Well now do you get the makeup of the man�s personality? Number one, he was destitute of faith. Those of you who were with me when we taught Genesis, we pointed out when he came in hungry as a bear, as I put it, and he smelled that bean soup cooking, what did he tell old Jacob? He said, �Give me a bowl of your bean soup.� Well Jacob wasn�t about to give it free for nothing, so he says, �Give me your birthright. Sell it to me.� Well, you see, Esau saw absolutely nothing of any kind of worth of the birthright. He�d rather have that bowl of soup. Why did he not see any value in the birthright? It was something to be appropriated by faith. And how much faith did Esau have? None. Esau was destitute of faith. Consequently, what kind of a man was he sexually? Immoral. And it all goes hand in hand. You just cannot separate the two. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick. If you would like more information about the Les Feldick Ministries or about this program, write to Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kenta, OK 74552. That�s Route 1, Box 760, Kenta, OK 74552. 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