2 Corinthians 5
Galatians 5 is divided into two main parts. First, from verses 1 to 12, a discussion of freedom and the law emphasizes that Christians should live not by works of the law, but in the freedom of the gospel. Next, from verses 13 to 26, a life lived according to the Holy Spirit is addressed. In this section, by contrasting the desires of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, it makes clear that true freedom is not a license for indulgence, but a life of serving one another in love.
1verseFor we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
2verseFor most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,
3verseif indeed being clothed, we will not be found naked.
4verseFor indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
5verseNow he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit.
6verseTherefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;
7versefor we walk by faith, not by sight.
8verseWe are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
9verseTherefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him.
10verseFor we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
11verseKnowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God, and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences.
12verseFor we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance and not in heart.
13verseFor if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you.
14verseFor the love of Christ compels us; because we judge thus: that one died for all, therefore all died.
15verseHe died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.
16verseTherefore we know no one according to the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.
17verseTherefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
18verseBut all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19versenamely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20verseWe are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21verseFor him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The Key Message of This Chapter
In Galatians 5, the author tells us that although Christians have been freed from the yoke of the law and have found freedom, we should not use that freedom to fulfill our own desires; instead, serve one another through love. In addition, it clearly contrasts human weakness (works of the flesh) with the Spirit’s guidance (the fruit of the Spirit), and introduces a changed life that appears when we live by faith and follow the Spirit’s leading.
The Fruit of the Spirit and the Works of the Flesh
| Works of the flesh | The fruit of the Spirit |
|---|---|
| sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, envy, drunkenness, and so on | love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control |
Paul examines two specific directions in life. By contrasting the self-centered life shaped by one’s nature (works of the flesh) with the life that appears when one is led by the Spirit (the fruit of the Spirit), it helps believers check their identity and direction in life.
Points to Ponder
- What freedom and joy am I enjoying within the gospel?
- In my life, can I look back and see whether the fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the flesh, is bearing fruit?
- Are there specific practices through which I serve the community and my neighbors “in love”?
Try Applying It to Yourself
Today, I should examine what fruit is being produced in my life, and I need to bring it about through concrete acts of love that care for others without using freedom in a self-centered way. Each day, I will ask for the Spirit’s help and dream of a life where the fruit of the Spirit is abundantly produced.
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