The Book of Galatians

This is an epistle on freedom - not a freedom to do anything we like but a freedom given to us through faith in Jesus Christ. The key verse is found in Gal 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Apparently, some Judaizers who professed to be Christians were demanding the people to obey the Jewish law for full salvation and spirituality. Paul had to correct the Galatians for their erroneous thinking by telling them that Christ has indeed set them free from observing the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament (Gal 5:2-3). What's important for believers is that they walk by faith and be led by the Holy Spirit (5:16-18).

We are free in Christ but that freedom does not mean we can indulge in the deeds of the flesh (5:19). Paul listed specifically what these acts of carnality are:
1) Desires: immorality, impurity, sensuality (sexual sins & perversion)
2) Divination: idolatry, sorcery (witchcraft/deception/bondage)
3) Disharmony: enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger
4) Disunity: disputes, dissensions, factions, envying
5) Destruction: drunkenness, carousing
The ultimate goal of Satan is the destruction of our soul/body.

The antidote against licentious living is to live by the Spirit, allowing Him to reproduce His fruit in our lives (5:22-26). Notice the singular fruit consists of 9 aspects: love, joy, peace (Godward attributes), patience, kindness, goodness (outward attributes), gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (inward attributes). When we exercise the fruit of self-control, we prevent disharmony, disunity and destruction from rearing their ugly heads.

How do we cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives?
1) Spend time communing with God.
2) Respond to the Holy Spirit's conviction.
3) Pray and ask God for His fruit to be reproduced in us.
When you act on #3, be prepared that God will bring about situations in which you would be put to the test. It does not matter how many times we may have failed God, the important thing is to rise up again and walk with God, repenting of our wicked ways and seeking His ways once again.

Gal 2:20 is a verse which I memorised when I was in Sunday School, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." This verse talks about our identification with Christ in His death; our carnal flesh should be crucified with Him. When we are in the body, that is still on earth, we need to exercise faith in the Son of God. And this we will continue to do until we see Him face to face in heaven, by then there would be no need for faith. The verse ends with the fact that God loves us dearly. Let us reciprocate that love by living for Him.