Live by the Spirit (Wednesday, Week 28, Year 2)

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In the preceding sections of the letter to Galatians, a lot of theological thinking has gone on: theological clarifications about the law, about faith, and so on. As St Paul rounded off his discourse, it was now time for practical application. In practical terms, how can the Galatians benefit from all that he had said? What should they do and not do? I think that is what today’s portion (cf. Gal. 5:18-25) of that letter is all about.

For St Paul, all the vices that he mentioned found their way into the Galatian community because people lived according to the promptings of the flesh. When St Paul talks about “the flesh”, he is making reference to concupiscence and unruly desires. The flesh is unruly; the flesh is wild; the flesh is dictatorial; the flesh is rebellious. Sometimes, what we do not want to do, we see ourselves doing it. Why? Because human beings are burdened by the demands of the flesh. And the works of the flesh are evident: envy, strife, dissension, immorality, selfishness, jealousy, disunity, and so on. St Paul seemed to have indirectly communicated to the Galatians that “if they continue to live according to the promptings of the flesh, then they will still be under the bondage of the law”. And the vices will continue to be there. In the gospel (cf. Luke 11:42-46), Christ reprimanded the Pharisees and lawyers for having neglected justice and love of God and for loading people with burdens very hard to bear. Why? Because they were under the bondage of the law! 

St Paul suggested a way-out to the Galatians and to us: Live according to the Spirit; choose to be led by the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, kindness, goodness, fidelity, and so on. All those who have chosen to be in the camp of Christ have received His Spirit and have crucified the flesh and its passions. Such persons will live in love, harmony and peace with one another. In Romans 5:5, St Paul himself clearly stated that the love of God has been poured into the hearts of such people on account of the Spirit which they have received. If we live by the Spirit, let us walk by the Spirit.

  


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