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be ahead of them. We see this among the disciples of Jesus while they traveled around with him, despite the fact that he was constantly emphasizing selflessness and humility. On one occasion Jesus had to teach the disciples a lesson when he found them arguing over which one of them was the greatest. (See Mark 9:33-37) In another case, James and John’s mother pulled Jesus aside to ask him whether he might let her sons sit in places of honor when he set up his Kingdom. (See Matthew 20:20-28) These examples of selfish ambition led to dissensions among the disciples.
G RO UP N OT E Question: Do some of the works of the flesh seem worse than others to you? In what ways do we sometimes justify our own sins by comparing them to other sins, rather than comparing them to the fruit of the spirit?
Dissension arises through selfish ambition and spreads through complaints, gossip and secret slander leaked out about others. Those who create dissension often do so as a byproduct of their attempts to be wanted, needed, and accepted by others. Sharing gossip together creates a false sense of unity with those who share our secrets, but it comes at the cost of factions and divisions within the larger body. It hurts the individual who is being slandered, and it hurts the whole group by creating separations. We only need to turn to the first letter to the Corinthians to see the damage done by factions. Here Paul has to rebuke the congregation because they have divided up over which Christian leader they are following: Some say that they are followers of Paul and his teaching; some say that they are most like their mentor Peter; and others think that they are linked to Apollos, the great evangelist of the Early Church. (See 1 Corinthians 1:10-31) The only thing that these well-meaning Christians have done is to divide their congregation according to which group seems to have the most prestige. Envy naturally follows from this division. People feel left out because they don’t belong to Peter’s group, or feel demeaned by those who claim that they are liked by Paul.
4. Drunkenness and Orgies The final grouping shows the effects of the Acts of the Flesh on people’s ability to control their own bodies. A person who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs often has their inhibitions and modesty dulled, so that they become willing to participate in things that they would never do in a sober state. Sexual acts, and even sexual crimes, have been perpetrated many times when people were out of control due to the addition of foreign substances into their bodies that affected their mental state. In television and films, people are sometimes portrayed as “lovable drunks,” and being under the influence of substances is depicted as humorous. However, this glosses over the tremendous harm done to both the addict and those who are hurt by them due to their lack of self-control. To those under the influence of the Flesh, indulging in sexual perversion with the “help” of drunkenness is viewed as the height of “partying,” but those under the leadership of the Spirit see nothing but tragedy in corrupting God’s good gifts of the body and sexuality.
Summary The sum total of all these “acts of the flesh” is that the person is living the life of an “anti-Christian.” These are thoughts and behaviors that operate in direct opposition to the characteristics and actions of followers of a Holy and Righteous God. So, as Paul moves into a description of the fruit the Spirit-filled life generates, we get a sense of how they will counter the effects of a flesh-controlled life. In the Spirit-filled life, God will be highest in priority; hatred and division will be removed from relationships; mutual servanthood will be the mark of life in community; and self-control and power over sin will govern the actions of the lives of individual believers. Next week we begin with the first of the fruit – LOVE!
Application Idea: Take time to do a self-analysis to see if there are any areas in your life that put you in direct opposition to the teachings of Christ and the lifestyle of a Christ-follower. Do you see any hint of these Acts of the Flesh operating in you? If you do, make a conscious decision this week to give that area over to Christ, and to begin walking in another direction by His grace.
