1096. The Works of the Flesh pt. 1

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. His intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything so he established daily chapel services. Today, that tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University Chapel platform. Today on The Daily Platform, we're continuing a study series entitled Walking in the Spirit, which is a study of Galatians chapter 5. Let's listen to today's message where Steve will begin teaching about the works of the flesh from Galatians chapter 5. I'm gonna ask you to take your Bibles this morning and turn with me please to the book of Galatians, Galatians chapter 5, as we are continuing our study in the theme of walking in the Spirit. And we have already seen that Paul has emphatically declared that walking in the Spirit is the only way to live the Christian life and nothing else is going to work. And he's also told us that it's the only way to overcome our sin nature, overcome our flesh. And Paul is going to make beginning today the next couple of messages as we look at these points that he's going to make it very crystal clear because he describes the various ways that our sin nature, our flesh, is evident in how it comes out of us. And all of us have the flesh and it always has a tendency to come out. Now I want us to read beginning this morning in verse 19 where Paul says these words, he says, now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these and he gives here a list of 17 different manifestations. This morning because of our time we're only going to look at four of those and notice what he says. He says adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. Paul says the works of the flesh are manifest. What does that mean? It means that they are easily and plainly recognized. They're obvious.

You can't miss it. You say well if the works of the flesh are so obvious then why does Paul feel like he needs to put them in a list and name them all? I think as we begin this morning it's important to understand that all of us have a flesh sin nature and it does come out but we need to constantly be exposed to those sins.

Why? Because it is so easy for us as believers to be deceived. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 13 says exhort one another daily while it's called today list any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Paul writes in Galatians 6 7 be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever man soweth that shall he also reap. And as we've been studying the book of Galatians we've learned about the problem in the church where they had varying extremes with regards to salvation. One was a legalistic work centered works based approach to salvation and then the other one was swinging the pendulum and going into a what we call an antinomian or libertarian position. And what could have been happening to some of the believers in the churches of Galatia is that their view of Christian liberty had or it could have been leading them to believe that they were free to live a self-oriented lifestyle.

So what does Paul do? He clearly shows the difference between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. And what we see at the very top of the list as he exposes the works of the flesh he lays out four sins that are sexual sins in nature. You say why would he put these sins at the very top of the list and one writer said it this way because their prominence is due to their prevalence in society. That is sexual sins have always been a primary part of fallen sinful corrupt human society.

And sadly not only is it a part of fallen humanity but it is also evident in the lives of believers who are not walking in the Spirit. So this morning as we look at these manifestations of the flesh as it is comes out in sexuality I think it is important for us to remind ourselves especially in light of our wonderful message yesterday that the sexual relationship between a man and woman is something that is God designed it is God honored and it is God blessed in its rightful place. Mr. Dalton yesterday preached from Hebrews 13 for marriage is honorable and the bed is undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers shall be judged. And the writer of Hebrews and the Apostle Paul is letting us know that the divine way of sexual satisfaction is through the covenant of marriage between a man and between a woman. However our sin nature our flesh seeks sexual fulfillment without regards to the divine design. And so Paul describes the various ways in which the flesh can corrupt the blessing of the sexual relationship.

What are those manifestations? Notice what he says now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these and then the first word is the word adultery. What is adultery? Well it's various acts of marital infidelity or unfaithfulness.

This can this could include a voluntary intimate relationship with another married or single person. What's the most notorious notorious sin of adultery in the Bible? It's the sin of David the king of Israel with the wife of one of his loyal soldiers his name is Uriah his wife's name is Bathsheba David and Bathsheba. Adultery that also includes marrying a divorced person. We see this in the story of the woman who met Jesus at the well in Samaria. Do you remember the story when Jesus said go call your husband and she says well I don't have a husband and Jesus said well your answers correct.

You had five husbands and now you're living with a man who's not even your husband. And so either the first five men died or she divorced them and now she's living with another man she gave up on marriage she just didn't give up on men. She committed adultery. Jesus also identifies the act of adultery can be committed in our thought life. He said if a man looks at a woman and he lusts after her he's committed adultery already in his heart.

Now that's a statement that brings stinging conviction to all of us here because this is not a sin that anyone here is free of. The word for lust is the same word in Galatians 5 16 and 17 where it speaks as strong evil desires the lust of the flesh. So when does lust turn into a sin? The line between the desire and the sin is crossed when you begin to set your passions on another person.

I like what one old preacher said he said you can't keep the birds from flying over your head but you don't have to let them build a nest in your hair. When your unrestrained imagination begins to create sexual scenes and your passions are being inflamed through that then you're sinning against God. Jesus said for from within out of the heart of men proceed evil faults adulteries fornication. So what Paul does is he brings to the top of the list the works of the flesh and he exposes it in fallen corrupt human sexuality.

Then there's a second word and that's the word fornication. This was a word that was used to refer to prostitution the Greek word porneia. In ancient times immorality was a vital part of idolatrous worship.

Temple prostitutes both male and female would sell their bodies for sexual favors to support the worship of their idol. In time the word came to mean unlawful sexual relationships and included in this in the word fornication is the word adultery, incest, sexual relationship between those who are uncommitted to the covenant of marriage so that would be sex between singles and included in this was homosexuality. In 1st Corinthians 7 and verse 7 Paul warns the unmarried not to get involved sexually. They should do nothing that would cause them to heat up with passion or as Paul says to burn. It is extremely important that you recognize the absolute necessity to control your body to bring under the lust of your flesh and to walk in the spirit. This word porneia is also the word that is a part of the word pornography, porneography, the writing of immorality. This would include writing about or showing pictures of harlots.

Trafficking with them that is with these pictures makes you a whoremonger. That's what Hebrews 13 for condemns. Then there's the third word here that's uncleanness. This deals with that which is dirty or defiled like when somebody stains their clothes or religiously they may touch a dead person or a diseased person in the Old Testament they would be considered unclean. And here Paul is referring to the moral defilement that comes through sexual scenes. It's particularly seen in the influence of visual stimulation and of course today that's found in magazines, movies, DVDs, internet, television, on your cell phone. This includes also verbal conversation that's either joking or talking about sex. And it also is involved in just the sheer physical involvement where a man and a woman begin to romantically and physically get involved and they begin to stir up passions that cannot be righteously satisfied. For the only way that that can be satisfied is in the bonds of marriage, uncleanness.

And then the fourth word is the word lasciviousness. Paul here is warning against the disregard for standards of sexual purity in public. And this disregard includes both actions and appearances. It would be things that are immodest or things that are sensual or the idea we use in public language that's sexy. It is a lack of a sense of public shame towards evil. It's interesting Jeremiah writes in chapter 6 and verse 15 of his prophecy, were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush.

All of us should be ashamed when we see things that are improper. A number of years ago we had our team over to our fifth wheel trailer on a Sunday night after church we would always always pile in and and we would have food and fellowship and we had the television on. I think there was you know the NFL Sunday night football game on. And a commercial came on and typically we change the channel, mute it, do all of that. But somehow it came on we didn't get to the mute button in time and it was it was really an improper commercial.

But what was so wonderful was to watch the response of the team members. As guys turned their head and as our girls went ooh that's the right response. Because God has called us to moral cleanness and to holiness or sanctification. It is crucial that we address modesty issues in our sensual society.

And of all people on planet earth that should be modest, it is the people here at Bob Jones University where we are called believers and we are walking in humility before God. So these four kinds of sins Paul declares that they should never be mentioned even in situations taking place among the people of God. These things should not even be a part of who we are. When we are walking in the Spirit these things will not be happening among God's people. So in light of Paul's identification of these works of the flesh, I think they're two important questions we have to ask this morning. The first question is this, is there forgiveness for sexual sins of the past? And number two, is there victory over sexual sins in the present? And I want to assure you this morning that there is forgiveness. Some of you have come with a wicked past.

Things that come to your memory that are very shameful and you feel bad about. First John 1 9 is a great comfort. If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our righteousness. Believers are promised of the removal of guilt and the restoring of fellowship with God. We see this in a beautiful way in John chapter 8 where a woman is brought to Jesus and she's called in the act of adultery. They wanted to stone her. Jesus said, he that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at her. And the Bible says that they were all convicted in their conscience from the oldest to the youngest. And there was only one left whose conscience was not offended who was able to cast a stone and did not and that was Jesus the pure Son of God. And he looked at the woman he said I do not condemn you go and sin no more. In 1st Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 9 Paul speaks about the fact that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God and he says do not be deceived people that are sexually immoral people who are adulterers idolaters and even men who practice homosexuality shall not inherit the kingdom of God but then he says to those in the church in such were some of you but you are washed you are sanctified you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and Christ in the Spirit of God. There is salvation there is cleansing for those who have fallen into sexual sins through the blood of Jesus.

And here we see both the beauty and the ugliness of the cross. When Christ was nailed to the cross all my sins were laid on him. That includes my adultery and fornication and my pornography all of my uncleanness. Jesus took them upon himself think about that the pure holy spotless Lamb of God who knew no sin took upon himself all of your sins all of them he bore the guilt he took your shame and he paid the penalty on the tree and the beauty is that our past is forgiven and we are freed by the love of God that's the forgiveness that God gives but let me remind you of something that when you fall into sexual sins the pain of your memory is not immediately removed.

We still remember the past. Secondly the power of your your lust is not immediately diminished just because you've been forgiven doesn't mean that those old passions cannot be inflamed. And thirdly the shame of your actions will not immediately go away. Proverbs tells us but whoso committed adultery with a woman lacks understanding he that doeth it shall destroy his own soul a wound and dishonor shall he get in his reproach shall not be wiped away.

Nobody here is free from just a clean slate as if it never happened it doesn't work that way. So understand yes there's forgiveness yes there's a restoration of fellowship with God but there are many many things that do not go easily away especially in the matter of these sins. Now with regards to victory can we be freed? Do we have to be enslaved by our lust? I think without a doubt that one of the greatest struggles there that we are facing today within the student body and within Christian young people today growing up in a society is that that it's not it's not that you don't have the normal lust that others have but for many of you those lusts have been inflamed for years because of the things you've seen or things you've been involved in. Is there victory?

And I want to state emphatically this morning the answer is absolutely yes. It says if you walk in the spirit what will happen? You will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. One writer said it this way and nothing did early Christianity so thoroughly revolutionized the ethical standards of the pagan world as in regard to sexual relationships.

So how can I experience victory? Throughout history there have always been ways for people to overcome sexual desires. Even today you can go on the internet and you can google sexual addiction and you can find advice of what to do and generally in the advice you're going to hear or read is number one abstinence, number two adherence to laws, or number three become aware of the problem of your actions and what what are the consequences whether it's sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancy or problems in relationships and those answers have been used for 2,000 years but I would like you to know that the Apostle Paul when he addressed this issue did something different something that had never been done in history and that is his entire approach in dealing with sexual immorality is totally spiritual. If you have your Bibles I want you to turn with me to 1st Corinthians chapter 6 as we finish up this morning and we look at Paul's approach to how do you face immorality. This is going to be one of the greatest struggles of your life but there is victory and God's promised that victory. What we see beginning in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 13 when Paul writes the word meats for the belly and belly for the meats but God shall destroy both it and them this is simply was was was a slogan or what we would call a catchphrase which was used in that day for the prevailing attitude of the day and Paul is that what you did with your body does not matter. Hey meats for the belly belly for meat they're all gonna be destroyed it doesn't matter what you do in your body and of course that had transferred over from not just food but also to sexual activity but notice Paul's direct statement he says now the body is not for fornication Paul does not divide the body from the spirit but in reality he states that the physical body is actually considered spiritual your body is considered spiritual so the first thing we learn from Paul is that the Christian body is spiritually connected to Jesus Christ notice what he says he says the body is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the body what does the Bible say about your body it's God's instrument it's an instrument of righteousness unto God it's not an instrument unto sin God wants to take your mouth your mind your ears your hand your feet your eyes and he wants to use them for his purposes not for your own purposes so what are we to do with our body Romans 12 one we're to present it to God a living sacrifice but notice he also says that our body is a part of Christ's salvation that we will be physically raised from the dead and we will worship and serve God forever he says and God has both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power the body that you're living in is going to be raised is going to be glorified and you will worship God forever and ever both in body and spirit and then notice thirdly he said our body is a part of Christ's Church know you not that your bodies are members of Christ and this is more than just a mystical spiritual union your physical body is actually connected to Jesus Christ so notice what he says shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot God forbid what no you not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body for the two shall he say if he shall become one flesh he's talking about the sexual union of a man and a woman but he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit let me put it this way when a man and woman come together in sexual union there is also for the believer a spiritual connection and all of that and when you are involved in immorality what are you doing you are absolutely disrupting your whole relationship with the Lord I have two very close relationships in my wife in my life number one is my relationship with my wife I am closer to my wife than anybody else on planet earth but I'm closer to my Lord than I am my wife because everywhere I go my Lord is with me and if I'm on a plane or if I'm in a car or I'm driving by myself or I'm at home by myself one thing that is true the Lord is there with me and when you are involved in sexual activity and you bring somebody else in your life that is not a part of the covenant of marriage you are disrupting your spiritual life that is why you cannot be spiritual and be involved in sexual immorality at the same time it is virtually impossible so what does Paul tell us to do he says flee fornication it's in the present it means keep on running do you know anybody in the Bible who was tempted with adultery and he ran away who was it how many of you have ever heard sermons about Joseph Joseph is the illustration of what to do he did not stand there he did not fight with her because she would whip him he did not flirt with her because she would burn him but he did exactly what he should have done he ran away fled and so we have to understand that our bodies are spiritual then notice secondly very quickly the Christian body is also viewed as sacred Paul says every sin that a man does this without the body but he that committed fornication sent against his own body as I said the idea was what you do in your body doesn't matter in sexual immorality is a sin against your body and notice what he says what know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and you're not your own for you are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's what is he saying first of all the body of the believer is the holiest place on planet earth because it is the temple of God the holy of holies because just like God dwelt with the children of Israel in a temple so God is chosen to dwell within your body and then secondly what does he say here he says that your body has literally been purchased with a price God has put the highest price on planet earth in one commodity and that is the body of the believer and what was the price that was paid it was the blood of his own son his own sacrifice do you know how you can kill lust every time and it works every single time that the moment my mind and my heart is inflamed with passion and it's your age 18 to 25 hello what kills lust every time the recognition that God lives inside of me and the remembrance of the cross and the blood of Christ and every time lust comes if you will put in your mind the presence of God in your body and the blood of the cross the temple and the blood what will that do it will kill lust and that's why he concludes by saying so glorify God in your body dedicate yourself to God and his standards of purity walk in the spirit what does that mean this is exactly what walking in the spirit is is when your mind and your heart are set on things above and not on things of the earth you are dead your life is hid with Christ in God and when you focus on him you walk in the spirit and what do you do you do not bring to fulfillment those lusts that are already in your heart but you rise above you fight the battle but you don't become a prisoner of war may God grant you the grace to have sexual purity father thank you and grant us grace may the sins that have been mentioned here not be named once among us we ask this in Jesus name amen you've been listening to a sermon from the study series in Galatians chapter 5 by dr. Steve Pettit president of Bob Jones University for more information on dr. Pettit series visit our website The Daily Platform.com where you can get a copy of Steve study booklet entitled walking in the spirit a Kindle version is also available thanks for listening and join us again tomorrow as we study God's Word together on The Daily Platform.