NOTES for Gal 5:13-26

The list of the “works of the flesh” is striking. The Apostle Paul lists without distinction sins that we call grave—adultery and murder—and so-called “everyday” sins—enmity, quarrels, and disagreements. And yet, it would seem, how can we imagine our life without any quarrels or disagreements at all? Perhaps we can imagine it, and perhaps we would even like the picture... but putting it into practice... We would so much like to say that if we have not killed anyone, then everything is more or less all right with us, while small shortcomings... everyone has them. And yet the Apostle Paul speaks clearly: “Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” So should we despair and give up? Is there no chance? Paul tells us that what matters most is what leads us. If we are led by the Spirit, we pass beyond the confines of the law of the flesh. The fruits of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives are the direct opposite of enmity and disagreement: love, joy, and patience. This is not about cultivating patience in ourselves. It is precisely about the Spirit acting in the heart, when patience and love are born from within. Virtue cannot be artificial.