THE STORY OF JESUS: Galatians 5:19-21
“Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:21)
Paul is not making a checklist, so that if you fail in one you fail in all.
He is describing what happens in a person who indulges themselves.
Someone that is full of themselves, focused on what feels good.
A person who sets their mind on the flesh’s desires becomes corrupted.
A person that sets their mind on the Spirit’s desires becomes corrected.
Both have sin in their lives, but one aims for it, the other resists it.
Here Paul is simply repeating what the Psalmist says often.
“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” (Psalm 1:5)
It is not that the wicked WANT to inherit the kingdom of God.
They loathe everything it stands for – because it stands for love, joy, peace, etc.
They very things they despise in this life will sicken them when they meet Jesus.
The behaviors listed here do not make this life like heaven; they make life hell.
They are toxic, destructive, demeaning, joy-killing, soul-deadening, life-sucking behaviors.
It is the lie of Satan that makes them look better than they are.
The question for us is, ‘is this the kind of life that I want?’
If so, then seek it, for you will get it, and the misery it brings.
But if not, then reject it, resist it, and seek its alternative!
In the end, we get what we seek, but will we be happy with it in the end?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, Your Spirit is pushing us away from this stuff, yet we are somehow still drawn to it. Deep down we know it is foolish, and unhealthy, so why do we indulge in it???