(Galatians) Works and Grace, Flesh and Spirit — Brian Brodersen

Galatians' Argument for Grace and the Two Covenants

So here we are tonight picking up in the fifth chapter of Galatians and just to sort of connect us with where we were previously at the end of the fourth chapter. Maybe you remember Paul sort of finalizes his his argument in defense of his doctrine salvation by grace alone through faith alone.

And after he takes a variety of approaches to the subject looking at a number of different scriptural angles on it, he comes and he sort of solidifies the whole thing by once again looking at Abraham and at Isaac and at Sarah and Ishmael and shows how those people's lives there was not only the obvious things going on, but there was sort of a hidden message in their lives as well.

And they were they were representative of the two different covenants. The one covenant that was based upon works and and led to bondage and the other covenant that was based upon a promise and led to freedom and liberty.

And so Paul's sort of his closing argument is just to prove once again that the law has no bearing on us who are in Christ. And if we are in Christ, then we've got everything we could possibly have. And there's obviously no need to look for anything more.

And there's certainly no need to try to find any help in the law, because the law does nothing for us, really, except condemn us. And that he's been establishing those facts all the way through. And so he comes now to really having stated his case to apply it to the believers in Galatia.

He's reiterated the truth. Now he's going to make application of it for them. And that's always an important part of teaching. It's not simply to to pass on information, but it's to pass on information with the purpose of putting that information into practice.

And so there there needs to be the application. And Paul was the master at bringing forth practical application. In one sense, he could be up on this really lofty level discussing these great theological themes.

But he could always bring it back down to earth and make practical application of it. And that's what we find him doing here. And so he says in chapter five, verse one, Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Indeed, I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ.

You who attempt to be justified by law. You have fallen from grace for we through the spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but faith working through love.

And so Paul now pleads with them. He urges them to stand fast in the liberty. And you remember, most of you have been here throughout the duration of the study in Galatians. These people, they had no idea about the law.

It had no application or relevance to them whatsoever. They were just thrilled to be saved and they were enjoying just the glory and the blessing of the Christian life. But then these false teachers come in and they lay this big trip on them.

And so they get all caught up in the law and they think this is the way to really be spiritual. And Paul says, no, no liberty. That's what God wants us to have. He wants us to have freedom. So he says, stand fast in that liberty and do not be entangled again in a yoke of bondage.

Freedom from Legalistic Condemnation

Now, the Christian liberty that Paul has been referring to in this context is freedom of conscience. That's really what what he's talking about in this particular context. Now, Christian liberty also ultimately is freedom from sin.

And he's going to talk about that as well. But he's been talking primarily about freedom of conscience, freedom from the tyranny of the law. The dreadful struggle to keep the law with a view to winning the favor of God.

That's really what he's been talking about. You see, the law has a terrorizing ability upon us as sinners. And what's happened with the law quite often is that Satan has twisted it and manipulated it and utilized it as a tool of torment against people.

And there have been people historically and there are people presently who have lived under this tremendous burden and in all kinds of bondage in regard to the law. The law is like a tyrant over them.

And they live in constant fear and dread of falling short of the law and thereby coming under its condemnation. If you read the testimonies of some great men in church history, you find that they had that kind of experience with the law.

Martin Luther is a good example of that. Luther was tormented by the law. He lived under this intense condemnation because he knew that he had failed. He knew that he wasn't living up to the standard.

And he had one of those tender kind of consciences where he was just constantly being bombarded by his own failure and the guilt. And if you saw the movie that came out last year on the life of Luther, they really depicted him quite well, especially in the early stages before his conversion.

There he was just living under the tyranny of the law, living in fear, living in dread. So much so that he got to a point where there was a great hatred in his heart for God because he just couldn't understand why God would impose this system upon him that would just condemn him.

The man who wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan. If you read the book Grace Abounding, which is in a sense his testimony, you find a very similar sort of thing. He lived under the fear and the dread of judgment because he could see his own sinfulness.

And the law was this great enemy that was constantly condemning him. The great Victorian preacher Charles Spurgeon had a very similar experience. And in his youth, he lived in deep depression and almost suicidal in a sense because of his sense of guilt.

And that's the kind of thing that Paul is talking about. God doesn't want us living in that kind of an experience. Jesus came to liberate us from the tyranny of the law. He came to set us free from the guilt of our sin.

He came to cleanse our conscience so we could live in a sense of God's favor and God's blessing upon our lives. So it is the freedom of acceptance with God and of access to God through Christ. That's what Paul is saying to these guys that they need to hold on to this.

Because it won't be long if they continue down the road they're going down. It won't be long before they find themselves under this intense condemnation and brought back into bondage under the law. Now, Paul goes on after verse 1 and he says some pretty powerful things here.

He says, if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. Then he says, I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. And then notice what he says, you have become estranged from Christ.

You who attempt to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace. Those are heavy things. But the gist of it is simply this, that you have to approach God one way or the other. You cannot mix the two things.

You cannot approach God by works and grace or by grace and works. It's really one or the other. But the reality is you can't approach him by works because you can't work your way into a position of favor with him because you're a sinner.

So the reality is this, there's only one way to approach God. There's only one way to have favor with God. And if we try to add to that, if we try to add anything to grace, then we contaminate it and grace is no longer grace.

Grace is only grace if it's grace alone. If it's grace plus something, then it's no longer grace. Once you add to it, it's no longer grace. So once a person says you're saved by grace, but or plus. And in addition to that, you have to do this.

Then they're not really talking about grace because grace stands alone. We're saved by grace alone through faith alone. And any addition to that causes us to fall from grace. So Paul is saying you can't mix the two things.

It's an impossibility. Now you see the Judaizers, these guys that had crept in, they were not completely disregarding Jesus Christ or his crucifixion. At least they weren't doing that verbally. But in essence, Paul says that's actually what they were doing.

Because if righteousness can come through any kind of a legal system, Paul said Christ died in vain. But it's proof that no legal system whatsoever could save us. It's proof of that by the fact that Jesus Christ did die.

So if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And then he says, if you become circumcised, you're a debtor to keep the whole law. You see, Paul is saying to them, look, the law is a package.

If you take one part of it, you take the whole thing. So better just leave it. If you take one part of it, you've got it all. But this fourth verse is the one that is really astounding. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law.

You have fallen from grace. Now what does that mean? Does it mean that they lost their salvation? And is that the warning that's being given here? I think what he's saying is simply this. Again, it's one or the other.

It can't be both. You cannot be experiencing the grace of God if you're trying to approach God through your works. The minute you adopt a works mentality, the minute you go into a legalistic mode, it's sort of like you shut grace off at that moment.

So it's one or the other. It can't possibly be both. Now circumcision, of course, was a particular ritual that the Jewish men would go through. But circumcision really stands for a whole theological position.

Circumcision stands for a religion of human achievement of what man can do by his own good works. Now the message of circumcision is preached all over the place today without circumcision ever being mentioned in it.

You see, because it's really just sort of symbolic of any works oriented kind of a system. And you know, you can preach a message of good works and never offend a single person. As a matter of fact, the message of salvation by works is quite inoffensive to people.

Because it flatters man and caters to human pride. It's the moment that you start preaching the cross. Because the cross says man is helpless. Man is hopeless. The cross says there's nothing you can do to save yourself.

And that causes great irritation to people. Anyone who takes it upon themselves to really truly preach the gospel is inevitably going to offend people. You cannot avoid it because the cross itself is offensive.

Because it just gets right in the face of man and all of his pride. And says there's nothing you can do. Now there are really only two religions in the world. There are really only two religions in the world.

The Offense of the Cross

The religion of works and the religion of grace. All religions regardless of their differences are in essence religions of works. The one exception is New Testament Christianity. That to me, and I know I've mentioned that before, but that's an astounding thing to me.

That is to me just further confirmation of what I already believe. It's further confirmation of the truth of this message. Because all religions can be summed up in one phrase, salvation by works. Except New Testament Christianity.

And so in reality, there are really only two religions in the world. One based upon works and one based upon grace. You could picture it in two men. Historically, Cain and Abel. Cain is really the father of religion.

He was the first man to try to work his way into God's favor. And we know the story. We know what happened. Cain brought his sacrifice to God and God rejected it. He said, I won't accept it. And of course, Abel brought his sacrifice to God and God did accept it.

And the difference between the two is that Abel offered a sacrifice by faith. Cain tried to approach God by works. And so Cain really became, in a sense, the first religious person. The first man to try to obtain the favor of God through his own good works.

And he was completely rejected by God. And maybe you remember the story there. Cain, he's angry over the fact that God has rejected his offering. And the Lord speaks to him and he says, why are you angry?

If you do it right, you'll be accepted. But yet, Cain, in his heart and heart and in his stubbornness and his rebellion, instead of just doing it right, instead of humbling himself, he resists God's way.

And he ends up, as you know, under the judgment of God. And there are so many people that choose knowingly to do it their own way. I don't want to do it God's way. I don't like that way. I don't think that that's the way it ought to be.

And so I'm going to approach God based upon what I think would be the right or the best way to do it. And so they try to approach God through works, but it'll never happen. God will never accept those things.

And so if we attempt to be justified by law, notice that by law, not by the law, although it certainly is speaking of the law, but it's not just speaking of the Mosaic law. It's speaking of any law. If we try to be justified before God by law, it'll never happen.

There's only one way, and that's through Christ. And so he says, for we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. We eagerly wait for it. He doesn't say we eagerly work for it.

He says we eagerly wait for it. Christ has done it all. What are we doing now? We've received it, and now we're just waiting for the fruition of it. We're waiting for it to come to its culmination. And then I love what he says here.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avail anything but faith working through love. You see, it's not about outward ceremonies. It's not about formulas. It's not about rituals. It's not about those things.

You know, Jesus Christ did not come into the world to start a new religion. The world had plenty of religion when Jesus came. He came to connect people with God. And he came to, in a lot of ways, just sort of do away with the religious trappings that were keeping people confused and in the dark about God.

He says you ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from him who calls you. Paul again is getting personal with him. He says you were doing so well. You were running so well.

And I'm sure as the one who had laid the foundation of that church and ministered to them, I'm sure Paul at one point was so pleased and so proud in the good sense. You know, like a proud father. And now he's just looking and who hindered you?

This persuasion doesn't come from him who called you. This isn't God leading you into this. He said a little leaven leavens the whole lump. And so he warns them that allowing this to come in, it might seem fairly innocent in the earliest stages of it.

It might seem harmless. They might even be wondering, Paul, what are you getting so worked up for? I mean, you know, we're just, you know, Judaism and the history and Moses. And we're just, you know, Paul, you're getting carried away.

We're still loving God. Don't worry. But Paul says, oh, no, you don't understand the nature of sin. You don't understand the nature of error. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. It just takes a little bit.

And that little bit can go through so quickly and permeate the whole thing. But I think of church history and I think of the little compromises that were made along the road that. I'm sure if anyone would have ever dreamed where it would go in the end, they wouldn't have done it.

But they didn't see they didn't. They didn't realize that they were planting the seeds for so much trouble later on. But Paul knew a little leaven. It's all it takes is just a little bit of this idea that that we're going to work our way into God's favor, that that this this, you know, ancient religious system is going to enhance our worship experience and all of that.

He just knows the tenancy of human sinful nature and how when these things come together, it just makes for a disastrous situation. But then he says. I have confidence in you and the Lord. So Paul is he still holding out hope and he wants them to know at this point that he hasn't given up on them.

But he's speaking very strongly to them. I have confidence in you and the Lord that you will have no other mind, but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. So Paul is very indignant concerning the ones that have come in and troubled them.

And then he says, and I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? There were some who evidently were implying. That Paul had. Agreed that they were right and he was now preaching the same message.

You see, Paul wasn't there. He wrote this letter to them. He was absent and in his absence, these false teachers had come in. And they criticized Paul and they challenged his authority, as we've pointed out, and they attacked his apostleship and they denied his doctrine.

And evidently, some even said. And by the way, you know, Paul, we sorted him out on this, too. And this is what he's preaching now. And Paul says. If I'm preaching that, why am I still being persecuted?

You see, the reality is if you're preaching that nobody will ever persecute you because there's nothing offensive about. Man being able to save himself. It's the message that man can't save himself that we've already alluded to.

That's what offends. Oh, there are churches and pulpits and people that gather together every week, every Sunday. And they preach and no one's ever bothered. No one's ever offended. No one's ever affected by it.

They're just encouraged that you're a good person. It's all there within you. Just reach down and tap into that goodness that's deep in your soul. There's that spark. And you just kindle that spark. And people are just like, oh, I knew that was true about me.

That's great. I'm going to do that. I'm going to get myself on a spiritual program and I'm going to pursue those things. And and they walk away feeling good. Basically, what there's thinking is I'm going to save myself.

And sadly, that that message is quite popular today. Very popular. Just be a good person. Just do your best. Hey, you know, God, he understands. He knows your desires and things, and just as long as you just try to be as good of a person as you can.

You know, in the end, everything is going to work out just fine. And that's that's a message. Tragically, that goes out from from many pulpits. There's so much confusion in the Christian world because you have those men that stand up and say those kinds of things.

And nobody's ever offended because they'll never persecute you for that. But the cross. Is offensive. The offense of the cross. Paul speaks of that here. That's the thing that offends people. Oh, remember the furor over over the passion of the Christ.

I mean, has there ever been a movie in all of history that has gotten. The the publicity that the passion of Christ got. I mean, it was a great promotional tool. But all of the, you know, just. People.

Coming unglued. The audacity of Mel Gibson. I remember reading. A little paragraph by Kirk Douglas. Just chastising Mel Gibson for the audacity. To make a movie like this. And the Jewish community, you know, the.

You know, crying out anti-Semitism. It's going to bring about a new inquisition. And everybody was chiming in on. All you know, what a what a great disservice Mel Gibson was doing to. Mankind at this present time.

I mean, after all, don't we have enough problems and we got to bring this. Jesus and the cross thing up again. People offended. Some people just seething. I mean, you could just practically see them foaming at the mouth.

All over. A depiction of Jesus going to the cross. But it shows you that the offense of the cross hasn't ceased. And, you know, here's the crazy thing. You know this. But you can go out in public. You can go almost anywhere and you can preach the most bizarre, ridiculous, outlandish kind of stuff.

And. You'll get people to applaud you. I read an article a few weeks ago. Alanis Morissette. She's been. She's been praying and communicating over the years through the Eiffel Tower. She visited Paris one time and there was just some connection between her and the Eiffel Tower.

And so she, you know, she kind of has used that to determine, you know, decisions and things in life. And, you know, I'm reading this article and then that was so cool. The Eiffel Tower, Alanis Morissette.

Oh, man, that, you know, more power to her. Was the gist of the article. And then, you know, now the big craze among the Hollywood elite. Kabbalistic Judaism. Everybody's into the Kabbalah now. Madonna and Britney and the whole crew.

And everybody's jumping on the bandwagon. Getting into this mystical Judaism. And you can read in the, you know, the celebrity magazines and all about what they're doing. And it's so exciting and fun and great.

Come on down to the synagogue. But talk about somebody who's born again. Somebody who's come to believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. Oh, man. Get rid of those loonies. Mel Gibson. No room for him anymore.

But we see it clearly. And it always has been the case. And it always will be the case. The cross is an offense. Again, for the simple reason that the cross says to all people. You're evil. You're sinners.

You're lost. You're helpless. You can't do anything. You're going to hell. And the only way you're going to escape it. Is if you cry out for a savior. That's what the cross says to people. And that's why people get offended.

That's why people are so angry. Because it chafes. Our pride. I don't want to be told that. I don't want to think that. I don't want to agree with that. But that's the reality. That's the message of the cross.

That's the offense of the cross. In verse 12 Paul says. Regarding those. Who were troubling them. Leading them astray. He said I could wish. That those who trouble you would even cut themselves off. You know what Paul.

Is referring to here is castration. Paul was. He was passionate. He says these guys are into circumcision. I wish they'd go a bit further. Now. You know you say something like this today and. Oh. Intolerance.

They scream. But. You know this is this is life and death. This is heaven and hell. This is truth. And Paul takes this seriously. And we today have to take these things seriously. You know speaking to.

A lady that I met. Recently. And. She listens to the radio evidently occasionally and. Knew me from that. And we were just having a brief conversation and. You know it's a lighthearted conversation and.

She suddenly says to me she says. Oh you're much different than I thought you were. After. Two minutes of conversation. She says well I listen to you on the radio you're always so serious. And so I got real serious.

Didn't want to get out of character for too long there. And that was fine but you know. I thought well. This is pretty serious stuff. You know these are serious matters. Sometimes we're so frivolous in our.

Approach to life in the world and all but. Paul was serious he was a serious guy. And he saw the potential damage. And he saw what was at stake. And so he speaks out not. Paul's not in the flesh here he's not out of control.

Just you know saying things that later on oh I. I wish I wouldn't have said that no he's serious about this. Because eternity is at stake. And and we have to be this way. Because as you know already. We are living.

In a time when there's so much pressure on us. To not say anything negative. To not. Imply that. That people might possibly be wrong about things. And never to suggest that there's only one. Way to be saved I mean that's the height.

Of arrogancy they feel. But that's the message. Of the New Testament loud and clear. And we have to continue to speak up and to speak out. And to to boldly. Let the truth be known we've got to do it. There's so much pressure though to just.

Just be quiet don't don't say that stuff. But that's the way the devil works you know that's what he does he tries to silence the truth he he tries to. Intimidate us so we don't say anything. And so many people succumb to it so many people just.

They they fall prey to those tactics and then you know as time goes on you find that. Less and less. They're willing to address some of the hard issues. I mean look at how the homosexual community. Has.

Made such unbelievable inroads into society. And and really it is today almost to the point where. And you know it out in public if you if you say anything negative about that lifestyle people. Oh no you shouldn't say that.

Why. But you see that's the tactic. To intimidate and to keep people from saying things speaking out telling the truth. So we can just keep on. Railroading our agenda. Right into people's lives. And and you see that with that particular situation.

You see it with. All of the praise and the flattery that's coming through the media toward Islam today. You know I was talking to a man earlier. This week who. Grew up in India. And he was saying that the great tragedy he sees in America today is that.

Nobody's listening to the people who grew up. In the midst of Islam if they would listen to the people that have lived in the midst of it. They would get a real education as to the true nature of it. Islam has an agenda and that's world domination.

And it's plain and simple and it's declared right in their literature. And it's evidenced in their activity. But oh no no no don't say that. We can't say stuff like that today. Islam is a religion of peace.

It's a religion of peace as long as you do what they say. That's the reality. As long as you submit to them. Then you can have an element of peace. So. We need to continue. To stand firm. And to be strong.

And. Sometimes we have to make. Statements that are not going to be. Appreciated by many but. That's the way it is. The greatest trap you can ever fall into is the trap of wanting everybody to approve of you.

Jesus said woe to you if all men speak well of you. I take great comfort in that because I don't have that problem myself. But remember we read last week Paul's words. Have I become your enemy because I'm telling you the truth.

The reality is truth offends people. People would rather be lied to. They would rather you tell them anything but the truth. It's just part of the twisted human situation. But Paul says well here's the reality.

I wish these guys would castrate themselves. For you brethren have been called to liberty. Only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh. But through love serve one another. You've been called to liberty.

Christian Liberty and Love's Fulfillment of the Law

He says but don't use that as an opportunity for the flesh. Now you see Paul they would accuse Paul. Because Paul says no the law is not the solution. The law doesn't have any bearing on your relationship with God.

They would then turn around and accuse Paul of saying. Basically that it didn't matter how you live. God doesn't care. You can you know you're not under any restrictions. It's known as antinomianism. Lawlessness.

And they would accuse Paul of preaching lawlessness. But that's not what he's preaching. He says God has called you to liberty. Not so you could take your liberty. And use it as an opportunity or as a cloak for sin.

God has set us free from the guilt of sin. And he set us free from the bondage of sin. Not so we could go out and sin more. Not so we could serve him. That's the point that Paul is driving home. And then he says for all the law is fulfilled in one word.

Even this you shall love your neighbor as yourself. So in a sense Paul is saying. Okay look you guys want to keep the law. I'll give you. I'll give you some law to keep. Love your neighbor as yourself.

But then notice what he says. But if you bite and devour one another. Beware lest you be consumed by one another. Now here's the irony. When it comes to this whole thing of law and legalism. This is the irony.

And you see it over and over again historically. You see it in the time of Jesus with the Pharisees. You see it throughout church history. You see it today. The Pharisees you remember. They were the ultimate law keepers.

They were meticulous. Down to the smallest detail. But Jesus said this about them. You strain out a gnat and you swallow a camel. You see because on the one hand. They're saying we're keeping the law on the other hand.

They're saying we got to kill this guy. We got to get rid of this guy. They're plotting to murder him. And at the same time. They're concerned about making sure. They weigh their little. Their herbs that they're offering to God.

They're making sure that they weigh that out just perfectly. And that's the way it always is with legalism. You strain out a gnat and you swallow a camel. You're meticulous about these little things. But when it comes to the real issues of true religion.

That people are clueless. And that's what happens with legalism. Legalism causes you. It causes a person to major in the minors. And to disregard the majors. That's what it does. Jesus said. You tithe mint and cumin and rue.

And you overlook the weightier matters of the law. Justice, mercy and the love of God. And that is true historically. It was true in the days of Jesus. It's true today. When you find people that are wrapped up.

In legalistic religion. Under whatever banner it is. You'll find that they are very meticulous. About these little petty non-essential things. But when it comes to the real issues of love. And justice.

And things of that nature. They just throw it all out the window. Remember the guy just a few months ago. The Israelis. Assassinated this Islamic cleric. He was known as the spiritual leader. For many of those the Hamas leader.

And the whole thing. The papers. Oh he was in a wheelchair and all of this. The poor guy and so on. He would go to the mosque for prayers. And then he would go plot to blow people up. This is a classic example of what.

Religion does. And we see it manifest in Islam. We've seen it in church history. We've seen it with the Inquisition. We've seen it with all the persecutions. That came by church leaders. Against true believers.

Or the pogroms against the Jews. All of this stuff in the name of religion. So we bless God on the one hand. And we slit your throat with the other. Praising God all the while. But that's. That's what it comes down to.

And to this very day. You find that in. Many churches. You will find this. Where there's a heavy legalistic emphasis. You know maybe on the way you dress. Or. You know how much money you're supposed to give.

Or you know all the different kinds of things. That come along with some of the. The groups today. You'll find that people are very. Very. Adamant about. Certain kinds of things. You know. Oh no I would never wear that.

Oh no. Are you kidding. I couldn't put makeup on. Or you know nothing like that. But. They don't have any qualms at all. About gossiping about people. They don't have any qualms at all. About all kinds of compromised.

And carnal kinds of activities. But see this is the curse of religion. Because religion is. Is all connected to the flesh. And the flesh is just corrupt. And in the end. The corruption of the flesh. Always will rise to the surface.

Walking by the Spirit Rather Than the Flesh

And that's what Paul is going to address now. He says I say then. Walk in the spirit. And you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. See Paul is saying look it's not about. These. Rules and. Regulations.

And this. Legalistic system that you're adhering to. It's not about that. It's about. A walk in the spirit. It's about a life in the spirit. And you know religion. We. Oftentimes we say. You know we're not into religion.

We're into relationship. And that's true. But. I want to define religion. Religion is basically legal. And that's. That's more or less the essence of it. It's legal. It's a. It's a system. It's a legal system of some sort.

By which you. Obtain God's favor. But. That's not what. New Testament Christianity is. Christianity is. A walk in the spirit. A life in the spirit. God is interested. In fruit. He's not interested in works.

He's not interested in the factory. He's interested in the garden. He's not interested in. Some synthetic product. That man can develop. He's interested in something natural. That flows. Out of just. A loving.

Relationship with him. And that's what Paul goes on. To really describe here. But he says for the flesh. Lust against the spirit. And the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another.

So that you do not do the things. That you wish. But if. You are led by the spirit. You are not under the law. So here's where Paul describes. This battle. That every one of us as Christians. Know by experience.

This is a unique experience to the Christian. The non-christian doesn't have this battle. Because the non-christian doesn't possess. Two natures. A Christian is a person. Who actually possesses two natures.

Because you're a Christian. You now have received. The divine nature. God has imparted his nature to you. But you still live. With your. Original nature. Your fallen nature. And because you have. Both the fallen nature.