Monday, February 15, 2010

The Seriousness of Gospel Living

Galatians 5:19-21

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, ... those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

The kingdom of God here is not just an icing on the cake, something you can have that is extra to salvation. It is the culmination of redemption. To say you will not inherit the kingdom of God is to say that you are outside of God's redemptive plan. How serious must our practice, our living, be for Paul to use such language? Nothing less than salvation is on the line. However, notice that Paul does not say that those who DO NOT practice such things WILL inherit the kingdom of God. Rather, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Those who are of the kingdom are of a different character because of the Spirit's regenerative work, not because they are attempting to gain salvation. We do not practice such things because "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." So let us contemplate the seriousness of Gospel living, and live accordingly.

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