Works of the Flesh

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul had just told the Galatians that if they walked in the Spirit, they wouldn’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. Every believer experiences the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. Although this struggle takes place internally, the works of the flesh manifest themselves outwardly making them visible to all. Paul lists several works of the flesh to help the Galatians see the consequences of not walking in the Spirit. He divides these fleshly deeds into four groups or categories. The first group listed is sexual sins. He begins by mentioning adultery, which is a violation of the marriage covenant through sexual sin. Next is fornication, which is a sexual sin between single or unmarried persons. Uncleanness speaks of impurity, and lewdness refers to unrestrained sexual vices.

The second category refers to religious sins. Idolatry is worshiping a false god, or literally worshiping anything other than the true God. Sorcery is the use of drugs, potions, or spells to connect with the spiritual world. It’s an attempt to connect with the Divine in an artificial and unsanctioned manner. The next two sins can fall under either the second or third group. Based on the order and context, they seem to fit better under the category of religious sins. Hatred is enmity or hostile opposition, in this case, toward God (Rom. 8:7; Eph. 2:15-16; Jas. 4:4). Contentions refer to heated arguments. This word is often used in connection to the church over religious debates and is sometimes translated as strife (1 Cor. 1:11, 3:3; 2 Cor. 12:20; Phil. 1:15; 1 Tim. 6:3-4; Tit. 3:9).

The third group refers to interpersonal sins. Jealousy is defined as a strong desire to have what someone else possesses. Wrath refers to being hot headed or to expressing uncontrollable burning anger. The phrase ‘selfish ambitions’ gives the idea of running for a public office. It is seeking the favor of man for personal profit rather than for the betterment of others. Dissensions refer to seditious speech that causes division. Heresies is similar in meaning to dissensions, but it goes one step further. In context, it probably does not refer to a false theological teaching. It has the idea of a separation caused by unnecessary reasons. An example would be racial or ethnic divisions that bring disharmony among people.

The final category of works of the flesh refer to social sins. These affect society as a whole. First is envy. Envy is similar to jealousy. However, the envious person doesn’t just want what someone else has, he doesn’t want them to have it. It’s being angry over another’s good fortune. Murder is the unjustified taking of a life. There may be a time when taking a life is necessary, such as in self-defense. That is not what is spoken of here. Drunkenness refers to having your senses inhibited by alcohol so you cannot make sound judgments. Revelries refer to parties that include unrestrained carnal behavior.

Paul says those who practice these things, that is, those who make this their normal manner of life, will not inherit the kingdom of God. He has warned you what to be on the lookout for. If you are regularly involved in any of these practices, these are works of the flesh and can be avoided by every Christian by walking in the Spirit. Ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit today so that you do not practice any of the works of the flesh.