How Do You Know That You Are A Christian?
[1]
by Captain Michael
Ramsay
Galatians 5:13-6:10: A Test For Faith:
Today we are looking at Galatians 5 and 6, specifically
Galatians 5:13-6:10. And today we are going to take a test and
this is a most serious test: This test is entitled ‘How
to know when you are a Christian.’
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the
Galatians says that we can either serve Christ or we can serve
the flesh: one or the other. So this is an important test.
This is a self-test. This isn’t a test for you to do for
someone else; this is a test for you to do for yourself. And
another important thing about this test is that if you don’t
score as well as you like, it is easy to do your corrections
for homework. Today we are all invited to take the test that
Paul lays out for us in Galatians 5:13-6:10; so, let us begin.
Paul says that you can either serve the Spirit or you can
serve yourself, which he refers to as ‘the flesh’.[2]
Paul says “the acts of the flesh are obvious” so then let’s
take this test and see whether we have in us the acts of the
Spirit or the acts of our self, the flesh. There are seven
very important questions on Paul’s test for faith.
Test For Faith
Question 1. Do you ever fall victim to ‘sexual immorality’
(adultery / fornication)?
The word translated sexual immorality in the NIV Bible is
sometimes more accurately translated as ‘adultery’ (Strong’s
3430). Deuteronomy 5:18 (Exodus 20:14) records, ‘You shall not
commit adultery’. Jesus says, Matthew 5:27-28: “You have heard
that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell
you that anyone who looks at a woman [person] lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Question 1:
Have we ever committed adultery in our hearts?
Question 2. Do we ever fall prey to impurity (uncleanness) or
debauchery
(lasciviousness / fornication)?
Impurity
refers to vaguely enough to ceremonial uncleanness (Strong’s
167) and debauchery - variously translated as ‘lasciviousness’
or ‘fornication’ (Strong’s 766) - can apparently mean any
lustful longing or greed.[3]
So then, do we ever display any lustful longing or greed? Do
we ever wish we had our neighbour’s car? Do we ever lament
that we don’t have a job as cushy or with as big of a
paycheque or with as many holidays as someone else’s? A big
part of the advertising that helps prop up our whole economic
system in this country is the desire to have what someone else
has; do we ever need to ‘keep up to the Joneses?’ Do we ever
fall prey to that temptation? Do we ever covet someone else’s
life or someone else’s possessions? Question 2: Do we ever
fall prey to impurity and debauchery?
Question 3. Do we ever fall into the traps of idolatry and
witchcraft?
We have previously spoken about local occult businesses,
events, and practices even here in rural Saskatchewan – the
Bible belt of Canada - and I don’t imagine that anyone reading
this is tempted by these but that is not all that is referred
to by idolatry and witchcraft in the test for faith here.
Also included in idolatry and witchcraft are
horoscopes, fortune cookies, tarot cards, tea reading, a lot
of yoga, spiritual readings, spirit guides, a lucky horseshoe
or a lucky rabbit’s foot – and idolatry also includes anyone
or anything that you turn to instead of God in a crisis. So I
ask us again, Question 3, do we ever fall into the traps of
idolatry and witchcraft?
Question 4. Are we ever caught up in hatred, discord, or
jealousy?
We have already spoken about coveting our neighbour’s
belongings. Do we ever get to the point where we hate someone?
Do we ever say, ‘if so-and-so is going to be involved with
that then I won’t come’? Do we ever threaten, ‘well, if you
want me to help with that, then so-and-so better not be there
because I will leave’? This is hatred. This is discord. Do we
ever gossip? Do we ever repeat things about people that we
have no business repeating? I have heard people do just that
and that causes so much discord.
Hatred, discord and jealousy are very serious indeed.
Matthew 5:21-22 records Jesus as saying,
“You have heard that it was said to the people long
ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be
subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry
with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again,
anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable
to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in
danger of the fire of hell.” Question 4, are we ever caught up
in hatred, discord, jealousy?
Question 5. Are we ever overtaken with fits of rage?
Do we ever get to the point where we are so mad that – as they
say – ‘we can spit’? Do we ever get so mad that we punch a
wall or swear at someone? Do we ever get so worked up that we
yell at someone? Do we ever hear others -when they see us
coming- cautiously ask people around what our mood is like? Do
people ever ‘walk on eggshells’ around us? Question 5, are we
ever overtaken with fits of rage?
Question 6. Are we ever subject to our own selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions and envy?
We have already spoken about covetness, jealousy, and envy; we
have already spoken about dissentions and factions as they
relate to discord. Do we ever try to get people on ‘our side’?
Do we ever play politics? Do we ever try to whip up support
for our own selves or our own position at the expense of
others? Do we ever talk to others about so-and-so and
such-and-such instead of approaching the matter head-on? If so
we are guilty of dissentions and factions. And much of this –
if not all – can be seen as a result of selfish ambition. If
we don’t have the need to be right all the time, if we don’t
have the need to be thanked every time we do something, if we
don’t have the need for people to always tell us have much
they appreciate what we do for them, then why would we fall
prey to envy and the like? We probably wouldn’t. So, Question
6, are we ever subject to our own selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions and envy?
Question 7. The last question on the Apostle Paul’s test for
faith: Do we engage in drunkenness, orgies, and the like?
Do we spend our nights – or days for that matter – drunk, or
involved in chaotic parties? I think this also applies to
drugs as well as alcohol. I would say too that if you feel the
same way about a piece of cake or a can of soda pop that an
alcoholic feels about her addiction then that is the same
thing. If you immediately, when someone leaves the house, run
and grab the chocolate chips that you have squirreled away or
if there are times when you are incapacitated -not from a
hangover- but because you were up all night playing video
games, I think the same sentiment applies. Question 7, do we
engage in drunkenness, orgies, and the like?
That concludes the test. Now let’s check our personal tests
for faith. The correct answers are:
1. Do you ever fall victim to ‘sexual immorality’? No.
2. Do we ever fall prey to impurity or debauchery? No.
3. Do we ever fall into the traps of idolatry and witchcraft?
No.
4. Are we ever caught up in hatred, discord, or jealousy? No.
5. Are we ever overtaken with fits of rage? No.
6. Are we ever subject to our own selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions and envy? No.
7. Do we engage
in drunkenness, orgies, and the like? No.
I imagine that everyone who just partook of the Apostle Paul’s
test for faith aced the test. Now, just in case we didn’t. On
the off chance that we didn’t pass this test, the Apostle Paul
says, Galatians 5:21, “I warn you, as I did before, that
[those who do not pass this test] those who live like this
will NOT inherit the kingdom of God.” Now I know this probably
doesn’t apply to any of us but as you can tell this is very
serious stuff.
Let us think about this for a moment
because I know that many of us have read the book of Galatians
and, as recorded there, we know that Paul is quite upset with
people’s suggestion that new Christians become Jewish
Christians and follow some elements of the old Jewish Law.[4]
Paul says that the Kingdom of Heaven isn’t like that and Paul
says that we are under a curse if we place ourselves under the
Law (Galatians 3:10). I have a question though and that is by
composing this test for faith that Paul did for the Galatians
- by adding a list such as this - is that not exactly what
Paul is doing? Is not Paul saying that unless you avoid all of
these things you will not enter the Kingdom of God? What is
the difference between Paul’s list and the Old Jewish lists?
Professor Frank J. Matera answers
correctly that, “Paul's answer is simple and direct. Those who
are no longer under the Law are led by the Spirit which
produces its fruit in their lives (5:22) so that their faith
expresses itself in love (5:6). Consequently, even though
believers are no longer under the law, they fulfil the law
through the love commandment (5:14). This vision of the moral
life, as life under the guidance of the Spirit, is probably
the most optimistic statement of Paul’s ethical teaching…”[5]
“…The fruit of the Spirit [Paul says, Galatians 5:22-24] is
love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law. Those who belong
to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires.”
Biblical Scholar, Richard B. Hays
declares that, “in the summarizing sentences of this unit,
Paul returns explicitly to the problem raised in vv.13 and 16,
‘Those who belong to Christ’ (cf. 3:29) will not…be
overwhelmed by the impulses of the flesh, because they have
‘crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.’”[6]
James Montgomery Boice explains that ‘Christians are delivered
through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit from the
necessity of serving sin in their lives.”[7]
Paul says that those of us who do
actually belong to Christ Jesus have already crucified the
flesh with its passions and desires. We don’t need to go to a
12-step program to rid ourselves of these vices; Christ has
already crucified them. Simply by our turning to Jesus, the
Holy Spirit will replace the fruit of the flesh with the fruit
of the Spirit in our lives. Like it says in 1 Thessalonians
5:22-23, when we have Christ, He will make us holy. We are now
free to NOT sin.[8]
So then as that is the case one might ask, ‘why do I sometimes
give into those vices mentioned on the test instead of
experiencing all the blessings of the Spirit - love, joy,
peace, forbearance [perseverance], kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and things such as
these? Why, one might ask, according to this text and this
test, do I have the fruit of self and the fruit of the flesh
instead of the fruit of the Spirit? Am I really in danger of
the fires of hell? That can’t be, can it? I am involved with a
church and/or a Christian organisation? I’m still reading this
article, aren’t I? Doesn’t that prove that my name is written
in the book of life (Psalm 69:28; Philippians 4:3; Revelation
3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12)? ’ No, it doesn’t.
I can’t tell you or anyone else whether your name is written
in the book of life. I don’t have the ability to judge your
salvation based on what I see and I’m not even going to try
(Matthew 7:1, Luke 6:37). That is between you and God. That
being said, if you see some areas where I need to be
encouraged to grow in holiness, you certainly do have a
responsibility to let me know about that and to help me
through it (Galatians 6:1-2). And - even more importantly - if
we do not see the fruit of a relationship with Christ in our
own lives, we may want to ask Jesus to come into our hearts.
And if we have done that at some point but we are still
struggling with the acts of self, the acts of the flesh, we
may wish to come to the Lord in prayer both now and often (cf.
TSA docs 9 and 10). We may wish to spend more time with Jesus;
we may wish to pray and read our Bible everyday; we may wish
to show our love to Jesus by actually spending some time with
Him because Jesus promises that He will never leave us nor
forsake us (Hebrews 13:5; cf. Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5),
and Jesus promises that if we seek Him we will find Him
(Matthew 7:7-12; cf. Deuteronomy 4:29, Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah
29:13); and Jesus promises that as we find Him we will be holy
as He is holy (1 Peter 1:3-25 cf. also Leviticus 11:44-45,
19:2, 20:5-7; Psalm 89:35; Matthew 5:48; 2 Corinthians 13;
Colossians 1:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Hebrews 11-12); and
we are promised that we will experience love, joy, peace,
forbearance [perseverance], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control, and things such as these. As we seek
God, He promises that we will find Him. No matter how we
scored on our tests today, let us take comfort in that and no
matter how we scored on our tests today, let us commit to
spend even more time getting to know our Lord and Saviour.
Let us pray. This prayer for us from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24:
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify us through and
through. May our whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls us
is faithful and He will do it.
[1]
Based on the Sermon.
Galatians 5:13-6:10: Test of Faith.
Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation
Army, 04 August 2013 by Captain Michael Ramsay.
[2]
Cf. R. Alan Cole,: Galatians: An Introduction and
Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity
Press, 1989 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 9), S.
211
[3]
Marvin R. Vincent, “Of uncleanness” in Vincent’s
Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. 4,
(Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers,
2009), 22.
[4]
Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, Galatians 4:8-11: Vs.
Old Jewish Law, (Swift Current, SK:
Sheepspeak.com, 28 July 2013),
http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2013/07/galatians-3-4-vs-old-jewish-law.html
[5]
Frank J. Matera, “Galatians in Perspective: Cutting a
New Path through Old Territory”, Interpretation,
(July 2000), 244
[6]
Richard B. Hays, Galatians, in
NIB, Vol. 11,
ed. Leander E. Keck, et. al.
(Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000), 328.
[7]
James Montgomery Boice, The Expositor's Bible
Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM: Galatians/Exposition of
Galatians/III. The Call to Godly Living (5:1-6:10)/C.
Life in the Spirit (5:13-26)/1. Liberty is not license
(5:13-18), Book Version: 4.0.2
[8]
J. Lewis Martyn, “The Apocalyptic Gospel in
Galatians”, Interpretation, (July 2000), 255.
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