Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-09-23

The epiStle to the Galatians was VIII
ten by Paul to counterfeit the teaching
of certain men who had followed him in
Galatia, Jews who still held that faith
in Jesus Christ was not alone sufficient
for salvation, but that the rites and
ceremonies of the old Mosaic dispense
ton must also be observed. Paul main
tanned in an unanswerable way that
such was not true, but faith alone was
sufficient. The drift of his argument
led him to present in contrast the flesh
and the spirit, works and fruit, the law
and grace. He has shown the place
the law had, a very necessary one, and
has maintained that grace has made us
free from the operation of the law. 1t
is no longer binding upon us to tell US
what we must not do, since the Law
giver Is in our hearts, showing US what
we must do, and enabling us to do 1t.
Always bringing his argument to some
practical application for his hearers, he
tells them that this liberty, however.
must not be used for gratifying the nat
ural tendencies of our lives. but by love
to serve those we touch in every day
life, seeing that the law is fulfilled in
loving, rather than in hating and de-
vouring, ones neighbor. This brings
him to urge them, therefore. to walk in
the spirit, in which case they will not
fult1ll the luStS OF the neSn.
WALK IN THE SPIRIT.
Paul appreciated very keenly the bat
tie for supremacy which is being waged
in the life of every Christian, a bat
tie between the natural tendencies and
the spirit of God. He had the same
experience that we Christians have to-
day. Human nature has not changed,
although the environments have. We
all have certain desires, temptations,
lusts; every day, practically every mo-
ment of every day, they assert them
selves and would order our lives along
certain lines. We get impatient; we lose
our tempers; we resent injuries; we see
others succeeding and are envious of
them, even though we may be succeed
ing too; we allow thoughts to linger in
our minds that are unholy, will not
bear the light of day; we harbor Bit
ter feelings; We suspect people of GER
tain feelings toward US; we attribute
motives to them that we have no right
to do unless we are fully cognizant of
all the circumstances of their lives and
the thoughts of their hearts. We are
ashamed of ourselves when we stop and
consider our course, but we excuse our
selves on the ground that this is our ma
ture; we cannot help it. Yes, II is our
nature. 1t is perfectly natural for you
not done just as we want them and
when. 1t is perfectly natural for you and
me to lose our tempers when things
cross us. 1t is perfectly natural for
you and me to resent injuries. to be
envious, to have unholy thoughts, bitter
feelings and such like. But that is no
excuse for our allowing them to enter
our lives and control them If we lived
under the law, the law would say to
natural tendencies Of yours to control
your lives; II you do, you shall be pun
ished. This, however, would not prevent
them from having their power over US.
The law could do no more than show us
the wrong or the right, and the conse-
quences of doing wrong or right. 1t
could not help us to do right. That
could only come by our own effort; try
ing to do this, and trying not to do
that. The result would be a miserable
failure, for the strongest one of us is
far weaker than these natural tendencies
of ours.
How then can we hope to win against
tn ese terrific odds? If it is natural for
us to do these things, why should we
be blamed? All. here is the answer:
where sin abounds, grace much more
abounds." 1t is perfectly natural to do
these things, but it is not grace. God
has provided against these contingent
cies; where sin abounds, He has provid
ed grace enough to counteract that sin
no matter how great its power, and then
have some grace over to spare. He has
given us His Holy Spirit to live in US,
that He Who is stronger than these nat
ural tendencies of ours may overcome
them for us. and enable us to be victors
over ourselves. When we have given
H m control over our lives He does not
allow these natural tendencies to get the
best of the fight. Therefore, II we are
led by the Spirit, the Spirit fights for
us against the flesh. so that we may
not care not allowed) to do the things
that we would do under ordinary cir
cum stances and conditions.
WORKS AND FRUIT.
There is a very marked contrast here
between the life that is controlled by
natural tendencies and the one controll-
ed by the Spirit. The contrast is most
forcefully shown in these two words,
works and fruit. Notice that one is plu-
raj, the other singular. The. works OF
the flesh are numerous and horrible; the