SANCTIFICATION (2)

Years ago I read Francis Schaeffer's description of orthodoxy. In his description he focused on a raised plateau with sheer cliffs on each side. His basic argument was that for every essential doctrine of Christ's Church there were probably at least two heresies. If you strayed too far to either side of the center of orthodoxy you ran the chance of falling over the edge into heresy. This concept of Schaeffer's in important in understanding what is going on in our New Testament passage today.

In the earlier part of this chapter, Paul has argued against the Judaizing tendency of the Jewish Christians. By contrast the Jewish Christians were concerned with examples of immorality among the gentile Christians Paul is caught in the middle, recognizing the dangers of both extremes. He is in the center of Schaeffer's plateau trying to bring both groups to appreciate their calling in the Spirit.

In our passage for today, Paul admonishes the gentile Galatians in verse sixteen:

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

"if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."

However, the acts of the sinful nature are obvious, even to the pagans of Paul's time! The vices listed in verse nineteen were regarded with horror because the educated pagan believed these were contrary to the true nature of man. Does that sound like the secular teachings of our own time? Yes, the majority of thinkers today believe in the essential goodness of humanity. These vices are nothing more than a lack of education or the result of a poor environment. So says the world.

Public education is trying to work itself up to teach some system of ethics. And have you noticed the sudden ethical concern of our leaders in the White House recently. Heaven forbid, the liberals have actually condemned some forms of fund raising and urged the conservatives to agree on a means of ethical party support.

From Paul's perspective in verses sixteen and seventeen we begin to realize that the list here in verse nineteen is the natural nature of mankind. The first three vices include sexual irregularities, perversions and a constant readiness for pleasure. These were considered natural by many of the pagans. Christianity and Judaism were unique in the Mid-East in encouraging members to be virtuous. The fourth and fifth vices of idolatry and sorcery involved unfaithfulness to the true God. The love of the pagan world here was to the material, the magical and mystical. The sixth through eighth vices of enmities, strife and jealousy involved hostile quarrels and a selfish orientation for one's own concerns alone.

The outbursts, disputes, dissensions, factions, and envyings indicate the extent of that selfish orientation which resulted in these five indications of the natural order. The last two vices were specially related to the festivals of the pagan religions.

Even though many of these vices were covered over to a limited extent for several centuries, the tendency toward these has remained. As the restraints of Christian moraligy on society grow weaker, the natural world returns to its natural ways. By contrast, Paul sets out the characteristics which may be ours through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

First and foremost is love that overcomes our selfish attitudes and allows us to put God and others before our wants, wishes and desires. Second, there is the joy and peace that comes with the presence of God in our lives. Third, patience, kindness and goodness enable us to live together as Christ's Church. Fourth, faithfulness and gentleness makes us more and more useful to our God and Lord Jesus Christ. And lastly there is self-control which by the grace of the Spirit masters our desires and pleasures.

These all are the fruits of the Spirit which Paul instructs us are not against any law. Now, what is Paul getting at here? What is he afraid of is the Judaizer's tendency to legislate the habits of holiness? I am first reminded of a scene in the movie version of James Mitchner's Hawaii. Once the Hawaiian queen had converted to Christianity, the missionary urged the queen to post a law forbidding all twenty-six kinds of adultery! The queen resisted by saying that some of the people might want to try some of those varieties they never thought of.

In the same way I instruct my students to adopt five personal characteristics of behavior in my class instead of going through a long list of no-no's! I remember one teacher who told his class not to take any screws out of the desks. By the end of the week, his furniture was in shambles!

Today, we like Paul are caught between two opposite tendencies. Cults and even some evangelical churches are caught up in enforcing a strict code of behavior which even forbids any question about the misuse of authority by those in power. On the other hand secular humanists are completing plans to legalize any and all amoral behavior as long as such behavior suits their purpose. These are the sides of the behavioral plateau before us today.

In a similar situation Paul urged the Galatians to establish a caring, loving Christian community which practices the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 12: 2 Paul urges us to

"not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will."

The natural pattern of this world is different from that of our God and our Christ. The spirit of this age claws at us from birth to death in not only obvious but also subtle ways day by day. Those of us who have reached middle age or more can certainly remember quieter less hectic times in our youth when worldly ways and desires were much more in control. As we view society from the sanctuary of Christ's Church today, we can better appreciate the obstacles faced by the early Church.

We can also better understand our need to be led by the power of God's Holy Spirit. In such a way we may all be enabled to show forth the fruits of the Spirit. After the Viet Nam conflict a study was done of why men fight in battle. Some people were surprised to discover that for most soldiers, it was not for country, capitalism or Congress. No, most soldiers were afraid of letting their buddies down. They cared for each other and held together to protect one another. It was squad, platoon company and battalion cohesion that provided the glue for holding an Army together.

Just as the British Army has known for centuries it is only the company of the committed that can hold together long enough for the great God of battles to grant the appropriate victory. Knowing this, we can better understand the contents of verse twenty-six where Paul admonishes those who belong to Christ's Church to show the fruits of the Spirit to each other. Our calling is to avoid being worldly in our relationships and to show forth the power of the Spirit. We are to develop a spiritual cohesion that molds and holds us in His Kingdom.

In Matthew 5: 13-16 we find these instructions from our own Lord Jesus Christ:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."