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The New Covenant

          The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit 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. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:19-26)

         Today’s passage gives another list describing the life of those who are not living according to the New Covenant: sexually immoral, impure, debauched, and practicing idolatry (the worship of anything other than God) and/or witchcraft.  It is a life of hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and other stuff like those. In other words, it’s a life of “I have the right to do what I want, when I want, with whom I want, how I want, where I want…as long as I don’t think I’m hurting anyone who doesn’t want or deserve to be hurt.” The passage states categorically that this lifestyle will not inherit the kingdom of God.
          Does this mean a Christian can’t be an alcoholic? Unfortunately, not. Becoming a Christian doesn’t always involve a miraculous change from sinful to sinless. I wish it did. Sinlessness would be a refreshing change in my life. But Christians move increasingly away from these things and do battle with them rather than accepting or encouraging them.
          Instead, the Christian lifestyle is characterized by:
* Love: intense desire for what is in the best interest of the beloved (not just what      makes the beloved happy.)
* Joy: feeling of well-being that results from an understanding that one is cared for    by someone who is willing and able to care for us.
* Peace: Submission, first and foremost to God
* Patience: Giving others time to do what we want (without our giving up wanting it.)
* Kindness: Acting and assisting in a way that is helpful and in the best interest of     the beneficiary
* Goodness: Useful, in the best interest of those involved, moral
* Faithfulness: Not giving up
* Gentleness: using only as much strength or power as is necessary.
* Self-Control: dealing with our own “dirty diapers,” sins, weaknesses.
         The person for whom these are becoming more and more the characteristics doesn’t need to fear any law. That’s what the New Covenant is about – not not breaking the law but about living a life in which one doesn’t need to be constrained by “Thou Shalt Nots” because one is too busy doing the other things.

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