In Matthew Chapter 26, before his betrayal and arrest,
the Lord took with him Peter, James, and John. The Lord on that fateful night told
them, “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the
spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mat 26:41) Paul in all of his
epistles spends a great deal of time talking about the Spirit and the Flesh.
Today I would like to analyze the doctrine of the Holy Spirit from Paul’s
epistle to the Galatians.
According to T. Paige, Paul’s concept of the Holy
Spirit came from three main sources; (1) The Old Testament, (2) Intertestamental
Judaism, and (3) Christian thought. Paul’s Old Testament understanding of the
Spirit was God’s presence and power.1 As of note Paul did not
have a Hellenistic idea of the Spirit as something being at the beck and call
of man. Paul understood that the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, and because God
is One there is only one Spirit in all.2 Paul believed that the
Galatians received the Spirit by hearing the gospel message with faith. God is
the one who provides the Spirit and works miracles among them. (Gal 3:1-5)
As stated earlier Paul speaks often in his epistles
about the Spirit and the Flesh. John Calvin believed that the believer has two
natures; a spiritual nature and a fleshy nature. Even though the Christian has
been redeemed, he is helplessly subject to the power of the flesh until the
resurrection.3
There is not sufficient space in this essay to give my
personal views on this matter; however, I will say that both the Spirit and the
Flesh are present in the believer’s life. Prior to receiving the Holy Spirit,
you had one nature (the flesh), and therefore were subject to fleshy desires.
Paul says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the
desire of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16) Who was Paul talking too? Believers,
therefore, believers who walk by the Spirit will not carry out the desires of
the flesh. However, a word of warning, never think that you have won dominance
over your flesh, and never consider your flesh redeemed. There will always be a
war between the Spirit and the flesh until the consummation. “For the flesh
sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these
are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you
please.” (Gal 5:17) If you are in Christ you must crucify the flesh with its
passions and desires. (Gal 5:24) “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by
the Spirit.” (Gal 5:25)
In addition to the Holy Spirit working in the
believer’s life against the flesh, the Holy Spirit is also at work in
evangelism; convincing those who have heard the gospel to believe (Gal 3:1-3),
and giving believers the boldness and wisdom to testify about Jesus.4 Paul understood that
Justification, Christ, and the Spirit are always linked, you cannot have one
without the other.5
Paul believed that the greatest outcropping of the
Holy Spirit is love (cf. 1 Cor 13), being in the Spirit, or being in Christ
expresses itself in fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 list the fruit of the Spirit.6 The reason that one goes
out and testifies about Jesus is out of love and obedience towards God in Jesus
Christ, and love and concern for one’s neighbor. The reason that a believer
bears the burden of his brother, restoring him who is caught in a trespass with
gentleness is out of love for his brother. (Gal 6:1-4) To be in the Spirit is
to be concerned for what is best for the other even at one’s own expense.
So brothers and sisters let us walk in the Spirit of
Holiness as Christ walked. Let us testify about Jesus Christ, preaching the
gospel with boldness and wisdom in this world. Let us walk by the Spirit and
not by the flesh, putting to death the deeds of the flesh. Let us walk in unity
bearing one another’s burdens and praying for one another. Let us do so knowing
that the consummation of the Kingdom is coming. Until that day let us worship
the Lord together in the Spirit of Christ.
1 T. Paige, “Holy Spirit” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, eds.
Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers
Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1993), 404.
2 T. Paige, “Holy Spirit” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, eds.
Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers
Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1993), 405.
3 T. Paige, “Holy Spirit” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, eds.
Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers
Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1993), 409.
4 T. Paige, “Holy Spirit” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, eds.
Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers
Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1993), 409.
5 T. Paige, “Holy Spirit” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, eds.
Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers
Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1993), 410.
6 Ibid.
