Works of the Flesh

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, ….. they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  ^{Gal. 5:19a … 21b}

No man who commits the sins mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21 will ever inherit the kingdom of God unless he confesses and puts them out of his life.  These are called the works of the flesh and are given in contrast of the fruit of the Spirit that we receive as we are washed, sanctified and are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

These sins can be classified in four divisions, the four sins of lust: adultery, fornication, uncleanness and lasciviousness, ^{Gal. 5:19} the two sins of impiety and superstition: idolatry and witchcraft, ^{Gal. 5:20} the nine sins of temper: hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings and murders, ^{Gal. 5:20-21} and the two sins of the appetite: drunkenness and revellings. ^{Gal. 5:21} Let’s have a look at them:

1. Greek: moicheia (GSN-<G3430>), unlawful sexual relations between men and women, single or married. ^{Mt. 15:19; Mk. 7:21; Jn. 8:3} Note the related Greek: verbs, moichao (GSN-<G3429>) ^{Mt. 5:32, 19:9; Mk. 10:11-12} and moicheuo (GSN-<G3431>). ^{Mt. 5:27-28; 19:18; Mk. 10:19; Lk. 16:18; 18:20; Jn. 8:4; Rom. 2:22; 13:9; Jas. 2:11; Rev. 2:22}
2. Greek: porneia (GSN-<G4202>), same as adultery above besides all manner of other unlawful relations.
3. Greek: akatharsia (GSN-<G167>), whatever is opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, and all other forms of sexual perversion ^{Mt. 23:27; Rom. 1:21-32; 6:19; 2Cor. 12:21; Eph. 4:19; 5:3; Col. 3:5; 1Th. 2:3; 4:7; 2Pet. 2}
4. Greek: aselgeia (GSN-<G766>), licentiousness, lustfulness, unchastity, and lewdness. Translated “lasciviousness” ^{Mk. 7:22; 2Cor. 12:21; Eph. 4:19; 1Pet. 4:3; Jude 1:4} “wantonness” ^{Rom. 13:13; 2Pet 2:18} and “filthy”. ^{2Pet. 2:7} Lasciviousness is the promoting or partaking of that which tends to produce lewd emotions, anything tending to foster sex sin and lust. That is why many worldly pleasures have to be avoided by Christians, so that lasciviousness may not be committed.
5. Greek: eidololatreia (GSN-<G1495>), image-worship. ^{1Cor. 10:14; Col. 3:5; 1Pet. 4:3} Idolatry includes anything on which affections are passionately set; extravagant admiration of the heart. ^{Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5}
6. Greek: pharmakeia (GSN-<G5331>), sorcery, practice of dealing with evil spirits; magical incantations and casting spells and charms upon one by means of drugs and potions of various kinds. ^{Rev. 9:21; 18:23} Enchantments were used to inflict evil, pains, hatred, sufferings, and death, or to bring good, health, love and other blessings.
7. Greek: echthra (GSN-<G2189>), enmity ^{Lk. 23:12; Rom. 8:7; Eph. 2:15-16; Jas. 4:4} and hatred. Bitter dislike, abhorrence, malice and ill will against anyone; tendency to hold grudges against or be angry at someone.
8. Greek: eris (GSN-<G2054>). ^{Rom. 1:29} Dissensions, discord, quarreling, debating; and disputes.
9. Greek: zeloi (GSN-<G2205>), envies, jealousies; striving to excel at the expense of another; seeking to surpass and out do others; uncurbed rivalry spirit in religion, business, society, and other fields of endeavor. Translated “zeal” ^{Jn. 2:17; Rom. 10:2; 2Cor. 7:11; 9:2; Php. 3:6; Col. 4:13} “fervent mind” ^{2Cor. 7:7} “envy” ^{Acts 13:45; Rom. 13:13; 1Cor. 3:3; 2Cor. 12:20; Jas. 3:14-15} “jealousy” ^{2Cor. 11:2} “indignation” ^{Acts 5:17; Heb. 10:27} and “emulation”.
10. Greek: thumos (GSN-<G2372>), “wrath” ^{Lk. 4:28; Acts 19:28; 2Cor. 12:20; Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8; Heb. 11:27; Rev. 12:12; 14:8,10,19; 15:1,7; 16:1; 18:3} “indignation” ^{Rom. 2:8} and “fierceness”. ^{Rev. 16:19; 19:15} Turbulent passions; domestic and civil turmoil; rage; determined and lasting anger.
11. Greek: eritheia (GSN-<G2052>), “strife” ^{2Cor. 12:20; Php. 2:3; Jas. 3:14,16} “contention”. ^{Php. 1:16; Rom. 2:8} Disputations; jangling; strife about words; angry contentions; contest for superiority or advantage; strenuous endeavor to equal or pay back in kind the wrongs done to one.
12. Greek: dichostasia (GSN-<G1370>), “divisions” ^{Rom. 16:17; 1Cor. 3:3} “seditions, parties, and factions”. Popular disorder; stirring up strife in religion, government, home, or any other place.
13. Greek: hairesis (GSN-<G139>), a choosing, hence, a sect ^{Acts 5:17; 15:5; 24:5; 26:5; 28:22} and heresy. ^{Acts 24:14; 1Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20; 2Pet. 2:1}
14. Greek: phthonoi (GSN-<G5355>) ^{Mt. 27:18; Mk. 15:10; Rom. 1:29; Php. 1:15; 1Tim. 6:4; Tit. 3:3; Jas. 4:5; 1Pet. 2:1} Pain, ill will, and jealousy at the good fortune or blessings of another; the most base of all degrading and disgraceful passions.
15. Greek: phonoi (GSN-<G5408>) ^{Mt. 15:18} to kill; to spoil or mar the happiness of another; hatred. ^{1Jn. 3:15}
16. Greek: methai (GSN-<G3178>) ^{Lk. 21:34; Rom. 13:13} Drinking, living intoxicated; a slave to drink; drinking bouts.
17. Greek: komoi (GSN-<G2970>) ^{1Pet. 4:3} rioting. ^{Rom. 13:13} Lascivious and boisterous feastings, with obscene music, and other sinful activities; pleasures; carousing.

Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. ^{1Cor. 6:9-11 KJV}

I choose to live a life wherein I die to the self and the works of the flesh and I choose to live in the Spirit and in Truth and not to give in to worldly or fleshly lusts. I choose to serve Christ Jesus! Amen