The first type of works of the flesh are acts we commit before we receive the gift of right-standing with God (and are born-again). Scripture makes a list of such works that are natural to us when we have not yet received the free gift of God’s righteousness.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21 ESV.
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Let us consider each one in detail:
- Before we were saved, we were sexually immoral. We used to lust after things that gripped our imagination and burned with passion after the desires and longings of our hearts. We lost all sense of moral judgment as we sought after our desires with a single-minded focus. This is the nature of sinful man.
- We were made impure by the lustful longings in our heart. We indulged in sensuality as a means to find fulfillment to these yearnings which then became our idols as we continuously lusted after vain pleasures in greater and greater intensity. These eventually led to sorcery which is the occult and black magic.
Have you wondered what the occult really is?
These are people who are taken into a trance-like state after they have infused drugs into their brains. Mediums such as necromancers talk to the dead to find out the fortune of the living. They use omens and divinations to foretell the future instead of using the Word of the Living God as we know that prophecy is a major part of scripture and thus provoke the Lord to anger. – 2 Chronicles 33:6 ESV
People who indulge in such practices will not inherit the kingdom of God. The Lord commands all necromancers and mediums to be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them. – Lev 20:27.
- We made idols of our desires and prayed to them through mediums so that we could have the desires of our hearts. This is the beginning of enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
Thus pursuing the desires of our hearts can lead us into all kinds of error. There is a need to sanctify our hearts so that we will not lust after vain pleasures and instead find stability, peace and joy in following God’s leading in our hearts. As this is not possible through any means other than the precious sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we need God’s free gift of salvation to rid us of our own unwanted longings. We need to be sanctified by God’s holiness and righteousness.
The solution therefore is to be sanctified by the blood of Jesus so that we may be made whole and our hearts’ desires may be made holy and virtuous. We will then have no such burning passions that ruin our lives—because pursuing all kinds of sensual pleasures (gluttony, lethargy, relationships outside the marriage covenant)—only leads to ruin resulting from non-fulfillment, and causing enmity, strife, drunkenness, orgies and all such unpleasant experiences in your life.
Prayer for salvation: Lord Jesus, I understand my need for you. I understand that I am not able to work out my own salvation without your help. I repent of all the evil I have committed in my heart by pursuing my own wants and desires at the cost of being true to you. I realize that I have lived a sinful life, by living for myself and not considering your desires as my Creator and God. I am truly sorry for breaking your heart with my vile ways. I need you Lord to restore me into your image and likeness so that I may live the rest of my life for you. I wish to be made complete in you O Lord that you may fill my heart and be enthroned on the summit of my heart and cause me to live holy and pleasing to you. I give myself fully and totally to you my God! You are the Lord of my life and I WILL follow you all the days of my life. Hallelujah! Amen.
A second type of works of the flesh
These are ‘good works’ that we perform outside the will of God. Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. – John 5:19-20
Why could the Lord not do the good works unless He saw His Father do them? For instance, Jesus did not heal a crippled man, lame since birth, who begged by the gate Beautiful (Acts 3). Jesus came to do good works. So we assume He should have healed all the sick, so why was this crippled man not healed? Was it because he (the cripple) did not have faith? But clearly he had faith to be healed even after Jesus was crucified—as we read in Acts 3:4-5: “4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.”
The reason Jesus did not heal the cripple was not because he did not have faith but because the Lord did not SEE the Father doing it. He could do nothing unless the Father instructed Him to. The Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. – John 5:20. Performing good works if they have not been required by us of the Father are counted as works of the flesh. So we see the importance of always doing ONLY as the Spirit says.
After we are born-again, we become God-oriented and desire to do good. However our mind is still unrenewed and we need guidance on what to do, when to do it and how to do ‘good works’.
We face great moral danger in doing ‘good works’ out of God’s timing and will. In fact, Jesus delineates true and false disciples based on whether or not they have been subject to the Father’s will. Where do we find this?
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ – Matthew 7:21-23
The works of prophesying, driving out demons and performing miracles cannot be considered as ‘evil’ works. Yet Jesus says He never knew them. What does this mean? How did these people do these ‘good’ works without God aiding them?
God blessed them with gifts when they walked in obedience to God’s will. After they started using the gifts, they started thinking that they had become great in the kingdom. So they started doing the ‘works’ even without hearing God. The gifts continued to work even when they had become disobedient; “for we know the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable.” – Rom 11:29.
However because they had become disobedient, God removed their names from the Book of Life. So when these people come to God to receive their rewards, God checks their names and cannot find them. So He says to them, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
So precious people of God, abstain from doing even GOOD WORKS unless God the Father specifically tells you to. Wait in His Presence and gain understanding instead of rushing into activities and committing yourself to schedules the Lord did not call you to. Do every task prayerfully, seeking His will above yours and submit to His supremacy in your life. You exist because of Him—He bought you with His precious blood and you are His. So He will inform you what you need to do, when you need to do it and how you need to do it. If you then do it, you will be counted as a worthy servant and you will receive your reward. Amen.
When you desire to do good (it is God causing you to desire to do His Will), seek the Lord’s face and consult with Him. When you have clarity and are empowered to perform the task, you will have open doors and great success. Such acts will be a blessing and God is glorified through them. Every thing else (good or bad works performed in the flesh without being sensitive to God’s leading) are categorized as works of the flesh. Amen.