Let Us Not Become Boastful

Today’s “one another” is the final verse in Paul’s explanation of the difference between the “deeds of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16-26). “Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:26). This verse has three key words that I chose to investigate: boastful, challenging, and envying.

The Greek word translated as “boastful” is a compound word like bath-tub or sun-flower. The two words making up kenodoxos are kenos meaning empty or hollow and doxos meaning praise. This word has at its core the idea of foolish conceitedness, self-glorification, and a wanting to be admired by others. Paul says here, let us not do this! According to Zodhiates’ Complete Word Study Dictionary, the hollow aspect of this word also implies “meaningless, aimlessness, and when used of persons it predicates not merely an absence of goods, but also, since a vacuum does not exist in man’s moral nature, the presence of evil.” Interestingly, the only antonym (opposite) given here by Zodhiates is “humble”.

The next word Paul warns us about is “challenging”, the Greek word he uses here means to irritate, to provoke, deliberately inciting anger in someone. A biblical example of such provocation and challenging is found in I Kings 14:22-24, which teaches that we “provoke God” when we practice idolatry by giving the glory to people or things that rightfully belongs to God alone. By contrast, rather than be anger-makers, Jesus has said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9).

Finally, Paul says to not become “envying of one another”. Synonyms for envy are covet and jealous. God has given us the 10th Commandment which speaks against covetousness, therefore, this is no slight thing in His eyes (Exodus 20:17). Furthermore, Scriptures teach that such envying led directly to our Lord’s crucifixion. “So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.” (Matthew 27:17-18). With regards to envy, Zodhiates says it is “malignity conceived at the sign of excellence or happiness” and the word envy “is incapable of good and is always used with an evil meaning. The antonyms he lists are to rejoice with and to congratulate.

When we look at these three words together, we see quite a list of sinful behaviors and attitudes. It is no wonder that Paul would say, “Let us not become…” However, in conclusion I want to turn these negatives into positives using the antonyms discovered in today’s study. Let us become humble, peacemakers, rejoicing with one another!

Galatians 5:24-25 “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

Loneliness is a Lie

This painting represents God’s pillar of fire that traveled with the Israelites through their wilderness wanderings. If you've ever felt alone or know someone who has, you'll want to read more about this painting's meaning at wingabouts.com

A Peculiar Sight

The fire in this painting illustrates the burning bush that Moses saw in Exodus chapter 3. As Christians, the fire of the Holy Spirit is to burn within us....Read the complete story or purchase an art print by visiting wingabouts.com

Saved for What?

Luke 1:74-75 “To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.” –from the prophecy of the Priest Zacharias.

I love these two verses because they make it perfectly clear what we are saved FROM and what we are saved FOR. We are saved FROM our enemies and we are saved FOR serving Him. And WHEN do we serve Him? ALL OUR DAYS! This is not saying an hour on Sunday morning is acceptable. Far from it! The strong implication here is that we are to do this EVERY day and ALL day long!

Luke 3:9 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (From the preaching of John the Baptist). This verse is really very similar to what Zacharias (John’s father) had said 30 years earlier – the purpose in our being redeemed is to serve Him all the days of our lives: “bear good fruit!”

And this teaching also reminded me of what the Lord told Moses to say to Pharaoh – “Let My People go, that they may serve Me!” (Exodus 8:1). We tend to forget about the “serve Me” part and just focus on the new found freedom we have – yippee, no more being a slave in Egypt. But wait, we’re still to be slaves, bondservants who serve the Lord God our Maker. The Apostle Paul teaches that very lesson quite plainly in Colossians 3:24 -- “It is the Lord Christ who you serve.”

However, telling people that they are saved to serve may not appeal to them. So do we risk them not accepting salvation because they are lazy? Well, I don’t think that this is even an issue. If the Lord has called them, they will get saved! And secondly, we don’t need to tell someone who is truly saved that they need to serve the Lord. They will do just exactly that out of love and thankfulness for all the Lord has done for them. Right?

Luke 7:47  “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” – Parable of Two Debtors as taught by Jesus.

Jealousy

This is a short little essay I wrote last Fall. It was the beginning of a wonderful time in my life. I was able to draw near to God and find a sort of fellowship that was so sweet it seemed almost unreal. But it was real, and it still is real. It began by realizing something about God’s character that I had overlooked. Yes, He has billions of people on this planet to care for and fellowship with. But He honestly WANTS to have fellowship with ME. Not because of who I am, but because of who He is. . . .

There are two kinds of jealousy – sinful and righteous. Wanting what is not yours is sinful – and I’m not even sure it is really jealousy at all – just covetousness – which is sin.

Righteous jealousy is wanting what is supposed to be yours but SIN has caused it to not be that way. A husband has righteous jealousy when he sees his wife with another man.

God is a jealous God. He burns with jealousy when we fail in our duty (sin!) to worship Him. When we’re off on our own path – seeking out worldly idolatrous and adulterous pleasures we’re grieving God. We’re being the lost, wayward, unfaithful Bride of Christ and God has righteous jealousy when we act that way.

And God always wants MORE of us. Two people in love are never satisfied when they are separated.

So God loves me – He has all these intense feelings, desiring fellowship ALWAYS. The question is – do I love God in any way like that? Is my heart aching when I don’t have fellowship? Am I ever satisfied?

Do I pat myself on the back after one hour of Bible study? Or do I thirst for more?

Is quiet time with God an item on my to-do list or an unquenchable passion in my life?

God is jealous for me. Am I jealous for God?

Does my heart ache when sin draws me away from fellowship? (Nov 1, 2009)

Exodus 20: 3, 5 “You shall have no other gods before me. . . . for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God . . . “

Journal Suggestions:

Describe a time you felt particularly close to the Lord.

Tell about an attribute of God that has recently become more real for you.