Walk in the Spirit...

[ignatius]

St. Paul said in his Epistle to the Galatians:

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ~Galatians 5:16

What did he mean? How do we not fulfill the lust of the flesh? 

[Tzimis]

St. Paul said in his Epistle to the Galatians:

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ~Galatians 5:16

What did he mean? How do we not fulfill the lust of the flesh? 

 

Fr. John S. Romanides

Death is an evil force which made its way into the world through sin, lodged itself in the world, and, in the person of Satan, is reigning both in man and creation. For this reason, although man can know the good through the law written in his heart and may wish to do what is good, he cannot because of the sin which is dwelling in his flesh. Therefore, it is not he who does the evil, but sin that dwelleth in him. Because of this sin, he cannot find the means to do good. He must be saved from "the body of this death."[210] Only then can he do good. What can Paul mean by such statements? A proper answer is to be found only when St. Paul's doctrine of human destiny is taken into account.

If man was created for a life of complete selfless love, whereby his actions would always be directed outward, toward God and neighbor, and never toward himself—whereby he would be the perfect image and likeness of God—then it is obvious that the power of death and corruption has now made it impossible to live such a life of perfection. The power of death in the universe has brought with it the will for self-preservation, fear, and anxiety,[211] which in turn are the root causes of self-assertion, egoism, hatred, envy and the like. Because man is afraid of becoming meaningless, he is constantly endeavoring to prove, to himself and others, that he is worth something. He thirsts after compliments and is afraid of insults. He seeks his own and is jealous of the successes of others. He likes those who like him, and hates those who hate him. He either seeks security and happiness in wealth, glory and bodily pleasures, or imagines that this destiny is to be happy in the possession of the presence of God by an introverted and individualistic [person] inclined to mistake his desires for self-satisfaction and happiness for his normal destiny. On the other hand, he can become zealous over vague ideological principles of love for humanity and yet hate his closest neighbors. These are the works of the flesh of which St. Paul speaks.

http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/frjr_sin.aspx

[Tzimis]

How do we not fulfill the lust of the flesh?

Baptism is putting death to the body and taking on Christ. Defeating Lust of the flesh can only be acomplished with the HS in you.

[Thomas]

WE practice  walking in the spirit thru fasting, prayer,and alms giving.  We  learn to defeat the "lusts of the flesh" by the combination of these three aesectic practices available to all Orthodox Christians who truely practice the Fast in earnest and in its fullness.  May you a blessed and holy Nativity Fast.

In Christ, Thomas

[pensateomnia]

What did he mean? How do we not fulfill the lust of the flesh? 

St. Paul is speaking about our relationship to the Old Testament Law. On the one hand, since Christ has fulfilled the Law, we are no longer bound to the ritualistic and legalistic aspects of it. On the other hand, this freedom does NOT mean that we are free to sin at will by indulging our baser instincts or by disregarding the needs of other people. Thus, St. Paul says:

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another. (Gal. 5:13-15).

In other words, we still need to keep the true spirit of the Law: love for God and neighbor.

But, without specific guidelines (like those contained in the OT), how do we know what constitutes behavior according to the spirit of the Law? By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit! That's why we must "walk in the Spirit."

How do we know we are walking in the Spirit? Because such a life will produce the fruits of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self control" (Gal 5: 22-23).

We avoid fulfilling (or doing) the lust of the flesh not out of mere obligation or by means of our own human strength, but through the assistance and grace of the Holy Spirit, whose help we entreat and whose presence we experience within the Church.

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