Jump Start # 3787

Galatians 5:21 “envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Our verse today is found at the conclusion of the works of the flesh. Here the Holy Spirit identities fifteen specific sins that will keep us from Heaven. It seems that the sins are grouped together in categories. And, we must remind ourselves, that this Galatian letter was written to brethren. We’d think that they ought to know better, but then, do we? It is important to have these reminders.

Within our verse are two similar and important expressions. We find: “things like these,” and, “such things.” Those expressions indicate that the list of sins we find here is not the complete list. This is not all that is wrong. Good Bible students know that. We don’t find blasphemy among those fifteen named sins. We don’t find adultery listed. So, the list is not everything.

This is why the “things like these” and “such things” is important. Behind all of this is a heart that can discern right from wrong and make application. That’s the key. Some want the preacher to tell them everything. He can’t do that. Making your own application based upon the Scriptures will keep you close to the Lord and His word.

Now here are some thoughts for us:

First, some things are just wrong. Our culture doesn’t like that word. Today, many have replaced the word wrong, with the softer sounding word “different.” They worship “different” than we do. They see that verse “different” than I see it. And, with that nice word replacement, our times have extinguished the concept of “wrong.” I can’t say they are wrong, they just do things differently.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in that same mentality. However, Jesus didn’t have a problem with saying things were wrong. In Matthew 7, our Lord said that bad trees bear bad fruit (17). He again said that a bad tree cannot bear good fruit (18). Later Jesus said, “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil” (12:35). Bad. Evil. Jesus knew what was wrong. He could identify wrong. Can we?

Some things are bad. Some things are evil. Some things are wrong. There are some things that we can simply not go along with. There are some things that will poison our souls. Worship that is not approved by God is wrong. Cain learned that. Aaron’s son died because of that.

Second, mixing what is right with what is wrong complicates and confuses our own views. The blending of positives and negatives might work in math class or a lesson on electricity, but they don’t work in faith and our walk with the Lord. There are places where God has placed a stake in the ground. We do well to recognize those places and understand the boundaries that God has established. The mixing of truth and error may seem like a lovely way to bridge the gaps of division, but it’s not the way God wants. When we participate with things that are wrong, it leaves the impression that we go along with wrong. When righteous is doing unrighteous, then the righteous no longer looks righteous. Rather than building bridges with those that do not see things as the Bible teaches, what it does is weaken our voice and make us seem inconsistent and lacking a spiritual backbone.

When Paul spoke in Athens, he made if very clear that he wasn’t part of the idol community. You don’t find Jesus in an idol temple, eating with the pagans, laughing and acting as if everything was fine. When preachers participate in activities that are clearly outside the boundary of what the Bible teaches, and nothing is said, privately or publicly, it sure appears that those preachers go along with those things. It is very hard for those preachers to say anything against those practices when they have been a part of them.

There comes a time to draw a line and let it be known, this is as far as I go. This is as far as God goes.

Third, some in the excitement of the moment get caught up in things and just do not think things though or use discernment. Things like these is what our passage states. Applying principles, defining righteousness, seeing whether something will help me be closer to the Lord helps to understand “things like these.” For some, unless things are specifically spelled out and you can find a verse that states it is clearly wrong, they will never see it. And, the reason they never see it is because they have not thought about “things like these.” They have failed to use discernment.

Here’s a for instance: more and more young Christians are declaring that social drinking of alcohol is ok. Bold ones will declare, “there is no verse in the Bible that says I cannot have some alcohol.” And, so off they go drinking.

It fails to cross their minds that Proverbs says do not look upon the wine when it sparkles in a cup. Discernment. Then, will alcohol make me a stronger Christian? Things like these. And, just how much is ok? Just don’t get drunk? What’s drunk? Different states have different levels of DUI. What would they have done in the first century without blood tests for alcohol? Is kinda drunk ok? Is partial drunk ok? And, please do not bring up that Jesus turned water into wine. First, alcohol in the first century was so watered down that it wasn’t potent. Our common beer today would be classified as strong drink in Bible times. And, do you realize that Jesus made more than 160 gallons at that wedding feast? Was Jesus becoming the beer guy at the ballgame? And if you use Jesus turning water to wine, what are you going to do with the same Jesus who turned tables over in the temple? Was the purpose of the first miracle, water to wine, to give a green light to drink alcohol or was it the first step in showing that He was God on earth?

Things like these. Such things. Discernment. Once one thinks thinks through spiritually, making application, he will find himself standing with the Lord.

Rather than just giving us a list of everything wrong, God wants us to be thinking spiritually. Be making applications. Be discerning. And, as you do that, you’ll end up on the right side of things most times.

Roger