I went down a “rabbit trail” as I looked up that word to “gratify” in Galatians 5:16. In Greek, it is τελέσητε comes from (τελέω teleo meaning to bring to a close, to finish, to perform and complete an action, should have fully developed.) This is the same word that Jesus used on the Cross when He said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) (That is something to be thinking about and reflecting upon.)
There on the Cross, Jesus brought to a close, completed an action, and finished the purpose that He came to do – to become the only sacrifice to die on a bloody Cross and pay in full the punishment of our sins that we deserved.
This verb τελέσητε in Galatians 5:16, (getting a bit technical here) is preceded by two negative words [οὐ no] and [μὴ not]. And, τελέσητε is an Aorist Active Subjunctive 2nd person verb form. What does this all mean? The Aorist is expressing that an action has happened and is ongoing, the Active voice (2nd person – you are doing this), and the Subjunctive is the idea of “likely to occur,” but with the two negative words before it expresses a “double negative; the impossibility of an action to occur.”
So, put this all together, if you are walking in the Spirit – it will be IMPOSSIBLE for you even to begin to gratify, fulfill, complete, perform the action, to finish the lust/desires of the flesh in sinning against God.
This is why this point of “Walking in the Spirit” is so important to understand and learn how to do this in these lessons. As we are walking in the Spirit – our total dependence and power are coming through the Cross, knowing we have been washed and continuing to be washing at the Cross by the blood of the Lamb.
We learn that we are given a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27) that our desire for loving God grows more than loving sin. Then because the power of the Gospel is given to us to live out our Christian life – we will be warring against the flesh as we continue to walk in the Spirit and find our only cleansing, hope, and power at the Cross.
Application for me: when I am yielding to gratify the flesh – I am not walking in the Spirit. It is impossible to be doing both at the same time. It is either I am walking in the Spirit or gratifying the flesh. So, for me, when those desires of the flesh are active, I need to stop and run to the Cross and sit there and look up at my Savior and Lord until my thoughts have been washed; I am again walking with the Spirit by faith and ready to start warring against my flesh and to crucify it to the Cross.
4. What are some things you need to be doing to help you with your walking in the Spirit? How do you understand that you are either walking in the Spirit or gratifying the flesh?
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