The Gospel in Galatians

Living by the Spirit

Lesson #12 for September 16, 2017

Scriptures: Galatians 5:16-26; Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Romans 7:14-24; Jeremiah 7:9; Hosea 4:2; Matthew 22:35-40[1].

1.    This lesson discusses the basic battleground in the great controversy over the character and government of God. Are we living by the Spirit? Or, are we practicing the works of the flesh? As Christians, are we exercising true Christian love? Or, satanic selfishness?

2.    Where does the great controversy actually take place? Where does Satan conduct his fiercest attacks? Is he fighting hardest with people who are already fully on his side? Or, with people who are trying to escape his wiles? How do we actually bury the old self? This is not a physical battle but a mental and spiritual battle. (Romans 7:14-24)[2] It is a battle that occurs in each of us-in each person’s brain. Do you feel like a battleground? And how do we win by walking in the Spirit? (Galatians 5:16) How does that work out in modern life in the 21st century? (Galatians 5:22-23)[3]

3.    Every honest Christian will admit that there is a daily struggle between the fleshly desires-the natural human wishes and wants-and the promptings and pleadings of the Holy Spirit. How do we get from the “works of the flesh” to “walking in the Spirit”? (Galatians 5:16)[4]

There can be no growth or fruitfulness in the life that is centered in self. If you have accepted Christ as a personal [68] Saviour, you are to forget yourself, and try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His goodness. Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of souls upon your heart, and by every means in your power seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit of Christ-the Spirit of unselfish love and labor for others-you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely.... Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.

It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons* 67.3-69.2. [Bold type is added.]

4.    The only mechanism that seems to work is the one described in GC 555.1 and 1 Corinthians 3:18[5]. “It is a law of the human mind that by beholding we become changed....” What happens to a child as he beholds his parents and does his best to become like them? Compare Psalms 115:1-8[6]. The Assyrians worshiped a god of war; that is what they focused on as a nation, and they became a very warlike nation. Or, did they make a god of war because they liked to focus on war? What modern-day “idols” do people worship? What are our favorite things to do? Movies? Novels? The Internet? Bible study? Witnessing to others? Each of these actions changes us!

5.    As you look around you in the church or even in the world, how much of this kind of change do you see going on? We claim to be an end-time remnant people; we hope to accomplish something that no other group has accomplished in the history of our world. Are we making progress in that direction? Are we “in the world but not of the world”? (John 15:19; 17:14)[7]

6.    Why do you think God allows this warfare to go on? Why doesn’t God just allow us to be “once saved, always saved”? God could put a wall around Satan and not allow him to harass us. How much day-by-day transformation would take place in that situation?

7.    Do you find that it is easy to tell right from wrong? Or, do we get confused? To identify a counterfeit, one must know the true very well. Is it always clear which influences are coming from the flesh and which influences are coming from the Spirit? Isn’t crucifying the old nature a daily task? Paul said, “I die daily.” (1 Corinthians 15:31) Then he said:

1 Corinthians 15:33: Do not be fooled. “Bad companions ruin good character.”—American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation* (2nd ed., 1 Corinthians 15:33). New York: American Bible Society.

This is actually a quote from the Greek poet Menander from the 4th century B.C.

8.    What is “walking in the Spirit”? How is walking in the Spirit related to self-control? (Galatians 5:16-18,23)[8] There are going to be at least two “messiahs” that are going to show up at the end of the world. In fact, Jesus said that there will be many! Will it be easy to identify which is the false and which is the true? (Matthew 24:4-5,11,23-24; Revelation 13)[9]

9.    In the earliest Christian writings, the Christian life was described as “the Way.” (Compare John 14:6[10].) Luke and Peter talked about this in several places. (Acts 9:2; 18:25-26; 19:9,23; 24:22; 2 Peter 2:2)[11] In New Testament times, Christians had to be very careful because Christianity was an illegal religion. And as we know, many people were killed for their Christian beliefs. When walking along some country road, one might meet someone coming from the other direction and stop to talk with him briefly. If the Christian came to suspect that the other might be a Christian, he could casually “doodle” a lazy “curve” in the dust. If the second person was a Christian, he would complete the picture by making a mirror image curve next to the initial curve to complete a primitive picture of a fish. The fish symbol became a symbol for Christianity because the name for fish in Greek is I_ch th us (The ch and the th are each a single letter in Greek.) That was an acronym for I = “Jesus,” ch = “Christ,” th = “of God,” u = “the Son,” s = “Savior.”

10.    In the Old Testament, the life of the faithful Jew was described as Halakhah, “walking in the law.” (Read Exodus 16:4; Leviticus 18:4; Jeremiah 44:23. Compare Galatians 5:16,25; and Romans 8:4.)[12] How is that different from “the Way” described by Luke and Peter? Is it easy to walk in the Way? Or, is it hard? (Matthew 7:13-14[13])

11.    The Bible describes human beings as being born in sin. (Psalms 51:5; John 9:34[14]) How did we get that way? We are separated from God by our sin. (Isaiah 59:2)[15] What basic change happened when Adam and Eve became the first human sinners? How has that affected us? Do we understand how sin actually changes us? Do our children obey us because they fear us? Or, because they love us? Before they sinned, didn’t Adam and Eve obey God voluntarily and freely?

12.    There is a Christian bumper sticker which says: “Born once, die twice! Born twice, die once!” What does that mean? How does this relate to the daily walk that the Christian must experience if he is to remain a Christian?

13.    How does this daily walk relate to those who claim that we are “once saved, always saved”?

14.    Plato told his Greek students that human beings consist of a body which is basically evil. He taught that trapped inside that evil body is a soul which is good. This dualistic view of man was incorporated into certain Christian views in the early centuries. It was known as gnosticism. On one extreme, it led to the ascetic movement. The ascetics believed that every fleshly pleasure-even eating food which tasted good-was evil. That group did their best to separate themselves from any human pleasure.

15.    This type of thinking led to things such as the actions of Saint Simeon Stylites. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simeon Stylites) Living outside Aleppo, Syria, Simeon was so concerned about the sins in his life that he decided to build a tower ten feet tall and live on top of that tower. He thought it would be much more difficult to sin living up in the air many feet off the ground. As time went by, he made the tower taller and taller until he was up to 50 feet in the air. Soon, other Christians followed his example. The famous Order of the Stylites-the Pole Sitters-was the result. Ascetics believed that by putting the flesh to death, they were giving life to the soul.

16.    By contrast, there was another group who also had a dualistic idea about human beings. They concluded that since the body was hopelessly evil, it really did not matter what they did with their bodies since the only part that was savable was the soul. They thought they were free to commit every kind of sin, more or less doing whatever they wanted. The Gospel of John was written at least partially to counter these gnostic heresies. Neither of those groups lived loving lives.

17.    Which side of the great controversy are we on? On a daily basis, do we sometimes do what the Spirit wants us to do and, thus, place ourselves on God’s side? At times, on a daily basis, do we also do what the flesh yearns to do and, thus, place ourselves on Satan’s side? Are we fighting on both sides of the great controversy? How do we actually go about favoring the side of the Spirit making it stronger and more powerful every day while we starve the old man of sin-gradually putting to death or crucifying the flesh? Unfortunately, there are times when we have to choose between two bad choices! For example, sometimes we do potentially dangerous surgeries to cut out cancers. So, we choose what we hope will be the lesser of two evils.

18.    In Paul’s writings there are several lists of sins. How would you compare them? (Romans 1:29-32; Ephesians 4:1,17; Colossians 1:10; Galatians 5:19-21)[16] Which sins seem to get the most attention? What is the basic essence of sin? Isn’t it selfishness as opposed to love?

19.    Look at the these lists of sins. All of these sins are manifestations of selfishness. By contrast, look at the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23.[17] Notice that the first portion of the fruit of the Spirit is love. Does love produce joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and even self-control?

20.    Notice a couple of interesting contrasts between these two lists. Self demands we follow

its inclinations. By contrast, the Spirit produces its virtues. Does God ever use force on us?

21.    The second major difference between these two groupings is that the works of the flesh are plural while the fruit of the Spirit is singular. While Peter suggested in 2 Peter 1:5-7[18] that virtues need to be added in a ladder-like fashion, Paul seemed to suggest that the Christian virtues come all together as a single fruit. Which of these truths more closely describes your personal experience? What was Paul trying to emphasize? What was Peter trying to emphasize? Is this a fruit with many seeds? Are these seeds the characteristics that we are talking about?

22.    There are a lot of things to think about in these lists. Is God trying to make things difficult? Does it really matter what we believe?

The present age is one of idolatry, as verily as was that in which Elijah lived.

No outward shrine may be visible; there may be no image for the eye to rest upon; yet thousands are following after the gods of this world-after riches, fame, pleasure, and the pleasing fables that permit man to follow the inclinations of the unregenerate heart. Multitudes have a wrong conception of God and His attributes, and are as truly serving a false god as were the worshipers of Baal. Many even of those who claim to be Christians have allied themselves with influences that are unalterably opposed to God and [178] His truth. Thus they are led to turn away from the divine and to exalt the human.—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings* 177.1.

23.    Erroneous views about God and about basic human nature can lead us to do many wrong things. Satan’s number one goal is to misrepresent God and, thus, to turn us away from Him. Which of Satan’s “gods” are most attractive to us?

24.    Contrast Paul’s list of virtues in Galatians 5:22-23 with what other Bible writers have said about sins. (Jeremiah 7:9; Hosea 4:2; Mark 7:21-22; 1 Timothy 3:2-3; 1 Peter 4:3; Revelation 21:8)[19]

25.    How do the Ten Commandments relate to Paul’s lists of sins and virtues? Would it be correct to say that obedience-a true, humble, willingness to listen to God-to the Ten Commandments will produce the fruit of the Spirit?

26.    Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:8,10; and Galatians 5:14[20] tell us that love is the fulfillment of all law. Jesus Christ said that the law is summed up in love for God and love for our fellow man. (Matthew 22:37-40; Luke 10:25-28)[21] Is it clear that love for God is spelled out in the first four commandments while love for our fellow humans is described in the last six?

27.    In contrast with the fifteen evil results, all of which come from selfishness, the nine virtues that Paul described in Galatians 5:22-23 have been grouped in various ways. Some have suggested that there are three groups of three included in this list. Some have suggested these groups of three suggest the preeminence of the Trinity. Others say they reflect how we should relate to God, to our neighbors, and to ourselves. Others see this list simply as a description of the life of Jesus Christ which we are to follow. Does this list divide itself naturally into groups of three? Does this seem a little far-fetched to you?

28.    Paul emphasized the role of love in Galatians 5:6,13[22]. He included love in almost every list of virtues. (See 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Timothy 4:12; 6:11; and 2 Timothy 2:22.)[23] Love is also the preeminent fruit of the Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 13 and Romans 5:5.) What did Jesus Himself say about the role of love in the lives of Christians?

John 13:34-35: “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”—American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation* (2nd ed., John 13:34-35). New York: American Bible Society. (Compare DA 668.3.)

29.    Almost everyone recognizes that the preeminent characteristic of Christianity is love. And that is agape love. How many people in your church love like that? How does self-denial and crucifying the flesh relate to love? Is it possible to love without self-denial and selfcontrol?

30.    While we do not want to oversimplify the truth, it is fairly clear that most non-Christian religions focus on rules and the retributive results if one does not follow them. Many legalistic Christians take the same approach to God. How can we make sure that we are not doing the same? How can we gradually transform our lives from being self-centered to being God-centered? How can the Holy Spirit help us to accomplish this?

31.    According to Paul, the victorious goal toward which we are striving can be accomplished by following five steps:

1)    Walk by the Spirit; or, let the Spirit direct our lives.

2)    Let the Spirit lead us-following the example of Jesus-and no longer focus on our own behavior. Note that Martin Luther was consumed by concern about his past sins.

3)    Then, we will live by the Spirit who gives us life and controls our lives through His guidance.

4)    Then, we can keep in step with the Spirit.

5)    But, this is only possible by crucifying self!

32.    Why did Paul use the very strong word crucify to describe this step? Doesn’t that seem extreme? Of course, this is figurative language. Paul was not asking us to build wooden crosses and nail ourselves to them. Are we really trying to crucify self? How much would it hurt to cut off a hand? Or, pluck out an eye? (Matthew 18:8-9)[24]

33.    But, it is hard to deny the desires of the flesh. They always seem to come back. So, Paul said they must be crucified. What changes do we need to make in our lives to accomplish this step? Is that easy?

34.    Is it possible to identify these spiritual truths in the lives of others? Should people be able to tell that we are true Christians? (John 13:34-35; Matthew 5:16)[25] We need to help each other with these challenges. We need to encourage each other; and, as far as possible, we need to demonstrate the Christian virtues in our lives so others can see what it means to be a Christian. See 1 Corinthians 11:1.[26]

35.    How does all of this relate to the forensic aspects of Christianity? If our salvation rests exclusively on what Jesus has done for us, then why are we being asked to do all of this now? Is it clear how all this is supposed to fit together?

The life of the Christian is not all smooth. He has stern conflicts to meet. Severe temptations assail him. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” [Galatians 5:17] The nearer we come to the close of this earth’s history, the more delusive and ensnaring will be the attacks of the enemy. His attacks will grow fiercer and more frequent. Those who resist light and truth will become more hardened and unimpressible, and more bitter against those who love God and keep His commandments.—Ellen G. White, MS 33, 1911*; 6SDABC* 1111.7.

The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as in another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit-love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.—Ellen G. White, MS 41, 1897*; 6SDABC* 1112.1.

The Spirit of God keeps evil under the control of conscience. When man exalts himself above the influence of the Spirit, he reaps a harvest of iniquity.

Over such a man the Spirit has less and less influence to restrain him from sowing seeds of disobedience. Warnings have less and less power over him.

He gradually loses his fear of God. He sows to the flesh; he will reap corruption. The harvest of the seed that he himself has sown, is ripening. He has a contempt for God’s holy commandments. His heart of flesh becomes a heart of stone. Resistance to truth confirms him in iniquity. It is because men sowed seeds of evil, that lawlessness, crime, and violence prevailed in the antediluvian world.

All should be intelligent in regard to the agency by which the soul is destroyed. It is not because of any decree that God has sent out against man. He does not make man spiritually blind. God gives sufficient light and evidence to enable man to distinguish truth from error. But He does not force man to receive truth. He leaves him free to choose the good or to choose the evil. If man resists evidence that is sufficient to guide his judgment in the right direction, and chooses evil once, he will do this more readily the second time. The third time he will still more eagerly withdraw himself from God and choose to stand on the side of Satan. And in this course he will continue until he is confirmed in evil, and believes the lie he has cherished as truth. His resistance has produced its harvest.—Ellen G. White, MS 126, 1901*; 6SDABC* 1112.4-5. [Content in brackets is added.]

36. Assuming we are following the way of Christ, as we grow to become more and more like Him, do you think Satan will become more fierce in his temptations? Or, will Satan become less fierce? If we as end-time remnant Seventh-day Adventists are living in the last days, then we should be prepared for the time when we will have to face the Devil directly. We should be prepared to stand up for what we believe, and we should demonstrate in our lives the truths that Paul was talking about in our passage for this week.

© 2017, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version.    Info@theox.org

1-Gal 5:16-26 NIV So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (17) For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (19) The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; (20) idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions (21) and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (25) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (26) Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Deu 13:1-5 NIV If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, (2) and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," (3) you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. (4) It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. (5) That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.

Rom 7:14-24 NIV We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. (15) I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (16) And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. (17) As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. (18) For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (19) For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. (20) Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (21) So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. (22) For in my inner being I delight in God's law; (23) but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. (24) What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

Jer 7:9 NIV "'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known,

Hos 4:2 NIV There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Mat 22:35-40 NIV One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: (36) "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (37) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (40) All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

2-Rom 7:14-24 NIV We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. (15) I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (16) And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. (17) As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. (18) For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (19) For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. (20) Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (21) So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. (22) For in my inner being I delight in God's law; (23) but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. (24) What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

3-Gal 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

4-Gal 5:16 NIV So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

5-1Co 3:18 NIV Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become "fools" so that you may become wise.

6-Psa 115:1-8 NIV Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. (2) Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" (3) Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. (4) But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. (5) They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. (6) They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. (7) They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. (8) Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

7-Joh 15:19 NIV If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Joh 17:14 NIV I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

8-Gal 5:16-18 NIV So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (17) For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Gal 5:23 NIV gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

9-Mat 24:4-5 NIV Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. (5) For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many.

Mat 24:11 NIV and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

Mat 24:23-24 NIV At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. (24) For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Rev 13:1-18 NIV The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. (2) The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. (3) One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. (4) People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?" (5) The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. (6) It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. (7) It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (8) All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. (9) Whoever has ears, let them hear. (10) "If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed." This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people. (11) Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. (12) It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. (13) And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. (14) Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. (15) The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. (16) It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, (17) so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. (18) This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

10-Joh 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

11-Act 9:2 NIV and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Act 18:25-26 NIV He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. (26) He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Act 19:23 NIV About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.

Act 24:22 NIV Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. "When Lysias the commander comes," he said, "I will decide your case."

2Pe 2:2 NIV Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

12-Exo 16:4 NIV Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.

Lev 18:4 NIV You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.

Jer 44:23 NIV Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see."

Gal 5:16 NIV So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Gal 5:25 NIV Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Rom 8:4 NIV in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

13-Mat 7:13-14 NIV "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. (14) But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

14-Psa 51:5 NIV Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Joh 9:34 NIV To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.

15-Isa 59:2 NIV But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

16-Rom 1:29-32 NIV They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, (30) slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; (31) they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. (32) Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Eph 4:1 NIV As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Eph 4:17 NIV So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

Col 1:10 NIV so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

Gal 5:19-21 NIV The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; (20) idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions (21) and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

17-Gal 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

18-2Pe 1:5-7 NIV For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; (6) and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; (7) and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

19-Jer 7:9 NIV "'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known,

Hos 4:2 NIV There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Mar 7:21-22 NIV For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come--sexual immorality, theft, murder, (22) adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

1Ti 3:2-3 NIV Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, (3) not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

1Pe 4:3 NIV For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do--living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

Rev 21:8 NIV But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

20-Lev 19:18 NIV "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Rom 13:8 NIV Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Rom 13:10 NIV Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Gal 5:14 NIV For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

21-Mat 22:37-40 NIV Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (40) All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Luk 10:25-28 NIV On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (26) "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" (27) He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (28) "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

22-Gal 5:6 NIV For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Gal 5:13 NIV You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

23-2Co 6:6 NIV in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

1Ti 4:12 NIV Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

1Ti 6:11 NIV But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

2Ti 2:22 NIV Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

24-Mat 18:8-9 NIV If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. (9) And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

25-Joh 13:34-35 NIV "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (35) By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Mat 5:16 NIV In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

26-1Co 11:1 NIV Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

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