When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Let’s read that Scripture again and this time take out the bits that most religious folk scorn upon:

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: …hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy …and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Paul, in all his brilliance, hid these more subtle sins, sandwiching them between the ones that most Christians avoid. So often we read this Scripture and just glaze over it because we have been fooled into thinking that these sins are not on our radar, therefore we don’t fall into the class of the immoral ones who will miss out on the Kingdom of God. Well, look again, dear church-goer, Bible-thumper! (I was the chief-ess of sinners in these things, so I can be so bold!) Hidden in these verses are sins that we commit on a daily if not hourly basis! Wake up, Sunday School teacher! It’s time to scrutinize and crucify your stinkin’ flesh! Paul puts temper tantrums in the same category as pornography or getting drunk. Boom.

Father,

You’ve nailed me. Now grant me forgiveness, I pray. And I nail my sinful flesh on the cross that killed you, and I receive your forgiveness and the transformation of my mind and soul to grow in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Today I choose love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! You reflect all of those qualities, and I receive them from You as I walk hand in hand with you today.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen