Thank you for the advice on your site it has been a blessing to me and have helped me through a lot of difficult patches in my life.
I read Galatians 5:19 – 24 that states that if you do any of these things you will not see the Kingdom of God. That is frightening as I struggle to not to do these things. Even if it is only in the mind as Jesus has stated.
If we are saved by Grace thru Faith, why would the Holy Spirit through Paul make the statement In Galatians? It seems to contradict as I know of no honest person that does not struggle in one of these areas. I for one loose my temper from time to time. Help please. Please help.
You’ve discovered one of the passages that put those who don’t accept OSAS into an impossible situation. We all sin, and even the most devout Christians commit acts contained in the Galatians list. If you believe it’s possible to lose your salvation by sinning, then you either have to believe that you never sin, or else you have to admit that you’re not saved.
In referring to his list of don’ts Paul said that those who live like this will never inherit the Kingdom. (Galatians 5:21) The verse implies a lifestyle rather than an occasional slip. In Romans 8:5, Paul clarified things a little by saying that it begins with our state of mind. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, while those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Both these passages cause us to ask the same question. What are the dominant thoughts of our mind each day? Are they to gratify the desires of the flesh, or to live according to the Spirit? True Christians will always have our minds set on living according to the Spirit, knowing that our sin nature is such that we’ll fall short. The Lord sees our sins, not as something we do, but as something done by the sin that dwells within us. (Romans 7:20) Therefore each time we confess we’re forgiven, and purified from all unrighteousness, and the slate is wiped clean again.