You quote Galatians 5: 24
But what of 25 and 26
Since we live by the Spirit, Let us keep in step with the spirit. Let us not become CONCEITED, provoking and envying each other.
The spirit of some born agains is conceited. Conceited in the attitude of "I am a better Christian! YOU have to try harder!"
Were is the attitude of humble service in this?
First, this explanation does not undo what Galatians 5:24 says. Galatians 5:24 says they that are Christ’s have crucified the affections and lusts. Your belief does not believe that plain statement in Galatians 5:24 because you hold to the popular Christian viewpoint that says you can sin and still be saved on some level. You believe like most Christians in that you are going to be a slave to sin this side of Heaven. So you really don’t believe Galatians 5:24 in what it says.
Second, Galatians 5:25 in living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit is tied to Galatians 5:16 that says:
“
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16).
Again, you don’t believe Galatians 5:16 because you don’t truly believe in not fulfilling the lust of the flesh in this life.
Three, as for Galatians 5:26:
The statement made in Galatians 5:26 that says, “
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another” is tied in with the context of the heresy of Circumcision Salvationism. This was the false belief during the time that said you had to first be circumcised in order to be initially saved. Paul hints of this in Galatians 5:1-4.
Galatians 5:1-4 says:
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
But it was at the Jerusalem council that the false belief of Circumcision was described to us.
Acts of the Apostles 15:1
“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren,
and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”
Acts of the Apostles 15:5
“But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command
them to keep the law of Moses.”
Acts of the Apostles 15:24
“Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying,
Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no
such commandment:”
This is why Paul says if you seek to be circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing in Galatians 5:2.
It’s why he says, “
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:26).
For the vain glory is in telling others you must be circumcised in order to be saved. Provoking and envying one another is by telling others you have to be circumcised to be saved.
As for your claim that we as Christians are to say: “I am a better Christian! YOU have to try harder!”
Well, I never made such a claim and neither would I tell other believers this. Believers are to be more tactful and loving with their words in spurring them on to do good works (Hebrews 10:24), and to fight the good of faith so as to lay hold on eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12).
Grace is not a license to sin (Jude 1:4). Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness, and that we should live righteously and godly in this present world (Titus 2:11-12). Paul said that he labored more than the other apostles, but it was not him that did so alone but it was the grace of God within Paul that made him to labor more abundantly (1 Corinthians 15:10). So grace makes us to labor in doing good and not evil.
You said:
You chose 1 Peter 4: 1&2
If you have to single out verses what of, 8? 9? 10? 11?
8 above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Al
1 Peter 4:8-11 does not undo what 1 Peter 4:1-2 says. 1 Peter 4:1-2 makes a point on ceasing from sin by suffering in the flesh, and it says that we should live the rest of our time to the will of God and not to the lusts of the flesh. This what your belief in popular Christianity does not believe because you do not actually believe that you can live the rest of your time here on Earth to the will of God because you believe you must always sin this side of Heaven based on a false interpretation of 1 John 1:8, etcetera.
1 Peter 4:8 says that we are to have fervent charity (love) among ourselves (i.e. believes). This is not at the expense of warning other believers about how sin can destroy our souls.
Example, the author of Hebrews warns us by saying:
“Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:” (Hebrews 3:8).
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;” (Hebrews 4:12-14).
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,” (Hebrews 10:26).
Even the apostle Paul lists various sins in Galatians 5:19-21 and says that they which do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Meaning, they will not be saved. So we do teach that we will remain as sinners saved by God’s grace because doing those sins that Paul mentions will cause us to not inherit the Kingdom of God. In fact, Jesus says, if you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). But that probably does not factor into your equation on loving according to the Bible.