Galatians 5:19

King James Version (KJV)

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Translations

Galatians 5:19 - Amplified Bible

Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,

Galatians 5:19 - American Standard Version

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Galatians 5:19 - Bible in Basic English

Now the works of the flesh are clear, which are these: evil desire, unclean things, wrong use of the senses,

Galatians 5:19 - Darby Bible

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness,

Galatians 5:19 - English Standard Version

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

Galatians 5:19 - King James Version

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Galatians 5:19 - La Biblia de las Americas

Ahora bien, las obras de la carne son evidentes, las cuales son: inmoralidad, impureza, sensualidad,

Galatians 5:19 - The Message

It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.   This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.

Galatians 5:19 - New American Standard Bible

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

Galatians 5:19 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

Ahora bien, las obras de la carne son evidentes, las cuales son: inmoralidad, impureza, sensualidad,

Galatians 5:19 - World English Bible

Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness,

Galatians 5:19 - Young's Living Translation

And manifest also are the works of the flesh, which are: Adultery, whoredom, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Galatians 5:19 - Additional Comments

We just learned that as Christians we are free (see notes on vs 4:26). Yet here (vs 19-25), we see that we are either controlled by the flesh or the Spirit, or in reality, some combination, one winning more often than the other.
Consider the questions "Is Macbeth a victim to forces beyond his control or is he a cold blooded murderer?" and "What shall a man do against his fate?"
There is a technique called "Coercive Persuasion", which is a non-painful mind control technique that is used to control both your behavior and your attitude (mind control using pain and torture usually only affects behavior). The basic premise is to use persuasive tactics over continuous periods of time. Using this technique can coerce people to do things they formerly detested.
The decisions that we make are the result of a complex combination of underlying characteristics, being influenced by our values and beliefs, motives, attitudes, personality traits, and self-image as well as skills and knowledge. Much of this has been formed by our experiences (pains, joys, failures, successes, etc), our God-given mind we were born with, and His Spirit speaking to and guiding our hearts. Psychologists say that our basic personality is formed by the time we are six.
So, when you sin, I ask the question, did you sin because of forces beyond your control, or because you are sinful and chose to sin? (We sin, disregarding what the Spirit is telling us, because He always gives us a way out - 1 Cor 10:13). You DO have a choice, but it is strongly influenced by many factors.
You've heard the term "garbage in, garbage out". We can't control the garbage from the past, but we can control much of the garbage of the future. Let's look at each of the behaviors and attitudes in verses 19-25 and how we can influence our choices in the direction God wants.
Note that small decisions, in either direction, lead you to make bigger decisions in the same direction.
First, number one, spend time with God, to let the Spirit have the freedom to work in our lives, and constantly and strongly influence to make the right decisions. Second, pray for success in any area in which you struggle. Third, share your struggles with another believer. Fourth, see with the Scriptures say on the subject. An athlete who sees a weakness in his game does what is needed to fix it; when you see a weakness, what effort do you make to fix it?
Adultery - avoid movies, TV shows, magazines, web sites, places that have influences that stir your sexual desires in the wrong direction. Avoid flirting with anyone, even once. Avoid time alone with other women. Avoid close friendships where you are closer to her than your wife.
Fornication - same influences as Adultery.
Uncleanness (filthiness) - avoid wrong joke and talk and literature. Avoid repeating wrong things you've heard. No womanizing.
Lewdness (no restraint or shame) - associations, friendships with those who do; media showing those who do (e.g. movie "XXX").

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