Grace Evangelical Society

P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202
  • About
    • Home
    • Beliefs
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Resources
    • Grace in Focus Blog
    • Grace in Focus International Blogs
    • Grace in Focus Radio
    • Grace in Focus Magazine
    • Free eBooks
    • Journal of the GES
    • Book Reviews
    • Partners in Grace Newsletter
    • Audio Messages
    • Videos
    • Email Subscription
    • Bookstore
    • Online Tracts
  • Store
    • Main Page
    • On Sale
    • Return Policy
    • Your Cart
    • Your Account
  • Events
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Free Grace Church and Bible Study Tracker
    • Free Grace Jobs
    • Ministry Links
  • Donate
    • One Time Donation
    • Monthly Donation
    • Your Account
  • Search
Home
→
Blog
→
Do Not Provoke or Envy One Another (Galatians 5:26) 

Do Not Provoke or Envy One Another (Galatians 5:26) 

March 15, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, fruit of the Spirit, one another, Sanctification

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another (Gal 5:22-26).

Here are two more “one another” commands—do not provoke or envy one another.

That shouldn’t characterize normal church life.

Instead, the Christian life flows out of crucifying the flesh and living in the Spirit, which will then produce spiritual fruit. And notice how all the fruit Paul lists are directed towards other people (e.g., the church). You love your neighbors, exercise longsuffering towards people who challenge your patience, are faithful and kind to others, etc. You cannot be longsuffering, peaceful, or faithful all on your own. It takes other people.

In other words, life in the Spirit has community-forming power. That is what the fruit is meant to do—not only create community but make it stronger through the exercise of love and kindness and gentleness towards others.

However, a community can be fragile. As Paul warned, church life can be threatened by conceit (or vainglory [KJV] or boastfulness [NASB]). What does it mean to be conceited? Moo explains it this way: “It connotes the attitude of persons who think they have a right to praise and renown when, in fact, they have no such right” (Moo, Galatians, p. 373).

You can think of conceit as having an active manifestation and a passive motivation.

It is manifested by “provoking one another.” Betz suggests Paul was using sports or military imagery with “two contestants who engage in hostilities” (Betz, Galatians, p. 294). Josephus used the same Greek word to describe Goliath’s challenge to Israel (Ant. 6.177). To provoke one another means calling people out so they will display the works of the flesh instead of the fruits of the Spirit. There are aspects of honor culture at work here that we do not have in the West. However, do you remember the Back to the Future series and Marty McFly’s Achilles’ heel? He hated being called chicken. “What’s wrong, McFly? Chicken?” That’s all it took to provoke him. “Nobody calls me…chicken.” Some people are good at pushing buttons—and we all have those buttons, don’t we?

Why do people do that?

According to Paul, the reason is envy.

The vainglorious person is jealous because he thinks unworthy people are getting the accolades he deserves. So instead of exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit that build up church life, his envy produces works of the flesh that tear it apart.

When the Spirit works in your life, He will work on the attitudes that put the spotlight on you instead of on Christ. As Paul reminds us, the solution is not to satisfy a desire for selfish ambition but to crucify it.

Subscribe by Email

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
Shawn_L

by Shawn Lazar

Shawn Lazar (BTh, McGill; MA, VU Amsterdam) was the Editor of Grace in Focus magazine and Director of Publications for Grace Evangelical Society from May 2012 through June 2022. He and his wife Abby have three children. He has written several books including: Beyond Doubt: How to Be Sure of Your Salvation and Chosen to Serve: Why Divine Election Is to Service, Not to Eternal Life.

If you wish to ask a question about a given blog, email us your question at ges@faithalone.org.

Cart

Recently Added

June 2, 2023

Is Failing to Act in Faith the Same as Acting in Unbelief? 

Robert asked in an email: “In your Blog on 5/19/23, you said Ishmael wasn’t acting out of faith towards Isaac. Do you mean he was...
June 1, 2023

Don’t People Who Believe in “Once Saved, Always Saved” Promote Sinful Living?

Welcome to Grace in Focus radio. Today, Bob Wilkin and David Renfro are responding to the accusation that Free Grace Theology promotes sin and licentious...
June 1, 2023

What About Micaiah? (1 Kgs 22:1-28)

In any venture, everybody knows the name of the star. For example, Michael Jordan is considered by most basketball experts to be the greatest basketball...

Grace in Focus Radio

All Episodes

Listen to Stitcher

Listen on Spotify

Grace In Focus Magazine

Grace In Focus is sent to subscribers in the United States free of charge.

Subscribe for Free

The primary source of Grace Evangelical Society's funding is through charitable contributions. GES uses all contributions and proceeds from the sales of our resources to further the gospel of grace in the United States and abroad.

Donate

Bookstore Specials

  • Here Walks My Enemy: The Story of Luis (Paperback) $6.95 $3.00
  • Turn and Live: The Power of Repentance $15.00 $10.00
  • The Epistle of James $15.00 $10.00
  • A Gospel of Doubt: The Legacy of John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus $22.00 $11.00
  • Here Walks My Enemy: The Story of Luis (Hardcover) $13.95 $5.00
Grace Evangelical Society

(940) 270-8827 / ges@faithalone.org

4851 S I-35E Suite 203, Corinth, TX 76210
P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube