Galatians 5:24
Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
In Galatians 5:24, St. Paul is contrasting the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. He is urging the Galatians not to follow the desires of the flesh, which include things like sexual immorality, impurity, and jealousy, but instead to live by the Spirit and produce the fruit of love, joy, peace, and self-control.
In this verse, St. Paul is emphasizing that those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. This means that believers have put to death the sinful desires and behaviors that used to control their lives before they came to faith in Christ.
The act of crucifixion is a metaphor for putting to death or destroying something completely. When we accept Christ, we are no longer under the power of sin, and we have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome our sinful desires and temptations. This does not mean that we will never sin again, but it does mean that we are no longer slaves to our sinful nature and can resist temptation with the help of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:24 is a reminder that as believers, we have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts, and we are called to live by the Spirit and produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin but have been set free by the power of Christ's death and resurrection.
