How is it possible to become holy? We have seen how Paul describes the Christian’s inner conflict between ‘the flesh’ and ‘the Spirit’ and the way of victory through the ascendancy of the Spirit over the flesh. Those who belong to Christ, he says, ‘have crucified the flesh’, totally rejecting its evil ‘passions and desires’ (5:24). This is part of our repentance. It took place at our conversion, but we need to remember and renew it daily.
Christ’s people also seek to be ‘led by the Spirit’ (5:18), to follow His ‘line’ (5:25) and sow in His ‘field’ (6:8), by disciplined habits of thinking and living, so that His ‘fruit’ will appear and ripen in our lives. This is the Christian way of holiness.
The last verse of the Epistle is a fitting conclusion: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit’ (6:18). F