Today’s Passage: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Today will begin our study of the fruit of the Spirit. In order to for us to fully develop this fruit in our lives, we must first strive to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh. We have discussed living by the flesh. Now we will discuss how we can replace the sins of the flesh with Christian qualities.
Jesus told His disciples in John 15:8 that the Father is glorified when we bear much fruit. We bring glory to God when we exhibit characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. Our human tendencies are to seek attention for ourselves. We want to be recognized for a job well done. We often spend our day thinking of what we will do, where we will go, what we want and so forth. The daily grind of life can become our primary focus, leading us to take our focus off of serving God and others.
The fruit of the Spirit stands in direct contrast with our self-centeredness. Jesus’ teachings challenge us to focus on the needs of others. Imagine being a contemporary of Jesus’ day and hearing that the Messiah had come. You drop everything to follow after Him. This is the One who is sure to restore the Jewish nation and elevate you and your people. He has the power to destroy all of the enemies with blazing vengeance. Yet this Christ is not the Messiah that you thought would come. Jesus’ teachings are of humility, love and service. He even washes His disciples’ feet as if He is a lowly servant! (John 13:1-17) His kingdom is a spiritual one, as opposed to an earthly kingdom. Most of the things you and your fellow Jews pictured in the Messiah is shattered. Here is a Man who served others. And He even calls for you to put yourself last!
This surely must have surprised those who were waiting for the Jews' earthly kingdom to be restored. Jesus challenged them as well as us today to love one another. He calls for a change of heart and action. Instead of elevating ourselves as Christians, we are to treat others better than we do ourselves.
Christ gave us the greatest example of living by the Spirit. Jesus' life defined meekness: power under control. Though He had the power to destroy His enemies, He chose to die a painful, torturous death for mankind's sake. Jesus allowed others to spit on him, ridicule Him, beat Him and nail Him to a cross. Though the world was full of sin, Christ loved us so much that He chose to save us from spiritual death (Romans 5:8).
It is with this love and sacrifice in mind that we should approach Galatians 5:22-23. As we study each fruit of the Spirit, we should recall how Jesus reflected this quality in His own human life on earth. Lord willing, we will begin our study of the fruit of the Spirit by discussing “love” in our next lesson.
In the meantime, I encourage each of us to read I Corinthians 13. This chapter is a wonderful example of what love is and what it is not.
I Corinthians 13:1-13:
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
May the Lord bless you as you read and consider His Word. Thank you for the opportunity to study the fruit of the Spirit with you.
