Fully legal fruit
This week is on Galatians 5:22-25:
I've taught about the fruit of the Spirit before. But it's a new year, and these verses came up in my reading, so here we are. Having traveled across multiple borders in the last few weeks, I know that not all fruit is allowed in all places! But Paul, who wrote these verses, says that there is no law against the fruit of the Spirit!
Where can you find people who are against love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control? Every culture values those things. If you seek the Holy Spirit, you will end up with gifts that are valuable everywhere, both in this world and the world to come!
When we belong to Christ, we've crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. That means we're not living to please ourselves only, or just to try to live longer at the expense of other life choices. We have different values than an animal. We also have different values from those who don't know Jesus. We're not focused on career, fame, wealth, sex, safety, or any of the things our biology tells us we need. Our focus is on following Christ, who was crucified and died to pay for our sin.
The Holy Spirit is our counselor, who advises and instructs us how to live properly, as Jesus lived. As the Spirit leads us, we gain access to the gifts Paul describes. Isn't it worth giving up whatever it is the flesh wants us to have, in order to have what the Spirit has to offer? We are led away from the savagery we've given up and into the best possible version of ourselves.
The fruit of the Spirit is a common inheritance for all of the church. There is no doctrine that preaches against these things or holds exclusive right to them. As we keep step with the Spirit and don't fall aside, we add more and more of this eternal treasure to who we are.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
I've taught about the fruit of the Spirit before. But it's a new year, and these verses came up in my reading, so here we are. Having traveled across multiple borders in the last few weeks, I know that not all fruit is allowed in all places! But Paul, who wrote these verses, says that there is no law against the fruit of the Spirit!
Where can you find people who are against love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control? Every culture values those things. If you seek the Holy Spirit, you will end up with gifts that are valuable everywhere, both in this world and the world to come!
When we belong to Christ, we've crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. That means we're not living to please ourselves only, or just to try to live longer at the expense of other life choices. We have different values than an animal. We also have different values from those who don't know Jesus. We're not focused on career, fame, wealth, sex, safety, or any of the things our biology tells us we need. Our focus is on following Christ, who was crucified and died to pay for our sin.
The Holy Spirit is our counselor, who advises and instructs us how to live properly, as Jesus lived. As the Spirit leads us, we gain access to the gifts Paul describes. Isn't it worth giving up whatever it is the flesh wants us to have, in order to have what the Spirit has to offer? We are led away from the savagery we've given up and into the best possible version of ourselves.
The fruit of the Spirit is a common inheritance for all of the church. There is no doctrine that preaches against these things or holds exclusive right to them. As we keep step with the Spirit and don't fall aside, we add more and more of this eternal treasure to who we are.
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