Galatians 5_22-23
September 17
Happy Monday Everyone,
The scripture for today is Galatians 5:22-23
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:19-23 provides perhaps the clearest contrast between the works that Satan produces through the fallen carnal nature and the works of Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Let's read this entire passage to see this contrast. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, impurity, licentiousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strife, jealousy, wrath, selfishness, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you beforehand, as I have also told you in time past, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:19-23
Here we find the characteristics of those who follow the carnal nature which desires to sin and rejects the law of God, and those who follow the Spirit of Christ; the Holy Spirit. We will find ourselves directed by one or the other. As born again children of God we desire to walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. Desire alone, however, does not mean that we are immune from the pull of the flesh. It never gives up in its attempts to draw us into sin. As children of God we choose to be lead by the Spirit of God. The Apostle Paul admonishes us to "be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" Ephesians 5:18 Without the daily infilling and yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit, sin is inevitable as the flesh exerts its influence.
The fruit of the Spirit is not something that we produce; it is that which the Holy Spirit produces. It reflects God expressing Himself through human vessels. We can be assured that the Holy Spirit lives within when we see the manifestation of the fruit that He produces through a surrendered life. The fruit which the Spirit produces in us is a display of the life and love of God. It is to be shared with those who live in the darkness of this world. It is through offering the fruit that God produces in us that we become living witnesses of His grace and power. The world needs to see Jesus and they need to see Him in us. He is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control." And "as He is, so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17
God bless you as you continue in His service.
Tim