But the fruit of the
Spirit is love,
joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is
no law.
And those who are
Christ's have crucified
the flesh with its
passions and desires.
If we live in this Spirit,
let us
also walk in the
Spirit.
Let us not become
conceited,
provoking one
another, envying one another.
Galatians 5: 22 -- 26
This
is one of those famous passages in the Bible that probably almost every
Christian has either heard several times, and even has memorized and yet much
what Paul has written is not carried out in the lives of those claiming these
verses. I don't mean that not in some
way that they're not being carried out, rather, that they've become almost a
rote saying and there is only a superficial understanding in regards to the
fruit of the Spirit. Paul begins these
verses by saying: " But the fruit of the Spirit is love," this reminds us of what Paul wrote to the
Corinthians in his letter to them in that famous chapter on love: "Pursue
love, and desires virtual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1
Corinthians 14:1). Of course
Chapter 13 that is known as a love chapter.
Let us remind ourselves that in the Greek language there are four separate
words for love that we simply conjoin into one word, "love." The Greek word here is: "ἀγάπη,"
and
carries a meaning that you love in a social or moral sense, it is a love based
upon God's love and His love towards His Son (John 17: 26); it is His will
to His children concerning their attitude towards one another (John 13:34). We are to express His love which expresses
His essential nature (1 John 4:8). This
love that we are to manifest in our lives is known by our actions that it
prompts for they are God's love seen in this gift to His children. God is love had its perfect expression in
the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is by this expression that Christian love is the
fruit of His Christian children. Love
must have an object and here is where a single use of this word love in the
English language has its problems for we say we love an inanimate objects which
in no way could love us back, could not even expressed 1 ounce of love. You may like it greatly, but like is not
love. Christian love has God for its
primary object! This God love, "ἀγάπη," is expressed in our life in our implicit obedience to His
commandments. Christian love is not the
love that this world manifests due to the fact that it is not exercised as an
impulse from the feelings or does not always run with the natural inclinations. This is one of the problems in some of the
churches for people are more interested in some sort of euphoric feeling as
though they are manifesting the love of God when in fact all they are doing is
expressing their emotional love for their feelings and their feelings is the
object of their love. This love that
Paul is speaking about, this God love seeks the welfare of all and works no ill
towards any and seeks opportunity to do good not just for Christians alone but
to all men. This love expresses a deep and constant love and has an interest in that perfect being, God, who expresses His love even to us who are unworthy objects, and by His love we become
partakers of that same love. This love
will be difficult to manifest in our lives if we have not crucified our flesh
with its passions and desires. If we
are being controlled by our passions and desires that are unfaithful and has as its
object in anything other than God even though we may claim that it is from God, then is not agape. When we are not expressing God's love been
we are not long-suffering, and even kindness does not come easily, and
faithfulness is tossed to the wind. We
see this unfaithfulness in the fact that there are many divorces among
Christians, and they are many of us who have not kept our vows and were
unfaithful in one way or another towards our spouse, therefore, we were not
manifesting the fruit of the Spirit for we had not crucified our passions in
our desires to the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we say we live by the Spirit then we are to walk in the Spirit. What is that saying? Don't just talk the talk but walk the
walk! The great thing though, let me
give you this wonderful promise and hope from God that if you repent, and this
means to reped, that is, not just to turn in 20°, or 30°, or 90°, rather, to
turn 180° so that you are going back and turning away from that which is not of
God. Many people will not understand
that, and many people will not agree with you, there will be distrust, yet, we
are not here to simply please another person.
We are to please our Savior and God: PERIOD! Furthermore, due to some doctrinal positions by some churches a
development of "haves" and "have-nots" create conceit and
is only provoking one another to become envious of one another. And I'm not talking about doctrines that are
not Scripturally sound, for we are to oppose such doctrines, and yet we are to
do this in meekness and fear, not to be afraid, rather to have fear of
reverence: "But sanctify the Lord
God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks
you a reason for the hope that is in you, with a meekness and fear, having a
good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile
your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed" (1 Peter 3: 15 -- 16). If we are not practicing the fruit of the
Spirit that is questionable whether we have converted to Jesus Christ and if we
have not converted to Jesus Christ and placed our beliefs simply in him it is
questionable whether or not we will inherit the kingdom of God, and in fact, if
you have not converted to Jesus Christ then you will not inherit of God. These words are hard, but they are true, for
they are inspired by the Holy Spirit to be recorded for God's children. Do not become despondent, you are a child of
God and you will live eternally with Him.
But the LORD of hosts shall be
exalted in judgment,
and God who is holy shall be
hallowed in
righteousness.
Then the lambs shall feed in their pasture,
Isaiah 5: 16 – 17a
Walk in the paths of God
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