Fruit of the Spirit
How do we as believers live a life worthy of the Lord? When we’re so often overwhelmed with the worldly possessions and fleshly desires that are all around us? I will tell you that it’s a constant battle. Fighting those desires does not come easy and it can be a lifelong battle. But what makes fighting against them worth it? The answer is right here in Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV). Paul is telling the church, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” When we walk in step with the Spirit, we’re setting our eyes on things above. We are reminded that this earth is fleeting and nothing we have here is eternal. I don’t know about you, but that urges me to put all my hope in Jesus and fight every ounce of my flesh.
Paul goes on to list some works of the flesh for us. Sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, and envy, just to name a few. He then gives the people a warning. And it’s not one of those “Hey, maybe you should stay away from some of these things because they could harm you” warnings. No, it’s a powerful warning. He says, “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” You may be asking why this feels so intense? To put it plainly, to walk in the ways of the world is to blatantly rebel against God. And what happens when you rebel against God? You don’t inherit His kingdom.
Now, the good news is, there is GRACE. That’s the whole point of the gospel message. But we can’t use that as an excuse to gratify the desires of our flesh. We can’t live in a way that ignores God’s calling on our lives. Yes, we will fail Him. Yes, we will mess up. But we must turn the Lord, repent, and strive to walk with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-24 (ESV) encourages us in the way we should walk. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” This directs us clearly in the way we should act, live, walk, etc. as believers. Pay close attention to the wording of this verse. Paul calls it the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruits. It’s singular because it’s all of them or none of them. Each of these characteristics are to be lived in out by every Christian. You don’t get to choose to be gentle but then turn around and have zero self-control. They’re all a package deal. And they’re all how we should strive to live.
I want to end with this quote from the Enduring Word Commentary on this chapter. It says, “The Spirit has given you life, now let Him direct your steps.” You are here because of God. If you have accepted Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior, let him lead you! Stop trying to serve Him and your worldly desires at the same time. Matthew 6:24 says, No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Crucify the desires of your flesh. Lay them down at the feet of Jesus and walk in step with His Spirit. You will inherit the kingdom of God!
Challenges:
Write out some fleshly desires you are fighting right now. Whether it’s relationships, status, money, etc. Identify them so you can turn away from them and put your trust in the Lord!
Practice living out each characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit in your daily life. Write them out of a piece of paper, set it as your phone wallpaper, or whatever it takes to remind yourself of them throughout your day.
Confess to your community. Hold each other accountable. Practice living this out with the people closest to you and call each other higher when you’re missing the mark.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your goodness and that your mercies are new every morning. Thank you that even when we fall into the desires of our flesh, you still welcome us back into your arms and lead us back to you. I pray that each day we would learn more how to die to our flesh, turning down worldly desires and walking in the Spirit, living out the fullness of life found in you alone. We praise you for who you are and what you’re doing in our lives. In Jesus’ name! Amen!