22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
The opposite of living by the flesh, is living by the Spirit and that produces fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is:
- love – for one another
- joy – in relationships with one another
- peace – with one another
- patience – with one another
- kindness – towards one another
- goodness – towards one another
- faithfulness – to one another
- gentleness – with one another
- self-control – with each other
In this passage, Paul is not simply speaking about these characteristics in isolation. Paul is highlighting the contrast between legalism and living in the flesh, and living and walking by the Spirit. Legalism, despite its outward conformity to God’s law, results in selfish, comparative living that produces conflict. Living by the Spirit is about living in love for one another. If we belong to Christ, we have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. But we can still choose not to walk in step with the Spirit. As believers, we live by the Spirit in position (we are right with God forever) but don’t always walk by the Spirit in experience (we may still break our ongoing relationship with God). The more we walk by the Spirit and the more we fall in love with Christ, the more we will manifest the fruit of the Spirit.
You cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit by trying harder!
This has kinda pointed out to me that my affections for Christ and the fruit of the spirit, should be greater than the things of this world.
I was struck by the difference between the Fruits of the Spirit and the Works of the Flesh. Naturally we do the works of the flesh listed in yesterday’s passage but if we dwell in the spirit and grow in Him, we can grow in he fruits of the spirit
Verse 24 was what stood out to me. It showed that when you are a Christian you can’t just say that you don’t want to sin you have to put the sinful desires away as well.