THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT (GALATIANS 5:16-23)
A brother attended a charismatic church retreat. It was such an emotional highpoint for him. He said he had never cried so much in his life before. Curious, he asked why more than half the audience speaks in tongues simultaneously, so I shared with him the practice is against the teaching of the Bible, citing 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 that says, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two-or at the most three-should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.”
I vividly remember my first encounter, as a young, second-year new believer, with a popular charismatic pastor, who presented the work of the Holy Spirit in such an unflattering way. At that time no one had the faintest idea that the Baptist pastor had turned charismatic. 13-year old Jonathan, the youngest in our group of boys, had asked the charming church camp speaker to pray for him and invited us to join him for the appointed meeting. Inside his room, the speaker asked us to stand in a circle, with the youth in the middle facing him. As the two oldest in the group, I and another youth, who later became a seminary professor, watched with our eyes open while others dutifully closed their eyes. We were next shocked by the discrepancy of eyewitness accounts. The man pushed him with such force that the boy staggered back a step or two while his eyes were still closed in prayer. After the prayer, controversy ensued. The youth asked him pointblank, “Pastor, did you push me?” He replied with a straight face, “No, I did not push you. The Holy Spirit pushed you.” We told the leaders, who later met with the man to clarify the sequence of the events – of course, to no avail.
Such has been the misinformation, misinterpretation and misrepresentation surrounding the Spirit’s activity and work in a believer’s life, that Paul balances the teaching of the gifts of the Spirit with the fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, equal with both God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in essence and nature, in deity and person, and in power and glory. The Spirit permanently indwells believers at the instant they believe, baptizing them into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13), sanctifying them for obedience to the person of Christ (1 Peter 1:2) and sealing them till the coming of Christ (Eph 4:30). Yet there is a lot of confusion. Our charismatic brothers say the evidence of the Spirit’s activity is in speaking in tongues and performing miraculous, signs and wonders. I am not anti-charismatic, but non-charismatic.
What is true of the Spirit’s presence? What does He do and how does He work? How does the Spirit sanctify us for Christian living? What is the foolproof evidence of the presence of the Spirit in a believer’s life?
The Spirit’s Presence Commands Victory
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. (Gal 5:16-18)
A brother was goaded by lust, and rising at night be made his way to an old man, and told him his thoughts, and the old man comforted him. And revived by that comforting he returned to his cell. And again the spirit of lust tempted him, and again he went to the old man. And this happened many times. But the old man did not discountenance (embarrass) him, but spoke to him to his profit, saying, “Yield not to the devil, nor relax thy mind: but rather as often as the devil troubles thee, come to me, and he shall go buffeted away. For nothing so dispirits the demon of lust as when his assaults are revealed. And nothing so heartens him as when his imaginations are kept secret.”
So the brother came to him eleven times, confessing his imaginings. And thereafter he said to the old man, “Show love to me, my father, and give me some word.” The old man said, “Believe me, my son, if God permitted the thoughts with which my own mind is stung to be transferred to thee, thou wouldst dash thyself headlong.” And by the old man saying this, his great humbleness did quiet the goading of lust in the brother.” (Helen Waddell, The Desert Fathers, The University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor Paperbacks, 1960, p. 77.)
Yielding to the Spirit and not to sin is the key to the victorious Christian life. In the Old Testament God the Spirit of God temporarily equipped the Israelites with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to build the temple (Ex 31:3-5). In the New Testament the same Spirit not only gave gifts to the church to serve Him (1 Cor 12:4) but impart fruit to His children to exalt Him.
“Live by the Spirit” is literally “walk in the spirit” in Greek. So what is living by or walking in the Spirit? Living by the Spirit is a walk, a stroll and a journey. It is an indwelling and not an instance, continuous and not choppy, related to one’s practice but not one’s personality. Paul employs this word (live/walk) 34 times in his epistles, translated 20 times as “live” (Rom 6:4, 8:4, 2 Cor 5:7, 10:2, 3, Gal 5:16, Eph 2:2, 4:1, 4:17, 5:2, 5:8, 5:15, Phil 3:17, 3:18, Col 1:10, 2:6, 1 Thess 2:12, 4:1, 4:1, 2 Thess 3:6), four times for “act” (Rom 14:15, 1 Cor 3:3, 2 Cor 12:18, Col 4:5), and once for behave (Rom 13:13), use (2 Cor 4:2), do (Eph 2:10, 4:17), walk (Col 3:7), follow (2 Cor 12:18) and awkwardly as “ retain the place in life” (1 Cor 7:17) in the NIV. There is no mystery, magic or mumbo-jumbo to this word. The problem with Christians is that they fail to walk the walk, walk close with and work in hand with the Spirit. The Greek verb peri-pateo consists of the preposition “peri” (around) and “pateo” (tread), meaning treading and trampling back and forth, side to side and all around; strolling, even striding or stomping around, not stopping, stagnating or slacking.
When believers walk in the Spirit, they will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (NIV) or “fulfill the lust of the flesh (KJV). Walking in the Spirit is not an emotional surge, an ecstatic experience or a euphoric mood; it is not about dealing with one’s feelings, but one’s flesh - weakness. It is not about feeling higher, superior and deeper, but about being stronger, steadier and clear. The goal is to follow the Spirit, and not fulfill one’s urges.
The stronger and specific enemy we face is the lust of the flesh or the desires of sinful nature (NIV). Paul speaks against the “lust of the flesh,” not the flesh itself, which is not necessarily sinful, but the carnal or fallen flesh. This is to prevent people from abusing or degrading their body. “Desires/lust” (epi-thumia) is literally “epi-” (upon) and “thumos” (fierceness) for is the same word as “fits of rage” in verse 20, also translated as wrath (Rom 2:8, Rev 14:19, 15:1, 15:7, 16:1, 16:19, 19:15), furious/fury (Luke 4:28, Acts 19:28, Rev 12:12, Rev 14:10), anger (2 Cor 12:20, Heb 11:27), rage (Eph 4:31, Col 3:8) and maddening (Rev 14:8, 18:3). So lust is actually the flesh in rage, out of control and descent into madness. By the way, the sinful flesh is always incensed, irate and infuriated; it will not stop. The point is not fulfilling or gratifying the flesh, but not eliminating desires or hating oneself either. “Gratify” is merely “finish” in Greek, no sensual or sexual connotation; its connotation is in its use or abuse.
When you are guided by the Spirit, you are not given to the flesh. Before, we have no strength to resist or break sin’s mastery over us, but now the Spirit’s presence breaks sin’s spell and hold over us once and for all.
The Spirit’s Presence Condemns Vice
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-20)
There was once a town reprobate who was wonderfully saved at a revival meeting. He pledged to start a new life and abandon his licentious ways, but he found hat it was not easy to overcome the lusts of the flesh. Several months later he ran into the preached who had led him to Christ and the preacher asked him directly, “Well, how’s it been goin?”
“It’s been goin’ awful,” the convert responded. “It’s like two teams of horses pullin’ away at my soul. One team pullin’ in one direction tryin’ to get me do what God wants and another pullin’ in the opposite direction tryin’ to get me to do the things of the flesh.”
“Let me ask you something,” inquired the preacher. “Which team of horses wins?”
The new Christian answered with a twinkle in his eye, “Whichever team I says giddyup to.” (Tony Campolo, 7 Deadly Sins 50)
The raging flesh yields to no earthly master but the divine Spirit. The works of the flesh are obvious (phaneros), luminous and blatant, not hidden or unknown, the root word is from “phos” or fire. The first three desires on Paul’s list are associated with the body. First on the list is porneia (sexual immorality), the precursor for pornography, also translated as “marital unfaithfulness” - in the context of marriage (Matt 5:32), “illegitimate, sexual sin” (2 Cor 12:21) and “adulteries” (Rev 14:8). The second - “impurity” (a-katharsia) – is translated as “sinful” (Rom 1:24) and “unclean” (Matt 23:27); it literally means (“not catharsis” or “unclean”) emphasizes sin’s nature and impact. “Debauchery” (a-selgeia), another a-word, is its grossness, also translated as envy (Mark 7:22), sensuality (Eph 4:19), shameful ways (2 Peter 2:2), filthy (2 Peter 2:7), sinful human nature (2 Peter 2:18) and immorality (Jude 4). The first deals with the infidelity, second the nature, and third the abuses.
The next two deals with unfaithfulness to God. “Idolatry” (eidolo-latreia) is literally idol-latreia - worship or service. “Witchcraft” is pharmakeia (pharmacy) or medication, where we get the idea of witches’ brew.
The next eight on the list concerns people can be reduced to four cause and effect relationships. The other translations for “hatred” (echthra) (James 4:4) are enemies (Luke 23:12) and hostile/hostility (Rom 8:7). “Discord” or Greek for “eris,” who is the goddess of discord. Hatred is the passion, discord is the practice.
“Jealousy” (zelos) is unfavorable or adverse zeal. “Fits of rage” (thumos) is the traditional word for “wrath.” “Jealous” is within, but wrath is outpoured.
“Selfish ambition” (eritheia) is a word variance of the previous “discord” or “eris,” but “selfish ambition” in its verb form (erethizo) is more intense, also translated as stirred (2 Cor 9:2) and embitter (Col 3:21 - embitter your children). “Dissensions” (dichostsis) is from Greek’s “dis/duo” (twice) and “stasis” (party). Again, another inside-outside punch.
“Factions’ (hairesis) is the English equivalent of heresy. “Envy” in the Bible has to do with spoil and decay. Heresy is the reason, envy is the result.
From sin’s nature (first three), then its offense against God (next two), followed by offense against man (next eight), Paul moves to its social ramifications. The last two – drunkenness and orgies –the former is intoxication of the mind and the latter of the body.
The Spirit’s Presence Communicates Virtues
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23)
A lady had recently been baptized and one of her co-workers asked her what it was like to be a Christian. She was caught off guard and didn’t know how to answer, but when she looked up she saw a jack-o-lantern on the desk and answered, “It’s like being a pumpkin.”
The worker asked her to explain and she said, “Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins. Then he cuts off the top and takes all the yucky out from inside. He removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts his light inside of you to shine for all to see.”
How do we know if a person is filled with the Spirit or walking in the Spirit? Does he speak in tongues? Roll on the floor or bark like a dog, as some Christians in charismatic circles and faith healing groups do. What is the most visible demonstration of the work of the Spirit? It is not in the practice of the gifts of the Spirit but the presence of the fruit of the Sprit. While an individual cannot have all the gifts of the Spirit, he can have the fruit of the Spirit whole, in full, in its entirety. Unlike the outcome of having the gifts of the Spirit, which is pride and performance, the outcome to bearing the fruit of the Spirit is humility and harmony with. The fruit of the Spirit is not ecstatic, emotional or excitable experience. It is dignified and even dull, never dramatic.
Note that the fruit is singular, not plural. The English chooses ice-cream from “nine flavors,” but I think of nine-layer cake, so I say in “in nine layers” or “with eight fillings.” The fruit of the Spirit the surest and only undisputed evidence of the Spirit’s activity in one’s life – not tongues, healing and miracles. Further, the gifts of the Spirit were given for the purpose of serving and building the church, while the fruit of the Spirit for the purpose of strengthening and empowering individuals, treasuring and emphasizing who they are – their character and conduct, not what they do – their capability and charm.
The evidence of the Spirit is not in the gifts we have, but in the fruit we bear. The fruit is best viewed in threes. The first triad is the cornerstone, the second is in one’s conduct and the third is in one’s character. The pillars are love, joy and peace. “Love” is the greatest and foremost virtue. It is sacrificial, selfless and superior. “Joy” is an attitude, not an act; an outlook, and not an occasion; it is inward change and not outward circumstances. “Peace” is the heart securely, steadily and sweetly relying on God and resting in Him, not merely a heart without worry or trouble. Peace is trusting the person of Christ, His presence and purpose.
The next three are patience, kindness and goodness. “Patience” is forbearance with others and fortitude in heart. It comes from the word “long” in Greek. Patience is not patience over a minute, over one incident or over a friend. It is tested and tried on the unloving, the undeserving and the exasperating. “Kindness” used to be “gentleness” in KJV, but it is actually related to goodness. Kindness is one’s behavior to others and goodness is the nature of the act.
The last triad - faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – builds one’s character and integrity. “Faithfulness” is merely faith (pisits) in Greek. It is one’s response to God, not one’s relationship with others. The “gentleness” in verse 23 is an act of humility, not an aim at harmony. It is humbly accepting what’s taught (James 1:21), godly humility (James 3:13). Its Greek is derived from the “meek” of the earth (Matt 5:5), “gentle” Jesus riding on a donkey (Matt 21:5), the inner self that radiates the unfading beauty of a “gentle” and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4). “Self-control” (eg-krateia) is literally “in” (en) “force” (kratos), or might in check, not out of control.
Conclusion: Is your life yielded to the Spirit? Are you governed and guided by His presence? Are you using your gifts to serve Him? Do you bear fruit to glorify His name? Do you live a life of spiritual devotion or a life of religious drama? Do people see the believer or the beguiler in you? Are you bearing fruit, or are you merely occupying space, wasting water and seeking attention?
Victor Yap
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