The Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Galatians 5.16-25
I don’t know if you are any good at telling the differences between plants. I am not sure if you are any good at telling one tree from another. But it is made a lot easier when we can see the fruit hanging on the tree. Fruit marks a tree out as being of a distinct family. It also tells us something of the purpose of that tree – to bear fruit. Sometimes I have had people say to me ‘don’t judge other people’ as if they were being more faithful to Scripture by not judging – one of the most misinterpreted verses in all of the NT is Matthew 7 v 1 – do not judge, lest ye be judged. Misinterpreted because Christ passes judgment on lots of occasions in Scripture. My usual answer to that statement is ‘I am not judging, I am only inspecting the fruit of someone’s life.’ You see just as fruit can tell me what family a tree belongs to, so the fruit of someone’s life reveals to whom they belong spiritually. Let me explain – turn with me to Galatians 5. This letter to the Galatians was written by the apostle Paul around AD 50-70. The letter was written primarily to combat the Judaizers who had infiltrated the church at Galatia and were trying to bring a number of OT ceremonial practices, especially circumcision, into the NT church. They also argued that Paul was not a genuine apostle and sought to undermine his authority. Paul refuted this by establishing his apostolic authority and substantiating the gospel he preached.
Before we look at the fruit of the Spirit let me state at the beginning that Paul deliberately says ‘fruit’ singular. We have no liberty to pick and choose these qualities - they must be all evident in the life of a believer. If one is missing then we can assume we are either not a Christian or we are quenching the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In nature bearing fruit is not an optional extra, it is the major purpose of the tree’s life cycle. The fruit is the fundamental proof of inner life of the tree. If we are unsure as to a tree’s identity all will be revealed when it produces fruit. We decorate a Christmas tree but we know the decorations are not actually the fruit of a tree - no one would buy apples from the greengrocer and go and tie them on a tree in the garden because it bears its own fruit.
The passage can be summarised as ‘The fact of Christian Conflict’ and ‘The way of Christian Victory.’
The fact of Christian Conflict
Verses 16-17 read. Note there is a conflict going on within each and every Christian – a conflict between ‘the Spirit’ and ‘the flesh.’ Paul says that if we walk by the Spirit we will not gratify (not fulfil) the desires of the flesh. But what is ‘the flesh?’ ‘The flesh’ is what we are by nature and inheritance. It is our fallen condition/nature. Then in verses 19-21 Paul lists (but not an exhaustive list) the works of the flesh. They fall into four broad areas:
Sexual, social, religious and alcohol.
Realm of sexuality (19)– immorality, impurity and debauchery.
Immorality – refers to sexual intercourse between unmarried people and unlawful (according to the Word of God) sexual behaviour.
Impurity – refers to unnatural sexual relations – again according to the Word of God in both the OT and NT.
Debauchery – refers to open contempt for propriety in relationships between people. This includes inappropriate comments, unwanted gestures and inappropriate and unwanted physical touches.
Paul is saying that all sexual offences, whether in private or public, natural or unnatural, inside or outside of marriage must conform to the Word of God and where it does not – it is to be considered a ‘work of the flesh.’ Let us not be hypocritical here. Let us not bury our heads in the sand – this is a real battle ground for all and we ignore it at our eternal peril.
Religion (20)– Paul speaks of idolatry (brazen idol worship and witchcraft (secretly tampering/playing with the powers of evil).
Social (20-21) – Paul gives 8 examples of the causes of breakdown of personal relationships.
Alcohol (21) – drunkenness and wild partying. Paul speaks of the danger of drunkenness – because the reality is that under the influence of alcohol the list of ‘vices of the flesh’ are all too easily entertained and indulged.
Paul then adds a very solemn warning. In his warning he is not speaking of the isolated lapse but of the habitual practice of these ‘works of the flesh.’ Such habitual practice gives evidence that the person concerned is not of Christ but of the ‘flesh’ and therefore is excluded from the kingdom of God. It is a stark warning and one we would do well to heed today.
In contrast to the works of the flesh which lead to exclusion from the kingdom of God Paul lists the Fruit of the Spirit (verses 22-23). There are 9 Christian graces listed which cover our attitude to God, to others and to ourselves. Let us quickly look at each of these.
Towards God: Love – Paul uses the word ‘agape’ here for love and it this words association with God that gives the word its distinctive character. Divine love is unmerited, transforming and unchangeable. It is the love which sent Christ to die for us. Now because the Holy Spirit is living within the believer this love is to be shown towards other Christians and the world. We are also exhorted throughout scripture to Love God because he first loved us. We are commanded to Love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Our love is a response to his love towards us. By our love for one another and for the world, the world is to come to know that we belong to Christ.
Joy – this is not the same as happiness. Happiness depends upon circumstances, whereas joy does not. Joy is seen in what was once lost spiritually is now found – as in the parable of the lost sheep. Our chief joy is joy in God’s salvation of us lost sinners.
Peace – our deepest peace is peace with God. Our deepest restlessness is the broken relationship we have with God because of our sin and He restores peace in our hearts and lives by saving us from our sins. This peace with God is expressed in peace of mind and in a very practical peace between all who know and love the Lord Jesus. This peace is to be seen in our homes, between Jew and Gentile, in the church and indeed in our relationships with all men.
The next three can be described as characteristics of a Christian’s life which are directed towards relationships with other people.
PATIENCE - the little saying ‘teach me patience but teach me it now.’ In the King James’ version this is called ‘longsuffering.’ Where do we see it least in evidence in our lives? - the car, the home - you can answer that. Paul is here describing that Christlike character which does not seek vengeance or difficulties for those who oppose us. We read in the New Testament that Jesus had many foes and yet He never retaliated against them. In fact when He was dying on the cross He prayed that His Father would forgive them for what they were doing to Him. This part of the fruit of the Spirit is passive in relation to other people. It means bearing rudeness and unkindness, refusing to retaliate, turning the other cheek just as Christ did. This is not natural to us. We want to get even, we do not wish for anyone to believe they have got one up on us. Often I meet people who have carried around a grudge for years just waiting for an opportunity to get even with someone, or to put someone down. Is that you this morning? If it is then know this - God says it is the opposite of His Holy Spirit’s fruit in the life of a believer. But it is also being patient with those near and dear to us. I know many a man who has the patience of Job with everyone except those in his own family. Patience is a fruit to be evident to and with everyone.
KINDNESS - this is not just a negative toleration but the positive benevolence of wishing all well. The opposite of kindness I would suggest is harshness. Harshness in word, thought and deed towards others. The inbuilt tendency of our sinful nature is tear one another down. Kindness is the opposite of that. Luke 6.35 tells us that God is kind to the evil and the unthankful and we are called to do the same. Ephesians 4.32 tells us how we as Christians are to live in relation to others. Children know the people who are kind to them. As children of God we know His kindness towards us and we are therefore called to mirror this kindness in our lives towards others.
GOODNESS - This is the most active of the three here mentioned. It turns wishes into actions. It takes the initiative in serving other people in concrete and constructive ways. Acts 10.38 tells us that Jesus went about doing good, expecting nothing in return. Let us be honest it is easier to do good when we know it will be recognised and rewarded. That is not what is in mind here. God wants us to do good just as His Son did - without expecting any return for it, without wanting any recognition save knowing that we do His will. This active goodness is not the busybody who sticks their nose into every one else’s business under the guise of helping, nor is it the attitude ‘I do it cause I ought to.’ This is the love which insists in doing all the good it can to and for all the people it can by all the means it can.
Some of these qualities we will have a natural disposition towards. Yet the passage tells us that all are to be in evidence in the life of a Spirit-filled believer.
Faithfulness, Gentleness, self-control
These three are generally assumed to be self-ward.
Faithfulness.
I do not know if you know the story of Grey-friars Bobby, about the little dog whose devotion and faithfulness to his master meant that for some 14 years after his death he lay on top of his master’s grave. His love meant he wanted to be near his master all the time. They put a statue up to him in Edinburgh in the graveyard and you can still see it today. Well this fruit of the Spirit speaks of that kind of faithfulness. A faithfulness towards God that is unshakeable. It speaks of total trust in God’s trustworthiness. This faithfulness is not something which we have in our strength, nor can we manufacture it or keep it. Remember the apostle Peter, Lord I will die for you and what does he do when challenged by a little servant girl - he denies even knowing Jesus. Yet in Acts 5.29 we see Peter refusing to obey the authorities when they threaten him for preaching about Jesus. What had changed? The restoration by Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost had changed everything in the life of Peter. The Holy Spirit had come upon Peter on that day and suddenly this man was given the fruit of faithfulness, even in the face of civil powers and persecution. This fruit is clearly a gift from the Holy Spirit to enable us to be faithful to God not in the short term but over the long haul. The Christian life is not a sprint it is more akin to a marathon. We are called to be faithful everyday to Jesus. For some that will mean in difficult, maybe even dangerous situations. Faithfulness - the manifestation of our loyalty and faith to God.
Gentleness or meekness.
At the very start let me say this is not weakness. This fruit is evident when we have a teachable spirit, when we have an honest and realistic estimation of ourselves. Again let me illustrate this from the life of the disciples. Do you remember the argument between them as to whom would be the greatest in the kingdom of God. They at that stage were all concerned about status and influence. In the book of Acts we no longer find them pursuing positions but serving one another. We find men not worried about status but willing to sacrifice all they had for the service of their Lord. There is also a teachableness about them and a reasonableness. They dedicate themselves to follow in the footsteps of their master - the servant King. How is this then to be manifest in our lives? Well it is evident by a lack of pride. By a lack of jockeying for positions of status and recognition. It is evidenced by the gentleness we display towards others because we are aware of our own faults, failings and sins before God. It is the opposite of all selfish ambition. We see it in the life of Jesus whom Paul says in the letter to the Philippians - humbled Himself to death on a cross. He who made the universe, God, gave up all to come to earth as a baby. He did not, Paul says, hold on to it but gave it all up for you and me. We are called to follow this Jesus, we claim His name - Christians - therefore this fruit should be as clear in our lives as it was in His.
Self-control.
This is clearly aimed at our individual behaviour. It takes clear aim at the breakdown of moral behaviour and of excesses in the lives of those who claim to belong to Jesus. Please note at this point self-control is not abstinence. Paul nowhere turns abstinence into a virtue. He does commend abstinence for the sake of others but he does not turn it into a virtue. Again we can see in the New Testament the change in the lives of people when they become Christians - remember Zaccheus the tax collector - the dramatic change there. It is also seen in the life of Peter - do you remember his impetuosity, his temper before Pentecost and yet after it we find a man who has poise, control of his mind and his mouth, who has confidence even in the face of hostility. We find a Peter who never again raises a sword and lashes out in anger. He has self-control. If you look at Galatians 5.19-21 we do not find self-control in evidence there. In our world today if we look around us we do not find self-control. It is more like the verses of 19-21 - any and everything goes. The tragedy of sin is that it brings men and women into slavery - slavery to their uncontrollable desires.
Romans 7.22 - tells us that when we receive God’s Holy Spirit then He puts the desire in our hearts to do His will and to keep His commandments. This desire brings delight and freedom - not misery and slavery like sin does. Every believer has to battle against the sinful desires in their lives - that is a battle we will fight till we die or the Lord comes again. Yet that battle is won for us not by our own strength but by the Holy Spirit helping us to do God’s will and to win over sin in our lives. You see so many people say ‘I could not help myself, everyone else was doing it or I am only human’ - that is the excuse of a sinner. The saint says ‘I know there is a battle and I will win it with God’s help.’
The fruit of the Spirit - not an optional extra in the life of a believer but the evidence that the Holy Spirit is in residence and working to make us more like Christ each day. But how do we ensure that the fruit of the Spirit is growing in our lives and is evidenced in our lives?
Verses 24-25 tells us how. Paul says we are to crucify the flesh. Note will you he says we crucify the flesh. It is not something done to us but something we do. It is a deliberate putting to death – Mark 8.34. Metaphorically we are to nail the desires and passions of the flesh to the cross and leave them there. Only criminals were condemned to die by crucifixion and are old nature is to be treated as a criminal. Death by crucifixion was lingering but it was certain. When we nailed the old nature to the cross by coming to faith in Christ we began the process of the gradual, but certain, death of the old nature. That death will be complete in heaven. When a criminal was crucified he was left to die but soldiers kept guard to ensure no one took him down before he died. We must leave our old natures on the cross to die and not allow them back off every so often. Then in verse 25 Paul says the positive thing we must do is to ‘walk by the Spirit.’ In verse 18 we are led by the Spirit – the Holy Spirit takes the initiative. In verse 25 we are to be active participants. Paul uses a word for ‘walk’ which speaks of someone who ‘walks in line.’ Therefore encouraging believers to follow what is right and what we know to be right. This is a disciplined walk in the things of God. Just as a natural tree requires healthy soil, the right food, careful pruning, a mixture of rain and sunshine in order to bear good fruit – the same is true of our lives. We require good nourishment from prayer, bible reading, fellowship. We require careful pruning by God through His Word. We require the times of trial and blessing in order that the fruit of the Spirit might be seen in our lives. To finish let me say once again – Paul says ‘fruit’ – singular – this is not a pick and choose list – all of these must be evident in our lives. Also we must remember that any tree takes time to mature and bear fruit and we must give believers time to mature and bear fruit – however on one occasion Christ told a parable about a tree which did not bear fruit and how the farmer gave it one more year to bear fruit and then he cut it down and cast it into the fire. As humbly as I can this morning I would suggest that some of you need to take heed of that warning – because this morning you are entering that last year of grace before being cast out.
For others you need to continue to crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit.
Amen.
