Fruit of the Spirit: Week Nine
The Fruit of the Spirit
And the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such there is no law.
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.
Here we have gone through each of these paintings, these works of art created by the Spirit of God, exhibited in our lives like art hung on a wall. We revisit the truth that each of these are a work of the Spirit, and they are only accomplished in our lives as we submit ourselves to God’s instruction and discipline. This means submission to the Word of God preached, eaten, sung, read, and lived. What follows from this is a healthy and dedicated Church life. Often we Christians think of Church as one more thing to check off the list, situated somewhere above the grocery store, but after dropping the kids off at school. This is completely backwards, and belies a self centered way of thinking. The Church is not another thing we do, it is who we are. Our weekly worship of the Creator God of all (just think of that phrase for a bit) is not an isolated event. It is the very definition of what it means to be a Christian. If our whole week is not centered around our worship, and subsequently affected by our worship, and furthermore a continuation of our worship, we have no idea what it means to live as a Christian. As Christians our lives are Christ-centered. This means every little thing from picking up groceries on Wednesday, to taking a walk on Monday, to mowing the lawn on Saturday. Taking every thought captive to the Lordship of Christ, Paul says. And unless your thoughts and actions live separate lives, that statement means taking everything to the Lordship of Christ. So what does this have to do with Worship? Worship means service. Service requires submission. Submission comes out of humility. Humility is the result of self denial. Self-denial can only be accomplished through the Word of God. Where do we hear and receive the Word of God? The local representation of the Body of Christ, our mother, the Church.
The central aim of this study on the fruit of the Spirit has been to expose the desire in each of us to live life as if we were the center of the universe. Our lives are an expression of self love, joy in ourselves, an inner peace that denies others, patience only with ourselves, kindness, goodness and gentleness that goes no further than our own noses, faithfulness to our own needs and passions, and a self control that serves only our own goals and pursuits. The ironic part is that this list of self-centered ‘fruits’ leads firmly to the list presented by Paul directly before he listed the fruit of the Spirit. That list again is: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, and revellings. It should be obvious that this list is bad. Those who dwell in this list are evil, God-hating, self-centered people. Such do not inherit the Kingdom of God. But it is easy to think that since we don’t commit fornication, or don’t attend orgies, or never think about getting drunk, that we are alright. We begin to rely on our ‘pretty decent’-ness. But God damn that self-righteousness. And He will. Our only hope is to turn to the Gospel, the good news. The Good News is that God has breathed new life into the valley of Bones, and what was dead is now alive. What was salty, is now fresh. What was stone, is now flesh and blood. Thanks be to the Creator and Re-creator God of all.
So what is all this about?
So what does a Christian life look like? It has love for all men. “Love thy neighbor, for in this command is contained all of Scripture.” “Love one another, for by this the world will know you are my disciples.” Love is the key response to every action. The key word to every slander. They key thought to every deception. If we have not love, we are nothing. Love is patient and kind, and seeks the ill of none. The fellow who cuts you off on the freeway, love him. Our attitude toward all is one of love. Now it should be obvious to us that this means humility. To love another even when they are wronging us, means letting go of our own agendas. It means bearing the reproach of the world, and with Christ-like silence, showing love in return. But humility is hard. We are hardwired for self-service, “ just looking out for old number one.” That is really the only painful part of love, letting go of self, and putting others first.
So what does a Christian life look like? It is full of joy. “Rejoice always, again I will say it: Rejoice!” “Count it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials, for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Life is a struggle, life is hard work. Life encounters various trials. The self, left on its own, will take those trials and turn inward, becoming as sour as a ripe lemon. Bitterness will grow like mold, and take over. But through the Spirit, if we take a breath and count all as joy, meaning taking every thing that happens as a gift from God, and giving thanks for it, our faith is made more perfect. The result is that joy will become easier and easier. With joy becoming easier to put on, and climb into, life becomes more simple, clearer, and frankly more enjoyable. The life that is truly enjoyed gives glory to God, because it understands that God is over all, and keeps us in the palm of His hand, providing every need. In fact life becomes downright exciting, as we watch and wait on the Lord. Watching the Lord work is an amazing and humbling thing. The product of seeing the Lord work is pure joy.
So what does a Christian life look like? It is one of peace. When we put ourselves at the center of the universe, we naturally become the highest power of that universe. Because everything revolves around us and our actions, whatever we do affects everything else. This is good and sound reason for outright panic. We understand on a fundamental level that we are finite and unable to address everything that comes up. This means we cannot, not just are not, but cannot be in control. This gives rise naturally to obliterating anxiety. We know this, and still place ourselves at the center of our tiny little universes. Why? Because we are in love with us. However, should we stop this adulterous affair, and place our husband in the center, where He actually is, and has been, and will continue to be, peace will reign. Peace will reign because our husband, Jesus Christ, is God. He is able to address everything that comes our way. In fact He sent it in the first place. If we actually believe this and trust that God is in control, peace enters into the very pit of our soul, and fills us to our toes.
So what does a Christian life look like? It has patience with others. Again, as self-centered beings, we want things to happen on our timeline. We want things to happen our way. When events do not transpire according to our wills, we feel sinned against, or at least hurt. This is blatant pride, of course, as we bear witness to our self-centered universe. However, when humility comes, and we give up our ‘right’ to things going our way, then an amazing thing happens. When we actually rely on and trust in the One who is working all for our good, and who knows the end from the beginning and who has promised to complete that which He has begun, when we actually believe what God has revealed to us, Peace comes. With peace comes rest, contentment, trust, reconciliation, and harmony with all around. The Lord is our Shepherd… We will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and fear no evil, for Thou art with us.
So what does a Christian life look like? It returns every evil, and every good for that matter, with kindness, in goodness and righteousness, by means of gentleness. Kindness in Scripture is synonymous with salvation. God’s Kindness toward us is Christ Jesus. When we bestow kindness on others, we share with them the salvation of Christ. A glass of water saves from thirst. A solid roof and a warm bed save from cold, and sleepless nights. Salvation is in the little things. Goodness is the launch pad for our actions. If we perform the kindest act in the entire world, with the intention of gratifying self, or receiving something in return, it is but a dirty rag. Our intentions are to be wholly good and righteous. And if our actions, though they be kind, are not gentle, then all is for naught. We approach our neighbor and love him, with kind words and actions, spoken and performed from a good and righteous heart, with the tongue and hands of gentleness. Through this the world is saved.
So what does a Christian life look like? It is faithful, to God first and His word, and also to our neighbor. Faithfulness is steadfast love for another. Faithfulness also can be turned on its head with a self-centered approach. If we are faithful to ourselves first, like the world would have it, “be true to yourself!” it chants, then we will only show faithfulness to others when it benefits us. That flies directly in the face of Scripture. We are to be faithful to others, especially to God, no matter what the cost, be it imprisonment, bodily injury, persecution, or even death. None of those things would be considered ‘personal betterment.” But that is the world’s ‘wisdom’ and not God’s. No, we are first faithful to God’s Word, no matter what the cost. Next we are faithful to others, despite the world’s taunting. Why are we faithful? Because God was first faithful to us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died on the cross. That faithfulness we receive and in turn share with the world.
So what does a Christian life look like? It is a life that is controlled and mastered. We are told that all things are lawful, but not all are profitable, all things are lawful, but we ought not to be mastered by any of them. In a world of temptation and corruption, it is easy to take things too far. Many sins are the perversion or exaggeration of something good and God-given. Our duty is to enjoy life, but to know moderation. This takes wisdom and like all else, humility. To know what to say is knowledge, to know how to say it is understanding, and to know when to say it is wisdom. We must approach our lives and be taken captive by wisdom, to be shaped and molded by Wisdom. The Spirit is given for such a reason. He comes and molds us, shapes us, and teaches us throughout long years of submission, and willing reception of God’s instruction through His Word, and discipline through His Church.
So what’s the point?
So why do we care what a Christian life looks like? As believers we are called to honor God as God. This means to understand Him, as He has revealed Himself to us, and not in any other fashion. These fruit of the Spirit are a picture of what God Himself is like, and in what ways He has interacted with us, the sheep of His hand. We honor Him by seeking to reflect Him, meaning do to others what He has done to us. We learn by imitation. Simply put, we love and ought to love because He first loved us. We as Christians are also called to give Him thanks. Gratitude is obedience with a smile. We obey His Word, and live in thankfulness. This thankful life stands out in this world like diamonds on black velvet. People do not quite know how to respond to true gratitude. It takes them by surprise. To the sinful heart it is a slap in the face. But that is the goodness of God.
So honor God as God and give Him thanks and live life as if you do. As Augustine said, love God and do as you please. The former will inform the latter. If our hearts and minds and souls and strengths are truly set on loving God to their fullest capacity, what will come as natural as anything will be a complete, utterly selfless love for others. Through this selflessness, God brings the world into the family of salvation. Glory be to God!
And the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such there is no law.
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.
Here we have gone through each of these paintings, these works of art created by the Spirit of God, exhibited in our lives like art hung on a wall. We revisit the truth that each of these are a work of the Spirit, and they are only accomplished in our lives as we submit ourselves to God’s instruction and discipline. This means submission to the Word of God preached, eaten, sung, read, and lived. What follows from this is a healthy and dedicated Church life. Often we Christians think of Church as one more thing to check off the list, situated somewhere above the grocery store, but after dropping the kids off at school. This is completely backwards, and belies a self centered way of thinking. The Church is not another thing we do, it is who we are. Our weekly worship of the Creator God of all (just think of that phrase for a bit) is not an isolated event. It is the very definition of what it means to be a Christian. If our whole week is not centered around our worship, and subsequently affected by our worship, and furthermore a continuation of our worship, we have no idea what it means to live as a Christian. As Christians our lives are Christ-centered. This means every little thing from picking up groceries on Wednesday, to taking a walk on Monday, to mowing the lawn on Saturday. Taking every thought captive to the Lordship of Christ, Paul says. And unless your thoughts and actions live separate lives, that statement means taking everything to the Lordship of Christ. So what does this have to do with Worship? Worship means service. Service requires submission. Submission comes out of humility. Humility is the result of self denial. Self-denial can only be accomplished through the Word of God. Where do we hear and receive the Word of God? The local representation of the Body of Christ, our mother, the Church.
The central aim of this study on the fruit of the Spirit has been to expose the desire in each of us to live life as if we were the center of the universe. Our lives are an expression of self love, joy in ourselves, an inner peace that denies others, patience only with ourselves, kindness, goodness and gentleness that goes no further than our own noses, faithfulness to our own needs and passions, and a self control that serves only our own goals and pursuits. The ironic part is that this list of self-centered ‘fruits’ leads firmly to the list presented by Paul directly before he listed the fruit of the Spirit. That list again is: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, and revellings. It should be obvious that this list is bad. Those who dwell in this list are evil, God-hating, self-centered people. Such do not inherit the Kingdom of God. But it is easy to think that since we don’t commit fornication, or don’t attend orgies, or never think about getting drunk, that we are alright. We begin to rely on our ‘pretty decent’-ness. But God damn that self-righteousness. And He will. Our only hope is to turn to the Gospel, the good news. The Good News is that God has breathed new life into the valley of Bones, and what was dead is now alive. What was salty, is now fresh. What was stone, is now flesh and blood. Thanks be to the Creator and Re-creator God of all.
So what is all this about?
So what does a Christian life look like? It has love for all men. “Love thy neighbor, for in this command is contained all of Scripture.” “Love one another, for by this the world will know you are my disciples.” Love is the key response to every action. The key word to every slander. They key thought to every deception. If we have not love, we are nothing. Love is patient and kind, and seeks the ill of none. The fellow who cuts you off on the freeway, love him. Our attitude toward all is one of love. Now it should be obvious to us that this means humility. To love another even when they are wronging us, means letting go of our own agendas. It means bearing the reproach of the world, and with Christ-like silence, showing love in return. But humility is hard. We are hardwired for self-service, “ just looking out for old number one.” That is really the only painful part of love, letting go of self, and putting others first.
So what does a Christian life look like? It is full of joy. “Rejoice always, again I will say it: Rejoice!” “Count it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials, for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Life is a struggle, life is hard work. Life encounters various trials. The self, left on its own, will take those trials and turn inward, becoming as sour as a ripe lemon. Bitterness will grow like mold, and take over. But through the Spirit, if we take a breath and count all as joy, meaning taking every thing that happens as a gift from God, and giving thanks for it, our faith is made more perfect. The result is that joy will become easier and easier. With joy becoming easier to put on, and climb into, life becomes more simple, clearer, and frankly more enjoyable. The life that is truly enjoyed gives glory to God, because it understands that God is over all, and keeps us in the palm of His hand, providing every need. In fact life becomes downright exciting, as we watch and wait on the Lord. Watching the Lord work is an amazing and humbling thing. The product of seeing the Lord work is pure joy.
So what does a Christian life look like? It is one of peace. When we put ourselves at the center of the universe, we naturally become the highest power of that universe. Because everything revolves around us and our actions, whatever we do affects everything else. This is good and sound reason for outright panic. We understand on a fundamental level that we are finite and unable to address everything that comes up. This means we cannot, not just are not, but cannot be in control. This gives rise naturally to obliterating anxiety. We know this, and still place ourselves at the center of our tiny little universes. Why? Because we are in love with us. However, should we stop this adulterous affair, and place our husband in the center, where He actually is, and has been, and will continue to be, peace will reign. Peace will reign because our husband, Jesus Christ, is God. He is able to address everything that comes our way. In fact He sent it in the first place. If we actually believe this and trust that God is in control, peace enters into the very pit of our soul, and fills us to our toes.
So what does a Christian life look like? It has patience with others. Again, as self-centered beings, we want things to happen on our timeline. We want things to happen our way. When events do not transpire according to our wills, we feel sinned against, or at least hurt. This is blatant pride, of course, as we bear witness to our self-centered universe. However, when humility comes, and we give up our ‘right’ to things going our way, then an amazing thing happens. When we actually rely on and trust in the One who is working all for our good, and who knows the end from the beginning and who has promised to complete that which He has begun, when we actually believe what God has revealed to us, Peace comes. With peace comes rest, contentment, trust, reconciliation, and harmony with all around. The Lord is our Shepherd… We will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and fear no evil, for Thou art with us.
So what does a Christian life look like? It returns every evil, and every good for that matter, with kindness, in goodness and righteousness, by means of gentleness. Kindness in Scripture is synonymous with salvation. God’s Kindness toward us is Christ Jesus. When we bestow kindness on others, we share with them the salvation of Christ. A glass of water saves from thirst. A solid roof and a warm bed save from cold, and sleepless nights. Salvation is in the little things. Goodness is the launch pad for our actions. If we perform the kindest act in the entire world, with the intention of gratifying self, or receiving something in return, it is but a dirty rag. Our intentions are to be wholly good and righteous. And if our actions, though they be kind, are not gentle, then all is for naught. We approach our neighbor and love him, with kind words and actions, spoken and performed from a good and righteous heart, with the tongue and hands of gentleness. Through this the world is saved.
So what does a Christian life look like? It is faithful, to God first and His word, and also to our neighbor. Faithfulness is steadfast love for another. Faithfulness also can be turned on its head with a self-centered approach. If we are faithful to ourselves first, like the world would have it, “be true to yourself!” it chants, then we will only show faithfulness to others when it benefits us. That flies directly in the face of Scripture. We are to be faithful to others, especially to God, no matter what the cost, be it imprisonment, bodily injury, persecution, or even death. None of those things would be considered ‘personal betterment.” But that is the world’s ‘wisdom’ and not God’s. No, we are first faithful to God’s Word, no matter what the cost. Next we are faithful to others, despite the world’s taunting. Why are we faithful? Because God was first faithful to us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died on the cross. That faithfulness we receive and in turn share with the world.
So what does a Christian life look like? It is a life that is controlled and mastered. We are told that all things are lawful, but not all are profitable, all things are lawful, but we ought not to be mastered by any of them. In a world of temptation and corruption, it is easy to take things too far. Many sins are the perversion or exaggeration of something good and God-given. Our duty is to enjoy life, but to know moderation. This takes wisdom and like all else, humility. To know what to say is knowledge, to know how to say it is understanding, and to know when to say it is wisdom. We must approach our lives and be taken captive by wisdom, to be shaped and molded by Wisdom. The Spirit is given for such a reason. He comes and molds us, shapes us, and teaches us throughout long years of submission, and willing reception of God’s instruction through His Word, and discipline through His Church.
So what’s the point?
So why do we care what a Christian life looks like? As believers we are called to honor God as God. This means to understand Him, as He has revealed Himself to us, and not in any other fashion. These fruit of the Spirit are a picture of what God Himself is like, and in what ways He has interacted with us, the sheep of His hand. We honor Him by seeking to reflect Him, meaning do to others what He has done to us. We learn by imitation. Simply put, we love and ought to love because He first loved us. We as Christians are also called to give Him thanks. Gratitude is obedience with a smile. We obey His Word, and live in thankfulness. This thankful life stands out in this world like diamonds on black velvet. People do not quite know how to respond to true gratitude. It takes them by surprise. To the sinful heart it is a slap in the face. But that is the goodness of God.
So honor God as God and give Him thanks and live life as if you do. As Augustine said, love God and do as you please. The former will inform the latter. If our hearts and minds and souls and strengths are truly set on loving God to their fullest capacity, what will come as natural as anything will be a complete, utterly selfless love for others. Through this selflessness, God brings the world into the family of salvation. Glory be to God!
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