The Fruit of Joy (Galatians 5:22)

Today’s scripture: Galatians 5:22

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, it’s hard to live the “fruit of the Spirit.”

It’s hard to be loving, joyful, peaceful, longsuffering, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and have self-control. I mean, I can probably be loving and peaceful today, but you may have to wait until tomorrow for longsuffering and kindness …

But one of the fruit that should be constant is joy. As we talked about when we first began looking at the word, joy is not reliant on circumstances. Joy comes, instead, just because we are God’s dearly-loved children, saved by grace.

So even when I don’t feel like being gentle or practice self-control, I can still be joyful. And honestly, when I feel joy knowing that I’m God’s daughter, it’s a whole lot easier to be loving and kind and faithful … because He is those very things.

Find joy, and you may just find the rest of the fruit.

Final Prayers from Paul (2 Timothy 4:19-22)

Today’s scripture: 2 Timothy 4:19-22

As we wrap up this journey through Paul’s second letter to Timothy, I pray the same for you as he did for his protégé.

I pray the Lord will be with your spirit. No matter your circumstances, never forget that God is with you (Deut. 31:6, 8; Josh. 1:5; Ps. 27:9; Heb. 13:5). Jesus is helping to bear your burdens (Matt. 11:29-30). He will give you an overwhelming peace (Phil. 4:6-7). The Holy Spirit will work in you to manifest His fruit (Gal. 5:22-23).

I pray God’s grace will shower you. We know salvation comes from grace (Eph.2:8-9). But God’s grace—His unmerited favor—covers you each and every day. As He blesses you with a roof over your head (whether you own your home or are renting a room in someone else’s), with sustenance, with relationships, remember it’s because He loves you. None of us deserves God’s grace, but He loves us so much He chooses to bless us abundantly (Eph. 3:20-21).

And so I pray along with Paul:  "Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen" (Eph. 6:23-24).

Be Filled With the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21)

Today's scripture: Ephesians 5:18-21

I have no problem with a glass of wine here and there—I don’t think there’s anything in the Bible that says it’s wrong—but God’s word is very clear about one thing: We’re not to get drunk. Instead, we should be filled with the Holy Spirit and His fruit: love, joy, patience, self-control and so on (Galatians 5:22-23).

And who needs to drink when we can praise God with songs and psalms? I love music. I love everything about it. I love harmonies and melodies. I love well-written, meaningful lyrics. I often feel closest to the Lord when I’m singing words of praise, and I feel joy when I’m “making melody with [my] heart to the Lord …” More joy than I feel at pretty much any other time.

When I sing words like “Amazing Grace” or “How Great Thou Art,” I am filled with … well, feelings I just can’t fully explain. Gratitude. Humility. Awe.

And I’m so thankful for what God has done in my life. His faithfulness. His grace and mercy. His love.

Yep. Who needs wine when we can life our voices with song?

Sowing and Reaping (Galatians 6:7-8)

Today's scriptures: Galatians 6:7-8

Sometimes, we know some Scriptures so well, they become clichés rather than truths. How often do we say or hear “You reap what you sow”? Sometimes we even joke about it.

But this is no joking matter.

“God is not mocked,” Paul asserts. What we do on earth has eternal repercussions. We can’t do our own thing and satisfy the flesh, and then expect to show up in heaven. Yet that’s exactly what the world thinks.

You ask the average American if they believe in God and heaven, and (even today) a relatively high percent will say they do. You ask them how to get to heaven, and most will say, “Be a good person.”

And who defines “good”? Most would say if the good things they do outweigh the bad.

That is not what God says. He demands and deserves our total surrender to Him. We cannot receive eternal life with Him just by trying to do good things or be a good person. We are to “sow to the Spirit.”

But what does that really mean? Sow to the Spirit?

When we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, we accept His sacrificial death for our sins, and serve Him as our living Savior, we are part of God’s family. We have the Spirit residing in us. And we begin to live according to the Spirit’s leading and the Father’s will.

Then we sow to the Spirit. We manifest His fruit. We strive to do, not just “good” things, but godly things. We love our neighbor as ourselves. We become burden-bearers. We use our God-given gifts to serve our heavenly Father.

And we’ll reap eternal life with God—Father, Son, and Spirit!

If we’re only living for ourselves and hoping that our good outweighs our bad, we’re actually sowing to our flesh. And what will we reap? Corruption. And eternal life separated from God—Father, Son, and Spirit.

What are you sowing? And, even more, what will you reap?

Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

Today's scriptures: Galatians 5:22-23

How I long to be an illustration of the fruit of the Spirit! I so want to be loving and joyful and peaceful. Oh, to be patient and kind and good. And how wonderful it would be to be faithful and gentle and have self-control. All the time. To everyone.

Now I do pretty well with some of these. I do have God-given peace. And I’m fiercely faithful to my God and those I love. And I strive to find joy in every circumstance, as James taught (1:2).

But patience? I’ve struggled with that for years. As much as I surrender my life to God, I still want what I want when I want it … And self-control? I know I need to exercise. It’s a key component for keeping my chronic conditions somewhat under control. I know I need to eat well for the same reason. But do I exercise every day as I should? Do I diligently watch what I eat? No. Not always.

And then I have to ask myself: When others watch me, do they see anything different in me? Anything that attracts them to my Lord?

I pray that I’ll more and more be a shining light to others, that they’ll see the fruit of the Spirit in me. I pray God will give me patience and self-control. That I’ll be kind and good. And faithful. Always faithful to my heavenly Father.

And I pray the same for you.

In a Holy Manner (1 Corinthians 11:33-34)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:33-34

Communion or the Lord’s Supper is not a time to get together and socialize. It’s not a time to eat and drink for pleasure:

They were to eat for hunger and pleasure only at home, and not to change the holy supper to a common feast; and much less eat up the provisions before those who could bring none did partake of them, lest they should come together for condemnation … Holy things are to be used in a holy manner, or else they are profaned. (Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible)

And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it? "Holy things are to be used in a holy manner..." And guess what? When we accept the gift of salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are holy. And so we also should behave in a holy manner.

Loving our God—heart, soul, mind, and strength. Loving others as ourselves. (See Mark 12:30-31)

Demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Avoiding the “deeds of the flesh”: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these (vv. 18-21).

Striving to live like Christ in all we say, do, or think. Being lights in a very dark world (see Matthew 5:14-15; Romans 2:19; Philippians 2:15).

Again I have to ask the question: How are we different from unbelievers? Are we holy people acting in holy manners? Or are we just like them … except we say we love Jesus?

Something to think about … and I hope you do.

Lawful ... but Not Profitable (1 Corinthians 10:23-30)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:23-30

God established the law to help His created beings know how to live. As Paul wrote to the church in Rome: “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET’” (7:7, NASB).

However, those of us who have accepted the gift of grace and salvation through the sacrificial death and resurrection of our Savior are no longer under the law (see Galatians 3:13; 4:5). Instead of focusing on a list of “do’s” or “do nots,” we should instead focus on living as Christ did. We should strive to love our God—heart, soul, mind, and strength—and love our neighbors (see Mark12:30-31).

Think of it: If each of us really focused on living the “fruit” of the Spirit, how different would this world be? If we were people of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23a, NKJV). Why? “Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (5:23b-25).

Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should do something. We’re all called to serve God in the way He’s called us. We’re not all preachers or teachers. We’re not all gifted the same way.

Certainly, we need to live righteously, but more importantly, we need to seek God’s will in all things. striving to glorify our Lord.

Walking with Jesus (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Today's scripture: Ephesians 4:1-3

We are unworthy of any grace or mercy, yet God sees us as worthy. We are sinful by nature, yet when we accept the gift of salvation, our sins are washed away.

So how do we—in even the smallest way—honor God and show Him gratitude for that gift?

By learning to “walk in a manner worthy of [God’s] calling.”

How do we do that?

Paul lays it out well: We need to be humble, gentle, patient, and tolerant in love, and we need to preserve unity in peace.

Pretty tall order, isn’t it?

I’m pretty sure I can be gentle … and I’m pretty tolerant in love, accepting people as they are. Certainly, sometimes that does mean “love the sinner, hate the sin.” I seek peace in all interactions.

But patience? I’ve been working on that one for ages—or should I say the Spirit has been working in me. I still tend to want what I want when I want it. I am getting better at this, though, the older I get. I recognize how God has worked in the past, and His timing is usually not my timing.

And humility? This is another area in which I need help. I’m learning to put others ahead of myself (Philippians 2:3-4).

It’s not easy, but it’s part of the journey. Praise God!—my walk is an ongoing, continuous action, and I’ll continue growing and learning until I meet my Lord face-to-face.

So how’s your walk? Are you struggling with any of these? Pray that the Spirit will work in you and through you, so you will be worthy of God’s calling.

Living For Christ (1 Cor. 10:23-30)

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
(1 Corinthians 10:23-30, NASB)

God established the law to help His created beings know how to live. As Paul wrote to the church in Rome: “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET’” (7:7, NASB).

But those of us who have accepted the gift of grace and salvation through the sacrificial death and resurrection of our Savior are no longer under the law (see Galatians 3:13; 4:5). Instead of focusing on a list of “do’s” or “do not’s,” we should instead focus on living as Christ did. We should strive to love our God—heart, soul, mind, and strength—and love our neighbors (see Mark 12:30-31).

Think of it: If each of us really focused on living the “fruit” of the Spirit, how different would this world be? If only we were people of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23a, NKJV). Why? “Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (5:23b-25).

However, even if we're not under the law, just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should do something. We’re not all gifted the same way, and each of us is called to serve God in the way He’s called.

Certainly, we need to live righteously, but more importantly, we need to seek God’s will in all things. striving to glorify our Lord.