Galatians 5: The Fruits of the Spirit
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law” (Galatians 5:16-18).
In his letter to the Christians living in Galatia, St. Paul makes it clear like nowhere else: we are saved – that is, we have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life – not based on the types of lives that we live. Instead, we have those gifts of God because of what our Savior Jesus has done for us. We receive these gifts through faith in Jesus, simply by trusting Jesus. Paul sums up this thought in chapter two when he writes: “[We] know that a man is not justified [declared “not guilty”] by observing the law, but by faith in Christ Jesus. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16).
As Christians we rejoice in that truth. God demands perfection from us, and through faith in Jesus we have that perfection! But not our own perfection; instead, we offer to God the perfection of his one and only Son, Jesus. He is our perfect substitute. We’re saved because of what Jesus has done, and not because of what we do!
But, sadly, many have drawn a wrong conclusion from this truth. They think to themselves: “Well, if getting to heaven has nothing to do with the way I live, then I can live any way I want! I can sin all I want because Jesus washes away my sin!” But the Scriptures teach no such thing; in fact, just the opposite. Paul says to the Galatians and us: Don’t live according to your sinful flesh; instead, live by the Spirit, the Spirit of God!
As Christians we won’t look upon the forgiveness of sins that Jesus grants us as an awesome opportunity to sin! Instead, we see our new life of forgiveness as an awesome opportunity to live for Jesus! Jesus has given us a new lease on life. He has cured us of our cancer of sin! He has given us a spiritual heart transplant! He has given us new limbs of faith! When you get this new lease on life, Paul says, you should live a new life! Live by the Spirit!
We will be exploring the fruits of the Spirit that Paul outlines in Galatians chapter five. It is my prayer that through this study, the Holy Spirit will lead you to live by the Spirit more and more each day!
The Fruit of the Spirit: Love
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Love is a most misunderstood word and concept in our world today. We use that word all the time. “I love my car. I love that color. I love my dog. I love my spouse. I love pizza!” What do we mean when we say, “I love …”? Most people love those things or people that bring them pleasure. “That’s what love is!” they think. “I love those things that bring me pleasure!”
But is that love? The Bible says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God loves us. Why? Because we bring him such pleasure? Not at all! St. Paul just got done saying: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Sinners bring no pleasure to God. God hates sin, and he hates sinners (Psalm 5:5). But God still loves sinners! How can that be since we bring him no pleasure?
Back in 1518 Martin Luther made this statement about God’s love: “The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it.” In other words, God doesn’t love sinners because they bring him pleasure. Just the opposite! God’s love seeks out the sinner so that God might give the sinner pleasure! God’s love is not about having pleasure; God’s love is all about giving pleasure. Luther explained: “Rather than seeking its own good, the love of God flows forth and bestows good. Therefore sinners are attractive because they are loved; they are not loved because they are attractive” (Luther’s Works American Edition 31:57). What an amazing love!
That’s the love we are to have for one another as Christians! We show love to others not because people deserve our love because in many cases they don’t. No, we show love to others because that’s what Christians do; they seek to bring pleasure and joy to others. That’s what our heavenly Father does, and as his children we strive to imitate him. Jesus said: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45). “Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).
The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“I just want to be happy.” Have you ever said that? Every one of us has. In our country’s Declaration of Independence, these three inalienable rights are listed: “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” To our way of thinking, happiness seems to be the end all and be all of life. We just want to be happy; that’s our pursuit!
But the Scriptures don’t talk so much about happiness. Oh sure, the word is mentioned plenty, but isn’t it interesting that Paul does not list “happiness” as one of the “fruits of the Spirit”? No, not happiness, he says, but joy, Christian joy.
What’s the difference, you might ask? Well, “happiness” tends to have a worldlier connotation. It’s related to an Old English word “hap” which means “luck.” We say today: “It just happened.” In other words, it was lucky. “Good fortune” brings happiness. But what happens when our “good luck” runs out? Sadness comes. Happiness comes and goes because our lives are often filled with sorrow due to “bad luck” and “misfortune.”
But joy endures no matter what! Christian joy, as opposed to worldly happiness, is not the result of “luck” or good fortune. No, Christian joy is based on the promises of God: that he sent his Son Jesus to live and to die in my place; that Jesus rose again to assure me of my forgiveness and my own eternal life in heaven; that Jesus is preparing a place for me in my eternal home and that I will one day inherit those eternal riches. Unlike the “luck” of this world, God’s promises don’t ebb and flow; they don’t come and go. They remain constant and unbending. A Christian can always be joyful because God’s promises never change! So even in our darkest hour, when we are passing through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for God is with us; his rod and his staff, they comfort us. We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever! There’s no luck involved!
Don’t shoot for worldly happiness, my friends. Such happiness is so elusive. Shoot for Christian joy! It lasts an eternity. Yes, “rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
After the angel of God had announced to the shepherds that a Savior had been born to them and all the world, he was joined by a multitude of angels to sing what has now become a well-known and familiar song: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men!”
Many have misunderstood the angel’s hymn. They think that the angels are suggesting that as Christians we can look forward to an earthly peace in which Christians rule the world, an earthly kingdom. Many Christians are doing their best to bring about this worldly kingdom of peace, because they believe that is what Jesus has in store for the world. “Just listen to the angels’ song!” they insist. “Don’t you hear what they say: ‘Peace on earth!’”
But Jesus didn’t come to bring the type of peace to which those Christians are referring. In fact, Jesus spoke plainly to his disciples about that misconception. He said: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division” (Luke 12:51). Jesus insisted that his disciples in this world would face hatred and persecution. There would be little in the way of earthly peace. Jesus promised that his followers would endure many trials and tribulations in this world. We shouldn’t expect earthly peace.
But that doesn’t mean that the angels were wrong to sing what they sang on that first Christmas night! They were absolutely right to suggest that Jesus had come, as the prophet Isaiah had foretold, to be the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). But not the Prince of earthly peace. Instead, Jesus brings the peace of sins forgiven. He brings the peace of God’s love. He brings the peace that we have as we are assured of a peaceful and joyful eternity in heaven with him and all the saints! That’s the peace that Jesus came to bring, and he has won it for us!
To have such peace, to have such assurance, of God’s love and forgiveness: that is a fruit of the Spirit. And as we grow more and more in the “peace of God which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), we will be able to share this peace with others.
Live peacefully with one another, my friends. Forgive one another, just as in Christ God forgave you. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace! What a beautiful fruit of the Spirit peace is!
The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“He has the patience of Job.” Have you ever said that about anyone, or has anyone said that about you? The biblical character Job is often held up as an example of patience because he endured so much pain in this world. In truth, Job wasn’t always so patient, but the phrase has come into popular usage that some people have the patience of Job.
If we’re honest with ourselves, we’d probably all have to admit that we’re not as patient as we should be or would like to be. It’s easy to get frustrated and upset with other people when they don’t do what you want them to do, and don’t say what you want them to say. Especially when we’re busy and we’ve got a lot to do, it’s easy to allow our temper to boil over with impatience.
Just imagine if God were like that, boiling over every time we didn’t do what he commands us to do. Our lives would be miserable! But God’s impatience would be so different from ours because his would actually be justified! Our perfect God has every reason to be impatient with his sinful servants!
But, here’s the thing: he’s not. The Lord is “slow to anger and abounding in love.” He is patient and long-suffering, like the father of the prodigal son. He doesn’t strike us down at every opportunity, instead he bears our shortcomings and sins. He especially proved that by giving his Son Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. What patience!
As Christians we are called to that same type of patience. We won’t always be good at patience, but the Holy Spirit who lives within us guides and empowers us more and more to put godly patience into practice as we deal with others. They might not deserve our patience, but we don’t deserve God’s patience either. He just gives us to us out of love!
The Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
What advice should we give to our children or our friends when they find themselves in situations where other people are treating them in a mean and unfair way? Some would suggest that we tell our kids or friends to fight back, to get an eye for an eye. They reason that when you fight back, the bullying will stop.
But a better, Scriptural answer can be found in Paul’s letter to the Romans. He tells us: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head” (Romans 12:20). In writing this, Paul was echoing the words of our Savior Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, “Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). In other words, the Scriptures would have us “kill them with kindness.”
Killing people with kindness is not an easy thing to do, especially when they haven’t done anything to deserve our kindness. True kindness is not something that sinful people are able to muster all by themselves. That’s why Paul calls kindness a “fruit of the Spirit.” Only the Holy Spirit can lead us and empower us to display kindness in our lives toward other people, especially those who are not kind to us.
In showing this type of kindness, we are simply following the model set by our Savior Jesus in his relationship with each one of us. By nature we give no reason to Jesus to be kind to us. We sin against him and his will on a daily basis. And yet, Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus showed the ultimate kindness to us when he offered up his life for us sinners on the cross. Yes, he killed us with kindness!
As his disciples, let us walk in his footsteps. Let’s find ways to kill others with kindness! It’s a fruit of the Spirit.
The Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“There’s a little bit of good, deep-down inside every person.” That’s a statement that you’ll hear quite often in today’s popular culture. In fact, it’s one of the fundamental pillars of democracy, namely, that by nature every person has a spark of good within them.
But what does our Savior and the rest of Scripture have to say about this idea? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. By nature, we have absolutely no goodness within us. St. Paul states: “We were by nature objects of [God’s] wrath” (Ephesians 2:3) “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures” (Titus 3:3) “hostile to God.” Paul adds that by nature we do “not submit to God’s law, nor can [we] do so” (Romans 8:7).
Jesus paints a similar picture of us in Mark’s Gospel. He states that “from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice,” etc. “All these evils come from inside” (Mark 7:21, 23). By nature, we are all dirty with sin, “sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).
So does that mean that goodness is unattainable for us? Left to ourselves, the answer is yes! But Paul reminds us that true goodness is indeed attainable. It is a “fruit of the Spirit.” In other words, only those who have been brought to faith in Jesus through the working of the Holy Spirit truly have the ability to do good. True, God-pleasing goodness comes from the Spirit alone.
Jesus once told his disciples: “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). Goodness is not something that sinful human beings like you and me can muster up from inside! Instead, true goodness is a gift from our Savior, given through the Holy Spirit.
Why does a Christian do good things? Because he has to? Not really. A Christian does good things, because that’s what Christians do. It’s a fruit of the Spirit!
The Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“A dog is a man’s best friend.” Why have people come to that conclusion? What is it about dogs that people would suggest that they are a man’s best friend?
I happen to complain about my dog quite a bit. If you don’t believe me, then just ask my wife. Daisy is still pretty much of a puppy, so she gets too excited when new people come to our home. She’s not a particularly clean eater. She’s trampled our backyard with her hoof-like feet. And whenever she drinks from her water bowl, she gets more water on the floor and furniture than she gets in her mouth. How could anyone suggest that this beast is my best friend?
Even though the dog does give me some grief, I also have to admit that she’s a good friend. My best friend? Maybe not. But a good friend? Indeed.
Why do dogs make such good friends? Because they tend to be faithful companions. Just about every time Tarren and I drive into the garage, I ask her, “Do you think the dog will be happy to see us?” And sure enough, Daisy hasn’t let us down yet. Her ears go back; her tail starts wagging. She is indeed a faithful friend. It would be a great surprise indeed if she ever acted another way when we arrived!
And yet Daisy’s faithfulness pales in comparison to our God’s faithfulness. St. Paul tells us that even “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful.” Why? “Because he cannot disown himself” (2 Tm 2:13). In other words, God can’t help himself. He must always be faithful, otherwise he’d no longer be God!
With such a faithful God, we are inspired by the Holy Spirit to be faithful ourselves: to speak the truth, to act truthfully and faithfully. By ourselves we can’t do it. By with the Spirit’s help, we too can be faithful in all we do. It’s a fruit of the Spirit!
The Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“Be very, very gentle.” Did you ever get that advice from Mom or Dad when you were a small child? Maybe you were handling a Christmas tree ornament made out of glass. Or maybe your aunt or uncle was placing your newborn cousin in your arms. “Be very, very gentle.” It’s good advice, especially when given to a child who doesn’t always realize just how strong he or she is. Little children tend to break things pretty needlessly. They just need to be more careful, more gentle.
Even as adults we don’t always realize just how strong we are. But I’m not really talking about physical strength. I’m talking about the strength of our words and actions. Too often we speak using words that are simply too strong. Too often we do things without really thinking through all of the consequences of our actions. As adults we are too often like bulls in a china shop. When we say and do things that are too strong, chances are somebody is going to get hurt, and that somebody is usually the people around us. We need to find a way to be more gentle.
As Christians, we can learn a lot from Jesus, our Good Shepherd. He treats us so gently. The prophet Isaiah described Jesus this way: “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (40:11). Two chapters later Isaiah writes: “A bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (42:3). Jesus does not treat us harshly. He doesn’t use his strength against us. He uses his strength to defend us, guide us, protect us and save us!
God has given us strong minds and bodies. He has given us tongues which can speak such wonderful words of love and encouragement; hands which can do such beautiful deeds of love. Let’s not use these gifts of God the wrong way: to harm others! Instead, let’s be very, very gentle. It’s a fruit of the Spirit!