Have we fruit?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
(Galatians 5:22-23)

 

Reflection:
Jesus said, “By their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:16) The fruit that people produce tells us much about themselves, their priorities, values and characters. If we wish to know more about God we can look to some of the fruit of His life.

Paul tells us that “what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” (Romans 1:19-20)

He also tells us that the fruit of the Holy Spirit – who is God – is the qualities listed above. This is the fruit that He wishes to reproduce in us, so that increasingly we reflect more and more of Him, as we were created to be and do.

• Love – “God is love” (1 John 4:16)
• Joy – Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)
• Peace – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” John 14:27)
• Patience – “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience.” (1 Timothy 1:16)
• Kindness – “in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”(Ephesians 2:7)
• Goodness – “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.” (Psalm 31:19)
• Faithfulness – “For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” (Psalm 57:10)
• Gentleness – “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)
• Self-Control – “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8)

Notice how they all flow from Love and feed into each other. God wishes this fruit to be visible in our lives because this is what He is like. It is the fruit of God and not of man. As with a fruit tree it comes only from within. To try and produce it ourselves will not be effective and we may end up more like a Christmas tree. It is the fruit of the Spirit who lives within us and comes only from Him as we submit to His ministry and guidance.

Response:
What is my fruit and where do I need more of God in my life?

Prayer:

Father, these are some of Your qualities that You wish to be reproduced in me. Please grow them in me through the blessing of the Holy Spirit, and help me to embrace them more and more. Amen.

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Yes Today

“But when the time had fully come,
God sent his Son”
(Galatians 4:4)

Reflection:
It was some 2000 years after God called Abraham and promised through him to bless all the families of the world.  Now, Paul tells us, this was the right time. We do not know the full answer but there are certain factors that made this time suitable from a human perspective.

Firstly, there was a general peace in the Roman empire. The legions were everywhere keeping law and order and protecting travellers both on land and at sea.

Secondly, the common language of the empire was Greek – and the Old Testament in Greek, the Septuagint, was available.

Thirdly, there was an increasing spiritual hunger. The Roman gods had lost their attraction and the so-called mystery religions had a more personal appeal.

Finally, there were the outsiders who were attracted to the idea of the Jewish God and the high ethical standards that were a part of their faith.

Within this context Paul was able to minister effectively and during a short period of ten years was able to see the church established in the four Roman provinces of Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia and Asia.

Certainly God had chosen a good time – and may even have been influential in bringing it about! And how blessed we are that some 2000 years later we can look back on it and enjoy the fullness of its meaning.

Question:
Has the Lord become fully a part of my life?

Response:
“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation”  ( 2 Corinthians 6:2)

Prayer:

Today Lord Jesus, enter more fully into my life to rule and reign there in the fullness of your light, life and love. Amen.

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I’m not least

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”
(Galatians 3:28)

Reflection:

In God’s eyes His Church is a community of His people in which every individual stands as equal in His love. The distinctions of the world which separate and segregate people are of no account. Racial, social and sexual differences become of no significance. All His children have equal access to Him through Jesus Christ.

Although in this life some of these differences are visible – men are men and women are women – they are not to be considered as conferring on the one more value or significance than the other. That immediately becomes a challenge to us in terms of our attitudes towards others – particularly those of different social standing and nationalities.

This equality is conferred upon us by God at our conversion when He adopts us as His sons and daughters – giving us a new identity. If this is the way in which He sees us then two consequences become clear. The first is that I must not look upon myself as having less value and standing in God’s eyes than anyone else. The second is that if God sees all His adopted children in this way then I have no right or reason to look down on, or reject, any one of them. He loves them as much as He loves me.

Response:
God loves … (them) …  as much as He loves me

Prayer:

Father, thank You that I am not the outsider in Your family. Please help me not to treat anyone else as if they are. Amen.

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Fruit of Self-control

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

(Galatians 5:22-23)

Reflection:
Self-control is the spirit that has been transformed and no longer concentrates on self with its desires, love of pleasure and self-pity, focussing instead on the love and will and pleasure of God. Like a top athlete the aim is to bring everything under control for a specific and desired goal. It is a life-long journey and process, with many ups and downs, successes and failures. We learn a great deal about ourselves and our weaknesses, and about God and His grace and love, in the process. It only happens through the Holy Spirit working within us and with our co-operation.

• “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” (Philippians 3:8)

• “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
(1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

In Christ we are a new creation, moving steadily towards our revealed completion as the sons and daughters of our Almighty Father. We are not alone but are guided, gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit who is within us. He gives to us the specific gifts needed for our path and ministry in this life, He brings about within us the changes that make us increasingly into the likeness of Christ, and He brings into reality the ‘much fruit’ that is a part of our calling. Our part in it is to believe and to follow His lead and directions – continually aiming to have our focus on our Lord and not on ourselves.

“because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

Response:
You know the fruit that the Holy Spirit wants to bring out of your life – ask Him for them specifically.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, please help me to desire the fruit with which You want to adorn my life, in its individual segments and in its entirety. Please help me to begin living the fruit. Amen.

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Fruit of Gentleness

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness.”

(Galatians 5:22-23)

Reflection:
Gentleness must never be confused with weakness. True gentleness comes from an inner strength. It is at its best when it grows out of the true knowledge of being loved by God and no longer having to strive for recognition. It is a truly blessed quality,

“the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Gentleness is not arrogant, proud or self-seeking. It does not lash out in anger or retaliation. It is considerate and caring. It sees the fragility in others and looks to comfort and heal. There are many examples of the gentleness in Jesus, who was also quite capable of challenging others and of being demonstrably angry at times. He rode into Jerusalem not as a proud conqueror on a horse but, “gentle and riding on a donkey.” (Matt 21:5). He said of Himself,

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

He was wonderfully gentle with the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, and with Simon Peter both before and after he had betrayed Jesus. On the cross He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

When Paul wrote to the Philippians he highlighted the source of true gentleness – it was because of God, His power, love and salvation and the fact that He is always so very close to us.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” ( Philippians 4:4-5)

To be gentle we need to allow the love of God to be poured into us and lift us above a concentrated focus upon ourselves – and to look instead at those around us, hearing the silent screams that come from so many lives. Gentleness is of the Spirit, and another segment of the fruit that God wishes to see in our lives.

Response:
Did I bruise anyone today – by action or inaction?

Prayer:

Father, I know how easily I can be hurt – please help me to be a comfort and a blessing to those who need it today – in Jesus name. Amen.

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Fruit of Faithfulness

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

(Galatians 5:22)

Reflection:
Jesus used the word faithful in the parable of the talents, where the master commended his servant, showing his great pleasure and approval,

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21)

There is a sense of the servant being reliable, trustworthy, having his master’s interests at heart and of extending himself to please the master. This servant had chosen where to place his priority for as Jesus taught,

“No servant can serve two masters.” (Luke 16:13)

Being faithful is not merely acknowledging the Lord by word but by showing it in the way we live our lives. Anyone watching us for long enough would very soon pick up where our priorities lie, and who is the major person in our lives – the Lord, another human or ourselves. There is a frightful story of a Christian convert who left a church because to him their faith was merely a hobby! Jesus can never be just a hobby – and if He is not the person of first importance in our lives then we have a problem!

He has told us and showed us what He requires of us. Our challenge is to take Him, His words and His commands seriously, so that we too might prove to be faithful. For as James has taught us,

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)

The aim of the Holy Spirit will be to help us to do just that, for

“By their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:16)

Response:
‘Am I faithful?’ Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you there.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, please help me to have the Lord Jesus as my first and greatest priority, and to seek in all things to please and honour Him. Amen.

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Fruit of Goodness

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,”

(Galatians 5:22)

Reflection:

Again it is interesting that goodness comes after love and kindness. It would be so very easy for goodness to become legalistic, harsh and critical, and in the end only superficial. The goodness which is of God is one that comes from deep within, from where it influences and directs our actions. It is a quality that shines out from within us and impacts the people and situations around us.

Goodness is not only passive. It challenges people and situations where it is necessary. So Jesus, when He cleansed the Temple, was reacting to the blasphemy and degradation of the glory of God by the extortion and commercialism that was taking place in this ‘house of prayer.’ Goodness cannot remain as a mere observer. It has the need to change what is wrong. However, we see the other side of the goodness in Jesus when He deals with the woman at the well, and the woman caught in adultery. In both cases He was looking to bring healing and change, but He did so in an amazingly gentle and understanding way.

The fruit of the Spirit is not listed in random order. God’s will is for all of it to be evident in the lives of His people, but it is always built and developed on the foundation of love.

Reflection:
Catch yourself when you are critical – ‘they’ may just be sinning differently to you! Pray that God will purify your heart and mind first.

Prayer:

Father, shine Your light into my life that the loving goodness of Jesus may soften and strengthen me in the way of love. Amen.

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Fruit of Patience

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,”

(Galatians 5:22)

Reflection:
Insecurity, unhappiness, irritability, frustration are just a few of the conditions that give rise to impatience. It is small wonder then that patience does not appear as the first in the list of the fruit of the Spirit but further down the line. Having known what it is to have little patience we can understand that love, joy and peace become necessary foundations. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 13 Paul tell is that “love is patient.” It is certainly easier to be patient with someone whom you love than with anyone that you do not. However, Paul is talking not of a worldly love but of a love base within us from which the spiritual fruit of patience comes.

There are frequent incidences in Scripture where patience is stressed. In the Psalms the Psalmist says,

• “Be still, and know that I am God; “(Psalm 46:10)
• “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; (Psalm 37:7)

We can only be truly still, or patient, when we know that God is in control and will work things out – both at the level of our individual lives and in the bigger picture as well. To know that He is God, with all that means, gives us the basis on which to wait for Him to act. To wait patiently for Him implies that we know that He will act in a situation, the only question therefore being when and, maybe, how. God works to His own timeframe and not to one dictated by our emotions and perceptions. Whilst waiting for God to respond to his prayers a young man was advised to be patient because ‘God is never late.’ With some feeling he responded, “Yes, but He is not often early either!”

Psalm 37 also tells the reader no less than 3 times in the first 8 verses not to fret and goes on to say that “it leads only to evil.” (v8). Fretting and patience are not companions on the same journey, whilst fretting and impatience are. Fretting takes our attention away from God and His love and power and puts the focus on ourselves, on our perceived needs and on the way we feel.

Whilst choosing to trust God is a decision, patience is more than that – there is a quietness and calmness about it that is not positive thinking but a gift. Opening ourselves to the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit, and choosing to put our trust in God, makes it possible for the Spirit to work increasingly freely within us and to develop the qualities that are characteristic of a child of God. He leads us into a deeper relationship with the Father, and one in which we learn increasingly to submit ourselves to His great love, wisdom and power.

Response:
Ask God to give you patience – right now!!!!?

Prayer:

Father, open my heart and understanding to Your great love, wisdom and power – and help me to quietly trust in You all the time. Amen.

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Fruit of Peace

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,”

(Galatians 5:22)

Reflection:
In worldly terms peace is generally understood as an absence of something – such as hostilities or need. In God’s eyes peace is something that He gives and which is independent of a worldly context. Jesus said to His disciples,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Paul went on to write,

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

This peace is a gift from God Himself and not something that we can manufacture. As with love and joy it is not something that is independent of God but rather a gift that comes from God out of His presence in our lives. The illustration that Jesus used of the Vine in John 15 is a good example. As we are joined to Him, and His life flows into us, we will be transformed. His life power is what produces growth in us and the fruit that we are called to bear for the glory of God. A part of this fruit will be that which is called the fruit of the Spirit. He will bring it out in our lives to the extent that we co-operate with Him. The closer we are to God, and the stronger our relationship with Him, the more that the fruit of love, joy and peace will become a part of our lives.

Our peace is the absolute trust that we have in the love and power of God in our lives. Nothing is greater than God’s love for us, nothing is greater than the power of God, and this God is in absolute control of every single moment and every single aspect of our lives. Whatever the world may throw at us God will never let us go or desert us.

• “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

• “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Because Almighty God loves us with and everlasting and sacrificial love we can trust Him. He is our peace. He will see us through.

I look at today – the world, the church and me – and I am disturbed.
I look at God – His yesterday, today and tomorrow – and I find peace.

Response:
Choose to believe and trust in Him. Own the Scripture promises for when you need them.

Prayer:

Lord I believe – help my unbelief. Amen.

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Fruit of Joy

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,”

(Galatians 5:22)

Reflection:
The fruit of the Spirit, or the result of His accepted ministry within us, includes joy. It follows on from love which should not surprise us. Without love their can be no true joy in our lives, for then what goes under the name of joy will be dependent on worldly things and will disappear when they do.

That we should know the joy that God gives is a very real intention of His. Jesus taught that,

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

He wants us to know the joy that He has Himself, and to be so blessed by it that our joy will be complete – not lacking in anything. This joy is not dependent upon worldly success and wealth, upon activity or even enjoyment. It comes with a realisation and acceptance that we have been saved from the separation and degradation of our sin. Not only that but we have been saved into the eternal salvation and fulfilment held out to us through the unconditional and life-giving love of the glorious and mighty Father. A true appreciation of the wonderful love of God for us, individually, leads us into the almost unbelievable joy of our forgiveness, acceptance and new identity in God – our identity as the sons and daughters of the eternal Father.

This is something that is beyond the affairs of the world. No matter what our situation and condition in our worldly contexts, in the eternal purposes of God, with their commencement in this very moment of our lives, we are loved with an everlasting love. We are on The Way to glory and our total transformation and completion in ‘the image of God’ – the person He intended ‘in the beginning,’ in whom there will be no imperfections, short comings, inadequacies or sadness. We will, in all ways and for the first time in our lives, be totally and gloriously and completely ‘me.’

True joy comes from true love – the knowledge of a true and deep love, and the wonder of loving in return. God’s love brings God’s joy to us. Ours brings joy to Him.

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

Response:
Dwell on God’s love for you – allow it to bless you without making demands of Him

Prayer:

Father, may Your great love reach into the very depths of me, drawing my love to You, and leading me into the joy of our love. Amen.

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