scripture
Galatians 5:16-26 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
observation
We talked about the Holy Spirit wanting to have control of our lives back in Romans 8 just a few days ago. The question came up: Who are you trying to please? Are you living for self satisfaction?
Paul encourages the church in Galatia to “let the Holy Spirit guide your lives” listen to what he didn’t say “try as hard as you can to be a good person.” As we discussed in Romans 8, the power to be good comes from the Holy Spirit and not from our fortitude or determination.
It is easy to see the results of giving into our old desires, hostility, quarreling, jealousy etc, all of the character traits that anyone would like to be cured of but without the power of the Holy Spirit they are trapped. We must confess that this fruit is sin and that on our own we are powerless to cure ourselves. We must admit our need for a Savior so that the Holy Spirit will help us to overcome these habits.
John 15:8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.
The qualities that we will have displayed in our lives when the Holy Spirit is in control are called fruit. Now that reminds me of a gardening lesson that Jesus gave to his disciples. Jesus said that he is the vine and that his followers are the branches, Jesus told his disciples that as a branch they need to bear fruit and be careful about being unfruitful.
Church member beware! A Christian should be very concerned if his life is not characterized by the fruit of the spirit, Jesus said that without the fruit there isn't any proof that you are his disciple. Without "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" in your life there is a serious problem with your relationship with the Lord. If you are busy working for the Lord as a layman or minister and you do not have these characteristics consistently in your lifestyle then you are working for the Lord under your own power and determination and not with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is scary how many people that are busy working for the Lord that do not have their lives under the control of the Spirit, how can their ministry bear fruit if the individual leading it isn't bearing fruit, and what is going to happen to that ministry when the Lord prunes that branch from the vine.
John 15:5 For apart from me you can do nothing
Without the Holy Spirit I am powerless but if I stay rooted in Christ then the Holy Spirit will enable me to produce the fruit that we all want to have in our lives, the fruit of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” and then we will bring glory to our heavenly father.
John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit.
application
Everyone in the church must be careful that they are abiding in the vine, allowing the Holy Spirit to mold their personality. I will stay in the word so that the Holy Spirit can show me the traits that my life must display in order to be fruitful and useful for the Lord.
prayer
My number one goal Lord is for you to find me useful for your work. I pray that men in our church will be serious about living for you and will be "your man on your mission." I pray that people in the body of Christ that do not have the fruit in their lives will get right with you and become fruitful for your glory.
