Fruits of the Spirit - Written Nov. 9th

(Galations 5:19-23)

Good morning, youth group!

While I was really thinking about what I should write about, I came across the book of Galatians.

Now, Galatians is a pretty intense book, but it was actually written as a letter. The Galatians were a tribe of people who had been recently liberated, and having begun their new life being led by Faith, they suddenly seemed more interested in leaving the Faith aspect behind and following a new religion based more on works - and Paul finds that disturbing.

His letter to the Galatians is a vigorous attack against the gospel of the Deeds System (believing that you can get to heaven simply by being awesome and helpful) and a defense of Faith (believing that being saved by the Lord is the only way to spend eternity with Him).

Remember, blessings come from God, not the system. The law declares man guilty and imprisons him, whereas the Lord sets man free and gives man eternal life in Him. Freedom in Christ means freedom to produce the fruits of the Spirit by living a life influenced by Him.

Now, to the Bible!!

We're starting at Galatians 5:19 and going until v. 21.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (Extreme indulgence in sensual pleasures); 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions (disagreement), factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

That's pretty self-explanatory, really. As fallen beings, we crave sin. We're made of flesh, and while all desires of the flesh aren't "evil", there is a time (and a place) for everything. Let's clear something up: wanting to have sex does not make you a bad person. Once married, having sex with your spouse does not make you a bad person. God made sex to be enjoyed between 2 people, as a way of uniting Husband and Wife. But having sex outside of marriage, or once married you're sleeping with your neighbor, that's bad. It says in verse 21, those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. It's as simple as that.

Now, let's read verses 22-23.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

You might be thinking, 'silly Paul, patience isn't a fruit!' And yes, you're right, you can't eat a patience. However, we're talking about Spiritual fruits, as in things that are yummy for your soul.

Let's take a look at this:

The Spirit fights against sin not merely in defense, but it also attacks by producing in Christians the positive attributes of a Godly character, all of which are found in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark Luke and John. Study them. They're awesome.)

Love appears first because it's the greatest quality, in that it most accurately and succinctly defines God.

Joy comes in close second, for in rejoicing in God's salvation, believers show that their affection is rightly placed in God's will and purpose.

Peace is the product of God having reconciled sinners to Himself, so that they are no longer enemies which results in confidence and freedom to approach God (check out Hebrews 4:6)

Patience shows that believers are following God's plans and timetable rather than their own, and they have abandoned their own ideas of how the world should work.

Kindness means showing goodness, generosity, and sympathy towards others, which likewise is an attribute of God.

Goodness means working for the benefit of others, not oneself. Paul again mentions it in Galatians 6:10.

Faithfulness is another divine characteristic: is means constantly doing what you are supposed to do, and doing it diligently and properly .

Gentleness is a quality that Jesus attributes to Himself in Matthew 11:29; it enables people to find rest in him and to encourage and strengthen others.

Self-Control is the discipline given by the Holy Spirit that allows Christians to be able to resist the temptations of sin and the power of the flesh.

Verse 23 even says, Against this there is no law; therefore, those who manifest them are fulfilling the law more than those who insist on having large, elaborate ceremonies and those who follow the flesh.

So really, which side of the fence are you on?

Because Jesus said in Matthew 12:30, He who is not with me is against me. He also said that if you're only lukewarm, neither how nor cold, He's going to spit you out of his mouth. Because no one likes eating lukewarm stuff, right?

In conclusion, I challenge you to read Galatians at some point in the very near future, because it really is a very interesting book. I also challenge you to really take a look at your relationship with the Lord. Are you really truly following Him because you love Him, or are you hoping that because you're essentially a good person, deeds alone will get you by?

Have a great day, guys!