The Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:16–25 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Walking in the Spirit

The Hebrews Series - The life of faith -

Examples of the faith as seen in the OT people of God Written for believers who, fearing persecution, were tempted to turn their back on the faith

The Fruit of the Spirit series - the Life of Faith

Galatians was written to believers who, struggling against the temptation of sin and pressures of the world, were tempted to turn their back on Christ and return to traditions and ceremonies of the Mosaic Covenant.

The life of faith is a constant battle, but we are called to bear fruit having been rooted in Christ.

The Life of Faith is a Constant Battle

The War of Flesh and Spirit

WCF 13.2 - a continual and irreconcilable war, because of the remaining corruption within The flesh and the Spirit are set against one another

The flesh follows the fall, the works of the body, natural, fallen impulses

The mind of the flesh is death and hostile to God (Rom 8:6 & 7)

The Spirit seeks that which is from God -

To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace (Rom 8:6)

When Christians, tempted by sin, turn back to the law to try to produce godliness, they are resorting to the works of the flesh, and it only leads to death.

The Works of the Flesh are clearly evident

Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry and sorcery.

“Why is the church always talking about this?”

What’s being celebrated, marketed, and forced upon the world today? Homosexuality, adultery, the promiscuity of the hook-up culture, transgender, and drag; the godless, sensual things the world culture promotes, these are the works of the sinful flesh on full display.

Enmity, strife, jealousy agner, rivalry, dissensions, envy

Argumentative, fitful, selfish mentality that we see.

The celebrated “Karen culture,” TikTok’s and YouTubers recording every event just so they can become the next culture warrior.

Drunkenness and Carousing, and things like these…

The abuse of alcohol, recreational drugs, but also over-eating, over-indulging, being filled and overflowing with the pleasures of the world

Carousing (orgies) - it is one thing to celebrate, but to be consumed by parties, bacchanalian living

The Flesh Keeps Us From What We Want

The desires of the flesh keep us from the righteousness we want to pursue

Romans 7:15-23 I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing - because of the sin that dwells in me.

Those who do the works of the flesh will not inherit the Kingdom of God

Why would they want to go there, when it is the very opposite of how they are living today?

Gal 6:8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption…

We are Born to Bear Fruit

The Call to Bear Fruit

Isa 5:2 - An illustration of God’s relationship with His people, “God planted a vineyard with choice vines, put a watchtower in it, yet it produced sour grapes…”

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…

Rom 7:4 …we belong… to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

The Fruit of the Spirit

A contrast to the works of the flesh

Godly, Christ-like Love, the antithesis to immorality and sensuality

Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness - the very opposite of the strife, envy and division

Faithfulness, and self-control - not wild and sordid living, but control, faithful, and godly.

These are the very qualities of Christ - the Fruit is singular - one fruit, because it is Christ being demonstrated in the lives of His people.

If you wanted to describe Jesus, these would be the words to use.

If our life is hidden in him, and he is living in us, should we not then see Jesus in our lives?

Walking by the Spirit is the outward manifestation, in action and speech, of living by the Spirit. Living by the Spirit is the root; walking by the Spirit is the fruit, and that fruit is nothing less than the practical reproduction of the character (and therefore the conduct) of Christ in the lives of his people.

F. F. Bruce

Fruit Is Outward Evidence of Inward Life

Not something we manufacture, but that which flows from a life of faith

This list isn’t a chore list: I have to be more of these…

This is the Spirit’s work in us, producing Christ-likeness in us.

Love, joy, peace, patience… these are the fruit, not the root of our union with Christ.

The indicative and the imperative.

Being Rooted in Christ

Crucifying the Flesh

Dying to the self, taking up the cross, hating that in my own life which led to Christ’s suffering and death

This is where the battle takes place

The war with sin is won by Christ, the battle against inward corruption is throughout the life.

Belonging to Jesus

Being rooted in Him & Him being rooted in Us

Psalm 1:3 “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.

Don’t look within - this is where the passions of the flesh are found - look to Christ.

Walking in the Spirit

The Israelites when they left Egypt were tempted to turn back, but they were called to follow the Spirit - the Pillar of Fire by night and the Cloud by Day

Listening to the Spirit - in prayer and the word