What fruit are you producing?
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Introduction
Introduction
Have you every been in a battle between two things.
When I lived in Winnipeg, it was always a battle to which bus to take home after work. I guess I could take the same one every day, but what fun is that?
What things to say.
I have once heard someone say, you would be proud of me if you knew the things I didn’t say.
What about actions, attitudes, expectations.
Do you battle with those in your life?
What about spiritual practices.
Are some easier than others?
Battles we face every day.
I would love to show you a picture of one of my favourite cartoons, but I felt I would be risking copyright issues as this message is displayed later, so let me give you a description.
The cartoon is the flintstones:
Fred is a loud ever present character in the stone age and in this picture or episode, you find Fred making a decision.
It was a decision for the good or bad.
Wouldn’t you know it, but what pops up are a Fred Angel and a Fred Devil.
They begin to fight over what Fred should do.
Is that our understanding when it comes to today’s text.
I have talked with several people over the weeks and some take the time to read the scripture passage before they come on Sunday.
If you are one of those people, is this the image you received as you looked at the text. Its a battle between the two Spirits in play in the world and in our lives?
Before we read the text for this morning, I want to let you know why I am focusing in on Fruit.
Fruit is a product of work. It is measurable to the success we have.
If we are a gardener, we evaluate on the success of the crop or fruit we produce.
If we own an orchard or vineyard, we work hard at producing the right type of fruit to produce a product. We are evaluated on the product.
Fruits in our lives are a way in which we are seen by others.
It is the marks by which we grow in our walk.
I once heard of a orchard owner that planted around his orchard the most sour tasting fruit trees. The were the type of plant that produced abundantly, but the fruit was very sour. If you walked around his property, no fence needed, it was easy to reach for one of the fruits and taste.
When asked why he did this, his answer was simple. When people reach and eat and take what isn’t theirs, it turns them away from the good fruit that is on the inside. The good was never stolen and he was able to send it to market.
Theft protection.
This morning as we go through the scripture, may I challenge you that what is seen, and figuratively tasted or shown on the outside should be a fruit that would draw others toward us and not away.
Also I want to leave you with a better understanding of the fruit in our lives and the work it takes to produce that fruit.
With this in mind, let’s read today’s text
Scripture
Scripture
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 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.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
21 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.
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.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Let’s pray
Understanding Desires
Understanding Desires
How many of you have desires? I do, all the time every day.
My mind is often filled with desires especially if I were to walk into a crafters market.
Desires to create. “I could make that” “What a lovely idea”
I see that person playing an instrument, I wish I could do that. I desire the ability to do that
A skill we see in others. We desire that we could do that as well.
This text begins with desires. but we must understand where the desires come from, the groupings of the desires and how they relate to each other.
As you have read and as with the cartoon the scripture has two types of desires. Desires grouped together into two categories.
Flesh Desires or Spirit Desires
It’s good to note that they are both there, yet the real question is what will dominate,
Or as one author writes,
What will we allow to dominate?—that is the question. Flesh or Spirit? So long as we are in the flesh there is going to be a conflict between flesh and Spirit, and this is what Paul is dealing with. Remember that our very existence is “flesh” insofar as we give ourselves over to the world of the flesh, serve that world, and allow ourselves to be determined by it. That means that we can never withdraw from “the flesh” in our earthly lives, but we do not have to forfeit to the flesh. We can fight against its demonic powers. We can do this by walking in the Spirit.
Desires of the Flesh
Desires of the Flesh
Last week we looked at the battles around us and they were not flesh and blood, now today’s scripture draws us to a battle within us, our lives.
We live, occupy earthly fleshly bodies. Desires are often plentiful.
If you spend any time on social media or online shopping you have come to realize that the programmers of this world have written what have become known as algorithms to assess your desires.
Search for types of dogs and soon you will be bombarded with adds for pet food. Causes that support the safety of animals. Clips on obedience training. will soon flood your screen.
Struggling with a health issue and do some research, soon you are given opportunities to learn how to overcome those issues by way of medication or remedies.
The list is endless.
You state your earthly desire, the world is ready to help.
remember that
The Struggle is Ongoing
We should never forget the terrible menace of the flesh. The struggle is not an overnight one. Though we may win the victory in an initial, sincere, and complete commitment of our lives to Christ, the war continues, because we must continue living “in the flesh” and are always exposed to that domain of power. The struggle may be long and indecisive, and for many the flesh will at times achieve supremacy until the believer yields to the Spirit’s domination.
So Paul catalogs the works of the flesh. This is not an exhaustive listing but is concrete and personal.1
1 Dunnam, M. D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon (Vol. 31, p. 108). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.
We MUST acknowledge that the desires of the flesh are always with us. Some more than others but they are there. They are there in the lives of those we care about. They are there in the lives of those we work with or rub shoulders with.
The struggle is real
Desire of the Spirit
Desire of the Spirit
The second category that Paul outlines is that of the desire of the spirit.
When Paul and I are talking about Spirit, it is the Spirit with the capital S
God’s Spirit.
it is the Spirit of God who takes up residence in Christians to enable them to understand spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14), receive Christ as Savior and Lord, call God “Father” (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6), and develop a Christian personality.1
1 Boice, J. M. (1976). Galatians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 494). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
The Desire of the Spirit is to have complete control of your life.
At one point in my life, between ministries, God led me to a construction job and I was able to be a part of a crew in building a large manufacturing building.
One of the tasks was to run and handle a skid steer loader.
You know the type. The little machine with four tires, and a bucket attached to the front to load and move things around.
The skill of the machine is in direct relationship to the operator. The one at the controls.
The greater the skill the greater capacity is to use that machine to do things.
The skill is learned by using the feet and hand controls so that the workings of the machine become like an extension of your own hands and feet.
The Spirit wants to be the operator of our lives.
It has been stated this way,
The Spirit is not natural to man in his fallen state. But this does not mean that by the gift of the Spirit the redeemed man escapes the need to struggle against sin. The Spirit simply makes victory possible and that only to the degree that the believer “lives by the Spirit” or “walks” in him. The present tense of the verb “walk” (peripateite) points to a continuing condition or need for it. That the word is an imperative demonstrates the necessity of a choice1
1 Boice, J. M. (1976). Galatians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 494). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
They are completely opposite
They are completely opposite
When we realize that there needs to be a choice then we must understand that the two desires are in complete opposition to one another.
It’s not half and half
Take some leave the others
It’s all or nothing
Even though we understand this statement that
Naturally, the flesh is to become increasingly subdued as the Christian learns by grace to walk in the Spirit. But it is never eliminated. So the Christian is never released from the necessity of consciously choosing to go in God’s way. There is no escape from the need to depend on God’s grace.1
1 Boice, J. M. (1976). Galatians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 495). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
we must read vs 17
17 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.
There is no agreement between the two.
Look at the last part of this verse.
Keep you from Doing the things you want to do
If you are living your life with the works of the flesh and the Spirit is within you, You will hear God’s voice.
Don’t do it.
It’s wrong
Trust my word
If your living your life and walking with the spirit, when the desires of the flesh come popping up in your life you’ll hear words like
It’s alright this time
don’t worry this time
you can always say, the devil made me do it.
There is and will always be a battle between the two.
They are complete opposites to one another.
Works of the Flesh
Works of the Flesh
As I said earlier these desires of the spirit if given a chance to grow in our lives will produce fruits.
Things that we can see in our lives.
Things that mark us when we fulfill those desires.
Let’s take a moment to look at the various groups of working of the flesh in our lives.
This a reminder that in our fallen state we all have the potential to bear fruit of this kind.
It’s easy to look at others who exhibit these and look down on them, but without the grace of God in our lives we too have the potential to fall prey to this workings in our lives.
The works are divided into different categories
Whether Paul meant for them to be divided this way, let me show you a way to categorize these works of the flesh
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
The first three sins or visible signs are in regard to the violation of sexual morality
Sexual immorality, impurity, and sensuality.
When the Christian faith came upon the world, these three had been a standard and acceptable practices. To some they were even praised as a normal way of life.
Christianity brought about a change in the culture, although many still held onto these, then the culture was influenced not to practice these sins.
Today, if you watch the news, watch the shows, we again live in a society that the works of the flesh are once again promoted as good.
It doesn’t take long for these to affect our lives and be bombarded with the realities of the fruit of these sins.
How can we approach people who are caught in the works of these flesh? It is with God’s grace and not our condemnation.
Keeping in mind that the two desires are in Opposition, we must hold fast to that which keeps us strong.
The second grouping of two sins are in the realms of religion
Idolatry & Sorcery
Worship of beings or other spirits that are not God. To be honest, I want to spend as little time as possible on this because of the audience hearing this message.
The third grouping are eight sins that we see when we interact with other fellow men and women
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
21 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.
As believers many of us who have been walking in the spirit for many years, these desires of the flesh can sometimes be evident in our lives.
Strife, jealousy. rivalries, division.
Stop for a moment, have you seen these in your life, the church as a whole.
The life of the apostles?
Ignoring the potential presence of these will not drive away, rather identifying that if kept unchecked we too can have them evident in our lives.
The final grouping Paul would show that one is truly not living with the spirit
and he warns those who were listening that the kingdom of God is not in their grasp.
Fruit of the Spirit
Fruit of the Spirit
Now that we looked upon the ugliness of man, let’s be refreshed by the goodness of the Spirit.
Keep in mind as we looked at the various working of the flesh that each one stood out as one or many.
As consistent with the theme that they are in direct opposition from the Spirit, the Fruit of the Spirit in singular.
It’s all
When we are living by the Spirit’s control, they are all present.
It’s like a cluster of grapes that we grab hold of rather than each apple.
If I may be so bold, and in the research on these verses, many believers have divided these 9 fruits into three evident categories.
One commentary wrote,
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 10: Romans through Galatians 3. The Fruit of the Spirit (5:22–26)
The first three appear to “comprise Christian habits of mind in their more general aspect,” as Lightfoot notes. Their primary direction is God-ward. The second set primarily concerns the Christian in his relationship to others and are social virtues. The last three concern the Christian as he is to be in himself.
With this in mind, I want to leave you with something as I believe many of you can recite the Fruit of the spirit
Internalized Fruits
Internalized Fruits
The first of the three is what we internalize.
As we are seeking to know God, we take that understanding and apply it to our mind.
The first to be on the list is
Love
Love
God’s Love
We may talk and write endlessly about love, but we never fully describe it, never adequately express it, nor probe the impenetrable depths of its meaning. Albert Camus put it this way: “Love is never strong enough to find the words befitting it.”
When we are seeking to know God, we find out about His love and it becomes a mark of our internalized understanding in how we live
How we interact with one another
How we view one another
Joy
Joy
Joy is two-faceted in its expression. It is the gift of the Spirit that becomes a condition of the heart which is confident of its relationship to Christ—a forgiven sinner accepted by God’s grace with the living Christ as daily companion. On the other hand, joy becomes the expression of celebration which empowers us to be Christian.
Dunnam, M. D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon (Vol. 31, pp. 113–114). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.
When the busyness of life and the pressures of this world way us down, Joy comes through
Joy and internalized realization of God working in our lives.
Peace
Peace
The final one of internalized fruit in our lives.
We have peace with God.
God’s peace and a restored relationship with our creator.
Relational Fruits
Relational Fruits
The next grouping has to do with how these fruits are marked in our lives with others.
To to being a fruit from the Spirit these were true fruits Christ displayed to the people around him
It’s an extension of God’s working with mankind.
4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Patience
Patience
This is translated in one of two ways. Patience or forbearance.
To be honest, I didn’t like the definition when I looked it up, because it was a challenge to me to be more patient.
It was a realization what Paul is describing.
. Biblical patience is a God-exercised, or God-given, restraint in face of opposition or oppression. It is not passivity. The initiative lies with God’s love, or the Christian’s, in meeting wrong in this way. In the OT, the concept is denoted by Heb. ’ārēḵ, meaning ‘long’. God is said to be ‘long’ or ‘slow’ to anger ’erek ‘appayim- (see Ex. 34:6; Nu. 14:18; Ne. 9:17; Pss. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2). This idea is exactly represented in the Gk. makrothymia, often translated in AV as ‘longsuffering’, and defined by Trench as ‘a long holding out of the mind’ before it gives room to anger.
God Given restraint in the face of opposition.
Not waiting for the bus or your amazon package to arrive, but in the face of opposition.
The Opposition God faces when people turn away from Him
One author wrote,
How patient God is with us. He suffers long, bears with us in all our sinning and rebellion, all our apathy and unconcern. He does not draw back when we spurn His love.
He is patient so we to need to be patient
Kindness
Kindness
If we truly have the patience of God they that will lead us to how we treat those in opposition to us.
We treat them with Kindness.
We don’t repay back what we get from them
It’s an outward act to others.
To that neigbour that complains about how we keep our yard, we offer to shovel their sidewalk
To that coworker or boss who has it in for us. We show kindness.
Goodness
Goodness
All I can say simply about Goodness is that if we are walking in the Spirit,
God is Good. We will become like God in all His Goodness
Visible or modeled Fruits
Visible or modeled Fruits
These final three are marks of our person, our character. What we are known for
Faithfulness
Faithfulness
Faithfulness, or fidelity, which is one meaning of the word, is a fruit of the Spirit, but is possible only because of faith—our trusting response to God in Jesus Christ. Because our faith is in God’s faithfulness we can be faithful in word and deed and reliable in our discipleship. Our response to God in faith evokes His gift of the Spirit, and the Spirit makes us faithful.
This is only possible because of the faithfulness of Christ, and it is possible because of our faith and trust in God.
He is faithful therefore we as disciples of Christ
Transformed in Christ’s likeness we will show God’s faithfulness to others.
Gentleness
Gentleness
How do you treat ones who have wronged you? Are you gentle?
Is your reaction to them driven by the Spirit of truth within us.
Do we respond to others as God has responded to us
Are we gentle?
Self-Control
Self-Control
and of course the final one that holds this all together is self-control.
Its a daily walking in the attitude and mind of Christ.
As disciples we are
seeking to know God (Internalized) while being transformed into the image of Christ (Relational) empowered by the Spirit (Desire of the Spirit) in the context of community (Modeled)
Conclusion
Conclusion
I titled this message, What fruit are you producing?
Paul is pointing out to us and the the church when he wrote this letter that a choice needs to be made.
One author wrote,
Paul,
by raising these particulars of conduct, he also provides a checklist for measuring the conduct of those who consider themselves spiritual. If one’s conduct is characterized by the traits in the first list, then he is either not a believer or else a believer who is not being led by God’s Spirit.1
1 Boice, J. M. (1976). Galatians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, pp. 495–496). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
Strong words, personal words, ones that make us look upon ourselves and decided to day to be fruit bearers From God’s design
Paul, after completing this discussion adds another phrase,
A challenge for all of us. One I will leave with you today,
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Amen
Let’s close this morning as we sing a song of response
Let not I but Christ in me as we walk in the spirit