Today’s reading is Galatians 5.
How many sermons and classes have we been through on the fruit of the Spirit? How often have we jumped to Galatians 5:16ff, to discuss the spiritual walk, and forgotten Paul has been leading to this for an entire letter? When we argue and discuss what it means to walk by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, live by the Spirit, let us not forget he has already given us an illustrating contrast.
In Galatians 4:21-31, he reminded us of Hagar and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac. Remember Ishmael was born according to the flesh, but Isaac was born according to the Spirit (Galatians 4:29). Yet, also recall being born according to the Spirit meant being born according to the promise (Galatians 4:23). When Abraham and Sarah came up with the plan to impregnate Hagar on Sarah’s behalf, they were pursuing the flesh. They were attempting to accomplish God’s plan through their own strength. When Abraham and Sarah merely believed God’s promise of a son and conducted themselves properly in their marriage, they were following the lead and guide of the Spirit.
Take a look at that list of works of the flesh. How many of them came out in the story of Hagar and Ishmael? Immorality, impurity, and sensuality. Perhaps, through some technicality, making Hagar a concubine was lawful under that old system, but we know that was not God’s full intention for marriage. Without doubt, we find enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalry, dissension, division, envy. All of those works of the flesh increased by Abraham and Sarah’s plan with Hagar.
This is what we discover from that story. When we try to accomplish God’s plan by our own strength; that is, when we are try to justify ourselves by the strength of our own flesh, we are going to find the works produced by our flesh won’t be righteousness, godliness, holiness. Even when that is our goal. When relying on our own strength and our own plans, we will inevitably fall into immorality, impurity, sensuality, etc. That is what relying on our strength produces.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the fruit of the Spirit. They are not the fruit of the flesh. They are not the fruit of our extreme effort and work. They are not what we will ultimately produce when we try to white-knuckle our way to justification. We will only have these fruit in our lives when we hear the promise God has revealed through His Spirit and respond in faith to His promises.
We really have a bit of a litmus test here. To the degree those works of the flesh are still present (and no doubt they are still present in all of us), we are relying on our own strength. To the degree the fruit of the Spirit are growing in us, we are relying on the Spirit.
Let us dig in to God’s promises. Let us believe God’s promises. Let us respond to God’s promises. In so doing, we will be led by God’s Spirit and God’s Spirit will grow His fruit in us.
Tomorrow’s reading is Galatians 5.
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Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family
- What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
- Why are the works of the flesh so appealing?
- What advice would you give to others to avoid the works of the flesh?
- Do you want the Spirit’s fruit in your life? If so, how will you follow the lead of the Spirit?
- What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?
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