Marcia Hornok - Fruit of the Spirit: Inspiration for Women from Galatians 5:22-23

2013 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

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W alk 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. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [meekness], 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. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

G ALATIANS 5:1618, 2226 ESV

F ruit-bearing Christian women live in fellowship with Christ like a branch connected to a grapevine. This daily dependence on God enables us to live out righteousness instead of give in to the desires of our flesh as Galatians 5 details. When we do this, God, the Holy Spirit, develops His fruit in our lives.

This book will encourage and equip you to depend on God and experience His love, joy, and peace in your relationship with Him; His patience, gentleness, and goodness in your relations with others; and His faithfulness, meekness, and self-control with regard to yourself.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [meekness], self-control. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

G ALATIANS 5:2224 ESV

H ow do I get the fruit of the Spirit in my life? The same way the works of the flesh (sinful nature) happenby my conduct, resulting from my choices. Thus God exhorts us to yield ourselves to the Spirit, not the flesh (Romans 6; 12:12). When our choices are loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, God grows His fruit in us.

John 15 portrays a grapevine. We are a branch connected to Christ the vine. Abiding in Christ means fellowshipping with Him throughout our days activities. Like a toddler who wants to stay near her mother, we should mentally run to God every time our mind is not engaged with something else. This produces in us the character of Christ (spiritual fruit), and also prevents our flesh from dictating our conduct.

What is the purpose of fruit? It showcases the vinedresser, not ourselves, and it nourishes everyone with whom we interact. How do we know we have the Spirits fruit? If we submit our life to God every morning and stay in fellowship with Him as we face our daily ups and downs, then fruit happens. Our actions, words, and attitudes will show it. That is what yielding to the Spirit meansalso called walking (v. 16), being led (v. 18), living by the Spirit, and keeping in step with the Spirit (v. 25).

Abiding in Christ keeps our choices and actions loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, meek, and self-controlled.

Love is not touchy.

E LISABETH E LLIOT , L ET M E B E A W OMAN

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 C ORINTHIANS 13:13 NIV

I s love something that happens to us or something we make happen? Most people marry because they love each other and want to spend their lives together. But most couples who divorce claim they dont love each other anymore. Love seems to come and go depending on our feelings and our response to circumstances.

Gods love, however, is constant. It is patient and kind. It rejoices over truth. It always protects and trusts, hopes and endures. Gods love in us also helps us resist doing harmful things like envying, boasting about ourselves, putting ourselves first, dishonoring others, seeking attention, getting angry easily, holding grudges, and delighting in evil. Many couples hear The Love Chapter (1 Corinthians 13) read during their wedding ceremony. It reminds them that love never fails when they practice the positive behaviors and resist the negative ones given in this chapter.

Yet at times we do feel like we have fallen out of love with our spouse or family member. What should we do then? Revelation 2:5 gives the prescription for rekindling the love we used to have: remember, repent, and redo the works we did when we felt love for that person. Feelings follow actions. If weve lost that loving feeling, we can find it again when we apply Gods love to our relationships. Start by practicing the characteristics of 1 Corinthians 13, a few at a time. Love happens when we make it happen.

The L ORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.