Tuesday Devo
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Scripture:
Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Commentary:
5:22–23 The Spirit fights against sin not merely in defense but also in attack by producing in Christians the positive attributes of godly character, all of which are evident in Jesus in the Gospels. Love appears first because it is the greatest quality (1 Cor. 13:1–13; 2 Pet. 1:5–7) in that it most clearly reflects the character of God. Joy comes in at a close second, for in rejoicing in God’s salvation Christians show that their affections are rightly placed in God’s will and his purpose (see John 15:11; 16:24; Rom. 15:13; 1 Pet. 1:8; Jude 24; etc.). Peace is the product of God having reconciled sinners to himself, so that they are no longer his enemies, which should result in confidence and freedom in approaching God (Rom. 5:1–2; Heb. 4:16). Patience shows that Christians are following God’s plan and timetable rather than their own and that they have abandoned their own ideas about how the world should work. Kindness means showing goodness, generosity, and sympathy toward others, which likewise is an attribute of God (Rom. 2:4). Goodness means working for the benefit of others, not oneself; Paul mentions it again in Gal. 6:10. Faithfulness is another divine characteristic; it means consistently doing what one says one will do. Gentleness is a quality Jesus attributes to himself in Matt. 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 resist the power of the flesh (cf. Gal. 5:17). Against such things there is no law, and therefore those who manifest them are fulfilling the law—more than those who insist on Jewish ceremonies, and likewise more than those who follow the works of the flesh surveyed in vv. 19–21.
5:24 Again, Christ and the Spirit (v. 25) come together as the source of the believer’s life. Christians have crucified the flesh, or died with Christ to sin (see 6:14; Rom. 6:4–6). Now that the old order of things has passed away for believers, their old sinful selves that belonged to that order have crumbled as well—so they should pay no attention to them. “Flesh†here should not be understood to mean physical bodies but rather fallen, sinful human nature with all its desires.
5:25 walk by the Spirit. A different verb than in v. 16, meaning “walk in line behind a leader†(Gk. stoicheÅ).
5:24 Again, Christ and the Spirit (v. 25) come together as the source of the believer’s life. Christians have crucified the flesh, or died with Christ to sin (see 6:14; Rom. 6:4–6). Now that the old order of things has passed away for believers, their old sinful selves that belonged to that order have crumbled as well—so they should pay no attention to them. “Flesh†here should not be understood to mean physical bodies but rather fallen, sinful human nature with all its desires.
5:25 walk by the Spirit. A different verb than in v. 16, meaning “walk in line behind a leader†(Gk. stoicheÅ).
Questions:
- One of the ways we can know that the Holy Spirit is active in our lives is that we will start to exhibit more and more fruits of the Spirit. This happens during the process of sanctification as the Spirit makes us more and more like Jesus. He weeds out the ugliness in us, the things that don't please Him, and replaces them with the things of Him. Below is the list of the fruits of the Spirit. Which of them need the most growth in your life?
- LOVE (for God, Word, Church, the lost, prayer, worship)
- JOY (in the Lord, of our salvation)
- PEACE (calmness and confidence)
- PATIENCE (grace towards others knowing that God is patient with you)
- KINDNESS (not jerks, not arrogant, generosity and empathy towards others)
- GOODNESS (working for benefit of others instead of self)
- FAITHFULNESS (consistent in spite of cost or circumstances)
- GENTLENESS (not forceful or harsh)
- SELF-CONTROL (HS empowered discipline to resist temptation, flesh)
- These fruits of the Spirit are for every believer. As we walk in the Spirit and live by the Spirit, we will see these characteristics growing in us. But it takes intentionality and a focus on obedience. It means staying in a mindset of prayer and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit throughout the day. What are some ways you can follow the Spirit's leading today?
Pray:
- That you would grow in the fruits of the Spirit.
- That you would learn to follow the Spirit's leading.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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