What if Galatians 5:22-23 was not meant to be a list of potential character achievements as much as it was meant to be a call to live in the Spirit?
I recently saw a video of a woman who did not know that you could pick fruit from trees. She would go to the store every week to buy lemons. On a visit with a friend, her companion asked her, “Why do you buy lemons?” She responded by detailing all of her uses of lemons, “I like to use lemon juice in my cooking, I make lemon-infused water…” Again, her friend asked, “Why do you buy lemons?” The woman never knew she could pick the lemons from the trees right out front.
While this may not be a universal discovery (most of us know that we can, in fact, pick fruit from trees), it makes an important point. We do not produce fruit; the tree does. The woman thought something had to be done to these lemons after they were picked to make them digestible. But nothing had to be done.
Striving for the Fruits of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
The “Fruits of the Spirit” passage is highly circulated. In my life, it was often used as a list of growth options. “Which fruit of the Spirit are you working on?” “I am trying to grow in my joy.” Conversations would often emerge on the Fruits of the Spirit that we lacked and the practical steps we were taking to cultivate them.
These conversations were characterized by striving and personal power. If I was not seeing the fruit of “kindness” in my life, I probably was not trying hard enough. Galatians 5:22-23 became a list in which we would consistently measure ourselves up, and we would always fall short. With this mindset, we were creating the fruits of our own self-will and our own willpower.
The Fruits of the Spirit Draw Us Closer
The Fruits of the Spirit are much like the lemon tree. We add extra steps when we could be picking them right off of the tree. We see the "Fruits of the Spirit” and instantly look for ways to be better instead of ways to draw closer. The Fruits of the Spirit belong to the Spirit.
The Fruits of the Spirit are exactly that; they are the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit desires to create in us love, joy, peace, and patience. We do not have to select one or two because the Spirit cares to give them all to us.
What if Galatians 5:22-23 was not meant to be a list of potential character achievements as much as it was meant to be a call to live in the Spirit? How would this change the way we pursue these virtues?
Just a few verses before we read the “Fruits of the Spirit,” there is another compelling passage about the acts of the flesh:
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21
Interestingly enough, we do not read this list in hopes of just doing a few of these “less.” We fight to avoid living like this altogether. We see this list much differently than the Fruits of the Spirit. One is viewed as an all-or-nothing while the other is viewed as a pick-and-choose. But the origin of these actions is “the flesh.” Just as the origin of the fruit is the Spirit.
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Galatians 5:16-17
We have a choice: are we going to live in the flesh or in the Spirit? Therefore, if we want joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness to characterize our lives, we must learn to live in the Spirit.
Why the Spirit?
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26
Where our flesh asks us to be impatient or vengeful, the Spirit calls us to peace and trust. The natural inclinations of our hearts bent towards self-preservation, anxiety, etc. will be confronted by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit is our teacher. When we dwell in and live by the Holy Spirit, we learn new ways to navigate situations that bring out the “acts of the flesh.”
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God.” Romans 8:14
The mark of the child of God is their ability to be led by the Spirit. When living in step with the Holy Spirit, you should see the Spirit guide you in every situation. This submission to the Holy Spirit is intentional. And the result of this guidance is godliness. We become more like Christ when we live in step with the Spirit.
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7
Jesus seemed to believe that the Holy Spirit was even better than his continued earthly presence. There was only one Jesus while he was on earth, but every person has unlimited access to the Holy Spirit.
“Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39
Upon Jesus’ death, he leaves us with two gifts: forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. This Spirit indicates closeness and relationship. The Spirit is a gift because, as we have seen, the Spirit is our advocate and our teacher. The Spirit transforms us.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Knowing that we have access to this power, love, and self-discipline through the Spirit makes our refinement in Christ so much less intimidating. When we pursue God and His Spirit, we will be transformed. Of course, we will benefit from studying ‘joy’ in the Bible and working towards goals of character development. But when we pursue the Spirit, we can be assured that the Spirit is working, and we will be transformed.
How Do We Seek the Holy Spirit?
The Spirit transforms us, but how do we seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance?
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…” John 10:14
Jesus describes his relationship with his sheep in detail, saying that they will know him and his voice. To seek the Holy Spirit’s voice and guidance in our lives, we must start here. We must learn the voice of the Spirit. We learn this through reading and studying the Word of God.
As we learn God’s voice in our study, we will learn how to discern His presence in other areas of our lives. To seek the Holy Spirit, try listening for God’s voice in your prayer times. When you are tempted to be impatient, lose your temper, or seek revenge, try praying to hear the Spirit’s guidance in your life. This is how we learn to live in the Spirit rather than the flesh. We combat the manifestations of the flesh when we pause to listen for God’s voice. And as God through the Spirit brings clarity to our lives, we must obey.
If the Fruits of the Spirit feel overwhelming or unattainable to you, first focus on pursuing a deeper relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will teach us and advocate for us. And the more we make choices to live in the Spirit, the more we will reflect the fruits of the working of the Spirit in our lives. God is the one who will change and refine us so long as we seek Him.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/AlexRaths
Ryan Holland is a seminary student at Fuller Theological Seminary and a Program Manager of LendHOPE worldwide, a micro-funding and entrepreneurial training program for business owners living in material poverty.
