Fruit of the Spirit series, Part 8

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness….
Galatians 5:22-23a, CSB

Fruit of the Spirit series, Part 8

So, what is gentleness? Is it a Mr Rogers-like quality? Is it being docile? Is it having a manicure? Or is it being a gentleman, holding doors for ladies and following other standards of cultural decorum?

The Greek word prautes means humbleness and modesty. The fruit of the Spirit is an attitude of humility and modesty before God and others. Shortly after writing about the fruit, Paul used the same word in Gal 6:1.

Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit (prautes), watching out for yourselves so you won't be tempted also.

So, when a fellow Christian sins, do not be afraid to confront the person. This is not a gentleness of fear or passivity. But, confront the person to restore him. A Christian is not seeking to demote, but to promote. And do so with an attitude of humility, knowing that you are not any better. We are all sinners and live by the grace of God. And further, seek to restore in humility because you know how easily you could fall into sin. Perhaps you may be tempted into the same sin. Or perhaps you may be tempted into the sin of pride for being above the sin of your fellow Christian. Or perhaps you may be tempted into the sin of despair at how your friend has sinned. Be humble and rely on God.

After all, we are saved by grace, through faith. As James 1:19-21 tells us:

My dearly loved brothers, understand this: everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil excess, humbly (prautes) receive the implanted word, which is able to save you.

Our natural inclinations are toward quick speaking and slow listening, quick anger and self-righteousness. But, we put our own selves aside and humbly take in the word of God. By that, we are saved.

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Father, I come humbly to you knowing that you are the almighty creator of heaven and earth. And yet, I come boldly to you knowing that in Jesus, you have adopted me as your son and welcome me. Help me to be humble, trusting your goodness, your wisdom and your power above anything in me. But also give me boldness, that when I humbly trust you, I can faithfully live for you trusting that you are my hope and my help.

As I read your word, help me humbly absorb your instruction. Help me delight in your word and make it part of my soul.

When I see another person in need, give me the love and humility to reach out to that person and offer a helping hand. Help me lift up others; forgive me for the times when I seek, out of my own pride, to push others down. Help me understand that I am nothing more than a sinner saved by grace, and help me show that grace to others.

Bless your entire church with a sense of humility that leads us to build each other up and strengthen the entire body. A great arm is less useful with a weak hand. And a strong hand is less useful with a weak arm. Let the different parts of the body work together and strengthen each other.

I ask that you, especially, give a sense of humility to your missionaries around the world. Let them reach out to the lost and show the way to you. Let them, with humility, offer themselves for the good of those perishing apart from you. And bless their work by calling many to hear your word and respond with faith in your son. And bless all your people with a personal commitment to being missionaries to the lost surrounding them. Make us all fishers of men.

I ask all these things in the name of Jesus who humbly came to earth and lived a human life, even giving himself up to death on a cross, so that I could enjoy eternity with you. Amen.

faith from the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faith….

Gal 5:22, CSB

Part 7 in my fruit of the Spirit series

To be a Christian is to bear the fruit of the Spirit. So, what does it mean to bear faith? The Greek word used in Gal 5:22 is pistis, which means a conviction as to the truth of something. In the New Testament, it typically signifies a conviction that salvation is the gift of God through Jesus. And this faith is a dominant theme throughout the book of Galatians, so we can see what it means to Paul.

In Gal 2:16a, Paul wrote that “we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith [pistis] in Jesus Christ.” He reiterated justification by faith in 3:24 where he wrote: “The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith [pistis].” The law was merely a guardian (“tutor” in NASB) until God gave us faith in Christ. And because we are justified by faith, we should live by faith; Gal 3:11 states, “Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith [pistis].”

And by faith, we are adopted into the family of God; as Paul wrote in Gal 3:26: “For you are all sons of God through faith [pistis] in Christ Jesus.” And faith is what unites the members of God’s family. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith [pistis]” (Gal 6:10).

So, faith—the conviction that our salvation comes through the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus—is the foundation of our salvation. Salvation begins with faith. But, faith is also the guiding principle of the Christian life, and faith is the uniting feature of the Christian church.

Faith, as a fruit of the Spirit, is something given to us by God’s Spirit. The faith that makes us Christian and saves us is given to us by God. And that faith is what characterizes the church—not ethnicity or language, wealth or station in life. The church is composed of people whom God has blessed with faith--those who heard the voice of Jesus and responded by trusting in him.

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Father, thank you for the gift of faith. Thank you for making salvation dependent upon the work of Jesus and not my works through the law. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross in my place. My rebellion against you made me deserving of eternal punishment, but you, through your love, compassion and mercy, sent Jesus to wash away my sins by his blood and bring me into relationship with you. And through your Spirit, you opened my heart to hear your word and respond in faith.

Faith is conviction about what I do not see. But that faith builds hope in me that I will one day stand in your presence and delight in your glory. Father, help me continue in faith so that I may live by faith and live my life, not with fear, but with hope. Continue the good work you have begun in me and bring me closer to you.

I pray that in due time, you will bless Charlotte Moon with faith that she may join your family. Help me and Jennifer, as her parents, model your character to her. Help us, through our lives, show her your character as she grows up, even before she is old enough to think about you. And as she matures, help us point her toward you; let her see your glory and grant her faith in your son.

Bless your church, Father, and help us see our unity in faith. Help us see each other as members of Christ’s body. And help us be a light to this dark world.

I ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

God is good to us

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness....
Galatians 5:22

In my last post on the Fruit of the Spirit, I noted that “kindness” was a moral goodness (righteousness) that cannot exist apart from the Spirit of God. Romans 3:12 tells us there is no one who naturally has that moral goodness. Now, I am on the next part of the Fruit, which is “goodness.” But, this goodness (Greek agathosune) is not an inward morality but an outward beneficence; it is an active working for the benefit of others, even at great cost to ourselves. The word for goodness in Gal 5 is from the root agathos, which Paul used in Romans 7:18 when he wrote, “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh.” Humans are naturally selfish; we don’t, even in our best days, look primarily toward the good of others. Yet, the Fruit of the Spirit is not only “kindness,” or an internal moral goodness, but “goodness,” in our actions toward others. Jesus even told us to do good (agathopoieo) to those who hate us and Paul wrote that from the beginning of time, God has been good to mankind giving them rain and crops, “satisfying your hearts with food and happiness.” The Fruit of the Spirit changes our inner being, giving us moral integrity, but it also changes our actions, giving us a desire labor for others.

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Father, you are truly good, having given humanity the blessings of this earth, which you created.
And you gave us the witness of your creation to testify to us about your glory and grace.

You bore with humanity as we turned your creation into an object of worship. We became idolaters. But, you sent prophets to Israel and taught your people about your glory. And when the time was right, you sent Jesus to do good to those who hated you. And you sent his disciples out among the people of the earth.

It is true, Father, that I cannot do good on my own. My sinful nature guides my passions toward myself. But, through the good work you have begun in me, you are changing my heart. I pray that you will continue to help me become more like Jesus; help me find such satisfaction in you that I would have the desire to do good even to those who do evil to me.

And even when I am not facing persecution, Father, build in me a heart for others so that I would work for their good. Allow me to be among those willing to sacrifice to bring your good news to others. Every day, I live with people who do not know you and are dying apart from you. Help me be a witness among them to your goodness. And give me the heart, Father, to do good as a husband and father, so that I can demonstrate your goodness to those you have entrusted to my care.

May I never forget your goodness toward me, and may I live each day in complete trust and awe of your grace.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

our kindness and His kindness - fruit of the Spirit series

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness....
Galatians 5:22


Well, it's been a while since I've posted and I want to continue my series of praying through the fruit of the Spirit. While studying what the Bible has to say about kindness, I found something interesting; the Greek word translated kindness [chrestotes] in Gal 5:22 means moral integrity and kindness and is used 10 times in the NT. One of those uses occurs in Romans 3:12:

All have turned away,
together they have become useless;
there is no one who does good [chrestotes],
there is not even one.

So, Paul tells us in Romans 3, quoting from Psalm 14, that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, there is no one who does what is right, no one who does good [chrestotes] in the eyes of God. And yet, the fruit of the Spirit is kindness [chrestotes]. In other words, it is the Spirit in us that allows us to do what we could not do on our own. And moreover, it is only through the Spirit that we can do what God expects of us; without the Spirit, we are lost in our sinful natures.

Amazing grace!
How sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost,
but now am found,
was blind but now I see.

But, wait; there's more.

While chrestotes is used to describe our innate sin and later our fruit, it is most often used to describe the kindness God showed us through our salvation. Romans 2:4 tells us about "the riches of His kindness [chrestotes], restraint, and patience, [that is] intended to lead you to repentance." And Ephesians 2:4-9 states:

But God, who is abundant in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. By grace you are saved! He also raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavens, in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace in [His] kindness [chrestotes] to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.

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Father, I am a sinner, who by nature, does not show kindness.
I am selfish and prideful.
My natural desire is to turn away from you.
But, you are the creator of the universe;
you are the one who truly is independent.
There have been so many times I knew the right thing to do,
but yet I didn't do it.
I cannot be good on my own.
But, because of your Spirit, I am now growing in the image of your Son.
It is through your kindness, in pouring your Spirit out on me,
that I am able to be kind in return.
When I deserved nothing but your wrath, you saved me.
And you saved me as a way to demonstrate your goodness.
In all those times I sinned against you, you were kind, restrained and patient.
And your kindness, your restraint, your patience allowed me to come to know you.
You brought me to repentance.
Help me always remember the kindness you have shown and help me show that kindness to others.
Continue the good work in me as you bring me to know you more deeply.
And may I live in constant praise of you because of the grace you have shown to me.
I praise you in the name of Jesus, your Son and my savior. Amen.

He is patient

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience....
Galatians 5:22, CSB

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Father, you are truly a patient God. Before you even created the universe, you made a plan for the entire future of mankind. You planned the first people and put them in the garden, knowing they would sin against you. But, in your mysterious plan, you already knew what they would do in rebellion, and you knew what you would do for redemption. From the beginning, your plan was to make your glory known through the redemption brought by your Son Jesus. Looking forward, across a thousand generations, you set your plan in motion and waited for the fullness of time, until the time was right to send your Son. And after your Son redeemed your people, you continued your plan and are patient through this day, for you still have more to come. You will one day send Jesus back to lay claim to his kingdom and set everything under his authority. You did these things patiently, according to your plan for your glory.

And you have taught your people patience. You chose Abraham, not when he was young and strong, but when he was old and without hope of anyone to carry on his name. Not only did you allow his name to continue, you made his name great. And you did it on your own timing, even though he and Sarah tried to form their own plan to accomplish your plan. We must be patient according to your promises.

And you sent Joseph ahead of his people to Egypt to prepare a place for them. You told him that one day his brothers would bow before him. And you sent him, not at the moment he was needed, but many years ahead. But, he was patient and saw your plan fulfilled when his family came to him for deliverance from the famine.

And your people found patience necessary as they were enslaved in Egypt. And when Moses ran into the desert, you called him. But, you did not send him back to Egypt right away. Again, like Abraham, you waited until Moses was old and had no strength but you. And when he pleaded his own incompetence to accomplish your mission, you assured him that it would never be him who accomplished anything. But, it is you who accomplishes through your people. And when Moses returned to Egypt, you did not immediately rescue your people. But, you showed your glory, patiently, to Pharaoh and to the people of Egypt. And, when the time was right, you led your people out of Egypt and on to the path of discipleship.

You gave Moses your law. And in your law, you gave a glimpse of your coming Son. You established a system of laws and rituals, sacrifices for atonement, that could never bring people redemption or sanctification. But, you set these in place to prepare the way for your Son.

And over the next centuries, you bore patiently with your rebellious people. You sent many prophets to warn them and teach them. And despite their continual rejection of your glory, you never failed to bring yourself glory through them.

And when the time was right, you took another old man and old woman and gave them a son to serve as Elijah and prepare the way for the coming Messiah. And you sent your messenger to a young woman to tell her you were finally going to bring salvation to your people. How glorious is your patience because no matter how long you wait, no matter how much time passes, no matter how many struggles occur in the meantime, your people can know, without fail, that nothing--absolutely nothing--ever stands in the way of your will. And when you promise, you make it come to pass.

And before the birth of your Son, religious men in the east had been watching the skies. And they saw the sign you placed there, a star to show the way.

And Jesus grew up in a simple family, in a simple hamlet. And he waited patiently for your timing. When he was at the wedding and his mother told him about the wine, he merely said that his time had not yet come. He was not in a hurry to move ahead of your plan, but he was content to wait patiently and follow your lead and your timing.

And when the time was right, you had your Son lifted up and glorified. And now he waits patiently for the timing of your plan for his return. For only you, Father, know the time when you will complete your plan.

In the meantime, you continue to work in your people, through your Son and your Spirit. And you continue to teach us patience. When Paul was walking on the road to Damascus, Jesus stopped him and saved him. But, Paul did not immediately become the missionary to the Gentiles. Instead, he waited patiently for many years as he learned about the real you. As a Pharisee, he thought he knew you. But, only time with you, by your Spirit, would allow him to really know you. And he waited before he appeared to the apostles and was commissioned to bring the good news to the Gentiles. And he waited patiently, through imprisonments and numerous trials, as you showed him your power and showed others your glory through him.

And Peter, the rock you built from a weakling, encouraged your people to never think you are slow in keeping your promises. You are not slow, but rather you are patient in bringing about your plan, because your patience allows more and more people to have time to come to you and be adopted into your family. Thank you, God, for being patient with your people and giving us time to find redemption in your Son and to grow by your Spirit. Thank you, God, for giving us time to share your good news with the world and enjoy the grace you have let overflow in us. May we, God, have the courage and passion to take every moment, not letting any go to waste, to bring you honor and glory and praise.

And even in Revelation, Father, when your martyrs cry out for deliverance, you tell them to wait patiently for the total number of them to join their ranks. For you have a plan, a great, mysterious, unfathomable plan. And what you plan you bring to completion.

Father, may we always remember that you are a God who controls everything and knows everything. Nothing escapes your notice. Nothing is too great for you to accomplish. And nothing is too small to enjoy your care. May we remember that your creation, while it groans for deliverance, is entirely your creation. We are yours because you made us and you chose us. We owe everything to you. May we not try to make ourselves gods and think we know better than you when the timing is right for anything. May we trust you completely; may we rely on you and find our security in you. And may we remember that your Holy Spirit has been given to us as a guarantee, to put your seal on us and mark us as your possession, so that we can know for certain you, who began a good work in us, will carry on to completion.

Father, I praise you and honor you in the name of Jesus whose death bought me the redemption my soul needed, and who became the firstborn among many children you have adopted into your family.

May all the glory and honor and praise be to you. Amen.

peace and rest

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace....
Galatians 5:22, CSB

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Father, I come to you in faith that you are the great and powerful God who created and sustains everything, and that you are the personal and loving God who has called me as an heir with Christ of your eternal fortune and reward. Because of your power and majesty, I can come with assurance that you are able to meet my every need. And because you are the personal God who called me as a son, I can come with assurance that you will hear me and bless me; I can come with the full assurance that you will make your face shine on me and give me peace.

Father, I thank you and praise you for sending Jesus to bring me peace through his death on the cross. For Jesus is my peace; he brings all your chosen people together and made us one in you (Eph 2:14). It was through his blood, shed on the cross, that everything has been reconciled to you (Col 1:20)—that I have been reconciled to you and made clean, washed of the filth that, in your eyes, covered me (Zech 3; Is 64:4). Now, it is through the justification that I have received by Jesus that I have been brought to peace with you (Ro 5:1). I am no longer your enemy, but can rest in your care. I was your enemy, but I am saved by Christ (Ro 5:10)! Now, through your Servant Jesus, you shepherd me and bring me peace (Ps 24). I can find harbor in your strength (Ps 36:7).

Father, help me set aside my old ways of selfish ambition, petty rivalry, jealousy, and whatever else put me at war with you and my neighbors. Let me love you will all my heart, all my strength, all my soul and all my mind so that nothing disturbs the peace I have in you. Show me how to be someone who brings peace to others (Mt 5:9). Give me the strength, wisdom and love to live at peace with everyone, as much as possible by your will (Ro 12:18). Give me peace through trials and challenges because I know that through Jesus I can overcome (Jn 16:33, Ro 8:37). And let me live at peace with others so that I might encourage them and show them your love, grace and mercy (Ro 14:19).

Father, keep me from the complacency and foolishness that leads people to find their security into the temporary things of the world (1 Thess 5:3). Let me always remember that you are in absolute control and nothing can thwart your plans (Job 42:2). May I always remember that my life is not guaranteed for another second, but I need to live every second you give me with an eternal focus on your glory and sovereignty (James 4:13-14). For, it is through my trust in your strength that I can have the peace that comes with assurance of my hope.

I pray that you would bring your peace to all your people throughout the world. Let us rise up as a church to sing your praises in a fallen world and to bring your good news of peace to all your chosen people. Let us glorify you and find our peace in your eternal rest.

Because there remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God, let us make every effort to enter that rest. Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess in Jesus, our high priest (Heb 4).

Amen.

serve with joy

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy....
Galatians 5:22, CSB

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Father, you are a God of joy. You delight in your creation. You created the universe and declared it good, and created mankind and declared your entire creation very good. Then, you entered your rest in joy.

You command your people to serve you with joy and you disciplined Israel when they did not follow you with joy (Dt 28). And you sent Jesus so that our lives might be made joyful (Lk 2:10; Jn 10:10). Those who are called by you accept your good news with joy (1 Thes 1:6).

All of heaven rejoices when one of your lost sheep in found (Lk 15:7-10) because you are a God of mercy and forgiveness, and in that your people rejoice, too. Jesus' disciples wept at his death, but that sadness and distress was replaced with joy at the news that he had risen (Jn 16:20; Mt 28:8). And our joy in Jesus' triumph can never be diminished (Jn 16:22)!

Father, I can approach you and ask for your blessing because you want to make my joy complete (Jn 16:24).

May the members of your church encourage each other and bring joy to each other (Ro 15:32). May your church realize that we are united together by your Spirit through your gospel. May we take seriously our calling to be a family and to look out for each other and pursue each other's joy. May your church, in joy, reach out a helping hand to those in need (2 Cor 8:2). May our joy overflow into service for others and may our service overflow into thanksgiving to you (2 Cor 9).

Father, may I come to truly know and grasp the wealth of your love and the joy you offer. May I take hold of that joy and live my life with passion, knowing that you alone are my ultimate source of joy and that I can count on your power. May I enjoy the freedom you have given me in Christ.

May I find joy in praying for the needs of others and for your glory (Php 1:4). May I find joy in evangelism, sharing your glory and love with others (Php 1:25). May I rejoice in any loss I may suffer for your name (He 10:34) and may any loss I suffer be for your name (1 Pet 2:20).

Father, let me truly experience the joy that can only come from knowing you and experiencing your blessing on my life. May joy overflow from my life so that I live every moment rejoicing in you, praising you, and demonstrating your goodness to the world around me.

I have confidence asking all this because you, who gave your son Jesus for my joy, will not hold back anything that is best for my joy. May your will be done. Amen.

Agape

But the fruit of the Spirit is love....
Galatians 5:22, CSB

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Father, you are love. In your love, you created mankind and blessed us. You made us in your own image to enjoy your forever. In love, you promised redemption to the first people who sinned against you. In love, you called Abram and gave him a new name; you gave him a son by your promise, and you made a great nation from him. In love, you sent Joseph to Egypt ahead of your people. In love, you brought Moses back to Egypt to lead your people into the Promised Land. In love, you bore with the Hebrews' grumbling through the desert. In love, you disciplined your people, even to the point of letting them be taken into captivity; but in love, you brought your people back to the Promised Land. In love, you sent prophets to your people and told them to look forward to your promised one. And when the time was right, you demonstrated your love to us by sending Jesus to live a perfect life and die a sinner's death, but then raised him from the dead and, through him, brought eternal life to all those who are called by you.

And to those you called, you have given your Holy Spirit to change our hearts so that we may love you and love like you. You changed John from a zealous youth who wanted to call down fire from heaven to kill the Samaritans into an elder whose heart was on fire for the cause of your mission. You changed Paul from a self-righteous Pharisee who sought the destruction of your church into a man who was willing to sacrifice his entire life for the cause of helping lose people find their home in your church. You have continued to change lives throughout history. You changed John Newton from the captain of a slave ship into a minister who stood amazed at the grace that saved a wretch like him. You changed George Muller from an rebellious sinner into a sinner saved by grace desiring nothing more than to show the world that you are faithful and can be trusted in everything.

Father, my I come to truly understand your love. May your love fill my heart and overflow from my soul. May your Spirit pour out your love into the hearts of your people so that your church would truly be known for the love it shows.

Father, teach us to love our enemies and give us the strength to put the needs of others above our own needs. Help us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Give us a desire to ease the suffering of others and to heal their wounds.

Instead of loving you and loving what you love, our sinful nature leads us to love our own honor. We seek our own power and want to use that power over others. But, true love is a willingness to give our own lives in the service of others, just as Jesus willingly gave his life for us. Teach us to love.

Father, I pray that I would love you with my heart, all my soul, all my strength and my mind. And may that be true of everyone in your church.

I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen