Fruit for the Soul

Galatians 5:16-25 “Walk 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. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 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.”

Staying with Dallas Willard’s explanation of what needs to stop and what needs to happen in order to develop children of God, disciples of Christ, and kingdom workers in the mission field of our society and culture. Willard states that the church’s lacking and failing is materializing in the surfacing of longstanding deficiencies in the “hidden person of the heart” (aka “the soul”). We need Divine love permeating every part of our lives, including our minds, our will and our emotions. The fruit of the Spirit begins with this (agapē) love. The Greek word agapē which is supposed to be the highest expression of love—a pure, selfless, unconditional thing. Agape love is love at the highest spiritual level. It's so much more than we could ever dream or imagine. Webster’s dictionary defines “agape” as: Gaping, as with wonder, expectation, or eager attention; having the mouth wide open. God’s love is truly amazing. From those possessed of divine love there truly flows “rivers of living water” to a thirsty world. Jesus came to seek and save the lost in sin. He sacrificed Himself on the cross out of true agapē love and pure godly. Compassion to pay for our sins. What sins would that be? The desire and works of the flesh.

1 Peter 4:3-6 “For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.”

In contending for the faith in fulfilling the Great Commission and Cultural Mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ, the people to whom we bear witness of the gospel of salvation and God’s grace may not recall 99% of what we say to them. But they will never forget the kind of person we are. The quality of our souls will indelibly touch others for good or for ill. The most important thing happening at any moment is the kind of persons we are becoming in Christ. God is concerned with the quality of character we are building on the strength of character we forge by His grace. It is God’s intention that our lives should be a seamless manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God has made abundant provision for His indwelling our lives in the here and now. Appropriate attention to the care of our souls through His empowerment will yield this rich spiritual fruit. 

In Christ, Brian