Sunday School Series: The Fruits of the Spirit
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
What does this mean?
These verses are super helpful if you want to learn more about God and His character. In this post, we're going to talk about what the Holy Spirit is, what fruit is, and how we can apply these verses to our lives.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God's presence that dwells within the hearts of believers in Jesus.
John 20:21-22
Again [Jesus] said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on [the disciples] and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."
The Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. The Hebrew word for "dwelt" used in the Old Testament that refers to the Garden of Eden, and the Tabernacle, is the same word used in the New Testament to describe Jesus, as the tangible presence of God, who dwelt with us on earth.
Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit when He ascended into Heaven after He resurrected, so that we could have the spiritual authority to share the Good News to the ends of the earth, and guidance for how to live our lives to glorify God! This was also to give us God's presence wherever we go. When Jesus ascended into heaven, we no longer had a physical personification of God with us anymore, but that's exactly why we were given the Holy Spirit.
So, like the Garden of Eden and the Tabernacle from the Old Testament, the New Testament tells us that God's dwelling place became our hearts because of Jesus! If we are in Christ, we essentially become walking Tabernacles through His Holy Spirit!
The Bible tells us that if we are in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit and are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). This means that because of God's grace and our faith in His Son, we invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts and guide our lives.
IMPORTANT: Actions come from faith! Your relationship with God strengthening over time will naturally change your desires, and as a result, your actions. The work is good, but the FAITH and WHY behind the actions (loving and pursuing a relationship with God) is what God wants above anything else!
Fruit = Evidence of following Jesus
The verses from Galatians talk about fruits, or byproducts, of the Spirit. When you actively pursue a relationship with God and have the desire to know Him deeper, the Holy Spirit changes your heart. God works within us and guides us into the life He designed for us: a life with Him.
So, these verses assure us that when we're walking with God, we will be refined over time and experience His peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The Holy Spirit becomes our compass for everyday life. This does not mean you will always feel a strong sense to make a certain decision or do a specific thing, etc., but it is saying that when we love the Lord and want to pursue a relationship with Him, as we desire to know God and be faithful to Him, the Spirit produces these things within and through us.
Philippians 4:6-7 mentions that God gives us a "peace beyond understanding," and 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 says, "Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful."
This verse gives us a promise, "God will make this happen." Not by our own strength, but by relying on His.
God keeps His promises. Your genuine acknowledgment of your need for God, as well as the desire to know and love Him, is all He needs to work on your heart. With these things, you will see the fruits of His Spirit in your life.
But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
- Matthew 6:33