The Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-25

The Fruit of the Spirit  Motivation: the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:25) –The “Walk of Grace”: walking “by the Spirit” –Completely different than growth “by LAW”  In fact, Grace is the ONLY way to accomplish real Christian Growth! –The Issue: Are you “Alive by the Spirit” ?  Not “good” versus “bad”  Rather: “dead” versus “alive” –You are a New Creature in Christ (Gal. 2:20)  “Act your Age!” (Gal.5:13,25) –Your Entire Character Can & Should Change (Gal.2:22-23)

Love: The Fruit of the Spirit  The other nouns define Christian Love: –Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control Modern Love: Based on Experience. filew, ero ß Natural, Common (Mt.5:47) Very Changeable! Christian Love:  Based on Choice.  agape  Affinity is not an issue.  Feelings May Follow (Usually do)

Love: The Fruit of the Spirit  The other nouns define Christian Love: –Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control  Love is at the very Heart of Christian Ethics (Gal. 5:13,14) –A Decision to Serve Someone Else (i.e., NOT Me!) – see v13a.

Joy - ÷áñÜ  The Problem: –Philip. 4:4 Rejoice Always?? –How Can They Rejoice When…  Hebrews 12:2  Acts 5:41  Hebrews 10:34  By Learning Thankfulness! –The biggest barrier between man and God  See Romans 1:21ff –The biggest barrier to Christian Growth!  See 1 Peter 1:5 –Related to ÷Üñéò

Peace (Eiphnh) l A Powerful Peace (Romans16:20) l A Sense of Order and Harmony (1 Corinthians 14:33) l Peace Starts Between God and You, as an Individual: –Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ - Romans 5:1 l He Teaches Us Peace (James 3:17-18) l It Becomes a Major Pursuit (Rom. 14:19)

Patience  There is a right place for anger (Eph.4:26)  But ìáêñïèõìßáis the qualification  But ìáêñïèõìßá is the qualification –Macro (long) Thumos (anger) –Not Like “Outbursts of Anger” (Gal. 5:20)  èõìüò(thumos) is a “deed of the flesh”  èõìüò (thumos) is a “deed of the flesh”

Fruit of the Spirit: Relational Growth  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

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Kindness  Doesn’t Mean:  Hard  Indifferent  Harsh  Unconcerned, or “too busy”  Cruel  See Gal 5:20b-21a  It Does Mean:  Galatians 2:10  1 Corinthians 12:23  Matthew 5:47  Hebrews 13:2 öéëüîåíïò

Kindness  ÷ñçóôüôçò means excellence –From ÷ñçóôüò “servicable, useful” (÷ñÜïìáé “to use, DO”) –The idea is “excellent, useful deeds for others”