THE
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT AND STRENGTH ARE INSEPARABLE 1Thessalonians 5:16-22; James 1:22-25
Wednesday,
May 6, 2020
The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; those
belonging to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we
live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is
in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable to the
Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
we are to reprove them. (Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 5:9-11. I encourage you
to read all in context.)
That which is not according to God’s Word is
contrary to all goodness, including God’s provision for strength.
Not living in the provision that God has
revealed to us in Holy Scripture suppresses the fruit of His Comforter, brings
weakness and loneliness with its companion fear.
Without the Word-centered devotional life of
reading, study, prayerful thought time, and seeking application in all facets
of life, with implementation of His love regardless of our contrary feelings,
is to dwell apart from our John 1:12 kinfolk. Devoid of holy exercise (1Tim.4:7-9)
we will not, nor will others by extension, enjoy familial fruit of the Spirit.
(1Cor.7:14; Heb.4:12)
Let us not hinder the Spirit of God is by
seeking fulfillment in joining clubs, associations, societies, guilds,
fraternities, clans, tribes, ethnic group, teams, troupes, troop, faction,
gangs, support groups, corporations, charitable organizations, ministries,
religions, churches, marriage, having children . . . in the hope to fill a basic need to belong;
all of which can never fully sate our hunger to actually belong for there is
only one family that can do so.
“I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me” is
an absolute purchase specification for believers. (Rom.5:8-11) Fruitful
familial fellowship is not so, for the strength of it depends on devotion in
manner; godly practice in instance and event. Let us beware looking to God for
heaven but to the world for fraternity; for in doing so we compromise our John
1:12 childhood.
Join clubs et al, yes, but as service
extension of our identity in God’s family, “[Living] decent lives among
unbelievers. Then, although they ridicule you as if you were doing wrong while
they are watching you do good things, they will praise God on the day he comes
to help you.” (GW 1Pet.2:12)
EBB4
PS.
It’s important to note that “fruit” is singular, not plural.
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