Good Fruit - Galatians 5:22-23
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Good Morning! I hope everyone has had a good week, and I really hope everyone is ready to eat later today. I want to remind everyone here and online that the notes are provided electronically through the bible app, so if you are unable to make it today or don’t want the paper version of the bulletin, you still can get the notes that way.
Well, it’s the week of thanksgiving, we’ve got a potluck today, and we’re wrapping up Galatians completely today with the Fruit of the Spirit - an appropriate message I believe for this time of year. Let’s pray.
I don’t know about you, but I’m excited about food. I generally tend to think about dinner before breakfast three days in advance. So I’m really glad that we get to go down and have a fellowship meal together right after the message today. And also today we’re talking about fruit. So I’m going to get ya’ll hungry possibly as we go through today’s message. And hopefully I don’t lose anyone as we go through because of that hunger, but rather my hope here today is that you get a renewed taste for the Fruit of the Spirit.
So let’s take a look at
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Now I hope over the past few weeks I’ve emphasized this enough, but just in case the word fruit is singular. So it’s a piece of fruit, not multiple fruits.
When my wife was working in the children’s ministry, she somehow managed to fall upon a song. “The fruit of the Spirit’s not a” and then fill in the blank with coconut, cherry, banana, I’m not sure if there were other fruits on the list, but I do remember those.
And it’s true, the fruit of the Spirit is not any of those, but it does share a similar composition - and perhaps that’s why Paul references it as a fruit rather than as individual items on a list.
But how can a piece of fruit be all of those things? Well, think about an apple. Apples have different attributes, such as smell, taste, juicy, - the same is true of the fruit of the Spirit - and if we think about it really hard, there are even sub-attributes, as it smells, tastes and feels different than an orange because our senses smell and taste these things differently (COVID aside, of course).
And if you look at the Fruit of the Spirit closely, you can see the feel, smell, and taste of the Fruit of the Spirit - the first three are the
1. Sense of the Fruit - Upward Qualities
The feeling of the fruit is there for us as individuals. It’s the Spirit’s development within us to help us to remain strong in our relationship with Him.
Galatians 5:22a - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace...
Love, and in this case it is agape love. It’s that love that says that no matter what, through thick and thin, it’s the binding that holds all of the rest of the attributes together, because without it everything falls apart. Love that comes to us as a part of the Holy Spirit through knowing Jesus, because He first loved us - we couldn’t even fathom this type of love without knowing Jesus. It’s the first thing we see when we come to Jesus.
Much like the outer skin of the piece of fruit, it’s the first thing we notice when there’s a bowl of fruit sitting out. It’s the thing that entices us toward’s the fruit in the first place. It’s the same with the Fruit of the Spirit - God’s love for us is what drew us to Him in the first place.
We love because he first loved us.
Our love grows because of His love for us.
Without that love, similar to an apple without its skin, everything else begins to diminish. The apple beginst to turn brown, and it no longer looks appetizing after a while.
Joy. Joy and happiness are not the same thing, and most of us know that. Happiness is fleeting, in that it comes and goes with our circumstances, but the Joy of the Lord is a joy that lasts. Joy is closely related to grace in the greek language aspect, which is why we get much of our joy in knowing the grace that God had on us to love us enough to bring us to victory.
In a good apple, if you squeeze it it’s firm and ripe and this allows you to come a step closer to enjoying the fruit. Our joy is frequently tested by the devil, through temptations and through circumstances, but our joy comes from the Lord, not through moments of happiness in the “good” times.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
and Nehemiah when speaking to the people after the reading of the law, where the people began to weep because of their failure to obey the law
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Hey, look! They weren’t able to fulfil the law in the Old Testament, which brought tears, but the joy of the Lord was their strength! And the joy of the Lord comes from the Love of the Lord and is protected by that love!
Peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
We’ve seen the apple, we’ve felt the apple, now there’s only one more thing to do with this regard - make sure there’s no worm hole in the apple!
See if we’re covered by the love, and we know our joy is in the Lord, this one is pretty easy - but if there are worms in either of those, it quickly loses its appetizing features.
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
If we harbor our bitterness or our grudges with others, that’s not peace. It prevents others from seeing the Christ in us, and it does more harm to us than to others because it prevents us from keeping our eyes on Jesus and the peace and joy He gives.
With all of that together, we now have a good sense of the fruit - starting at the first look, then moving forward into touch. We’ve seen the fruit, we’ve touched the fruit, and we’ve searched the fruit - next we are going to talk about the
2. Smell of the Fruit - Outward Qualities
Galatians 5:22b - …patience, kindness, goodness...
Now we’re moving on to the attributes that others see or “smell” when they are around us. These are the attributes that draw others to see something different within us because these are the outward attributes we show. We must have the love, joy, and peace though - a good sense for the fruit - before we are going to get to the point where we’re ready to be reviewed in this way.
Patience. If you’ve ever prayed for patience, you already know there’s only one way I’ve ever found patience to come to us - and it has always been through trying my patience. It might even be the hardest attribute to allow to work in us because it truly relies on the Holy Spirit to prevent us from lashing out. But that also means it is most likely the sweetest smell to others.
I’ve had it said many times at my last command that I have more patience than they do. Now, do I feel as though I have that level of patience? No. But others see it and see that it is something different, and it allowed me to get the job done. And believe me, there are areas that I don’t have a lot of patience for - like slow drivers on the interstate, for example - but I believe we all have patience issues that are being worked out, and the sweeter this smell the easier it is to work toward the next two.
Kindness. It’s hard to be kind if you’re not patient.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Our kindness is shown in our patience, and is showing consideration towards others. The way we display our kindness is what makes Christianity unique. See, our patience draws them closer to us, but our kindness is showing them the grace that they didn’t earn. It’s not a this-for-that, but rather it’s listening to and providing for their needs, in the same way that Christ forgave us - without seeking any compensation or gratification from the event, because then you’re not doing it in the spirit but rather in self, and that doesn’t smell good to anyone.
Goodness. If we have patience, and we have kindness, we are more likely to have goodness. We don’t have to look far from where we are to see goodness -
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Some may say isn’t goodness the same thing as kindness? The term goodness is found only 4 times in the New Testament, only by Paul, but it refers to going the extra distance, the second mile if you will. Goodness takes the patience and the kindness to the next level, again, as the work of the Spirit.
All of these come together to form the sweet, distinctive smell of the fruit. If it looks like an apple, feels like an apple, and smells like an apple, it should be an apple. So next up -
3. Sapidity of the Fruit - Inward Qualities
I apologize in advance, but I just had to make it three S’ for the sake of being consistent.
Sapidity is a synonym for Taste, so if you would prefer, and it’s easier, please write taste there.
Galatians 5:22c-23a ...faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...
Taste is something only the person eating the fruit receives. The flavors and juices are only felt by those that have already sensed the fruit is good and smelled the sweetness of the fruit.
Faithfulness - remaining loyal even through the trials, because we will face trials.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
It ties back to peace, because we need faithfulness to be peaceful, and we need peace to be faithful. If there’s a worm, the taste isn’t going to be very peaceful if we forget to check for the worm and the apple will no longer be tasteful if we find the worm!
Remember- Paul has been writing to them about salvation by faith - and our faithfulness is our salvation.
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Our faithfulness must be enduring to the end, because it doesn’t come from us. Our faithfulness is the work of the Holy Spirit, because as we saw in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “sanctify you completely” and in 24 “He who calls you is faithful”. Our faithfulness comes from walking in the Spirit and maintaining our relationship with Him.
Gentleness ties to kindness and patience in that it takes gentleness to maintain your composure to control your reactions in the difficult times.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jesus tells us to be like Him - not being entitled to what we believe is rightfully ours, but rather being gentle in our response to when we don’t get our own way. Paul echos this in
to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
No one wants to take a bite out of an apple and find out that it doesn’t taste the right way. If you’re expecting a red delicious taste and get a granny smith taste, you know something is wrong! It’s the Holy Spirit taming our natural desires to be bigger than we are.
And on that note self-control. Listed last, it’s the ability to restrain oneself from the appetites of the flesh. It takes all of the other attributes to be capable of this final attribute. Jesus endured it in
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
because we know that would have been the work of the flesh, because he knew he was about to endure the worst death imagined. Paul gives us some perspective on this in his comparison to athletes in
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
An athlete doesn’t just burst all of their energy all at one time, but rather they maintain a pace for the duration of the event in order to be the victor. An apple must maintain its flavor throughout, or it only gets half enjoyed. We must maintain all of the qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit otherwise we are either not ripe or we’re rotten. And when you really think about it, self-control is Spirit control - because without the Spirit, it’s selfish-control.
Paul closes out Galatians 5:23 with this:
Galatians 5:23b…against such things there is no law.
There’s no Old Testament Law, and there’s no civil law against any of these. But that’s not the real question here. The real question is how does my action reflect God, my testimony, and my sanctification? Because you see we all as Christians already have the Holy Spirit, so we already have the fruit of the Spirit, and so we are already being sanctified, we already have our testimony, and we already have Jesus - the true question is do I follow the Holy Spirit or do I resist the Holy Spirit?
Now if you have ever enjoyed a piece of fruit, you probably also noticed that in order for you to fully enjoy it, it had to have all of these attributes to be enjoyed. If an apple lacked the feel or sweetness or had a worm in it, you wouldn’t enjoy it and probably would throw it out.
And if we’re resisting the Spirit, in any of the attributes of our fruit, then the world sees our blemishes. Our testimony to the world has bruises, or worms, or is just plain rotten.
We must maintain our self-control that only comes through having all of the attributes working in unity to allow the Holy Spirit to show every attribute.
As a final note, some people don’t like apples. But that doesn’t mean that an apple stops being an apple. Some people don’t like Christians, some even absolutely despise Christians. And that frequently causes us to fear who we are and who we are for. That others don’t like Christians shouldn’t make us want to be more like the world. We as Christians need to realize that the world isn’t rejecting us personally, it’s rejecting Christ.
“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
Now we sometimes may think “but it’s easier to be more like the world, so that I’m liked”. Friends, an apple is an apple, no matter what happens, and a Christian is a Christian, no matter what happens, the fruit will always be the fruit. Some of it’s good fruit, and some of it ain’t so good - just look at Revelation chapters 2 and 3 sometime and we can see a lot of different flavors of good and bad fruit.
And as we close out the service today, remember the words of Jesus:
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
We must be abiding in Jesus to bear fruit. That means we must be attached to the vine to grow, otherwise we never ripen. We do that through reading the Word, and quite simply put, doing what it says, not to gain our salvation, because if we’ve already accepted and come to a relationship with Christ we know that work was already done, but rather to cultivate our relationship and be pruned in that process by walking in the Holy Spirit.
And now, with our heads bowed and our eyes closed, really think about the next few questions -
How does my Fruit look and feel - do I recognize the love of Jesus, the joy and peace that gives, or have I forgotten what that feels like?
How do others see the Holy Spirit in me? Do they see Jesus, or me?
How does my relationship with Jesus present itself in my walk with Jesus? Do I treat my relationship as I should, or is it more like one where Jesus is just an acquaintance rather than where He should be in my life?
Now another thing to consider whether you are here today in person or watching online is do I know Christ? If the answer to that question is anything other than yes, God is pulling at your heart strings to come to Him. If you don’t know how to do that I’m going to make it simple today - It’s always as simple as A, B, C. The first step is Admitting to God that you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says we all are sinners, and because of that we are separated from Him for eternity.
B is believing that Jesus came to die for you. He died as a perfect, sinless man in order for you to have freedom from your sins. John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world, and He loved it so much that He gave His only Son just so that you and I could have a relationship with Him if we believe in Him and what He did. Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. Thing is, He can’t force you into a relationship with Him. He calls you, and He’s calling you today. You know you need Jesus, you know that He loves you more than anyone ever could - Romans 10:9
and 10 says : “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
So the first step was admitting to God that you’re a sinner. The second step is to believe that Jesus came to die and be raised from the dead for your sins. The last thing is to confess Jesus as Lord. Don’t hold yourself back from the greatest decision you could ever make. This is your time. If that’s you, if God is calling to you to draw into a relationship with the only perfect father, answer Him today. If you don’t know how to start, you can simply pray something like this:
Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. Lord I believe that you came to free me from the bonds of sin and hell, and Lord I thank you for what only you could do. Lord I choose you, to follow in all that you are and to walk in the Spirit in a relationship with you, and to spend eternity with you. In Jesus name, amen
Now still with every head bowed and every eye closed, either if you’ve prayed that prayer or if you need to have a more intimate time with the Father, Now is the time, the altar is here, come as He calls.
Heavenly Father
Now if you prayed that prayer to know Jesus, welcome to the family. I’d love to hear from you, so that we can rejoice together and so that we can discuss the next steps in your relationship with Christ. So I’m going to ask you to do something - either come get me after the service, or simply fill out a connection card in the pew in front of you and someone will be in contact with you this week.
Questions for the Week:
1. What are some of the ways I see and feel Jesus’ love for me?
2. How does the knowledge of these things affect my joy and peace?
3. Have I been allowing the Holy Spirit to have control in my patience, kindness, and goodness, or has it been more of my selfish-control than the Spirit-control?
4. Am I able to call myself faithful? Do I treat Jesus as my closest relationship, or do I set Him on a shelf every week?