Week #3 - Spirited: The Fruit of the Spirit as the Measure of Discipleship
Blog Series Intention Recap: Over October, I want to encourage you to journey alongside the Holy Spirit, understanding His roles as a friend, educator, source of solace, and guiding presence. This exploration involves examining the Holy Spirit's interactions with New Testament believers, contemplating the invaluable gifts He provides, and discerning our appropriate responses. Hopefully, by the end of the series, you will no longer be “Scared of the Ghost.”
This post is part of the series “Scared of the Ghost.” Click here to check out the other posts.
Let’s jump into Week 3:
(Read in Movie Voiceover) People who follow Christ should stand out in a world where power is everything. They should work to see a world where the Kingdom comes, not just their kingdoms. They should love one another. People should see their love for one another and know they follow Jesus…
You can switch back to the regular voice in your head…
Jesus commanded Christians, the world’s name - not Jesus’, to be disciples and follow him. Today, we equate spiritual growth with the number of times we read the Bible, the hours we pray, or how many spiritual gifts we have. Others look to pastors they may know and determine the reach of his/her global empire equates to spiritual maturity. During the writing of this blog, I literally heard someone refer to a famous pastor and his private jet. I looked up his net worth, and he is personally listed at over 300 million dollars.
As a pastor for almost thirty years (scary, I know), I believe we misnom what spiritual growth looks like in our lives. The Fruit of the Spirit is derived from Galatians 5:22-23, where the apostle Paul lists nine distinct qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues reflect the character of God and serve as indicators of spiritual maturity.
Have you been to Barnes and Noble lately? I hadn’t. I do most of my book shopping on Amazon. However, I stumbled through the self-improvement section during a recent trip (I was trying to let my wife and daughter shop without me hovering). There were titles like You Are a Bada**, You Are the Mountain, and Get Out of Your Own Way. The Fruit of the Spirit is not just a self-improvement program but a way the Holy Spirit brings life transformation within believers as they yield their lives to Him. This transformation embodies Christ-likeness. Our lives must display love and personal piety. When was the last time you heard someone talk about personal piety (the quality of holding something in reverence)? Probably, in high school, when you talked about the Puritans and the Scarlett Letter.
The Holy Spirit's Role in Cultivating the Fruit
The Holy Spirit is the presence of God who indwells believers, providing the power necessary for spiritual growth (1 Corinthians 3:16). We see the role of the Holy Spirit in sealing the regeneration/justification process. In Ephesians 1:13 ESV, we see “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” So, Paul encourages believers to "walk by the Spirit" to manifest the Fruit in their lives (Galatians 5:16).
The Holy Spirit convicts believers of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11). This conviction leads to sanctification, the process of becoming more like Christ, including the development of the Fruit of the Spirit. So, to grow spiritually, we respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
One other thing I want to address. The Fruit of the Spirit is not nine distinct fruits. Christ-followers tend to pick and choose which of the fruits they want in their lives. I can take some joy, but I don’t need any self-control. Have you met me? I am so good. The Fruit of the Spirit growing in your life is one fruit with multiple aspects. The apple is crunchy, red, crisp, refreshing, and tastes tart or sweet whether you have a granny smith or a golden delicious. We don’t get to pick and choose which aspects we want. The Holy Spirit wants to grow all of them in your life.
The Role of Love: The Pinnacle of the Fruit
Love is often considered the foundational aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit, the one aspect from which the others flow. This thought comes from Jesus. He points out in John 13:35: “By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” Jesus tells his disciples how they loved one another would be the primary way people would know they were his followers. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul underscores and reinforces the supremacy of love as a motivating force behind all Christian virtues.
Later, CS Lewis would look at the different Greek words for love in his book, The Four Loves. Storge defined the familial or instinctual love we experience. I love someone because it comes naturally. Philia showed the bonds of friendship. We see this love highlighted when a soldier lays down his life. (Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose contains these stories as he researched Easy Company of the 501st in WWII.) Eros is romantic love. While we often reduce this love to sex, it encompasses much more.
However, Jesus used a different word: Agape. Agape love is defined as unconditional "God" love. Agape love is selfless, sacrificial love, and the Holy Spirit empowers believers to manifest this love in their lives. Romans 5:5 highlights God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:8 shows us God loves us with this kind of love even when we don’t love him. Jesus expected us to love one another with this kind of love. He expected our lives to be marked by it so much people would notice.
Joy and Peace: Inner States of the Heart
The Holy Spirit brings joy to believers, even in challenging circumstances (Romans 14:17). This joy is not dependent on external factors but is a deep, abiding contentment. Hebrews 12:2 says that for the joy set before him, Jesus endured the toughest circumstance imaginable in the effects of the cross. Often, we reduce joy to a subjective feeling or emotion of the heart. When we make this reduction the central focus of our lives, we substitute happiness for joy. Jesus modeled for us the idea of making the Joy of the Lord our strength (Neh. 8:10). We can move beyond the subjective and make the objective measurement of joy a sign of spiritual growth.
Peace is another aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit that transcends human understanding (Philippians 4:7). Merriam-Webster defines peace as a state of tranquility or quiet. The Holy Spirit calms our hearts, bringing peace even during turmoil. Peace is much more binary than joy. There is either peace or no peace. In the book written by John, Jesus tells us he would leave his peace with us. The Holy Spirit would be the bringer of that kind of peace. Jesus’ peace would not look like the world’s peace. When we look at culture and how people search for peace, we see ways that numb for a bit of time (drugs, alcohol, etc.) or ways we can lose ourselves, such as hobbies, sports, etc. Humans try to kill the pain. The Holy Spirit provides peace to get through the pain.
Patience, Kindness, and Goodness: Relational Aspects of the Fruit
Relationships are hard. They require people to connect and often prove to be some of the hardest things we do. Marriages end in divorce. Friendships end in brokenness. Family time becomes iPad time or, worse, non-existent. The need for the elements of the relational aspects of the Fruit has never been higher.
Patience is the aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit that reflects forbearance and longsuffering. The Holy Spirit helps believers demonstrate patience in their interactions with others (Ephesians 4:2). How many of us could use this in our lives?
Kindness is an outflow of the Holy Spirit's work, promoting acts of compassion and goodwill. Believers are encouraged to clothe themselves with kindness (Colossians 3:12). We should be friendly and considerate. If we did, our world's parking lots and roads would look so different, and people would look at us like we are crazy.
Goodness reflects moral integrity, honesty, and upright character. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to manifest goodness in their lives (Romans 15:14). From the minor theft from our workplace to the embezzlement of millions of dollars, humans don’t need to be taught how to be wrong. They have to be taught how to be good. We spend time teaching kids and hope they get it by the time they turn 18. I believe the Holy Spirit’s growth of goodness through conviction of ungodly behaviors is our only chance for goodness to grow in our lives.
Faithfulness and Gentleness: Characteristics of Humility
Often, humble people are viewed as someone who will only be taken advantage of by culture. However, faithfulness and gentleness are two of the most essential parts of the Fruit of the Spirit. Faithfulness denotes unwavering trust and loyalty. The Holy Spirit fosters faithfulness, enabling believers to remain steadfast in their commitment to God (2 Timothy 2:13). Gentleness, often translated as meekness, is not weakness but strength under control. The Holy Spirit enables believers to demonstrate gentleness in their interactions with others (Colossians 3:12).
Over the last six years, I have been a father to an offensive linemen. I understand these aspects because I watch my son play football. If you know anything about football, you probably know the name of a quarterback, wide receiver, or running back. Not surprising… The only time an offensive lineman’s name is called is for a penalty or because they got to play defense and got a tackle. They might get called out on an excellent block downfield, but even that is rare. I watch my son play selflessly. He is the loudest cheerleader for his team. He shows up faithfully to make sure his quarterback is protected. As a senior, he has taken sophomores under his wing and tried to help them be better men while being better football players. The Holy Spirit wants us to be gentle with someone while showing them the errors they commit. He does the same for us. He expects the same from us. My son is proof of it.
Self-Control: The Crown of the Fruit
In Financial Peace, Dave Ramsey points out that only babies have no self-control. Self-control is the ability to govern one's actions and desires. Sometimes, maturity brings self-control. I can learn to control my need for food. I can learn to control my breathing and calm myself down. I can learn to hold it on a five-hour drive.
However, the Holy Spirit empowers believers to exercise self-control over their impulses and desires (2 Peter 1:6). Self-control, often regarded as the crown aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit, holds a prominent place among the elements of the Fruit it encompasses. Just as a crown adorns and distinguishes a monarch, self-control distinguishes a person's life transformation, setting them apart with grace and dignity. The pinnacle aspect of the Fruit requires a strong and deliberate mastery over one's desires and impulses, much like a monarch exercises dominion over their realm.
Self-control doesn't signify a mere suppression of desires; instead, it's the art of channeling and directing those desires in ways that align with kingdom principles and values. We serve as stewards of a just and merciful king. Just as a steward of a king wisely governs the kingdom's well-being, self-control rules one's inner kingdom – the realm of one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors – for the betterment of the kingdom of God in their relationships.
As the divine enabler, the Holy Spirit empowers individuals to don this crown of self-control. It provides the wisdom and strength required to make decisions that honor God and align with His truth. This divine guidance ensures that self-control is not a burden but a noble quality, like a regal crown that bestows honor and authority upon the one who wears it.
In the grand tapestry of the Fruit of the Spirit, self-control acts as the final, masterful stroke, weaving together all the other virtues. With self-control reigning, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness find their harmonious expression. Just as a crown symbolizes the culmination of a sovereign's rule, self-control signifies the zenith of spiritual maturity and a life governed by the principles of righteousness. It marks a life in which one's desires, impulses, and actions are held in check, ensuring that every aspect of life reflects the character of Christ.
So, How Does This Help Me Not Be “Scared of the Ghost?”
First, this list doesn’t flow from who I am but from who God is. The list isn’t Danny's fruit but the Holy Spirit's fruit. I can find hope and rest in the idea the Spirit grows these aspects of His sealing of my heart. I am responsible for yielding my spirit to His Spirit (more on that next week). The more I yield, the more life transformation happens. The more I open my heart to the Holy Spirit, the more I come to look like Jesus. That’s a positive thing for everyone in my life. My wife. My kids. My friends. My co-workers.
Second, journaling can help you to evaluate how you are growing. Asking questions like, “Do I experience more joy today than yesterday?” As a believer, if I can turn a subjective feeling into an objective measurement, I can evaluate what the Holy Spirit is doing in my life. I can also see, over time, the life transformation in me. This tracking allows me to see how much God is doing through me. I can see the impact of my becoming more Christ-like.
In conclusion, the Fruit of the Spirit is not a result of human effort but a transformation enabled by the Holy Spirit. As believers yield to the Spirit's work, they find their lives marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues reflect the character of Christ and manifest in relational, emotional, and moral aspects of our lives. Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit is a lifelong journey, a continuous growth process empowered by the Holy Spirit. Through the development of these virtues, believers experience an abundantly fruitful life that reflects God's character.
