Fruit of the Spirit

We love the fruit of the spirit - we do Sunday school lessons about it, we make cards about it and write books about it.

And then we feel we must go and produce the fruit of the spirit.

We think of  it as spiritual fruit that will manifest in our lives by concentrating on it.

By doing this we miss the context of Galatians.

We miss the fact that the whole book is about not producing stuff out of our own

- for it is worthless,

and it makes Christ's payment for us worthless

You may say oh, but it is not worthless.

No it isn't - you are right it is not worthless

- it is the landmark of Christianity.

Christianity or the 'Christ life' can't be without it.

But we - by acting as if we must live a 'fruit of the spirit life' - we make Christ's payment

worthless.

What me must do is live by the Spirit, so that the fruit of the Spirit can manifest in our

lives.

The fruit is the normal out-cropping of the Holy Spirit in us.

 

Gal 5