But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23
Just before the Coronavirus hit and changed life as we know it, my family and I went on vacation to Disney World. We had a wonderful time and were immediately swept up by the magic of Disney. One thing that I love about Disney World is the dedication of each cast member to the Disney vision. You see, Disney World has a model of excellence that cast members pick up. In fact, this commitment to excellence, I would imagine, transforms Disney World employees in such a way that someone can spot a Disney employee shortly after interacting with them because of the way they model excellence and other Disney ideals. Why? The truth is, we are affected and transformed by the people, companies, and things that we surround ourselves with, for better or worse. If this is true, the time we spend with God and the church shapes us and affects us, too. We are talking this week about faithfulness. If we have been changed by God’s faithfulness, and we have, then we are to display that faithfulness to others.
Scripture teaches that when we make a decision to follow Christ, we are called to live like Him. Not only this, but the Holy Spirit produces fruit in us that is like Christ. The apostle Paul explains it this way in Galatians 5: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (verses 22 and 23). These characteristics are evidence of Christ working in us. Just like a tree produces particular fruit, the Holy Spirit produces fruit in us.
One particular fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us is faithfulness. I often think about love, peace, patience, etc., but I do not give the fruit “faithfulness” quite as much airtime as it deserves in my life. Maybe you can relate. While faithfulness may not be the first fruit of the Holy Spirit that comes to mind, there is a reason why it is included in this list. You see, God desires His followers to be characterized by their faithfulness. One aspect of this faithfulness means we are true to our faith in Christ. We are reliable and dependable. We are steady in a world that becomes increasingly unsteady. This will point people to God, who Himself exhibits complete faithfulness.
When you think about your life, do you see evidence of Christ’s own faithfulness? Is there room for improvement? Evaluate the words you say and the things you say you believe, and your actions. Perhaps you know that you have let go of opportunities to share your faith out of fear or nervousness. Let’s lean into faithfulness and have an honest conversation with God, asking Him to help us model His faithfulness to a hurting world.
Faithfulness is a word that we use often but don’t take time to think about the meaning of, especially when it comes to the faithfulness of God. Go to Blue Letter Bible and read the definition of the Greek word faith, which is “pistis.” As you read about this word on Blue Letter Bible, read the definitions given for the word “pistis” and a number of the verses that this word is used in throughout Scripture. After studying about this word, take some time to write about what it means to live faithfully to God and the people around you.
Read Galatians 5:16-26 (NLT)
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
©2024 Sagebrush Church
