There she is, the Worst-Best, the complete opposite of what we’re talking about today…
The final fruits of the Spirit – gentleness and self-control – the final potential markers on our life path. I said early on we were going to take each fruit of the Spirit individually. The author of Galatians, Paul, listed each one separately so we should study separately. But, as I studied the last two fruits listed, the relationship between these two characteristics was so striking to me. I made a weird connection in my brain. I said we weren’t going to bundle, but on these last two, I’m bundling, partly because they’re related, partly because they are the two I struggle with most. Maybe I’m not so different than the Worst-Best.
In addition to the direct relationship between the last two fruits of the Spirit, another interesting point is the verse referencing of these last two fruits. Do you see it? The version you are studying from or the translation you are reading may be a little different, but here’s how the verses are set in the New Living Translation:
22But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22-23
Isn’t that curious? The next two fruits are set out separately. Is there a reason. Does it matter? Well, Brother Paul did not separate the fruits. Chapter references were added in about 900 AD and verse numbers were added sometime in the 1500’s. In the original manuscripts, no such references existed. Paul did not say to his scribe – Chapter 5, verse 22, But the Holy Spirit…The Books of the Bible were written in poem, manuscript, or letter form. Enough of that, I just thought that was interesting, I’ve always wondered about chapters and verses. You can check it out sometime. Ok, enough said. Oh wait, one more thing. These divisions can sometimes lead us to think that we should read and study in bits and pieces. Not so. In order to understand the writings and the entire message of the Word, we cannot just pluck out a verse or a part of a verse to study, without studying the whole. We must study the entire context – when, where, how, who, what, place, time, audience, etc. Ok, now enough said.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives…gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22-23
And here we pick up…What do you think when you hear the word gentle or gentleness? Do you think meek, mild, easy, soft, quiet, sweet, tender? Or do you think the opposite, harsh, rough, violent, hard, difficult, unkind, severe, merciless?
What about self-control? That’s pretty self-explanatory, right? What does that really mean? Disciplined, restrained, controlled? Pretty easy to understand, right? Plain and simple. Here’s the problem – it’s not so plain and simple.
Is your life marked by the fruits of gentleness and self-control? Here’s where the bundling comes in for me. In order to be gentle, I must have self-control. Remember, we’ve been talking for the last forever weeks that we humans do not naturally display the characteristics of the fruits of the Spirit. Only God does. We can only display these fruits, we can only leave these characteristics in our wake if we are governed and guided by the Holy Spirit. We were not born with the fruits of the Spirit existing within, we are reborn so the fruits of the Spirit exist within. Get it? In order to be gentle, I must be guided by the Spirit. Otherwise, I am naturally harsh, rough, difficult, merciless, out of control. Surprise, surprise.
I love the definition of the Greek word for self-control – egkráteia. Two words put together that mean true mastery within. In other words coming from within oneself but not by oneself. It takes self-control, discipline, perseverance, endurance, all of which come from the power of the Spirit to display and drop on our path the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These do not conflict with the law, they fulfill the law. Just as Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill the law, to offer salvation for all, we are to reflect that message to the world by the marks we leave on our path.
Wednesday
Read Luke 10:38-41. Note how Jesus addresses Martha. What is His tone? Does He speak unkindly to her? Are His words harsh? How does He get the message across to Martha? Doesn’t He speak to us in the same way? Martha, Martha…
Thursday
Read John 4:1-30. Note how Jesus speaks to the woman. Speaking His message of hope gently, respectfully, but firmly. He announces to her that He is the Messiah. What does she do with His message of hope?
Friday
Read 1 Peter 2:11-12. Why must we be careful how we conduct ourselves? Read 1 Peter 3:13-22. Are we prepared to give an answer gently and respectfully for the hope that we have?
Saturday
1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Do we practice self-control? Are we disciplined? What are the benefits of practicing self-control and discipline?
Sunday
Read James 1:19-27. Write down all the ways we should practice self-control in these verses.
Monday
Read Galatians 3:15-29. What was the purpose of the Old Testament law? Does the Old Testament law apply today? Why does the Old Testament apply today? What does it teach us about God? Can we be saved by keeping the law? How are we saved?
Tuesday
Search the Book of Proverbs and write down a scripture verse for every fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Post these verses as a reminder of the character of God. Spend time in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to teach you and guide you as you mirror these images of God to others.