That You May Believe - Study Guide
Week 44 - October 31st, 2021
Galatians 5:22–23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Context: In Galatians, Paul corrects churches that have fallen under the sway of false teachers who proclaim that faith in Christ must be supplemented by “works of the Law” in order to truly lead to salvation. He instead teaches them to trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross as the only work necessary for justification. Christ brings true freedom as one yields to God's Spirit. It is the Spirit who will enable them to walk in love for God and others and thus fulfill the true intent of the Law.
Meaning: This passage is often presented as a list of virtues that Christians ought to strive for. However, these are not fruits of the Spirit; they are the singular fruit. These are the collective fruit of a Spirit-filled life. We cannot pick and choose which traits we would like to embody and which ones we will let slide. Moreover, they are not a product of human effort and methods. These traits grow in the believer’s life as they walk in the Spirit and yield their lives to Christ.
Life Application: Paul teaches us that as we walk in the Spirit, the Spirit produces new desires in our hearts that overcome the desires of the flesh. As we live the life Jesus teaches us to live, we will find the blessings He promises. Where there was once dissension and division we will instead find love and peace. Where there was once pain we will find joy. Where there was once reckless pursuit of instant gratification we will find patience and self-control. Live for Jesus and see how He will transform your life.
For Further Study: Paul follows a similar train of thought in Colossians 2:16–23. How do his instructions apply to our lives today? Consider especially his words in verse 23: How can we balance between the wisdom of setting boundaries and the foolishness of attempting behavioral control through legalism? In addition, Paul speaks very highly of love in 1 Corinthians 13, going so far as to list it as the greatest of all produce.