Details

Written by Keith Butler

"But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper), forbearance, kindness, goodness (benevolence) faithfulness ..." (Gal 5:22 AMP).

Love is the answer the world is looking for. In today's Scripture, Paul is contrasting the work of the flesh to the fruit of the recreated human spirit - the real you (not your body).

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 9:27 said, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." In other words, he said, 'If I don't stay on this flesh, even though I am a preacher, I'll wind up being led into sin and lost."

Galatians 5:14 says "for all the law is fulfilled in one word." He is talking about the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (the 10 commandments and more). Well, all of the commandments have been rolled up into one, which is "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

If you walk in love you won't steal from your neighbor. You won't kill him if you love him. You won't lie on him, or bear false witness against him. You won't commit adultery with his wife. By walking in love you fulfill the entire law.

Jesus came to show us a more perfect way. That is the way of love. And God's love has been put inside of every believer. But, if you start biting and devouring one another, you can devour your fellowship in your family, your friends, and even your own local church.

Anybody can fight. If I look at you long enough I'm going to find something that I don't agree with. If you look at me long enough you will find something that you don't agree with.

On the other hand, you can always find something to agree with-a reason to love them. If it is just that we are breathing the same air, you can find something to agree with. It takes a bigger person to decide to agree rather than to fight.

Paul calls it the fruit of the spirit. I like to refer to it as forces of the spirit, because these forces are stronger than anything your flesh wants to gravitate to. When we are more God-inside-minded than flesh-ruled, we activate the power in us to dominate. Then the world will see the answer in us, that God is love.

Scripture References: 1 Cor. 13:4-8; 1 Cor. 9:27

Keith Butler Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.