On Sunday Karyne spoke on the power of the Holy Spirit in helping her respond rather than react to the challenges of life.
We often look to the fruit of the Spirit as an indicator of Christ in us and evidence of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) says:
“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.”
In learning how to identify the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, it may be beneficial for us to understand what the fruit of Spirit is not so that we can invite the Holy Spirit into the areas of our lives that need growth and healing. One way to determine what is not the fruit of the spirit is to look at its opposite.
Paul describes the opposite of walking by the Spirit as gratifying the desires of your flesh.
Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV) says:
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”
Paul offers us a list of works (fruit) of the flesh:
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV)
Below is a simple chart that gives us some ideas of what it may look like when we are operating in our flesh.
| Fruit of the Spirit | Fruit of the Flesh |
| Love | Hate/Indifference |
| Joy | Despair/Sorrow |
| Peace | Anxiety/Worry |
| Patience | Impatience |
| Kindness | Rudeness |
| Goodness | Evil |
| Faithfulness | Unreliable |
| Gentleness | Abrasive/Harsh |
| Self-Control | Undisciplined |
Timothy Keller offers some insights from his book Galatians for You, on the definitions, opposites and counterfeits of the fruit of the Spirit:
- Agape = love. It means to serve a person for their good and intrinsic value, not for what the person brings you. Its opposite is fear: self-protection and abusing people. Its counterfeit (a fake version) is selfish affection, where you are attracted to someone and treat them well because of how they make you feel about yourself.
- Chara = joy, a delight in God for the sheer beauty and worth of who He is. Its opposite is hopelessness or despair, and its counterfeit is an elation that is based on experiencing blessings, not the Blesser, causing mood swings based on circumstances.
- Irene = peace, meaning a confidence and rest in the wisdom and control of God, rather than in your own. It replaces anxiety and worry. The fake version of peace is indifference, apathy, not caring about something.
- Makrothumia = patience, an ability to face trouble without blowing up or hitting out. Its opposite is resentment toward God and others and its counterfeits are cynicism or lack of care: “This is too small to care about.”
- Chrestotes = kindness, which is an ability to serve others practically in a way which makes me vulnerable, which comes from having a deep inner security. Its opposite is envy, which leaves me unable to rejoice in another’s joy. And its fake alternative is manipulative good deeds, doing good for others so I can congratulate myself and feel I am “good enough” for others or for God.
- Agathosune = goodness, integrity; being the same person in every situation, rather than a phony or a hypocrite. This is not the same as being always truthful but not always loving; getting things off your chest just to make yourself feel or look better.
- Pistis = faithfulness, loyalty, courage, to be utterly reliable and true to your word. Its opposite is to be an opportunist, a friend only in good times. And its counterfeit is to be loving but not truthful, so that you are never willing to confront or challenge.
- Prautus = gentleness, humility, self-forgetfulness. The opposite is to be superior or self-absorbed. Humility is not the same as inferiority.
- Egkrateia = self-control, the ability to pursue the important over the urgent, rather than to be always impulsive or uncontrolled. The slightly surprising counterfeit is a willpower which is based on pride, the need to feel in control.
Karyne also reminded us that when we are connected to our Lord Jesus Christ and when He lives in us and we live in Him, we can bear much fruit. Apart from God we can do nothing.
John 15:5 (ESV) says:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
On Sunday, just before Karyne spoke, I got a chance to experience her message in real-time. Just minutes before worship started we had technical issues. As a pastoral team, we had to make some last minute adjustments to the Sunday line up because of sudden illness and absences. In the midst of all these challenges and changes that were happening around me, for some reason I responded differently than I normally would.
For context, I’m the type of person that likes to prepare and plan for things. When things don’t go according to plan and when I don’t have time to really prepare, I tend to exhibit the fruits of the flesh. But this time, I chose to rely on Christ in me through the Holy Spirit to help me.
I had spent the morning connecting to the vine as Karyne had mentioned in her sermon and it was at that time that the Lord spoke to me. In service the Holy Spirit brought to my attention what He had said to me earlier that morning and helped me use His words to serve as an encouragement to the congregation. All of this I had not planned nor prepared to do for that day.
I had the option to react to what was going on around me or respond with the fruit of the Spirit inside of me. Most times I choose to react but this time I chose to respond.
It’s not what’s going on around you that makes the difference, it’s what’s going on inside you that does. And when Christ is inside of you it doesn’t matter what is happening around you because He is the one who anchors our mind, body, spirit and emotions.
My prayer is that we would continue to stay connected to the vine daily and allow the Holy Spirit to help us respond to the challenges of life.
Father, I pray that you will anchor us in the midst of challenges and difficulties. Help us to patiently endure through the power of the Holy Spirit so that we may be like you and that you would get all the glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!