The Fruit of the Holy Spirit

KEY VERSE: “Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” —Galatians 5:16

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Galatians 5:13-26; 6:7-10

THE very positive and encouraging statement of this text is indeed full of the wisdom of a great teacher. Quite often our religious leaders tend to instruct in a warning mode, emphasizing all our weaknesses, and leaving us with an intimidated feeling of powerlessness before our great adversaries—the world, the flesh and the Devil.

But in essence, the Apostle Paul is telling us that a power much greater than the combined forces of all that be against us is at our command and working in our lives. The power of the knowledge of God, the power of the Holy Spirit—this power has transformed our lives, and now, “walking in the Spirit,” we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh!

Christians should not need to be admonished to refrain from those things which are enumerated as the works of the flesh. (Gal. 5:19) Even the world in general recognizes these as gross sins, and strives somewhat against them; but they have not the power to extricate themselves fully from their control. Paul points out that even the Jews under the Law were unable to achieve the high standards which it revealed to them. Because of this, he says, they could not do the things that they would. But he concludes, when led of the Spirit, they were not under the Law. (vs. 18) “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” They are dead to these former things but alive to the “fruits of the Spirit,” “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”—vss. 22,23

Walking in the Spirit implies activity. Isaiah 61:1-3 tells of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, that those who receive it are “anointed to preach glad tidings.” The prophecy describes various classes to whom the message is to be proclaimed, and the different purposes thus to be accomplished. But the main point to notice is that those who receive the Holy Spirit are thereby anointed to proclaim the glad tidings. From God’s standpoint, it is his authorization for us to be co-workers with him, but to us it is the inspiration thus to serve, the impelling urge which causes us to let our light shine before men.

This witness of the Spirit is not based on the amount of success we have in making new converts to the truth, nor even on the extent of our efforts. It is based, rather, on our zeal for showing forth the praises of our God by making known the glad tidings of the kingdom. If we have received the Holy Spirit we will have the zeal, and we will be making use of every possible opportunity to sacrifice time and strength and means to proclaim the glad tidings, and thus will the Spirit witness to us of its presence in our hearts. The results of our efforts are in the Lord’s hands, for it is he who “giveth the increase.”—I Cor. 3:7

A righteous life is fundamentally essential as a background for the Christian ministry, hence the emphasis which the Scriptures place on the importance of purity in thought, word, and deed. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Phil. 4:8) If our thoughts are in keeping with this admonition, our conduct will be influenced along these lines.

This, in turn, will result in a life from which the message of truth can emanate to the glory of the Lord—a ministry of the truth which the Lord can approve. Paul again wrote, “Giving no offense in anything, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving [Margin, commending] ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; by [Diaglott, in] pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by [Rotherham, through] the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report.”—II Cor. 6:3-8

Has the Holy Spirit created within us this urgency to bear witness to the truth? If it has, we will be found walking in the Spirit.

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