WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? Part V

February 2024

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

—Galatians 5:22-23

The Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is imperative for our work for the Lord and in our walk with Him. The Holy Spirit is not neutral. He is a lively, vibrant force given to us to help us grow and mature in the Lord.

One of the main functions of the Holy Spirit is to change us, to mold us, to conform us into the image of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. In making us Christlike, the evidence of that work is the fruit of the Spirit.

In Gal. 5:19-21, Paul gives to us the acts of a sinful nature that stand in direct opposition to what is good and godly. The use of the term fruit of the Spirit plainly tells us that this fruit is the work of God and not the work of man. Only the Holy Spirit can produce this fruit and then only as we yield our lives to His control. We must constantly seek the Holy Spirit to do His work in our lives, for His work is not automatic.

Notice the contrast between the “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5:19-21 and “the fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23.

It becomes obvious that man is incapable of producing anything that can please God. Only the Lord, through the work of the Holy Spirit, can produce that which is fruitful and profitable to His work and our lives.

These nine virtues that are the fruit of the Spirit fall into three categories of three each:

1.     Godward: love, joy, and peace. These three appear to comprise the Christian’s response to God.

2.     Relational: longsuffering, gentleness, goodness. These three relate to our relationship with others—how we act and treat others around us.

3.     Who we are to be in Christ: faith, meekness, temperance. While all nine speak of godliness, these last three truly portray Christlikeness.

Now let’s look at these individually.

LOVE

Love in the Greek is agape and is the God kind of love (I Jn. 4:16). Agape love, as given in I Corinthians 13, is greater than all the other virtues. No matter what we do for God, if it not grounded and flowing from agape love, then it will wither and fall. Agape love is a divine quality only produced in the life of a believer. It is a fountain of generosity and forgiveness and kindness. In his book, What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit, Stanley Horton says of agape love: “This love is the kind of love God shared at Calvary when He sent His Son to die for us while we were yet sinners (Rom. 5:8). Agape love must ever be the fountain which governs everything we do.” 0

JOY

Joy is the happiness that all believers should radiate; it is an outward expression of the inward peace of redeemed man. This joy is something the world knows nothing about. This joy is deep, abiding joy that is not ruled by circumstances in one’s life. It is the joy of knowing that no matter what happens in our bodies or in relationships, nothing can take this godly joy from us; it is to be our strength (Neh. 8:10). It should be apparent to the believer that joy and affection go hand in hand. One could say that joy is the outward manifestation of inward peace. This separates us from the world. They have no true peace and therefore have no real abiding joy.

PEACE

This peace is the peace of God in our hearts, or, one could say that this is sanctifying peace, which is different from justifying peace, which is peace with God. There is a difference between the two. While all who are saved have justifying peace, not all Christians have sanctifying peace. The peace we are speaking of here as one of the virtues or fruit of the Spirit doesn’t come easily or quickly. This peace is a work of the Spirit in our lives that comes only as we exhibit faith in the finished work of Christ. As sanctification is progressive, so is the peace that we are describing. This peace comes to be a part of our lives as we make Christ and the cross the object of our faith and the only object of our faith. If one’s faith is in anything else, then we frustrate the grace of God, and we will frustrate the development of peace in our lives.

LONGSUFFERING

In the Greek, longsuffering is makrothumia and speaks of the “steadfastness of the soul under provocation.”  Kenneth Wuest says of longsuffering: “It includes the idea of forbearance and patient endurance of wrong under ill treatment.”0 Longsuffering is actually patience in the midst of trial knowing that God is faithful, and we are in His hands. One could say it this way, “Suffering long without going to pieces.” It is perseverance—never giving up with people or circumstances or life.

GENTLENESS

In the Greek, gentleness is chrestotesz and refers to kindness. Horton said, “It is sympathetic and gives the soft answer that Solomon says turns away wrath or avoids angry out bursting temper.” 0 This kindness is best seen in our forgiveness of others and a kindly disposition to all men.

GOODNESS

Goodness in the Greek is agathosne and refers to that “quality in a man who is ruled by aims of what is good, namely the quality of moral worth.” Goodness and gentleness go together portraying an openhanded generosity that is never begrudging or spiteful. Horton says, “The best way to describe it is being like Jesus.” 0

FAITH

Faith in the Greek is pestio and refers to “faithfulness and fidelity as produced in the life of the yielded Christian by the Holy Spirit.” Faith, as presented throughout the New Testament, focuses on one’s complete trust in Christ. However, as a fruit of the Spirit, it more depicts faithfulness, loyalty, trustworthiness, and dependability. As God is faithful, loyal, trustworthy, and dependable, so should His children be.

MEEKNESS

In the Greek, meekness is prautes and refers to the “qualities of mildness, gentleness, and meekness in dealing with others.” This fruit is very difficult to precisely define. Too often one equates meekness with weakness but, in reality, this fruit blends strength and gentleness together. Meekness, as God intends, is really us being gentle and yet not weak.

TEMPERANCE

Temperance in the Greek is egkrateia, which means “possessing power, strong, having mastery or possession of, and self-control.” The word refers to the mystery of one’s own desires and impulses. Horton said, “It is the Holy Spirit helping us to develop self-control that masters these desires, impulses, passions and appetites.” 0 It also has a specific application to morality and how we live in a jaded society. It is God’s purpose that His children live in the world but remain pure from its moral depravity.

Let us all strive to allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in us to produce a life that glorifies Christ through the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

Sources:

What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit:  Stanley M. Horton

Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Vol. 1, published in 1973 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.