Study of Galatians

Week 12

 

Galatians 5:19-26

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “What’s in the well comes up in the bucket.”

In other words, sooner or later, the truth comes out. Sooner or later, whatever we believe will be evidenced by our actions. Sooner or later, for better or worse, it shows.  

 

Paul put it like this, “The deeds of the flesh are evident….” Galatians 5:19.

Then he adds a whole laundry list of sins, demonstrations of the flesh, that will eventually “come up in the bucket.” 

Yes, walking in the flesh becomes evident to everyone and Paul warned the Christians in Galatia “that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”(v 21)

 

Then Paul shifts his teaching with this one word, “But….”  

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self control…” Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit, the end result of a season of growth.

Paul clarified what others should see coming “up in the bucket,” Fruit of the Spirit.

Ironically, he doesn’t tell them to go work on their fruit. No, he doesn’t ask them to be more kind or more gentle, or more good.

We can’t create fruit on our own.

 

Galatians 5:24-25 reveals the secret. 

First, we reaffirm our commitment to Christ. “Crucify the flesh.” Let’s walk away from sin with a life yielded to Christ.  

Second, ”live by the Spirit.”  As a teacher, I especially notice the preposition, “by.” That little word means, “identifying the agent that performs the action.”

“By the Spirit…”.  The Holy Spirit is the agent that performs the action!

We choose to live “by” Him making the changes in us.  He becomes the well…

He becomes our Well.

And then, “…walk by the Spirit.”  There’s that word again, “by.” Once we walk away from sin, the flesh, we live by the Spirit, He is our agent of change, then we walk by Him.  Moment by moment, day by day, week by week, in the good or the bad, we walk by His Spirit.

John 15:5 shares the words of Jesus, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in Me and I in Him, he bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.”

Then, and only then, will His fruit in our lives come up in the bucket. The fruit becomes the demonstration of the Spirit of God in our lives. Not the other way around.

Yielding to Him, living by Him, and walking by Him is the only way His love, joy, peace, patience , kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control is formed in our lives. 

It’s His fruit, His Grace, by Him and Him alone.

jeannaswann

#nowuntohimwhoisable 

Question for discussion (your email is never posted or shared)

What are some ways we can grow our relationship with Christ in order to bear His fruit?