Faith-building Bible studies and articles

• 10 Dec

  Practicing All the Virtues

  As we come to the end of this series, I thought it would be helpful to consider how we can cultivate all nine virtues of Galatians 5:22–23—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—in our lives and grow in our practice of these fruits of the Spirit.

  One of the key elements to growing in these virtues is our relationship with the Lord. Our love for Him results in our desire to build a deep relationship with Him and to invest time and effort into strengthening that relationship, including reading His Word, communicating with Him through prayer, and following the example Jesus set for us.

  When we understand God’s love for each of us personally, we become aware of His desire to bring others into relationship with Him as well. Realizing His unwavering love for those who don’t yet know Him motivates us to do our best to let people know that there is Someone who deeply loves them and wants to be a part of their life. Sharing the message of God’s love for all humankind becomes our mission—and growing in Christlikeness becomes our passion.

  Our love for Christ motivates us to love Him fervently—with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength—and to cultivate a close relationship with Him. This love compels us to strive to be like Jesus, to emulate His qualities, and to share God’s love with others so they can know Him too.¹

  One of our goals, as followers of Jesus, is to imitate Christ. We want to take on His nature and attributes. As we grow in our relationship with Him, we manifest the fruit of His Spirit—we exhibit godly attitudes, we live by godly ethics, we have integrity, we live His words. As we grow to become more like Jesus, He shines through us, and when He does—when others see us imitating Him—they have the opportunity to see God’s love in action.

  Following in Christ’s Footsteps

  The great American evangelist Dwight L. Moody had a pithy phrase to describe character: Character is what you are in the dark.

  As Christians, we all want to grow in spiritual maturity and Christlikeness. We want to become all we can be with Christ’s help, to put aside sin and who we are in our worst moments and replace that with behavior that demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit—love, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and so on.

  Ultimately, we want to become like Jesus, to think as He thought and behave as He behaved. The Bible encourages us to aspire to follow in Christ’s footsteps: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6 NLT). We want our character to be a testimony of God’s truth to others, even during our darkest, most trying times.

  Building and developing virtuous characteristics can’t just be learned from a book or a sermon or by willpower or striving alone. It doesn’t happen automatically, accidentally, or suddenly. Nor is it something we can muster up in our own strength or determination alone: it is the transformative work and fruit of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

  First Peter 2:21 says, “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” The apostle Paul took it a step further when he wrote that God can even use problems and trials to strengthen our faith and help us to grow in Christlikeness: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation” (Romans 5:3–4 NLT).—Ronan Keane²

  God’s Power to Bear Fruit

  You need more power than just willpower in your life. You need God’s power. The fruit of the Spirit is the qualities that God puts in your life when the Holy Spirit lives in you: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23 NLT).

  How does God produce the fruit in your life? Not by willpower. You could go out and say, “I’m going to be a more patient person!” but that doesn’t mean it’s going to work.

  The Holy Spirit has to grow it on the inside. You try to say, “I’m going to be more patient. I’m going to be more loving.” It’s like tying some oranges on a eucalyptus tree and calling it an orange tree. It doesn’t work that way. The fruit of the Spirit can only come from the inside—God’s Spirit living through you.

  How does the Holy Spirit work in your life? The answer is gradually: “And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT).—Rick Warren³

  Cultivating the Fruits of the Spirit

  The first step in cultivating the fruits of the Spirit is surrendering to God. In Matthew 16:24–26, Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” Surrendering to God means giving up our own desires and plans and submitting to His will for our lives.

  The second step in cultivating the fruits of the Spirit is walking in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16–17 says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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.” Walking in the Spirit means living a life that is directed by the Holy Spirit rather than our own desires.

  The third step in cultivating the fruits of the Spirit is abiding in Christ. In John 15:4–5, Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 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.” Abiding in Christ means staying connected to Him through prayer, reading the Bible, and worship.—Errick Ruffin⁴

  *

  I thought the following article by Max Lucado would provide a fitting reflection for this series. May we all continue to grow in all the gifts of the Spirit so that as we “contemplate the Lord’s glory” we can be “transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”⁵

  I Choose

  In a few moments the day will arrive. … The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

  I choose love. No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

  I choose joy. … I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

  I choose peace. I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

  I choose patience. I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. … Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

  I choose kindness. I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

  I choose goodness. I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

  I choose faithfulness. Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

  I choose gentleness. Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

  I choose self-control. I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.—Max Lucado⁶

  A Prayer for the Fruits of the Spirit

  Dear Heavenly Father,

  I approach You today with profound gratitude and a heart brimming with love. I thank You for the words You have shared with us in Galatians 5, reminding us of the fruits of the Spirit that guide our lives. Your wisdom, Lord, is a precious gift, and I seek to live in accordance with Your teachings.

  Lord, I pray that You would help me bear these fruits in my life, for I know that they are a reflection of Your character. Father, fill my heart with love, so that I may love others as You have loved me. Help me to spread joy and be a source of peace in a world filled with turmoil. Grant me patience and kindness to show to those who cross my path, and may I always strive to do good as a testament to Your grace.

  I ask for faithfulness, Lord, to remain steadfast in my devotion to You, trusting in Your promises even in the face of adversity. Please grant me the gentle spirit that seeks to build others up rather than tear them down, and may I exercise self-control in all aspects of my life, surrendering my desires to Your will.

  You encourage us to “keep in step with the Spirit.” I pray for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit to lead me on this journey of faith. Help me to walk in Your ways, to live by Your Word, and to rely on Your strength.

  Lord, I confess my shortcomings and ask for Your forgiveness and transformation. I long to bear the fruits of Your Spirit not just for my own benefit but to be a shining light in this world, reflecting Your love and grace. Amen.—Rich Bitterman⁷

  Food for Thought

  “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).

  “If we pray that God would help us grow in the fruit of the Spirit, we can be 100% confident that He will do it. He loves to help His children become more like Jesus. So ask the Holy Spirit to fill you freshly today with new strength … to help you grow in the fruit of the Spirit.”—Love Worth Finding

  “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12 NIV).

  “We often try to live the fruits of the Spirit in hopes of being chosen by God, loved by Him, and set apart by Him, when in reality it’s the other way around. Because we are chosen, made holy, and set apart, we are now able to bear the fruit as Jesus has taken up residence in our hearts.”—Kelly Minter

  ---

  Note
  Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  ---

  ¹ 2 Corinthians 5:14 NIV.

  ² Ronan Keane, “The Character Builder” (adapted), Activated, July 2019.

  ³ https://pastorrick.com/sometimes-the-change-is-gradual/

  ⁴ https://medium.com/@littlepreacher68/the-secret-to-cultivating-the-fruits-of-the-spirit-steps-to-develop-a-christ-like-character-a609d745b2ef

  ⁵ 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV.

  ⁶ https://maxlucado.com/new-day-choice/

  ⁷ https://medium.com/@richbitterman/fruits-of-the-spirit-prayer-galatians-5-d471e3e2cb2c

   

  
• Nov 26 Virtues for Christ-Followers: Self-control
• Nov 12 1 Corinthians: Chapter 5 (verses 1–13)
• Oct 29 Virtues for Christ-Followers: Gentleness
• Oct 15 Virtues for Christ-Followers: Faithfulness
• Oct 1 Virtues for Christ-Followers: Goodness
• Sep 17 1 Corinthians: Chapter 4 (verses 15–21)
• Sep 3 Virtues for Christ-Followers: Kindness
• Aug 20 1 Corinthians: Chapter 4 (verses 6–14)
• Aug 6 Virtues for Christ-Followers: Patience