Fruit of the Spirit

REFLECTIONS ON

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT





“Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob;
Israel shall blossom and bud, and
fill the face of the world with fruit” – Isaiah 27:6

“The remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah
shall again take root downward,
and bear fruit upward” – Isaiah 37:31


Reflections on the Fruit of the Spirit
P.Jebaraj, UESI
Chennai


















Reflections on the

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT


“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, .faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23
Go to the ‘Food World’ or a ‘Fruit Market’ and you can get all the variety of the fruit you want. But, it takes a long procedure for each fruit to come in to existence. It starts with the planting of a seed, nurturing the plant, blossoming and finally the fruit bearing. Similar is the exercise needed for developing the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

The Seed, the Gospel Word is implanted in our hearts – “The sower sows the Word” – Mark 4:14. We respond by accepting Christ as our Saviour and Lord. We become the children of God – “But as many received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name” - John 1:12.

After being born in to God’s family, we need to GROW. For this, we need four things:

GROW
Go to God in Prayer – Mark 1:35
Read God’s Word – 1 Peter 2:2
Obey in Fellowship – Hebrews 10:25
Witness for God’s love – Acts 1:8

Bear Fruit
As we grow in the Lord, we are expected to bear Fruits for Him. It is not an option but a necessity. It is natural for any gardener who plants fruit bearing plant to expect the fruit in its season. If it does not give fruit, he will take efforts to help it to yield fruit. If it does not give fruit, he will chop off the tree. “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.” - Luke 13:6-9.

Saint Paul nicely puts the fact in Galatians 5:22,23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Even though he mentions 9 fruits, Paul chooses to call it as Fruit, not Fruits. It is a compound fruit like Jack Fruit having many divisions inside. That means we are expected to have all the 9 fruits within us. You do not have the option to choose few and leave the rest. Let us consider each of these fruit in detail.



1. “The fruit of the Spirit is love”
‘Love’ = ‘feel affection for’, ‘be devoted to’, ‘care for’, ‘be keen on’.
Real Love:
‘Love’ is the most misunderstood word, not only during our time, but also in the past centuries. It is the challenging words of his sex partners, “You do not love me”, “How can you say, ‘I love you?’” that caused the ruin of the mighty Samson - Judges 14:16; 16:15. February Fourteen is becoming famous even among the school children all over the world as they are introduced to celebrate the most commercialized “Valentine’s Day”. Many a time, infatuation is interpreted as ‘love’ by the youth.

‘Eros’, emotional affection expressed in physical ways is the low level of love. It is self cantered, just to gain what ever you can from the other person. The second level, ’Felios’ is brotherly love or a love which reciprocates. You love those who love you. That is its limit. But, the third level is ‘Agape’, the divine love. By this, you are able to love your partner or brother without selfish motives. You are able even to love even those who hate you.

We see another description of the three types of love in the story of the Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25-37. The attitude of the thieves to the traveller is “What is yours is mine”. The priest and the Levite had the view, “What is mine is mine”. The Samaritan’s conviction is “What is mine is yours”. That is the Agape, the divine love.

God, the source of love
This self giving love has a ‘live demonstration’ in Jesus Christ. He loved His disciples to the end – John 13:1. At the Cross of Calvary, Christ’s first concern was His enemies who crucified Him. He prays for them – Luke 23:34. He wanted to do the legitimate duty of taking care of His mother. So, He hands over that responsibility to His beloved disciple – John 19:26, 27. Without mourning on His pain in the crucifixion, Jesus was caring for others, This is Agape.” God is love” – 1 John 4:8. That was revealed in Jesus Christ –
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” - John 3:16.

Love God
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Mathew 22:37, 38. How can we love God? By living a life that is pleasing to Him; By doing the things His Word tells us to do –
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word” – John 14:23.

If we really love some body, we like to be in their company all the time and will like to do the things which please them. Similarly, if we love God, we cherish His presence. Personal prayer and devotion will not be a burden, but delightful times. We will be happy to do His will in all the major and minor details of our lives.

Love others
“You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Mathew 22:39
We as the children of God, have to show this Agape love in our lives. This will not come automatically. By nature, we can not love others as we love ourselves. Even in the family situation, we may not be willing to give up our rights. Following can be one of the causes for a big break in close relationships:
v An extra serving of a food item like a sweet or an ice cream
v Opportunity to read a magazine first when it arrives
v A careless jovial comment about some one in front of others
v Using some body’s thing without getting the permission
v Choice of a TV channel in a particular time
Theses can be the little daily events when we need the love of Christ in a practical way in our lives. We may have to go the extra mile to help others and to give up our legitimate privileges. We may have to put up with somebody’s demands.

This is possible when we allow the love of Christ to flow in us and through us- 1 John 3:16; when we look at others as the Lord looks at them. Then we will be able to accept others as they are and love them. We can put ourselves in their place and understand their situations. We will not be judgmental, but caring and helping.

Without love, all our spiritual experiences and ministerial testimonies are vain. Paul clearly explains this in I Corinthians 13. In Chapter 12 and 14 he talks about the gifts of the Spirit. In between, like a sandwich, he gives an elaborate discourse about love. He cautions the Church that without love, all our activities are futile. He starts with this introduction: “But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way” – I Cor.12:31. After emphasizing love in the whole chapter, Paul concludes, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” – I Corinthians 13:13.

In a world where the values are marred, our love can be misinterpreted by others. People may take advantage of our love for them. But, without giving up, we need to show the unchanging love of Christ to others. If we have the love of Christ who gave up His every thing for others, we will be able to accept people as they are and be able to love them with the divine love. Then, our relationships will be pleasant in our home and outside.
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” - John 13:35.


2. “The fruit of the Spirit is joy”
‘Joy’ = ‘delight’, ‘happiness’, ‘pleasure’, ‘enjoyment’, ‘bliss’, ‘joyfulness’, ‘ecstasy’.

Joy of the world?
The world is looking for happiness in the wrong places. Consider the amount of money spent on entertainments. The amusement parks are on the increase. Nothing wrong in going to an amusement park and enjoy the day. There are thousands of movies to entertain people. Young people seek happiness in smoking, drinking, drugs, illicit sex, and violence and so on. But, after a while, all thrill drains out. Dejection and depression fills the heart. The suicide of many film celebrities is a proof for this emptiness in lives.

The short term happiness also leads to diseases and death. Many habits are announced as ‘injurious to health’. The wrong habits in our lives can be the cause for cancer, AIDS and dreadful diseases. That is the end of the happiness that the world gives.

Christ – the source of joy
The real joy is given to us by the Lord Jesus. The birth of Jesus Christ is announced like this: “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord’” – Luke 2:10, 11. Yes, the coming of Christ is the cause for the real joy.

When the disciples rejoiced at the successful ministry, Jesus corrects them and says,
“’ Do not rejoice in this, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven’. In that hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said,’ I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight’” – Luke 10:20, 21.
At the cross He removed all our sorrow so that we can enjoy real joy. “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” - Isaiah 53:4. By His death on the Cross, we receive the joy of the Lord. His resurrection gives us joy – “ your sorrow will be turned into joy….I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you…Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” - John 16:20-24.
Rejoice in God
When we are convicted by the Holy Spirit and confess all our sins, Christ forgives all our sins – “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” –
1 John 1:7, 9. Then, we are filled with the joy of the Lord. When Jesus wanted to stay in the house of Zacchaeus “he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully” – Luke 19:6. When the people of Israel repented from their sins, Nehemiah exhorts them saying, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” – Nehemiah 8:10. Yes, when we get rid of the burden of sin, we rejoice in Christ and that becomes our strength.

It does not mean that we will not have problems. Even in troubled and dangerous situations, we can have the joy of the Lord. Even in failures, the deep joy within us will not get affected. That will tell the world that our joy is different from that the world gives. It does not mean that when we undergo problems, we will be laughing around. But, the joy deep within us will not get affected at all.

Joy of the Lord is a permanent one. This can not be affected by the happenings around us. No one can take away this joy. We sing nicely “Rejoice in the Lord always”. Paul did not write that from an easy chair in an air conditioned bungalow. He wrote it from the prison, expecting his death sentence at any time – “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice” - Philippians 4:4. In this Prison Epistle of 4 chapters, Paul uses words denoting joy or gladness 18 times.

Share the joy with others
Because we have this joy, we are able to share this with the sorrowful world around us. The Samaritan woman with excitement ran to her city. She said,” Come; see a Man who told me all things I ever did. Could this be the Christ?....Many of that city believed in Him because of the woman…..then they said …we believe..and know that this indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” – John 4:29 - 42.

“Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. … there was great joy in that city” – Acts 8:5-8. When people search happiness, we can introduce this joy to them with authority and personal testimony. People will be astonished to taste this joy in their lives. We will be agents of spreading heavenly joy in this grief stricken world.


‘Happiness comes from happenings.

Joy comes from Jesus’.



3. “The fruit of the Spirit is peace”

‘Peace’ = ‘calm’, ‘quiet’, ‘stillness’, ‘tranquillity’, ‘silence’, ‘harmony’, ‘serenity’.

Peace or Pieces?
Open the daily news paper. From page one to the end, we read about war, violence, bomb blast, mass killing, etc. There is uncertainty every where. From dawn to dusk, people live in terror and fear.

The basic cause for losing our peace is a life style that is not pleasing to God. ‘“The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it can not rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace” says my God, “for the wicked” - Isaiah 57:20, 21.Because of man’s wilful choice of the evil way, he loses his peace. “The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace” – Isaiah 59:8; Romans 3:17.

On what common occasions do we lose our peace?
v When things do not work as we expect
v When we do some bad things and feel guilty
v When we face failures in exams
v When we do not have a job or proper pay
v When we are not sure about our future
v When people do not understand us
v When our family relationships become bad
v When there is a complication in the work spot
v When we face loss in the business or in our investments
v When we are humiliated in public without cause
v When our health suddenly fails and we become dependant
v When our in-laws make hurting remarks at us

In any of the above or similar situations, we lose our peace. We are disturbed within. Many times we think our problem is so unique that nobody else will understand our situation. That is a trick of the devil. So, we go in to our shelves, blocking all communications from our dear ones. This makes our restlessness worse.

We become irritant and not able to relate with others normally. We get upset with people who seem to be enjoying lives. The guilt presses us down. We avoid going to places where people may talk about freedom from guilt and stuff like that.

Divine peace is real
But, God gives us real peace. His Name is “The Prince of Peace” – Isaiah 9:6.
When Jesus was born, the angels sang, “on earth peace” – Luke 2:14.
He declared peace to His disciples after the resurrection: “Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you’ “– Luke 24:36.

He earned this peace for us by taking up the punishments for our sins on Himself at the cross. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” – Isaiah 53:5.
When we look at the cross and get our sins cleansed, we enjoy the peace of God in us.

Our Lord knows us and our life circumstances. So, in the Bible, the phrase ‘Fear Not’ occurs 366 times (one for the Leap Year also). So, for every day, we have a promise to claim, ‘Fear Not’. Only His presence can deliver us from the fear and give us peace.
Enjoy Peace of God
Jesus Christ promises His peace to us, clearly separating it from the temporary peace that the world may give. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” John 14:27.
When we pour our hearts to the Lord, we get His peace –
“ Be anxious for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7.
We have to tell everything to God in prayer. He will give us peace and solve our problems.
‘No problem of yours is too small for God to neglect or too big for Him to handle’.
Make peace among people
When we realize that we have a Great Big and Wonderful God Who cares for us in every way, we will not be anxious about anything, but enjoy the peace in our daily situations.
Then, we will become God’s Ambassadors of peace to this worried world. Mere Summits and Conferences can not bring peace to this world. It is the self giving love of Christ that can bring peace among the people.
KNOW GOD, KNOW PEACE.
NO GOD, NO PEACE.

4. “The fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering (patience)”
‘Longsuffering’ = ‘patient’, ‘resigned’, ‘forgiving’, ‘tolerant’, ‘accommodating’, ‘self less’.

God’s patience with us
The Lord has accepted and accommodated us as we are. He is very patient with us in spite of all our disobediences and rebellions. This is because He wants to remove all the dross and make us to shine like Him. “Account that the longsuffering (patience) of our Lord is salvation” – 2 Peter 3:15.

The Lord is patient with the people, giving them time to repent. “ The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” – 2 Peter 3:9.

Learn to wait on God
When we realize how patient God is with us, we are thankful to Him. We are fearless in our relationship with Him. We are able to go to God at all time in our lives. If we happen to commit any mistake, we have the boldness to immediately go back to God, confess and restore our joyful communion with Him –

“ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”
- Hebrews 4:15, 16.

When we ask God for anything, we need not be in hurry to get our own desires. We know God has His plans for us which are for our own good – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you’ says the LORD, ‘thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope’” – Jeremiah 29:11. We have to be patient for God’s time for right things to happen in our lives. So, we pray that the Lord’s will be done in our lives – 1 John 5:14, 15.

Patience Pays
We need to be patient to receive the blessings of God at His coming. James presents it in a very nice way:
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
“My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” – James 5:7-11.

Be patient in relationships
All of us enjoy the patience of God very much in our lives. But, to show that patience to others is a very difficult exercise. We can be patient with our room mates in a Christian conference or camp for 3 or 4 days. There we may offer the other person a better bed, and be willing to clean up the room. We may be willing to adjust with the fan speed, having light in the room in late night, food habits etc. There we exhibit patience in all its fullness.

But, if we have to do the same adjustments in our house with our spouse or sibling, we react sharply. We expect the other person to give up his or her rights. We want the other person to be adjusting according to our demands.

It is not humanly possible to adjust with others with all their shortcomings and limitations. But, it is the grace of God which enables us to show the patience in our relationships. God helps us to understand the problems of other people. Then, instead of criticizing or condemning, we accept the other person with all their limitations. With patience we help them to get over their limitations.


God-given Golden Rule is:

“Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them,

for this is the Law and the Prophets” – Mathew 7:12.








5. “The fruit of the Spirit is kindness”
‘Kindness’ = ‘compassion’, ‘sympathetic’, ‘gentleness’, ‘kind-heartedness’, ‘thoughtfulness’, ‘considerate’, ‘human’.

God’s kindness is immeasurable:
The Lord is full of kindness. He reveals Himself to Moses as “ The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” – Exodus 34: 6,7.He has been showing His kindness to the people of Israel in spite of their continuous rebellions against Him. He says, “I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness” – Jeremiah 9:24. God’s promise with His people stands for ever - “With everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you” – Isaiah 54:8.

By His kindness, God has accepted us. He has made us clean by the blood of Christ and is guiding us in all the walks of our lives. We enjoy His kindness as we cherish all His provisions for our lives. He is kind to us to bear with our shortfalls. He delights to bring us back to Himself. With a father’s care and mother’s love God shows His kindness to us-
“ The LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way you went until you came to this place” – Deuteronomy 1:31; “ As a father pities ( has compassion on) his children, so the LORD pities ( has compassion on) those who fear Him” – Psalm 103:13;
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you” – Isaiah 66:13.

Be thankful to God’s kindness
Many a time we take God’s kindness for granted. We are in desperate condition and pray to God for our provision or guidance. God in His kindness meets our needs. But, instead of acknowledging and giving glory to God, we try to take the glory for our own efforts or influence. A student may desperately cry to God for mercy before the exams. Once he gets good marks, he may ascribe all credit to his hard work, parents care, good coaching by the teachers etc. and forget God altogether. In sickness we may plead with God for His mercy for healing. But, after the Lord heals us, we may talk high on the good treatment in a famous Hospital, costly medicines etc and may not mention that it is the Lord who healed us through all these.

We commit sin and go to God for forgiveness. God in His kindness forgives our sins. We just forget about it and get back wilfully to the same tempting situation and commit the same sin again. That is taking God’s kindness for granted. It is considering God’s forgiveness as cheap.
Proverbs 29:1 is a stern warning for such situations, “He who is often reproved, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” But, there is a grace time given for each one of us - “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not” – Lamentations 3:22.

Show kindness to others:
As we enjoy the kindness of God, we are expected to show kindness to others. This will not come automatically. Man is full of selfishness. We may be experiencing God’s kindness on one side. At the same time we may be totally cruel and un considerate to others. One side we keep receiving kindness to the full. But, we are not able to release it to our fellow human beings. The Lord Jesus explains this in a parable in Mathew 18:21-35. The master scolds the hard hearted servant like this - “Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” – Mathew 18:33.

We can show kindness to others by making them feel at ease and comfortable in our presence. When others fail in some areas, we can correct them with love, instead of criticizing and condemning them outright. Many a times, at the pretext of sharing a prayer request, we may be spreading the fault of others. Instead, we have to plead for them at the Lord’s presence and talk to them personally with compassion.

We have to show kindness to those who are in needs of various kinds. This can not be just by words, but by deeds. James calls it as faith in action – “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled’, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” – James 2:15-17.



“Be kind to one another, tender hearted,

forgiving one another,

just as God in Christ also forgave you”

– Ephesians 4:32




6. “The fruit of the Spirit is goodness”
‘Goodness’ = ‘decency’, ‘honesty’, ‘integrity’, kindness’, ‘righteousness’

God is good all the time:
God is good. He is good in His nature, actions and in every thing. When God created every thing, He saw that they are all good – Genesis 1:4, 10, 12,18,21,25. When He created man and the woman, the crown of His creations, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” – Gen 1:31.

Man’s struggle to do good:
Parents do not teach the child to tell lies or hurt others. But, the child does these things on its own. But, it struggles a lot to learn the good things taught by the parents. From the fall of man, his condition is, “There is none who does good” – Psalm 14:1; Romans 3:12.But, just as man has the bad nature within him, he also has the desire to be good and to do good. But, the fallen nature is more comfortable with and inclined to do bad things than the good things. So, by ourselves we can not do good things.

Enjoy the goodness of God
In the midst of his trying situation, King David challenges us, saying, “Taste and see that the LORD is good” – Psalm 34:8.The birth of Jesus is good news for all - Luke 2:10. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good” – Acts 10:38. When we accept Christ in to our hearts, we have the privilege to enjoy the goodness of God in various ways in our lives. We have to acknowledge God’s goodness and be thankful to Him for all His goodness.

Enabling grace of God:
God’s purpose for our lives is that we must do good things. God has pre planned this for us - ” We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” – Ephesians 2:10. The same God also gives us the grace that enables us to do the good works – “ God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work” – 2 Corinthians 9:8.

The Word of God equips us to do good works in practical ways - “ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” – 2 Timothy 3:16,17.


Do good to others:
God enables us to do good things in our lives. We have to develop this consciously by the grace of God. Because we have Christ within us, we become good and yield good fruits –
“Every good tree bears good fruit” – Mathew 7:17. In our Church meetings and spiritual conferences, it is easy to’ be good and to do good’. But, God is not just our God for the week ends. He is the God of Monday to Friday too. We need to do good to our neighbours, and to our co workers. God expects us to go one more step and to “do good to those who hate you” – Mathew 5:44. This is possible only by the grace of God which is available to for all of us without measure.

With the enabling grace of God, we have to do good at all occasions. “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Go, and come back, and I will give it’ when you have it with you” – Proverbs 3:27, 28. Knowingly if we avoid doing good, it is considered as sin - “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” - James 4:17

In real practical ways we have to do good to others. This may mean, giving them company at a time of stress or loss. ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’. Share the God- given resources with the people in need in your capacity. Or utilize the God – given talents to creatively help them. “Dorcas … was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did… The widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them” – Acts 9:36, 39.

With Good Motives:
All our good works may not be appreciated by people. They may try to give false motives for our deeds. We need not worry about that. We do good, by the grace of God and motivated by His love. So, we need not worry when others may try to give wrong picture for our good actions. “When you do good and suffer for it, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God” – 1 Peter 2:20. When we do good to others, the Lord’s Name will be glorified – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” – Mathew 5:16.



‘Be Good and Do Good’



7. “The fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness”
‘Faithfulness’ = ‘truthfulness’, ‘authenticity’, ‘realism’, ‘accuracy’

‘Great is Thy faithfulness’:

Our Gods is the God of Faithfulness. ” The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth (faithfulness)” – Exodus 34:6. He is faithful in leading the people of Israel and is now leading us, the new Israel. God is true to all His promises. He is faithful to guard us and keep us. That is why we sing joyfully,
“Great is Your faithfulness” – Lamentations 3:23.

Be faithful to God:
‘Climb to the top by hooks or crook’ is the philosophy of the world. ‘Do not stick on to one job. Just look for opportunity, kick your job and go to the next to earn more’ - This is the lesson taught to the post modern youth to get job in the Western countries or MNCs. ‘You can tell even 1000 lies to make a marriages happen’ is an old proverb. But, the ‘Kingdom’ values are different. Here, the end can not justify the means.

As the children of God, first we have to be faithful to God in all aspects of our relationship with Him. When we claim some promises of the Lord, we have to abide by His conditions. When we make any decision in His presence, we have to be firm in our commitments at any cost –
“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed. It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay” – Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5.
Moses was appreciated for his faithfulness. He was a ‘type’ or a pattern for the Messiah. Jesus is our model for faithfulness. “ Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house” – Hebrews3:1,2. Similarly, we have to be faithful to God in all our commitments to Him in our lives.

Be faithful to others:
The standard of God is different from that of the world – “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’ be ‘No’. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” – Mathew 5:37. Integrity is becoming a lost value in this world. As God’s children, we must say what we mean and mean what we say. That will earn respect to us from others. When we promise something to others, at any cost, we have to fulfil it - “He who swears to his own hurt and does not change” – Psalm 15:4.

‘Faithfulness’ starts with small matters. We have to think twice before we promise something to our children. When we promise, we have to keep it. Of course, we should not budge for pressure or blackmailing and be forced to promise. We have to be firm in such situations. But, when we promise voluntarily, we must prove to them that we mean what we say. Then they will respect us and learn to be faithful in all their commitments.

Punctuality is another area where we have to show faithfulness. Here again, we have to pre plan all the details and the possible delays on the way and ‘Start Early, Reach Safely’. If we make 10 people to wait for us for 5 minutes, we spoil 50 minutes of manpower totally. As the children of God, we have to be prompt in our daily schedules.

We have to be faithful in our marriage relationships. The vow that we make in the presence of the Lord can not be taken lightly. We live in a world of ‘trial marriages’ and ‘co- habiting’, instead of long term marriage commitments. But, the standards of the Lord and His Word are the same for all generations. In a society where moral values are decaying fast, we have to be examples of God- ordained families.

We have to be good stewards of the money the Lord gives us. We have to spend carefully and as God enables, we have to save also. As the blessed children of God, we should not borrow – “For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow” – Deuteronomy 15:6; 28:12. If you are in a position to lend, then you have to do it in your capacity without expecting the person to pay you back! “Lend, hoping for nothing in return” – Luke 6:34. Many Christians have lent to ‘committed Christian friends’, unable to recover and had bitter experiences; that has driven many from the fellowships and Churches. If you happen to borrow, you have to be prompt in repaying your loan. We have to be faithful and sincere.

Faithfulness in our friendships also is important. We have to be dependable in all situations. We have to win the confidence of our friends so that they can feel free to pour out their joys and sorrows with us. Faithful to our God-given vocation is equally important. The Lord’s calling to us is “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” – Mathew 5:13-16. Do we take our profession as a calling from God?
‘A man of words and not of deeds is
like a garden full of weeds’.

8. “The fruit of the Spirit is gentleness”

‘Gentleness’ = ‘meekness’, ‘mildness’, calmness’, ‘kindness’, ‘tenderness’, quietness’, ‘softness’.

In the world, ‘might is right’, and you are expected to assert yourself. So, this character may look as a weakness. But, gentleness is a strong virtue..

Lord’s dealings are gentle:
Our LORD is great and mighty. At the same time, He is a gentle God to His children. To a tired and worn out prophet Elijah who had a suicidal tendency, the Lord revealed Himself not in the wind, earth quake or fire, but in the “Still small voice(gentle whisper)” – 1 Kings 19:11,12. Elijah was strengthened and gets his vision for his great mission of anointing kings and prophets.

To “all who labour and are heavy laden”, Jesus says, “I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” – Mathew 11:28, 29. When we are tired of the demands and hard work of this world, Jesus promises us rest. The Lord is gentle in all His dealings with His children. He carries them gently and teaches them with love. “Jesus … saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd” – Mark 6:34. Seeing their condition, Jesus foregoes a retreat with His disciples and starts preaching to them.

Be gentle with others:
By nature, we can not be gentle with all. When our daughter does something wrong, we deal in a gentle manner. But, when our daughter in law does that, we become furious. A Tamil proverb says, “When mother in law breaks a pot, it is considered only as a mud pot. When it is broken by the daughter in law, its value becomes that of a gold pot” – ‘Mamiyar udaicha mun kudam. Marumaha udaicha pon kudam’. How can we be gentle with a person who tries to irritate us all the time? How is it possible to be gentle with some one who exploits you and robs away all your rightful privileges?

You had a tiring day and want to hit the bed for sleep; some one phones up and starts sharing his desperate situation. Can we be gentle enough to listen to their woe? That may be the last call that person is making before trying to end the life. May be our gentle response can give hope to that person and save him from suicide.

Consciously develop gentleness within:
In public party, while driving in a peak hour, in Government offices, in the room of our boss, in a street quarrel, these are the situations when we need gentleness. “A soft (gentle) answer turns away wrath” – Proverbs 15:1. It is only by the grace of God that we can be gentle in trying situations and with tough individuals. We have to remind ourselves that “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” – Galatians 2:20. Then, we will look at others as Christ looks at them and can be gentle with them. Paul exhorts us, “Let your gentleness be known to all men” – Philippians 4:5.

Gentle and Firm:
Being gentle does not mean that we compromise on our values. It does not mean that we should not correct others when they do some mistakes. We have to be gentle. At the same time, we have to stick to the Kingdom values. The religious leaders were about to finish off the adulterous woman. But Jesus clearly told her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” – John 8:11.Jesus with concern heals the man who was sick for 38 years. But, He meets him and warns clearly, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come up on you” – John 5:14.

We can correct others with gentleness. Instead of condemning outright, we explain the cause for our concern and correct the other person with firmness. When we do the corrections, people will know that we do it out of our concern for them. Then, instead of reacting, they will accept our correction.

“ Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” – Ephesians 4:1-3.





‘Meekness is not weakness’







9. “The fruit of the Spirit is self-control”
‘Self- Control’ = ‘Self discipline’, ‘Restraint’, ‘Strength of mind’, ‘Strength of will’’.
God of Order:
God is a God of order and discipline. He is not a God of confusion. From His creation, in every thing, we see His orderliness. “God is not the author of confusion (disorder) but of peace” – 1 Corinthians 14:33. God is known for His controlled dealings with people of this world. He does not do anything just by impulse or short sight.

‘Just Do It’ Generation:
For the post-modern generation, ‘Just do it’ becomes the way of life. Of course, from the beginning, mankind’s policy was that – “People sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” – Exodus 32:6. “Joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” – Isaiah 22:13; 1 Corinthians 15:32. In such a world, the concept of ‘self-control’ may look funny and hurting.

Talk on ‘self-control’ terrifies people living in sin. Roman Governor “sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you’” – Acts 24:24,25. But, that convenient time never came for him. Without self-control, life is in chaos. “Who ever has no rule over his own spirit (lacks self control) is like a city broken down, without walls” – Proverbs 25:28.

Paul advises Timothy to get away from people lacking self-control. “In the last days perilous times will come. For men will be..without self-control…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Blessings of Self-Control:
Peter exhorts us to add self-control to avoid barrenness in spiritual life. “Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound you will never be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” – 2 Peter 1:5-8. The fruit self-control helps us to be fruitful in the knowledge of God.

A vital qualification to be an overseer or elder is he should be sober- minded (self-controlled) – 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8. This also is expected of all the Church members – Titus 2:2, 5,6,12. Holiness and self-control go together. Peter challenges the pilgrims of the Dispersion to be sober (self-controlled) and advises,” Be holy, for I am holy” – 1 Peter 1:13-16. One of the ways to win over the enemy is to be self-controlled - 1 Peter 5:8.

Areas needing Self- Control:
We need control in all areas of our lives like sleeping, eating, hobbies, sex life, friendship, spending money, speaking etc. All these are good, legitimate things in life. Good sleep is essential and is a blessing from God- “He gives His beloved sleep” – Psalm 127:2. But, over sleep will lead to spiritual poverty – Proverbs 6:9-11. Eating nutritious food is needed for healthy living. But limitless eating will affect our health and career – Proverbs 23:1-8, 20, and 21. Hobbies are needed to make life enjoyable. But, spending too much time on them at the cost of time with God or family will ruin us. Getting in to bad habits can spoil our health and name – Proverbs 23:29-35.

Sex is a blessing from God in the boundary of marriage – Proverbs 5:18. Outside it, it leads to poverty, sickness and shame – Proverbs 5. Friends are needed for social living and mutual help- Proverbs 27:10. But, wrong kind of friends can mislead us in our values – Proverbs 1:10-16. Money is necessary to survive in this world. But, lust of money and extravagant spending can become evil- 1 Timothy 6:10. Life and death are in the power of our tongues – Proverbs 18:20, 21.They are all good servants, but bad masters.

Secret of Self- Control:
The secret of self-control is clearly given in Romans 12:1, 2: “You present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.

Paul says, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any”; “All things do not edify” – 1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23. Many times, when we discuss on a doubtful habit or behaviour, the reaction is, “What is wrong with it? Every body is doing it”. As God’s children, our question should be, “What is right with it? In what way it will edify me?”. “ I run thus, not with uncertainty…I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

We have to run to win.


Reflections on the Fruit of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23

The Scene:
I had a major fracture on my leg and underwent surgery. I am advised three months rest. While I am in bed, I have written this booklet. I am thankful to God for His enabling grace. Rev. Basil Scott motivated me to write something during these days of rest.
Rev. N. Gnanaraja Annan encouraged me and gave me the topic and took the efforts to get the booklet printed. I am grateful to them. My wife Sasi is my ready reference Bible Concordance. Our daughters Priya (Love), Joy and Deborah Prashanthi (Peace) were supportive in this attempt of mine. I am thankful to them.

The Concern:
Word and Power always go together in the life of Jesus Christ and His disciples in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. They had the Fruit of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit. But, in our Christendom, there is always an imbalance. People who teach the Word in depth and emphasize the Fruit of the Spirit neglect the manifestation of God’s power and the operation of the Gifts in daily living. Those who experience powerful miracles and exercise the Gifts do not give importance to the Word of God and the Fruit of the Spirit.

Recently my wife and I attended a ten days seminar. There an exhaustive study of the nine Gifts followed by hours of worship was given for all the days. In between there was a single brief session in which all the nine Fruit of the Spirit was covered. We need both the Fruit and the Gifts of the Spirit for an effective living and witnessing.

This booklet is an outline of the Fruit of the Spirit. This is not an exhaustive study on the subject. This is only a reflection for personal study and meditation. May the good Lord enable the readers to have the Fruit of the Spirit in their lives and seek for the Gifts of the Spirit for a vibrant life and ministry. I like to close with my favourite verse:
“ For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake” – 1 Thessalonians 1:5

P.Jebaraj
UESI Office, 19, Millers Road,
Kilpauk, Chennai, India 600010 pjebaraj@yahoo.com
March 2006