Grace Evangelical Society

P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202
  • About
    • Home
    • Beliefs
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Resources
    • Grace in Focus Blog
    • Grace in Focus International Blogs
    • Grace in Focus Radio
    • Grace in Focus Magazine
    • Free eBooks
    • Journal of the GES
    • Book Reviews
    • Partners in Grace Newsletter
    • Audio Messages
    • Videos
    • Email Subscription
    • Bookstore
    • Online Tracts
  • Store
    • Main Page
    • On Sale
    • Return Policy
    • Your Cart
    • Your Account
  • Events
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Free Grace Church and Bible Study Tracker
    • Free Grace Jobs
    • Ministry Links
  • Donate
    • One Time Donation
    • Monthly Donation
    • Your Account
  • Search
Home
→
Blog
→
The Fruit of the Spirit is Not About You

The Fruit of the Spirit is Not About You

December 19, 2017 by Kenneth Yates in Blog

Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (Gal 5:26).

So often we are blinded by our own traditions and culture. I think this is true when we talk about the fruit of the Spirit. Most of us have at one time or another memorized the fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5:22-23 and have even sung them in a song during Sunday School as children.

But my guess is that most of us, when we think of the fruit of the Spirit, think of them in a very individualistic way. Paul lists nine of them. The fruit includes things like joy, peace, and faith. When we ask ourselves if the fruit is evident in our lives we are tempted to say that the answer is yes if we feel a sense of joy regardless of our circumstances, or if we have a feeling of peace when we think about what God has done for us. If we are walking by the Spirit, we are able to have “faith” that God will do what He has promised to do for us and that there is nothing to worry about. We don’t have to be anxious for anything.

The reason this is the case is because in the West we think of things in an individualistic way. We are prone to think about our spiritual lives that way as well. As individuals we want to know how we are doing spiritually. The fruit of the Spirit is a way we can measure these things.

However, when we look at the discussion of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, it seems clear to me that this is not the way we should look at it. Very simply, as a believer, the fruit of the Spirit is not about me. It is about others. Specifically, the fruit of the Spirit is seen in my life in how I treat others, not in how I feel.

The nine things Paul lists are: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Even a quick glance at them shows that they deal with how we relate to others. Do we love others? Are we at peace with others? Are we longsuffering, gentle, good, and meek in our relationship with others?

But even the others deal with how we deal with others. The word “temperance” means to have self-control. To get along with others are we willing to exercise self-control by giving up our rights for the good of others? The word “faith” can also mean faithful or reliable. Can others rely on me? When it comes to “joy,” that joy can come from the fact that others around us are doing well in their relationship with the Lord (Phil 4:1). The Spirit can produce joy in me as a result of the believers around me.

In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is evident in how I interact with other believers. The Spirit wants to produce in us an attitude of love and service towards other Christians. It is not about us, it is about them.

When we look at the context of Gal 5 this becomes very clear. The section where Paul talks about walking by the flesh and the Spirit begins in verse 15. Paul tells us the problem. He writes, “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” Clearly Paul is concerned about how the believers in Galatia were treating one another. They were fighting with each other and therefore were not loving and at peace with each other.

Then, Paul concludes the discussion with the same idea. He tells these believers, “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (v. 26). Don’t be arrogant towards another. Don’t fight with one another. Don’t be envious of each other.

If we want to know if we are walking by the Spirit and if the fruit of the Spirit is evident in our lives, the first place we need to look is how we treat other believers. We need to ask the Lord to transform us into people who love the believers around us.

Subscribe by Email

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
Ken_Y

by Kenneth Yates

Ken Yates (ThM, PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is the Editor of the Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society and GES’s East Coast and International speaker. His latest book is Hebrews: Partners with Christ.

If you wish to ask a question about a given blog, email us your question at ges@faithalone.org.

Cart

Recently Added

January 31, 2023

Romans–Part 02–Theme

Welcome to Grace in Focus radio. Today, Kathryn Wright, and Ken Yates continue their short introductory study of Romans. What is the theme and the...
January 31, 2023

What Does the Bible Say about Doctrine? 

I remember the DTS chapel service. A Professor from Liberty University (then Liberty Baptist College) spoke. He was discussing how doctrine can divide. “If you...
January 30, 2023

Romans–Part 01–Introduction

Welcome to Grace in Focus radio. Today and all this week, Ken Yates and Kathryn Wright are looking at the New Testament book of Romans....

Grace in Focus Radio

All Episodes

Listen to Stitcher

Listen on Spotify

Grace In Focus Magazine

Grace In Focus is sent to subscribers in the United States free of charge.

Subscribe for Free

The primary source of Grace Evangelical Society's funding is through charitable contributions. GES uses all contributions and proceeds from the sales of our resources to further the gospel of grace in the United States and abroad.

Donate

Bookstore Specials

  • Confident in Christ, 2nd Edition $22.00 $5.00
  • Grace in Eclipse: A Study in Eternal Rewards (Second Edition) $15.00 $8.00
  • Inerrancy for Dummies $7.95 $5.00
  • Here Walks My Enemy: The Story of Luis (Paperback) $6.95 $3.00
  • Grudem Against Grace: A Defense of Free Grace Theology $15.00 $10.00
Grace Evangelical Society

(940) 270-8827 / ges@faithalone.org

4851 S I-35E Suite 203, Corinth, TX 76210
P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube