The Fruit of the Spirit

Readings:
Psalm 22
Galatians 5:13-26

Focus:
Galatians 5:22-23a: "But the harvest of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness, and self-control."

When we go through life just letting ourselves live without paying attention to what God might want, we end up making a lot of mistakes and living pretty selfishly. We get irritable, we do things that benefit ourselves instead of benefitting other people, we are thoughtless, and so on.

But when we ask God to direct our days, the Holy Spirit guides what we say and do. And that is when the qualities listed above start to show up in our lives.

I know that I am not very good at many of those things on my own. I am glad that I can have the fruit of the Holy Spirit in my life because of God, since I can't do it myself!

We Never Cease to Be Confident

Readings:
Job 38
II Corinthians 5:1-10

Focus:
II Corinthians 5:5-6a: "It is for this destiny that God himself has been shaping us; and as a pledge of it he has given us the Spirit. Therefore we never cease to be confident."

God has been shaping us, those of us who have given our lives to him, or who will give our lives to him, for a destiny of life immortal, an eternity living in his presence. As a pledge of this, to all those who give their lives to him, he in turn gives the Holy Spirit to dwell with them, to comfort them, encourage them, and guide them in what is right.

Therefore we can be confident about our ultimate future. No matter what life looks like, no matter what hardships we have to go through, we know what the eventual outcome will be. All will be well in the end. The Spirit is there with us as we go through life, and we can be confident of our future.

The Spirit Gives Life

Readings:
Job 35
II Corinthians 3:6-18

Focus:
II Corinthians 3:6b: "The written law condemns to death, but the Spirit gives life."

God's law is really a fearsome thing. If we were to try to get to heaven by living by the law, we could never make it. God demands perfection, and it is impossible to fulfill all the demands of his law. If we break even one tiny bit of his law, we are condemned to death.

But that is where God is such a marvelous God. He loves us so much that he has provided a way around this for us. He doesn't set aside the demands of the law. He just takes the punishment himself instead of us.

All we have to do is acknowledge that we have done wrong, acknowledge that we need him, and ask him to be in charge of our lives. He does everything else. And when we do this, as Paul says, we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.

God Has Set His Seal on Us

Readings:
Job 32
II Corinthians 1:8-24

Focus:
II Corinthians 1:22: "It is God also who has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come, has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts."

After Jesus ascended to heaven, after his resurrection, God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within Christians, to be our companion and guide in place of Jesus. This is comforting and illuminating.

But not only that, God has set his seal upon Christians, upon those who have given their lives to him. He has marked us as his, and that makes us secure. In fact, it makes us eternally secure. There is no spiritual danger that can defeat us. With God's seal on us, we belong to him, and we have God's whole power protecting us. We are as safe as safe can be.

The Advocate

Readings:
II Kings 7
John 16:1-15

Focus:
John 16:7:"Nevertheless I assure you that it is in your interest that I am leaving you. If I do not go, the advocate will not come, whereas if I go, I will send him to you."

I often think about how the advantage to us of Christ's death and resurrection was to take the punishment for our sins, and bring us the possibility of eternal life, and indeed that is a very great advantage of it. But there is another aspect that is important, and that is that when Jesus left the world, he sent the Holy Spirit in his place. The Holy Spirit teaches us about God's truth, and gives us the comfort of his presence. It is wonderful that God cares so much for us, that he would provide for us in this way.

This makes me think of one of my favorite hymns, by the 15th-century writer Bianco da Sieno, set to the tune Down Ampney by Ralph Vaughn Williams:

Come down, O love divine, seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing.
O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn, til earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace, till he become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.