20 DAYS TO PENTECOST

TEXT:  GALATIANS 5

¹⁶This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

 ¹⁷For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

 ¹⁸But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

 ¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

 ²⁰Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

 ²¹Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 ²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 ²⁴And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

 ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 ²⁶Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

KEY TEXT: Galatians 5:22 “…But the fruit of the Spirit is …MEEKNESS…”

REFLECTION:  The meek are humble, patient, and even-tempered.  John Wesley defined “meekness” as “holding all the affections and passions in even balance.” 

Each facet of the Spirit’s fruit may be to some extent evident in the lives of those who are self-disciplined and refined.  We can be taught to demonstrate virtue.  But only the mighty baptism with the Holy Spirit will cleanse and transform the heart so that we not only demonstrate virtue but literally possess virtuous hearts.

If education was all that fallen men lacked, then great teaching would produce great men. If a positive environment would remedy malevolence, then there would be no vice among the well-off. If strong governance could create noble men those nations with the strictest command and control would produce the most virtuous men.

The depraved heart is actually a deprived heart. When God breathed into Adam the breath of life, His Spirit not only brought physical life, it brought spiritual life.  It was disobedience that deprived Adam of God’s Spirit.  Without the Spirit, Adam’s heart—literally his will—tended toward self-centeredness and disobedience.

It is no coincidence that after detailing the particular aspects of the Spirit’s Fruit the Apostle Paul plainly teaches, “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts [or desires]. 

Because the Christian meek are humble, they are patient and kind to the weak and erring.  They are angry with sin, but always loving to the sinner. 

Jesus is the perfect example of meekness.  He was not weak, but He was meek.  He was, and is in perfect control of His spirit and is perfectly submissive to the will of His Father.  May God grant that filled with the Spirit of Christ we would be too.

PRAYER: Our Father in Heaven, We long for the Spirit of Pentecost to fill our hearts and reign supreme over all our will.  We pray that the Spirit that purified your disciples would purify our hearts.  We pray that the Spirit that empowered your disciples would empower our hearts.  And we pray that the Spirit that transformed your disciples into mighty witnesses, would transform us today.  We pray that our hearts would be Spirit-filled. We pray that our families would be Spirit-led. And we pray that our churches would be Spirit-driven.  For all that you have done and for all that you are going to do we give you honor, and glory, and praise.  In Jesus name, Amen. “Our Father, &c.”