27 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 love…”

REFLECTION:  Having seen the promises of the Spirit we turn now to the fruit of the Spirit.  While the gifts of the Spirit are “given severally as He wills [not as we will]” (1 Corinthians 12:11) the fruit of the Spirit is always evident in the Spirit-filled.  We note that the Apostle Paul writes of the “fruit” not the “fruits” of the Spirit.  All nine aspects of the fruit are present in the hearts and lives of those who walk in the Spirit.

In Romans we read, “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us.” (Romans 5:5).  Love is the first aspect of the fruit the Apostle mentioned to the Galatians. 

The inclination of the fleshly is to egoism—to love only self.  Even when they appear to be loyal or sacrificial toward others, their motivation is suspect. They want to appear as though they love so that they will be loved.  Altruism—a selfless sacrifice for the benefit of others—is elusive among the fleshly.  It is the hallmark of holiness.

The Spirit led renounce egoism.  An intense desire to please God and to do good to mankind always precedes pleasing self.  When asked what were the greatest commandments, Jesus answered, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”  (Mark 12:29-30)

The Apostle Paul taught that love, the love given to us by the Spirit, exhibits 16 characteristics.  We list them along with some of the comments of that great Methodist Adam Clarke.

(1.) Charity suffereth long" - Has a long mind; to the end of which neither trials, adversities, persecutions, nor provocations, can reach. The love of God, and of our neighbour for God's sake, is patient towards all men: it suffers all the weakness, ignorance, errors, and infirmities of the children of God; and all the malice and wickedness of the children of this world; and all this, not merely for a time, but long, without end; for it is still a mind or disposition, to the end of which trials, difficulties, &c., can never reach. It also waits God's time of accomplishing his gracious or providential purposes, without murmuring or repining; and bears its own infirmities, as well as those of others, with humble submission to the will of God. 

(2.) Is kind" -  It is tender and compassionate in itself, and kind and obliging to others; it is mild, gentle, and benign; and, if called to suffer, inspires the sufferer with the most amiable sweetness, and the most tender affection. It is also submissive to all the dispensations of God; and creates trouble to no one. 

(3.) Charity envieth not" - Is not grieved because another possesses a greater portion of earthly, intellectual, or spiritual blessings. Those who have this pure love rejoice as much at the happiness, the honour, and comfort of others, as they can do in their own. They are ever willing that others should be preferred before them. 

(4.) Charity vaunteth not itself" - There is a phrase in our own language that expresses what I think to be the meaning of the original, does not set itself forward-does not desire to be noticed or applauded; but wishes that God may be all in all. 

(5.) Is not puffed up" - Is not inflated with a sense of its own importance; for it knows it has nothing but what it has received; and that it deserves nothing that it has got. Every man, whose heart is full of the love of God, is full of humility; for there is no man so humble as he whose heart is cleansed from all sin. 

(6.) Doth not behave itself unseemly" - love never acts out of its place or character; observes due decorum and good manners; is never rude, bearish, or brutish; and is ever willing to become all things to all men, that it may please them for their good to edification. No ill-bred man, or what is termed rude or unmannerly, is a Christian. I never wish to meet with those who affect to be called "blunt, honest men;" who feel themselves above all the forms of respect and civility, and care not how many they put to pain, or how many they displease. 

(7.) Seeketh not her own" - Is not desirous of her own spiritual welfare only, but of her neighbour's also.  Love is never satisfied but in the welfare, comfort, and salvation of all. That man is no Christian who is solicitous for his own happiness alone; and cares not how the world goes, so that himself be comfortable. 

(8.) Is not easily provoked" - Is not provoked, is not irritated, is not made sour or bitter.   If love is provoked at all; it then ceases to be love.  When the man who possesses this love gives way to provocation, he loses the balance of his soul, and grieves the Spirit of God. In that instant he ceases from loving God with all his soul, mind, and strength; and surely if he get embittered against his neighbour, he does not love him as himself. It is generally said that, though a man may feel himself highly irritated against the sin, he may feel tender concern for the sinner. Irritation of any kind is inconsistent with self-government, and consequently with internal peace and communion with God. However favourably we may think of our own state, and however industrious we may be to find out excuses for sallies of passion, &c., still the testimony of God is, Love is not provoked; and if I have not such a love, whatever else I may possess, it profiteth me nothing. 

(9.) Thinketh no evil" - "Believes no evil where no evil seems." Never supposes that a good action may have a bad motive; gives every man credit for his profession of religion, uprightness, godly zeal, &c., while nothing is seen in his conduct or in his spirit inconsistent with this profession. His heart is so governed and influenced by the love of God, that he cannot think of evil but where it appears. The original implies that he does not invent or devise any evil; or, does not reason on any particular act or word so as to infer evil from it; for this would destroy his love to his brother; it would be ruinous to charity and benevolence. 



(10.) Rejoiceth not in iniquity" - Rejoiceth not in falsehood, but on the contrary, rejoiceth in the truth: is it not a frequent case that persons, who have received any kind of injury, and have forborne to avenge themselves, but perhaps have left it to God; when evil falls upon the sinner do console themselves with what appears to them an evidence that God has avenged their quarrels; and do at least secretly rejoice that the man is suffering for his misdeeds? Is not this, in some sort, rejoicing in iniquity? 

(11.) But rejoiceth in the truth" -  Every thing that is opposite to falsehood and irreligion. Those who are filled with the love of God and man rejoice in the propagation and extension of Divine truth-in the spread of true religion, by which alone peace and good will can be diffused throughout the earth. And because they rejoice in the truth, therefore they do not persecute nor hinder true religion, but help it forward with all their might and power. 



(12.) Beareth all things" -  The true import must be found either in cover or contain. Love conceals every thing that should be concealed; betrays no secret; retains the grace given; and goes on to continual increase. A person under the influence of this love never makes the sins, follies, faults, or imperfections of any man, the subject either of censure or conversation. He covers them as far as he can; and if alone privy to them, he retains the knowledge of them in his own bosom as far as he ought. 

(13.) Believeth all things" - Is ever ready to believe the best of every person, and will credit no evil of any but on the most positive evidence; gladly receives whatever may tend to the advantage of any person whose character may have suffered from obloquy and detraction; or even justly, because of his misconduct. 

(14.) Hopeth all things." - When there is no place left for believing good of a person, then love comes in with its hope, where it could not work by its faith; and begins immediately to make allowances and excuses, as far as a good conscience can permit; and farther, anticipates the repentance of the transgressor, and his restoration to the good opinion of society and his place in the Church of God, from which he had fallen. 

(15.) Endureth all things." - Bears up under all persecutions and mal-treatment from open enemies and professed friends; bears adversities with an even mind, as it submits with perfect resignation to every dispensation of the providence of God; and never says of any trial, affliction, or insult, this cannot be endured. 



(16.) Charity never faileth" - This love never falleth off, because it bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things; and while it does so it cannot fail; it is the means of preserving all other graces; indeed, properly speaking, it includes them all; and all receive their perfection from it. Love to God and man can never be dispensed with. It is essential to social and religious life; without it no communion can be kept up with God; nor can any man have a preparation for eternal glory whose heart and soul are not deeply imbued with it.

Years ago my mother was so convicted by the words of Scripture and of this commentator she hand wrote these sixteen characteristics and His comments on a sheet of paper and carried them in her Bible for frequent reference.  Those pages were well-worn and frayed over time, but I saw in her the perfecting of this love.  May God grant that we too would know, appreciate, and possess this love!

PRAYER: Our Father in Heaven, We thank you for your Word.  We thank you for your Son who opened the way for the Spirit.  We thank you for the Spirit who not only gifts but always imparts spiritual fruit into our souls.  We pray that our love would be real, fervent, and ever increasing.  Fill us with thy Spirit today.  In the name of Jesus. Amen.  “Our Father, &c.”