Ripe Fruit

This summer our congregation has been looking at the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-26.  Each week, I have taken one of the Spiritual fruit and gone into it in more detail.  We have explored why St. Paul chose this particular attribute of God to emphasize to the church in Galatia.  Each Sunday, we have delved into this Scripture with great depth trying to come away with a stronger appreciation of what it is God is doing in our midst.

As I have prepared for each one of these sermons, I have grown in my own understanding of what Paul was up to when he composed this letter.  Each week I have come away from my time of study with a greater appreciation for the immense changes taking place within the children of God as we pursue holiness.  But it wasn't until this week that the series really clicked as a whole for me.  As I was studying the last fruit, self control, I was led to 1 Thessalonians.  Now what is really interesting is that I was already reading this book as a part of my personal spiritual discipline.  I'm confident that the Holy Spirit was leading me through all of this for a reason.

In 1 Thessalonians 4, St. Paul is encouraging his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica to continue to pursue a life that is pleasing to God.  He states, "...we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more.  For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  For this is the will of God, your sanctification...For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness."--4:1-3a,7

Our sanctification is God's will for us.  What an amazing statement!  When I re-read this verse this week all of the previous week's study about the fruit of the Spirit fell into place (I've told y'all I'm a slow learner).  The fruit of the Spirit that God produces in our lives has one purpose...to bring about our sanctification.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control transform us from the way we were in our old flesh into the people God desires for us to be as his new creation.

God is continually calling each one of us higher and higher.  He desires for us to be drawn more and more into him so that we have a wondrous family resemblance with our Father and our brother.  But the most amazing part to all of this transformation is that it is not primarily done for us.  Now don't get me wrong, we do benefit from it for ourselves, but the primary goal is not for us to be better people.  The primary goal is for us to go into the world as changed people for the benefit of others.  When we exhibit the Spiritual fruit we are honoring God by showing the world who God really is.  When we practice these fruit in our lives, others are blessed through our relationship with the Father through the Spirit.

I am convinced that God continues to call all of his children to holiness.  I have no doubt that as he continues to ripen the fruit of the Spirit in our lives that our communities will benefit.  Our personal transformation will draw us out into the world around us as we obey God's desire.  We are empowered for service for the benefit of the world.  Until next time...

+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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