(19)Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, (20)idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, (21)envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (22)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23)gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law. (24)And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Food Network has a show called Restaurant: Impossible, in which Chef Robert Irvine is called into failing restaurants and given two days to change them into places that people go out of their way to eat at. Irvine has decades of experience in all dining establishments and understands every single aspect from back of house to front of house. In one particular episode, Rascal’s BBQ and Crab House in New Castle, Delaware, had been handed down from father to son, and it was absolutely terrible. The front was messy, disorganized, and full of business papers. People visiting could see all the workings of the office because they were strewn everywhere. When Irvine stepped into the kitchen, he caught a whiff of something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. In digging through trash, dirt, and grime, he found a patch of dead mice. Thirteen in total. He decided to shut the restaurant down at that point and begin the renovation procedures.
He trained the owner, the chefs, and the wait team on how to do everything properly and efficiently. He changed the interior and made it more guest-friendly. The kitchen got a deep cleaning and updated equipment. Most importantly, the owner got an updated list of instructions regarding how a restaurant should be run, from cooking to cleaning to serving. All the old bad habits that had gotten the restaurant into the state it was in were completely broken and done away with. People in New Castle now wanted to visit Rascal’s and spend more time there than ever before.
That’s what happens when Christ comes into our lives. Old habits are broken, and a new life is laid out before us. Every believer has a new life and is, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians, a new creation. The story of how it happens is different for every believer, and it’s called our testimony.
In my church youth group, students would occasionally be asked to share their testimony, their story of how they came to know Christ. Most of us weren’t very used to public speaking by that point, and a lot of us didn’t think we had that “powerful” of a testimony. Nothing emotionally driving, nothing about years of darkness. Most of us had grown up in church and had been Christians for a few years. But still, we were nervous to talk about it. So the leaders gave us a general overview to help us out and know how to plan.
First, talk about the time in our lives before we knew Christ. We didn’t fully understand the miracle of salvation, so we didn’t realize how dark our sin was. We didn’t realize how much we needed Christ, even at that young of an age. However, we still did.
Next, we were told to talk about how we met or heard about Jesus Christ. Whether it was from family, friends, coaches, church members, or television, we heard God calling us to follow Him. When and how that happened was the second part of our testimony.
Finally, they advised us to talk about our life after Christ. We could share how He made our lives different. Possibly how he drew us away from the huge sin that some students had been through. But the main point they encouraged us to share was how God was evident in our lives since the conversion.
Paul, in this passage, is challenging the Galatians with their own testimony. A lot of members in the churches at Galatia began to take advantage of the presence of grace. They saw freedom in Christ the same as freedom to sin because they were already forgiven. As long as they had grace, they thought they could do whatever they wanted to, and Paul was quick to negate that mindset.
In the verses immediately preceding this passage, Paul is setting up a contrast between life in the flesh and life in the Holy Spirit. He actually states that they are “in conflict with each other” in verse 17. People are either on one side or another.
Both Greek and Roman cultures had lists of what are called “vices and virtues” by historians. Philosophers would declare what things were “good” and what were “bad.” However, Paul goes one step further by offering a solution on how to stop living with the vices and start living with the virtues: the Holy Spirit. Looking at the two lists, we see that he creates a stark contrast between living by the flesh and living by the Spirit. If you were to try to make a Venn diagram with the first list on one side and the second list on the other, they would in no way intersect.
All sins mentioned in the first list are attitudes and actions focused on the self. Sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery all have to do with worship and satisfaction of self. Idolatry and sorcery are worship of something other than God. Enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and envy have to do with interpersonal strife, something all too common in Galatian culture. People in each church were teaching different “rules” for Christianity, such as circumcision vs. no circumcision and following the Mosaic Law vs. not doing so. Drunkenness, orgies, and things like these were part of celebrations honoring the god Bacchus.
Even though not all activities are necessarily publicly seen, they all stem from living for the sinful nature, or flesh. Paul doesn’t include a full list here, but these are the most common in the Galatian cities. Bluntness was never a weakness for Paul, as demonstrated here. He lets the Galatians know the truth, plain and simple: they are living in a way that is displeasing to God. There is no place for them in Heaven.
Then, just like Robert Irvine helps owners know what a good restaurant operation is, Paul explains to the Galatians what a life led by the Spirit is. He gives them the “fruit of the Spirit,” the result of a life lived for God. Notice how Paul doesn’t say “fruits.” The things in this second list come as a package: one given by the Holy Spirit alone.
Love is pure, full, and unwavering. It is the same type of love that Jesus demonstrated to the people of His time, and God continues to show us that love today. We are called to love all equally and unconditionally.
Joy is happiness to the extreme. In the Old Testament, joy was always used during times of celebration and praise. Everything is right with the world, and nothing can take away the attitude of praise.
True peace is something that comes from God alone. We can find different ways to relax, take a load off, and chill, but there’s a reason Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. Peace is in direct contrast to the vices of enmity, jealousy, and fits of anger.
Patience is one of the hardest fruits for some people, myself included, to show. The song “I Want it All” is a prime marketing tool because people can get the immediate satisfaction they think they want. However, it does nothing but wane within a few minutes, hours, or days. One author comments that the only way to get patience is to practice it. Whenever someone’s holding you up, say in a store line, thank God for giving you more time to focus on Him.
Kindness will stem from patience. A general concern for the welfare of all is what drew some people to the first century church in the first place. Acts 4 and 5 give examples of disciples giving to all as they had need. A lot of people can see this as just “being a good person,” but there’s always something more genuine when Christians show kindness. So much more than just being nice.
Goodness is simply the state of being good. Living a life led by the Spirit is one of the best things a Christian can do. People notice when a person displays the fruit of the Spirit, and almost never negatively.
Faithfulness is displayed in a twofold way. First, it is unwavering dedication to God. The believer led by the Spirit is full of faith and cannot be shaken. Secondly, a believer can be trusted by others. People can rely on that person and feel assurance that he will follow through. As Jesus said, “let your yes be yes and your no be no.”
Gentleness is frequently seen as gentleness of spirit, or humility. Gentleness draws others as well as kindness. It keeps us from thinking too highly of ourselves and keeps our focus of praise on God alone.
Self-control is the only fruit that doesn’t have to do with actions toward others. It could also be called character, who we are when no one else is around. We have discernment to stay focused on God and what He calls us toward.
These virtues make up the list of what will flow from a life lived by the Spirit. Before Christ, people needed the Mosaic Law to know what was right and wrong in God’s eyes. Paul continues his statement of our freedom in Christ by saying that there is no law against the fruit of the Spirit. Mosaic Law doesn’t forbid any of it, and neither does local law.
Paul wants to continue to preach Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, and he points out that the crucifixion is when the shift for everyone took place. By accepting His resurrection, which we celebrated last week, we now have a new life, a new identity, in Jesus Christ. Earlier in the letter, Paul says that he had been crucified with Christ, and it was no longer he who lived. Once we place our sins on the cross, Christ takes them away and makes us a new creation.
Our testimony is not finished. God is continuously moving in each and every life. Even if you’re not a believer, God is working in your heart right now. He’s rummaging through the trash, changing how the business is run, and updating the interior so the front of house can be evidence of the change. Drastic renovations, if they haven’t already happened, are very soon to.
We are reminded today of how Christ has changed us and of the new call we have for our life. It is through His sacrifice that we are able to bear fruit. Our sins have been crucified with Christ, and it is now the Spirit living through us. He lovingly went to the cross and willingly loved us to death so we could have life centered on Him.
Please hear these words and make them your own. This is part of Rick Warren’s Declaration:
Today I am stepping across the line. I'm tired of waffling, and I'm finished with wavering. I've made my choice; the verdict is in; and my decision is irrevocable. I'm going God's way. There's no turning back now!
I will live the rest of my life serving God's purposes with God's people on God's planet for God's glory. I will use my life to celebrate his presence, cultivate his character, participate in his family, demonstrate his love, and communicate his Word.
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