Devotion:
Read Galatians 5:16-25.
In the New Testament, “the flesh” is a summary term that refers to everything in our lives that is unpleasing or hostile to God. The flesh is the natural condition of every person. In his book Baptism and Fullness, John Stott puts it this way: “The works of the flesh are the deeds we do naturally when left to our own resources, while the fruit of the Spirit consists of the Spirit working in us supernaturally.” Acts are what we do, and fruit is what the Spirit produces.
It surprises me how often the Bible uses the imagery of gardening or fruitfulness to describe believers in Christ. The Old Testament prophets and the Psalms describe God’s people as a garden or vineyard. Growing up on a farm, one important task of a farmer is to watch the crop to make sure it is developing well. Drought, flood, cold, heat, disease—any of these can take a toll on the maturing crop and affect the yield at harvest time. In the same way, we are responsible to watch for symptoms of wrongful acts and diagnose the growth and maturity of our souls. The Spirit’s work in us is a process of budding, blossoming, ripening, growing, maturing like that of a fruit tree. Once we belong to Jesus by faith, the Spirit begins a lifelong process of spiritual growth within us!
Personal Worship Option:
Dear God, Shape our hearts so that the Holy Spirit will be able to help us to become fruitful. Weed out the acts of the flesh that challenge our hearts, so that our lives may produce an abundant harvest for you. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment