In Chapter five of the Epistle of the Galatians the Apostle Paul contrasts the “works of the flesh” with the “fruit of the Spirit.” In his epistles he frequently speaks of the “mind of the Spirit”, “walking after the Spirit”, “living in the Spirit”, and exhorts us to be “spiritually minded” ; and, by way of contrasts, exhorts us not to “walk after the flesh”; not to be “carnally minded”.
In Romans, chapter seven, he speaks clearly of the struggle between the ‘mind of the Spirit” and the “mind of the flesh”; in Galatians 5:17 Paul says, “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other.” Then he contrasts the two, let us try to realize the great difference between the two—and the need of developing in ourselves the fruit of the Spirit. Notice that in the works of the flesh there is no beauty, sweetness or loveliness that makes us desirable to either our God or to our neighbor. Jesus taught us that to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself” is all that is required or to be desired ; and “upon these two commandments”, said he, “hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The Apostle, in the same chapter of Galatians (5:14) says, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'” He then goes on to contrast with this “loving thy neighbor” some of the works of the flesh, such as : “biting and devouring one another” (verse 15) ; “desirous of vain glory ; provoking one another ; envying one another” (verse 26).
Such things are to be shunned, avoided, turned away from by true brethren and sisters. He puts it this way, (verse 25), “If we live in the Spirit (that is, if we profess to be in Christ, to be patterning after God ; after Christ, who was the manifestation of God and who by his walk taught us how God walks, and how He desires us to walk) then let us walk in the Spirit.” Let us try to show toward all men the fruit of the Spirit.
Notice the “works of the flesh.” None are to be desired. As we carefully read them, see how every one is contrary to the law that requires us to love our neighbor. None will help our neighbor; none will commend us to our neighbor, nor in any way attract our neighbor to the Truth. None will find any place in the Kingdom of our God, or beyond. Here they are, (verse 19), — let us read them slowly :
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these :
Adultery (that evil that has caused strife among neighbors resulting in broken homes, divorces, fighting and murder);
Fornication (now so common among unmarried couples, especially among young people.
Uncleanness ;
Lasciviousness (excessive living) ;
Idolatry (elsewhere Paul says “covetousness is idolatry”; we may not be worshipping idols but we may be worshipping and devoting ourselves to our ambitions or pleasures) ;
Witchcraft ;
Hatred ;
Variance (quarreling) ;
Emulation (the desire to excel over others) ;
Wrath (the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God, and we need always guard against allowing our wrath to lead us to sin) ;
Strife ;
Sedition (one of the things the Lord hates is the sowing of discord among brethren) ;
Heresies ; Revelling’s ; Envying’s ; and Murders ; such like: Drunkenness ;
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.”
Then Paul turns from the works of the flesh and contrasts the fruit of the Spirit. Let us turn our minds with him — “But”, says he, (verse 22), “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (self-control).” Let us notice that Paul says, FRUIT, and not fruits of the Spirit. In other words, all these lovely qualities or characteristics are the one fruit of the spirit. They go together to make up the godly man or woman. Eventually, the earth will be filled with an innumerable multitude of men and women — sons and daughters of God — all manifesting this complete FRUIT of the Spirit.
This brings us to a thought that was drawn to our attention recently. Let us look at Numbers 14:21, where we read, “But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” What is the glory of the Lord ? God used this expression through Moses, Isaiah, and Habakkuk. Have you given any thought to the “glory of the Lord”—as to what is meant ? Is it just dazzling brightness such as no mortal man can look upon ? Or, is it the fruit of the Spirit manifested in every living individual — when all who are found worthy will have become “an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2 :22) ?
Let us look at Exodus 33. Israel had sinned grievously in the matter of the golden calf. Moses had pleaded with God to forgive them, (Ex. 32 :32) ; “Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin —; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.” A mediator pleading for the people he loved despite their sins. We can be thankful that we, too, have an advocate, an intercessor, the One greater than Moses. In Exodus 33:18, Moses appealed to God, “I beseech Thee, shew me Thy glory”, and God answered, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee ; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy of whom I will shew mercy.” Later, (Ex. 34:6) “The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin.'”
This is our God. In Him all the fruit of the Spirit originates. What we are asked to do is to absorb His Spirit, through His Word, until it becomes part of us, and we have the mind of the Spirit, and live after the Spirit. If we do, what beautiful characters we should have developed ! What a blessing and help we will be to all we meet — to our neighbor. As we look down the road to the Kingdom, and through the Kingdom — and to the time beyond the Kingdom, we see the works of the flesh gradually giving way to the fruit of the Spirit, for Jesus “must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet.” At the setting up of the Kingdom we see a great host of the redeemed manifesting to all — the complete fruit of the Spirit ; and then at the end of the Kingdom, a multitude that no man can number; a multitude that fills the earth—each one immortal, inhabited by God through His Spirit ; and they, full of the Spirit with the mind of the flesh completely gone ; with each one showing toward all others perfect love, accompanied by all the fruit of the Spirit.
As my mind went step by step through the Kingdom and beyond, I was overjoyed with the thought of that day when “all the earth will be full of the glory of the Lord”; when, of every son and daughter of God, of every individual that lives, it could be said that he or she is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth”, manifesting to all the glory of God. And, taken as a whole, they fill the earth with the glory of the Lord.
We are called to be a part of this glory. What is required of us now? That we try our best to develop the fruit of the Spirit within our hearts, and manifest it toward all men. Let us return to Galatians 5:22, and read it carefully again,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (faithfulness, honesty, o n e whom men can trust), meekness and temperance (self-control) .”
Let us each day pray to our God to help us to be spiritually minded that we may manifest toward all this “fruit of the Spirit
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One