We are beginning a new series on the Fruit of the Spirit, from Galatians 5. Before we get into the specific virtues described in this passage, though, I think it is worth looking at the broader context in which these virtues appear.
One of the key elements of Galatians is that Paul is writing to these churches to mediate conflict between those who think that Gentile believers should follow the whole Law of Moses, and those who think that the Law is no longer necessary through Christ. Paul agrees with this second group, arguing that Christ has fulfilled the Law and set his people free from striving under it.
The fruit of the Spirit is described in verses 22–23, but first we will back up to verse 13. He writes, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another” (vv. 13–15). When hearing that we are no longer bound to the Law of Moses, there is always the temptation to say that we can do whatever we want because the grace of Christ will cover and forgive our sin. Paul quickly squashes this idea, though, reminding the church that even though we have freedom, our freedom serves to love others rather than seek our own selfish desires. When he speaks of “the flesh” here, he is referring to our sinful desires that only serve ourselves rather than the good of others. We are not to give into this by any means.
He then commands the believers to “walk by the Spirit” (v. 16). This is a somewhat hard idea to explain, but I think at the core of it is that we depend on the strength and wisdom that God provides through his Holy Spirit so that we can do the things that please God and reflect his own character. If we do this, we cannot give into the desires of the flesh because the Spirit and flesh are directly opposed to one another (vv. 16–18). He then goes on to describe some of the desires of the flesh that these churches may have practiced in their unsaved past, and may be tempted to practice in the future. These include sexual immorality, sorcery, jealousy, strife, “and things like these” (vv. 19–21). He says that those who “do” these things will not inherit the kingdom of God, but he doesn’t mean those who slip up and do these even just once. He means those who make a practice of them, or whose lives are characterized by these desires that are contrary to the Spirit. If we belong to Christ and are led by his Spirit, how could our lives possibly be characterized by these desires that are contrary to his heart?
It’s from here that he describes the fruit of the Spirit. Contrary to these selfish desires of the flesh that only lead to destruction, the person who walks by the Spirit, who has been saved by and belongs to Jesus, should live a life characterized by these qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control. These are character traits that can only be produced by the Spirit within us, so the believer should live a life in line with these. He also comments that there is no law against these things. Remember, Paul is writing to people who want to follow the Law so they know they are not sinning against God. But here, he shows that if we center our lives on living with these traits, we will not be breaking any law of God because these are the things that his own Spirit produces in his children.
Finally, he ends by saying that while we strive to “keep in step with the Spirit,” we must not become conceited or provoke or envy one another (vv. 25–26). If we are walking with the Spirit, there is no ground for boasting, or thinking any one person is better or holier than the other. After all, it is the Spirit who produces this fruit in his people. We should not look down on others, but rather come alongside to them to walk in the Spirit together. If we belong to Christ, we should cherish the grace he’s shown us, and cling to the Spirit who lives within us.
