Day 2: The Root Before the Fruit
Reading: Galatians 5:16-25
Living by the Spirit’s Power
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
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Devotional: Most of us spend our spiritual lives trying to fix the fruit without tending to the root. We resolve to be more patient, more loving, more kind, and we fail repeatedly because we are approaching transformation from the outside in. Paul makes it clear that the fruit of the Spirit is produced, not performed. It is the natural result of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead your life. The sinful nature and the Spirit are in constant opposition, and every day you choose which one leads. You cannot manufacture genuine holiness through willpower. You can only receive it through surrender.
Which fruit listed in Galatians 5 is most noticeably absent in your life right now, and what might that reveal about what is driving your daily decisions?
Throughout the day, pause before each significant decision and ask, "Is this being led by the Spirit or by my flesh?"
Living by the Spirit’s Power
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Devotional: Most of us spend our spiritual lives trying to fix the fruit without tending to the root. We resolve to be more patient, more loving, more kind, and we fail repeatedly because we are approaching transformation from the outside in. Paul makes it clear that the fruit of the Spirit is produced, not performed. It is the natural result of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead your life. The sinful nature and the Spirit are in constant opposition, and every day you choose which one leads. You cannot manufacture genuine holiness through willpower. You can only receive it through surrender.
Which fruit listed in Galatians 5 is most noticeably absent in your life right now, and what might that reveal about what is driving your daily decisions?
Throughout the day, pause before each significant decision and ask, "Is this being led by the Spirit or by my flesh?"
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3 Comments
I’ve been thinking about this since The Greenhouse on Sunday evening. It’s really easy to “play” holiness and not really live in it. I do want to tend to the “root” versus the “fruit”. It’s not as easy as just saying it though. I’m praying that God will help me to be more and more in tune with his Spirit and lead me each day.
The last few sentences of the devotional really resonated with me today.
nThe sinful nature and the Spirit are in constant opposition, and every day you choose which one leads. You cannot manufacture genuine holiness through willpower. You can only receive it through surrender.
n
nI pray that today I surrender to letting the Holy Spirit lead and guide me to do His will. My willpower to do my best keeps the focus on myself and I know God wants me to give Him control because His ways are so much better than mine.
n
How often do I think I’m connected to the vine and then realize I’m not because of the rotten fruit? I start with the connection but then I get independent—force of habit I guess—and I don’t even realize I’m drifting but I suddenly find I’m far from Him and not connected anymore.