(Galatians
5:22-23)
The view from my airplane window was striking: a
narrow ribbon of ripening wheat fields and orchards wending between two barren
mountains. Running through the valley was a river—life-giving water, without
which there would be no fruit. Just as a bountiful harvest depends on a source
of clean water, the quality of the “fruit” in my life—my words, actions, and
attitude—depends on my spiritual nourishment. The psalmist describes this in
Psalm 1: The person “whose delight is in
the law of the Lord . . . is like a tree planted by streams of water, which
yields its fruit in season” (vv. 1–3). And Paul writes in Galatians 5 that
those who walk in step with the Spirit are marked by “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control” (vv. 22–23). Our Daily Bread - Peter Chin -
5/28/2017
Theme:
Let’s look at each one of the “fruit of the Spirit”:
The
Fruit of the Spirit is divided up into three groups:
1. Habits of the mind
2. Reaching out to others
3. A guide to general conduct.
LOVE: “agape”
1.
What would be your definition of “Christian love?”
2.
The word the Apostle Paul uses for love here is
“agape”
3.
This word for love doesn’t refer to warm feelings
but to a deliberate attitude of good will and devotion to others. Love gives
freely without looking at whether the other person deserves it, and it gives
without expecting anything back. Is it hard to show this kind of love?
4.
How does the self-sacrificing love of Jesus line up
with “agape” love?
5.
What can help us to love those who hurt us? Who are
hard to love?
JOY: “chara”
1.
In John 15:11 Jesus talks about “His Joy” How would
you describe the joy that we find in Jesus? How is it better than the joy we
find in the world?
2.
One commentary described this joy as “a deep and
abiding inner rejoicing” What does the writer mean by this?
3.
In James 1:2 he writes: My brethren, count it all
joy when you fall into various trials.” How can you have joy when trials come
our way?
PEACE: “eirene”
1.
In John 14:12, we find that peace is a gift from
the Lord? How do we come to obtain this gift? How does the world give us peace? How is Jesus’ gift of peace,
better than that of the world?
2.
The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:7 that the
peace that comes (when we are anxious for nothing, and we abide in the Lord
through prayer and thanksgiving) is a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Have you ever felt that peace? And has that peace remained with you throughout
the trials you have faced?
PATIENCE
– LONGSUFFERING: “makrothymia”
1.
Peter talks about the long-suffering of God in 1
Peter 3:20, How would you describe this long-suffering that God showed the
world at that time?
2.
One Commentary said that “Long-suffering comes from
two Greek words meaning “Long” & “Temper” From that interpretation, how
would you describe a person who has this virtue?
3.
Have you had to idle your engine, when you felt
like stripping your gears?
KINDNESS:
“chrestotes”
1.
The Greek word for “kindness” is chrēstotēs. It
means “benignity, tender concern, uprightness.” It is kindness of heart and
kindness of act. How does this virtue make a difference in establishing new
relationships, and how does this virtue make a difference in mending broken
relationships?
2.
In what ways did Jesus show kindness?
GOODNESS:
“agathosyne”
1.
“agathosune” is defined as "uprightness of
heart and life." Agathosune is goodness for the benefit of others, not
goodness simply for the sake of being virtuous. How would you explain the meaning of this Greek word in your own
words?
2.
Is Goodness, not just being good, but making sure
we do good to others?
FAITHFULNESS: “pistis”
1.
How has God been faithful to you?
2.
Read Luke 16:10-12 From that passage of Scripture,
what is involved in being a faithful?
3.
Is it possible to keep every promise made? Or to be
there every time for the people that are near and dear to us? How should we
deal with the times when we disappoint others?
GENTLENESS:
“Prautes”
"Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” does
not mean weakness.
Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness
toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward others. How does one who is strict, and harsh with
people, develop this virtue of Gentleness?
SELF-CONTROL:
“enkrateira”
Self-control (“temperance” in the KJV) is, of
course, the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and
the ability to say “no” to our baser desires and fleshly lusts.
1.
How does the Holy Spirit help us to say no to those
fleshly lusts, and worldly desires?
2.
What can a person do to stand up to a huge
temptation?
Gotquestions.com
– Was used as a resource for this study!
Photo: by satit_srihin. Published on 14 March 2013 Stock photo - Image ID: 100146926