THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: FAITH!

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: FAITH!

Gal 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

          We’ve said that love, joy and peace are fruits of our relationship with Jesus. The love of God applied at salvation produces joy and gives us peace. The second set of triplets, longsuffering, gentleness and goodness allows us to relate to our fellow man in a godly manner. We suffer patiently the insufferable, we are gentle when we want to lash out and we live our lives as a benefit to others. All this is done in the energy of the Holy Spirit.

          Faith, meekness and temperance are fruits that aid self improvement. The Greek word for “faith” is pistis and it means: “persuasion, moral conviction of religious truth and constancy in such belief.” So it is the Holy Spirit that helps us to be faithful. Faithfulness is lacking in the person who is not heeding the urgings if the Holy Spirit. They run hot and cold. They are unreliable because they are not firmly convinced of what they claim to believe.

Titus 1:16

16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

          Fruit grows in a climate blessed with an abundance of the Spirit and the Word. "Walk in the Spirit" (Gal 5:25) means "keep in step with the Spirit" - not to run ahead and not to lag behind. This involves the Word, prayer, worship, praise, and fellowship with God's people. (Warren Wiersbe)

Are you struggling in being faithful? Fall in love with Jesus. Ask Him to heal your doubting and to plant in you a firm resolve. Start with small commitments. Show up on time and finish small tasks. Gradually move on to greater obligations and determine to finish those as well. Begin! Begin today!

Dear Lord, I want to be faithful but I know that in many ways I am not. Help me today as I begin again to yield my life to you. AMEN