22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:21-23
In a follow-up to my post yesterday despairing the fate of the church if it aligns itself with any particular political party, I want to reflect on fruit. Through the years I've been fond of saying that an apple tree never wakes up in the morning and decides to bear oranges. It bears apples because of what it is. It doesn't define the fruit, the fruit defines it. To the untrained eye an apple tree without apples is unrecognizable. Someone who claims to have sold you an apple tree is proven a liar if peaches appear on the branches.
In Galatians Paul gives a succinct and elegant description of the fruit that the Holy Spirit bears in the life of someone filled with said Spirit. To the untrained eye there is no other way to identify those possessed by the Holy Spirit but to see the fruit. Anyone who 'sells' themselves to be a Spirit filled follower of Christ whose branches subsequently sprout anger, hatred, division, selfishness, fear, and judgment is proven a liar. And I don't care if that person is a pastor, deacon, elder or bishop. If you are surrendered fully and possessed by the Holy Spirit you will bear the fruit of that Spirit. You can't not.
Notice, '...against such things (these fruits) there is no law.' Governments can outlaw worship, church services, Bibles, prayer in school and all the cherished symbols and external trappings of the church. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control function apart from law, politics, governments and the pettiness we humans so often allow to consume our lives.
Let the Spirit have his way with you...and bear fruit. That's unstoppable!
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