As we finish our series on the Fruit of the Spirit, hopefully it's not so much an end as a beginning | Galatians 5:22-26
Self-control: freedom from the bondage of self-indulgence
Rather than being restrictive, this final fruit of the Spirit is actually liberating | Galatian 5:23
Meekness: Strength under control
Meekness is one of the least valued Christian graces - even though it was demonstrated by heroes of the faith like Moses, Paul and Jesus himself | Galatians 5:23
He died to make us good
In 2010 a Scottish Humanist billboard declared '2 million Scots are good without God'. But if goodness is a fruit of the Spirit, is that even possible?
Kindness
‘It would help the Church more than anything else if Christians would from time to time do a bonnie thing’ - J. P. Struthers (RPCS minister in Whithorn and Greenock) | Galatians 5:22
Patience
The Bible's call for us to be patient is rooted in how patient God has been with us | Galatians 5:22
The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace
This part of the Fruit of the Spirit isn’t so much about vertical peace (with God) or inner peace (the opposite of anxiety), but horizontal peace with other people | Galatians 5:22
Faithful people of a faithful God
In preparation for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, we jumped forward in our series on the Fruit of the Spirit to look at faithfulness | Galatians 5:22
Solid Joy
Christian joy in the midst of suffering is something the world can't understand - and a powerful evangelistic weapon | Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love
Love isn't just the first Fruit of the Spirit - the rest are simply out-workings of it | Galatians 5:13-26