George Bernard Shaw once wrote: “I am by nature and destiny a preacher, but I have no Bible, no creed. The preacher must preach the way of life…Oh, if I could only find it!” The Apostle Paul had found it — and he preached it. In two succinct verses, he underscores the life of the Christian as “the harvest of the Spirit”, as the expression of the living Christ in us. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
As Christians we are the recipients of the Holy Spirit. A new kind of action is now possible — but not automatic.
Rehearse a part of what we said in a recent blog. Paul doesn’t talk about fruits, (plural) fruits of the Spirit, but rather fruit singular, fruit of the Spirit. He talked about works, plural- – works of the flesh, but now he concentrates on the fruit of the Spirit, and that leads us to see that fruit of the Spirit is love, and each fruit of the Spirit which follows in the list is an expression of love.
Early in my Christian life, our youth group sang a lot. One of the songs began, I’ve got the peace that passes understanding…down in my heart. And we would move through what I now recognize as the fruit of the Spirit, growing out of love: hope, peace, and the climax, JOY. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
This fruit of love is a specific offer of Christ Himself. “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”(John 15:11)
In the context, Jesus is teaching us that joy is the result, the by-product of our obedience. We have a right to ask, to seek, and to know the will of God, but once we know it, nothing but obedience will do. But how?
There are three seeds, which, when planted in the soil of obedience produce the fruit of God’s will in our lives: 1. Scripture study; 2. Conferencing—deliberate and honest sharing with godly persons for edification and discernment of God’s will and guidance; and 3. Divine conviction that is wrought by the Holy Spirit must be pervasive in all we seek.
God has a general will for all his people; God has a particular will for each of us. Obedience is essential in discovering God’s will, and there is only one textbook. Jesus is our model
Joy is a byproduct of our obedience and discipline in abiding in Christ. Ponder this truth as you move through this Advent season, and as you contemplate the coming of Christ: YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP TO THE DEGREE OF YOUR OBEDIENCE.