The
Holy Spirit and the Fruit of the Spirit
Stephen
Terry
Commentary
for the February 18, 2017 Sabbath School Lesson
“But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23, NIV
While we explore the future of robot cars on our
highways, some things seem to resist automation. One of those is flying passengers
about the globe. We have drones which are robotic airplanes, but they do not
carry people. Most carry only cameras with specialized military drones also
carrying weapons to bring unexpected destruction and death to enemies in far-away
places. A military drone on patrol in southern Asia may be controlled by a
human operator here in the United States who never personally experiences the
chaos and terror of actual battle. They are so far removed from the field of
conflict that the piloting of the drone may for all intents seem little more
than an abstract video game. But no matter how well the drone is programmed, no
matter how well it is constructed, drones are still inexplicably lost from time
to time. Therefore the idea of piloting a robotic aircraft carrying passengers remains
too much of a risk.
As it is now, a pilot preparing to take off in a plane runs
down a lengthy pre-flight check list to make sure all systems are functioning
properly. Of course this is something that could be automated and has been to
some degree, but systems can fail including an automated pre-flight check, so
like the pilot in our picture, the human element continues to be a factor even
for these routine checks. Even when everything checks out, things can still go
wrong during a flight. Hydraulics can malfunction. Controls can fail to
operate. These can affect everything from trim tabs, to engine function, to
landing gear operation. When these things happen, then the human factor can
become the most vital part of the equation. While machines can read data and
instigate a preprogramed response to a given situation, sometimes the
situations themselves develop factors not anticipated by the programmers. At
that point, a shoot-from-the-hip intuitive response fueled by years of
experience with the aircraft may be the most apt action. But that happens because
of a unique quality that living human beings possess.
We tend to see the machines we use as an extension of
who we are. In effect our machines all become prostheses. Our connection with them
becomes almost biological, and we begin to sense an ability to feel our way
through a given situation using those prostheses. It doesn’t matter whether we
are playing a musical instrument, driving a car or piloting a plane, we develop
the ability to sense when something isn’t right as well as how to make it
right. But because it is a biological response and not a mechanical one it can
vary, adjusting to the feedback from whatever device we are using. That
adjustment may be what causes us to sometimes describe what are doing as more
art than skill. Perhaps this is why digital music, although accurate and
precise sometimes leaves us feeling as though it has no “soul.” We know how
things are supposed to work in our world and precision is not normal, at least
not without some latitude for interpretive tolerances based on a profound
understanding of how everything fits together. This may also be why we are
reluctant to give up our aged automobile for a new one. As advanced as a newer
model might be, it just does not seem to feel the same or as responsive as the
old one. So we drive tentatively until our body adjusts to this new prosthesis,
and as we learn and experience how it will react in various situations, we
slowly build a new biological interface with our machine until, one day, we
will feel the same upon abandoning it as we did with the previous one.
When we realize this peculiar human trait for intuitive
bonding, we can perhaps understand the significance it has for our spirituality
as well. Many of us who have not grown up in a denomination are familiar with
the process of becoming part of a church fellowship. We are presented with the rules
for fellowship, and if we assent to the observance of those rules, we are
united with that body of believers. As a natural part of that process, we
become rules lawyers. Since we know what is right, we attempt to walk the line
of faithful obedience to that standard. We become perplexed when we see those
who have been members longer than we have acting somewhat lackadaisical about
the rules. Even more confusing are those who may have grown up in the church
who don’t even seem to observe some of the rules at all. This may even cause us
to question our own walk. We may use the checklist found in Galatians, chapter
5, to determine if we have the fruits of the Spirit and therefore really are
rightfully where we belong. However, the checklist can be misleading. While it
is true that a Christian should bear fruit, this passage is likely not the kind
of fruit Jesus was referring to. While these might be more aptly called the
traits that will manifest in a Spirit-filled person, and they will go a long
way toward creating a harmonious environment for the believers, they do not, in
and of themselves, produce new believers.
A fruit is something that bears within it the seeds of
producing more of its kind. Therefore the fruit of the believer is more
believers. This misunderstanding of what fruit is may have something to do with
the stagnation of church growth in so many Christian churches. They have simply
lost interest in producing fruit that will replicate themselves by introducing
others to the same Jesus that brought them to repentance, baptism and a close
relationship with the Holy Spirit.[i] Too many of us have become
good at the traits of the Spirit, killing others with kindness, avoiding conflict
with peace and forbearance, gently respecting one another, and exercising
self-control over anything that might offend another. But in the process we may
have lost the ability to use those loving traits to lead someone to repentance.
The bottom line is that we all are sinners,[ii] guilty of disobedience to
the very things that are for our good. We do this on many levels, from simple dishonesty
to major felonies as we have opportunity and inclination. The Bible calls this
disobedience, “sin.” And the ultimate outcome of all the disobedience is death
no matter how slight the sin and hard we might work to avoid such a fate.
There is a way out, however. The same Bible passage that tells us that sin leads
only to death, also shares that life is possible through the free gift of God.[iii] He asks us to consider
the reasonableness of His offer to exchange the redness of our sins for the
white purity of His grace.[iv] How is this possible? God
can offer us this because His love for us was so great that Jesus, the unique
Son of God, gave His life on a rude cross two thousand years ago to make the
gift available,[v]
and with that cleansing gift, life in the place of death.
When we feel alone and we are tempted to doubt that
anyone truly loves us, we can be assured that we are greatly loved, for it was
love that kept Jesus on the cross. It was the greatest love that could ever be
shown.[vi] He died upon the cross
receiving the death that we deserved for our sins, that we might live the life He
deserved as though we were as He was, without sin.[vii] We need only turn from
our walking away from God and the sins that we desired so greatly and begin walking
toward God, willingly accepting the sacrifice He made on our behalf.[viii] Jesus calls this experience
being born again.[ix]
Perhaps you, dear reader, have felt the promptings of a desire to answer that
call to be born again, to leave the old life behind and begin again. If so, it
is simply a matter of making the choice between going through life trying to
sate the desires that never will be satisfied, or finding a deeper peace within
than you have ever known. If we confess the self-centered sinfulness of our
lives and seek God’s forgiveness, the Bible tells us we will find an answer to
the guilt for that sin, for God will forgive it all. We will not only find
forgiveness, but He will also purify us from that stained past.[x] He will then give us a new
heart, a heart capable of bringing about the traits found in our verse from
Galatians at the top of the page.
As we spend time in relationship with God through prayer and Bible study, we
will find the interface becoming stronger, and we will come to be able to more
and more act intuitively in harmony with God’s grace, even more profoundly than
we might with an inanimate machine. We will cease to be rules lawyers replacing
such inclinations with the sure guidance of the Holy Spirit, who will teach us
how we might intuitively fulfill all that the law requires as we progressively
grow ever closer to God. We will even come to the point where we ask ourselves,
“How did we ever live life without this?” The answer to that of course is, “We
didn’t.” Many have not experienced that life simply because they have been
unable for whatever reason to discover the beauty of life lived in Christ. This
is why we must understand the need to bear fruit in the proper sense. For every
person who has yet to have the opportunity to discover the love of God is fruit
waiting to ripen. We have the privilege of connecting them to the vine that
will make that possible, and in so doing, we will be producing much fruit,
evidence not only of our love for God, but for the rest of humanity as well.
What a precious opportunity.
