The Christian life is to be a life that produces fruit. The fruit are those things, attitudes, lifestyle that give proof to ourselves and those around us that we are children of the LORD God.
Galatians presents two types of fruit; those of the flesh and those of the Spirit. It tells us they are in opposition to each other. Indicating the spiritual warfare we as Christians are engaged in. It tells us those who do the fruits of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of those fruits are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry... to see the whole list look at Galations 5:19-21. These are the activities, mind-set we all were enslaved by before we were brought into the kingdom of God by believing and trusting in the redemption provided by him, in Christ Jesus.
So, we see God is telling us the fruit we were reaping in our lives prior to our salvation, can no longer be the fruit of our lifestyle, now that we are Christian. God is saying that mind-set, those actions have to put down and a new mind-set and actions must become our lifestyle. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. This is the Christian life, This is the life of holiness we must pursue with all that is in us.
That brings me to the point of this study: Galatians 5:24-25 tells us: And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit let us also walk by the Spirit.
The Bible tells us when Christ was crucified, we were crucified also, meaning our sins were placed on him. When Christ was raised from the dead, we are said to have been raised with him, meaning we have a new nature. We are too live out of the promise of God that the power of our fallen human nature (our flesh) over us has been broken, and not only our flesh but all of our enemies power over us (those who trust in Christ) has been broken, those enemies are Satan and the world also.
Now we have to realize that we in ourself have no power. We have the grace of God which is sufficient. We have the duty and privilege (as A. W. Pink would say) to seek to please God, to seek more and more knowledge of God. We have the responsibility of prayer and Bible reading. I once read we should read the Bible until something happens, not read 5 or 6 verses and believe we have performed our spiritual duty. I challenge all who would read this - to do this, whereever you are in your Bible reading, read until something happens, until the Holy Spirit joins you in your reading and brings you to repentance, to praise, to prayer. God is conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ, God is making us holy.
Let the grace of God that saved you produce spiritual fruit in your life. That's the track we as Christian are to be on, a track that produces godliness, that is where God is taking the body of Christ. Be energized to read the Word, to pray, to cry out to the Spirit for his help, his guidance. Let grace produce fruit in your life, that is the will of God.
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