Intro to the Fruit of the Spirit - Walking in the Spirit
- Mateo Arias
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
God loves giving people a choice. Look at what happened in the garden of Eden where one of the most significant choices took place. In the middle of paradise, we have two trees: the tree of knowledge of good & evil and the tree of life. God told Adam in Genesis 2:16-17, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Now every time Adam passes through the middle of the garden, he has a choice to make. Obey God or eat of the tree of knowledge and die. Spoiler alert: Adam and Eve eat of the tree and die. Eventually they both experience a physical death, but at that moment, there was a spiritual demise. Separation from the Creator.
This account sets the stage for a continuous battle of choosing to walk in the spirit or fulfill the lust of the flesh. Will I stay in the boundaries God has provided me or separate myself from God to live how I want to live? But countless times since Genesis 3 and throughout human history we see humans enslaved to their own desires. Constantly seeking the fulfillment of their pleasures until the craving is satisfied; often detrimental to us, others, and our relationship with God. The works of the flesh are listed by Paul but are not limited to:
“...adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like (Galatians 5:19-21) ...”
Contender to the flesh is the Holy Spirit. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— (John 14:19)” Even though the term walking in the Spirit isn’t in most people’s vocabulary, let's try to make it a part of our daily prayers. Someone might even be asking, “How is anyone supposed to walk in the Spirit?” Walking in the Spirit is a lifestyle, a continual choice. You and the Holy Spirit walk together as one. What God desires is the ultimate driving force of our actions. But you are not a robot, for your desires become aligned to what God desires. The ultimate union. Just as a man shall leave his mother and father to be joined to his wife, so may you leave all the things of this world to be joined to the Holy Spirit so the two may become one. Now the fruit of the Spirit is:
As we dive into this next series, we will be examining each characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit and pray the Holy Spirit influences you to participate in applying this into your own life. Experience joy when misery is all around you. Embrace longsuffering although the easy way out is staring at you in the face. Be gentle to the proud of heart. It will not be easy, but the benefits will pass through generations to come after you. And did you notice the apostle Paul says fruit of the Spirit? Fruit must first be planted as seeds in good soil, break through that soil, and grow. We must water, be patient with ourselves, protect the vulnerable plant from pests, and rely on God for the growth. Did you also notice how fruit is singular? We don’t need to focus on multiple fruits growing at all different rates. Walking with the Spirit gives us everything we need but all of this is contingent on how willing you are to yield to the voice of the Holy Spirit and choose to walk in obedience to His direction. But if we choose to stay connected to the vinedresser Jesus Christ and meditate on the word, God will prune and develop in us all that He is. Remember...
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
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