The third and final cluster of characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit has to do with the inward man and the first of those is Faithfulness. This is not faith exercised by the Christian, but rather to the faithfulness found in a yielded Christian life. Jesus in his parable of the talents said in Matthew 25:21 “Well done, good and FAITHFUL servant; you were FAITHFUL over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.” (emphasis mine). Morality is not so much a matter of magnitude, but of quality. Lack of faithfulness is actually a sign of spiritual immaturity. A young person may want all the privileges of adulthood, but refuse to accept the responsibilities that go along with adulthood. God gives us certain responsibilities as we mature in our Christian walk. When we are disobedient and refuse to accept those responsibilities, we are unfaithful. We often grow at a slower rater that we should because we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to control all areas of our lives. Over and over we are admonished to be faithful, Proverbs 28:20 reminds us “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich … READ MORE

We can say “I love you” all we want, but if there is never any evidence of our love, our words will be called into question. In Galatians 5:23 we see the 6th of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, and that is “goodness.” This word is derived from Greek word referring to that quality found in a person who is ruled by what is good, and it represents the highest moral and ethical values. Goodness is love in action, and it carries with it the idea of righteousness demonstrated in everyday living, through our reliance on the Holy Spirit. This is manifested in our lives when we do things for others, not for recognition or any rewards, we do them just because it is the right thing to do. Perhaps the greatest gift that we give to others is forgiveness. It is the hardest thing that we do, but forgiveness is when we look most like God. None of us are perfect, therefore we are always asking God to forgive us for our sinful behavior. That being the case, we must be willing to extend forgiveness to others. Romans 12:18-21 reminds us of this responsibility. When we … READ MORE

It seems strange that in an age when we can reach the moon, bounce signals off far planets, and receive pictures from whirling satellites we have some much difficulty communicating tenderness to those around us. We live in a very aggressive society, Last week the news talked about an older man who jumped on the hood of a car in an act of road rage. The car then sped off down the interstate with the man holding onto the hood for dear life. They were eventually stopped when some of the cars around them forced the car off the road (both people were arrested. We see the movement to stop bullying in our schools, and the constant “me” attitude that permeates our culture. How do we fight the temptation to get caught up in the teachings and practices of our culture? That is where the Fruit of the Spirit comes in, His ministry is characterized by our ability to show kindness to those around us. The gentle heart will weep over the sins of the bad as well as the sacrifices of the good. If a believer lacks tenderness and gentleness, they will be unable to demonstrate the difference that … READ MORE