Category Archives: Blessing

Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Faithfulness, Fruit, Goodness, Holy Spirit, Joy, Love, Patience, Peace, Scripture

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, PART 1

GALATIANS 5:22

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

When I was a Children’s Pastor, one of the favorite music videos of the kids was one of Uncle Charlie’s entitled “Fruit of the Spirit.” It was fun and interactive for the kids. But it also taught them about the fruit of the Spirit which we will see in today’s and tomorrow’s blogs. Those fruit that are listed are not of us. They come from the Spirit. Let’s take a look at some.

Paul lists seven of the nine fruit of the Spirit in today’s verse. Many scholars argue about Paul’s lists throughout his letters. Many of them say that the first thing he lists kind of characterizes the rest of the things in the list. That may be true here, because none of these are possible without “love,” which is the first thing listed. MacLauren says this, “‘The fruit of the Spirit,’ says Paul, not the fruits, as we might more naturally have expected, and as the phrase is most often quoted; all this rich variety of graces, of conduct and character, is thought of as one. The individual members are not isolated graces, but all connected, springing from one root and constituting an organic whole.”

APPLICATION

How do you show joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness if you do not have love, specifically the love of Christ? Paul says over in Romans 8:9, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” It is because of that indwelling Spirit that you have love for Him and others. As a result, the fruit is produced.

You may have heard people say, “Well, we can’t judge but we can sure be fruit inspectors.” That’s a dangerous view and one I have been guilty of. Of course, we expect a believer to be a fruit producer if they are walking with Christ. But sometimes life gets hard, and we experience a crop failure. There isn’t any fruit.

Then what do you do? You return to the One who gave you that love to begin with. Remember the words of Paul over in Ephesians 1:13-14, “13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” You’ve been sealed. That love is sealed in. Therefore, let that Spirit of Christ produce in you what He wants to produce.

Father, I want to yield a bumper crop of fruit for You.

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Bible, Blessing, Love, Neighbors, Obedience, Scripture

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

GALATIANS 5:14

“For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’”

We are told throughout Scripture to love our neighbors. I have been fortunate to have neighbors who were easy to love. There have been a couple who were harder to love than others, but I still loved them. I have heard horror stories about neighbors, though. Some neighbors don’t want to be loved and resent the fact that you would even say that. Let’s take a look at this commandment and see what the Lord meant by this.

In today’s verse, Paul quotes from Leviticus 19:18, “You shall not take vengeance, nor hold any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” The ten commandments are divided into two parts – commands regarding our relationship to God (#’s 1-4) and commands regarding our relationship to others (#’s 5-10). Being a former Pharisee, Paul was well acquainted with the law. But now he sees the merits of the law in a whole new light. Before, without Christ, he saw the impossibility of this command to love your neighbor. But in Christ, all things are possible.

APPLICATION

Paul expanded his thoughts on this subject in Romans 13:8-10. “8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law. 9 For this, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.”

And we can’t forget the words of our Savior in Matthew 19:19. “‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’” And over in Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus explains to the Pharisee, “37 And He said to him, ‘“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 40 Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.’”

So, between Paul’s words and the words of Christ, we should have no questions about if we should love our neighbors. Love them because Jesus loves them. Love them because they need the love of Christ in their lives. Love them because through loving them, you will be blessed. Love someone today.

O Lord, loving isn’t easy, but through You it is possible.

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Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Fruit, Gospel, Scripture, Witnessing

WHAT DID HE SAY?

GALATIANS 4:27

“For it is written: ‘REJOICE, INFERTILE ONE, YOU WHO DO NOT GIVE BIRTH; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE ONE ARE MORE NUMEROUS THAN THOSE OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.’”

Famous quotes are often used to drive home a point someone is trying to make. Sometimes those quotes sound a little strange out of its context. Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” is an example. I mean, who says that? Only someone who is prepared to fight for his freedom. We will see a quote today that if taken by itself may sound a bit strange. Let’s see how Paul used it.

In today’s verse, Paul is quoting Isaiah 54:1. Why? He is using this verse to show how the Gentiles were going to be used in the kingdom of God far and above what the Jews would be. Sure, it all started in the Jewish nation, but through Jesus the love of God spread to all the Gentile world. That “infertile one” represented these Gentiles who now have given birth and can rejoice in the Lord.

APPLICATION

For me, this verse shows the importance of disciple making. We are commanded in Matthew 28:18-20 to go and make disciples of every nation. It is not just about making converts. It goes beyond that. We need to teach these believers how to make other believers. Just as the Gentiles spread the good news to their neighbors, we are to do the same.

Jesus told us in Mark 16:15, “‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” Later in this letter to the Galatians, Paul says this in 6:9. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Are we all sowing seed? Are we reaping a harvest? Well, just like a farmer, sometimes we reap better crops than other times.

Let me encourage you today to take to heart the promise we find in today’s verse. The formerly barren one gave birth. You may feel barren today in regard to your witnessing, but you can change that by submitting to the Spirit Who is within you. Let Him guide you to those who need to hear the Word. Then share it boldly. God is the one who produces the harvest. Watch Him work.

Father, I am so thankful that Your salvation extended to me. Use me to spread the Gospel to others.

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Abiding, Bible, Blessing, Eternity, Heaven, Home, Promises, Scripture

UP ABOVE

GALATIANS 4:26

“But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.”

As I write this blog, the U.S. is preparing for its first total solar eclipse since 2017 and the last one for another 20 years. I may or may not see the next one, depending on how long the Lord allows me to linger here on earth. It’s too bad that all those people wearing those special eclipse glasses won’t see what is really happening in the heavenlies. Let’s talk about that.

Paul is referring to the heavenly Jerusalem when he says “the Jerusalem above.” The word “above” is the Greek word ano, which means things above, heaven, the heavenly region. Paul’s eyes were fixed heavenward, not on the earthly Jerusalem which represented the law and slavery and burdens. He wanted the Galatians to look up at their heavenly home which is accessed only through Jesus.

APPLICATION

There are several verses that point us to that heavenly Jerusalem or heavenly abode. Colossians 3:1-2 tells us, “1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.” Jesus told us in John 8:23 that He was not of this world. He was from above. “And He was saying to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.’”

Then we have direct mentions of the heavenly city in other passages. John told us in Revelation 21:2, “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” One more – Hebrews 12:22. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,”

Do you see it? Are you looking up? Let the solar eclipse that happened remind you of the heavenly city that awaits us as believers in Christ. We need to keep looking up, but not be so heavenly minded that we are not any earthly good. We need to share this message of God’s heavenly kingdom and the way to access it. So, take off those eclipse glasses and see who you can invite.

Lord, I am thankful my home is not here. I will live one day with You in that heavenly city.

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Abiding, Bible, Blessing, Promises, Remembering, Scripture, Security

THE PROMISE

GALATIANS 4:23

“But the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.”

I love it when someone promises me something that I know they can deliver. As a full time missionary, when someone promises to support me financially, I put my trust in the Lord to remind them to do just that – begin supporting me. When it is someone I know has the potential to fulfill that promise, it is even more exciting. God promises to take care of His servants. That’s what I am holding on to.

Paul continues the analogy of Isaac and Ishmael in today’s verse. This time he points to the promise made to Abraham and Sarah to have a child. Do you remember the story? Genesis 18:10 says, “He said, ‘I will certainly return to you at this time next year; and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.” Simple enough, right? But remember they were both advanced in years. This would be a God thing!

APPLICATION

Let’s talk about God things. These are things that happen that can only be explained as God doing them. When that happens, we have the opportunity to bear witness to our Lord. He has given us so many promises in Scripture. Let’s look at a few. In Joshua 1:9 we read, “‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’” How about Isaiah 40:31? “Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

I could continue listing those promises. Do a search yourself. Make a list of them. Claim those promises each day. God’s promise to us is to take us to heaven one day. That promise is not because of anything we’ve done, however. It’s all based on His precious Son’s sacrifice for us. As we place our trust in Him, He makes us that promise. And His promises never fail (Joshua 21:45).

Lord, I trust Your promises to come true in my life. I just need to wait on You.

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Bible, Blessing, Curses, Grace, Holiness, Judgment, Law, Scripture

UNDER A CURSE

GALATIANS 3:10

“For all who are of works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written: ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THE THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO DO THEM.’”

Being penalized for not keeping the rules is frustrating. I love football, but I don’t like all the rules. Some of them are flat out silly, if you ask me (of course, no one has asked me). But rules are rules. If you break the rule, there is a penalty. Some of those penalties may come at the absolute worse time in a game. I have seen penalties that have actually cost a team a win.

Paul talks about curses today in verse 10. The Greek word for “curse” is katara. It refers to the penalty that occurs when God condemns something. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 27:26. He is saying that if you try to keep the Law but fail in just one of the commands, you are guilty of breaking the whole Law and are cursed. You will receive the penalty as if you had not kept any of it. That’s the futility of trying to keep the Law.

APPLICATION

So, do we just give up? Well, yes and no. James 2:10 says it well, “For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.” James understood the futility of law-keeping. He had been under the Law. He knew only Jesus (his half-brother) could satisfy the demands of a holy God. We give up on the Law but place all our faith in the One who satisfied it.

I had much rather be blessed than cursed. How about you? Curses push you down. Curses break your spirit. Curses kill all hope. But blessings – awwwww blessings – they cheer the soul. They renew hope. They bring joy. Numbers 6:24-26 rings through my head right now. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Isn’t that awesome?

Keep on trying to do stuff to please God and fall flat on your face. You just can’t do enough to earn heaven. All you have to do is turn to Jesus. It really is that simple. I will still strive to keep all of God’s commands, not because I have to but because I want to. I want to live holy to honor Him, not appease His wrath. Jesus has already taken care of that. Amen! Hallelujah!

Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son to satisfy the demands of the Law. His sacrifice covers me!

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Bible, Blessing, Legacy, Purpose, Scripture

BLESSINGS EVERYBODY

GALATIANS 3:8

“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.’”

I often sign off on my emails by simply saying “Blessings!” It is meant to be a way to say I am thinking about you and praying for you. I am asking the Lord’s blessing on that person(s). We say “Bless you” when someone sneezes. Here in the South, we say quite often “Bless their heart.” Blessing, blessing, blessing! But what does that really mean?

In the last part of today’s verse, Paul is quoting from Genesis 12:3 where God is talking to Abram (soon to be Abraham). It says, “‘And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’” Because of Abraham’s faith, God used him to bless all mankind. Just take a look at Matthew 1 sometime and see how the lineage of Jesus starts out.

APPLICATION

It’s interesting to me that the word used here in Galatians 3:8 for “blessed” is only used twice in the New Testament – here and in Acts 3:25. The Greek word used here comes from the word eulogeo, where we get our English word “eulogy.” It means to speak well of someone. So, when you say, “bless you,” you are really speaking well of them.

But let’s be clear about something. You cannot really bless anyone. We are just a conduit of God’s blessing. We extend His blessings to them. Just as Abraham was a conduit of blessing to the world through his offspring, we are a vessel used by God to bless other people. We have to be willing to be used though. That’s the hard part.

1 Peter 3:8-9 talks about this. “8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing.” That’s a pretty good motivation for extending blessings, don’t you think?

The next time you “bless” someone after they sneeze, think about this verse. The next time you “bless” your food, think about this verse. We should be ready and willing to bless others whom we cross paths with every day. So…blessings!

I bless Your name, O Lord. I lift You up and praise Your name.

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Bible, Blessing, Perfection, Righteousness, Sacrifice, Salvation, Scripture

PERFECTED

GALATIANS 3:3

“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

I have never met a perfect person. No one can claim that status. Well, there is one – Jesus, but I am talking about us regular, old ordinary, run-of-the-mill people. I have seen a baseball pitcher pitch a perfect game. I have seen golfers play a perfect round of golf (by that I mean playing at or under par). But I have never seen a perfect human being who has never made a mistake.

Paul continues in today’s verse with his questions. After calling them foolish again (do you think that got their attention?), he asks them if they think they can perfect themselves through the Law. That’s what he means by “are you now being perfected by the flesh.” Paul knew, all too well, that there was no way to keep all the Law. If you failed at even one law, you were guilty of failing them all. One step forward, two steps back.

APPLICATION

So, what can we do? Do we just give up and say Well, I gave it my best shot! No, goodness no. We have a way of escape. We have a path to perfection. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “‘Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’” What?! Perfect?! That’s what He said. So, how is that supposed to happen.

Hebrews 10:14 gives us a wonderful promise. “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” You see, we can do nothing to be perfected. But Jesus, through His sacrifice, has already perfected us. Isn’t that incredible? There is never any reason for us to beat ourselves up and say we are failures. No! If we are in Christ, He has perfected us.

I joke a lot about being perfect, but I know I am far from it. I fail miserably every day. My flesh is wicked and corrupt. Now, before you start pointing your finger at me, take a look at your own self. We are all guilty of sin. Praise the Lord that He has taken all that upon Himself and has made us perfect in His eyes.

Words will never say enough to thank You, Lord, for the sacrifice which gave me perfection.

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Abiding, Atonement, Bible, Blessing, Law, Needless, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture

NEEDLESS

GALATIANS 2:21

“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Have you ever done something for someone that was a waste of time? Perhaps you prepared a wonderful dinner for them, only to have them never show up to enjoy it. Maybe you worked and saved for that special gift and then they never got it. It is a hollow feeling. All your effort, all your work was in vain. It meant nothing to them. That can be painful.

Paul concludes his rebuke of Peter, Barnabas and the other Jewish believers with this final sentence of chapter two. He proclaims once again that their salvation is through Christ alone, but this time he shows the absurdity of the return to the Law. He says he refuses to just throw away God’s grace (something Paul had experienced so fully) and rely on the Law to give him righteousness. The word “needlessly” is used nine times in the New Testament. It can be translated in a good or bad sense. Here it used in that negative sense (in vain, without cause, needlessly). Certainly, Christ’s death was not in vain.

APPLICATION

Well Carl, I would never treat Christ’s death that way. Are you sure about that? Take a look at what you put your faith in. Is it in family? They will fail you. How about that big bank account? That could be gone in a second. In your health? Don’t count on it. The only thing that is for sure is what we have received through Jesus. As Coke says, He is the Real Thing!

The reality is in order to see Christ’s death as meaningful, we must see ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior. We must all come to believe what Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We can’t get there by ourselves. We can’t get there any other way than Jesus’ atoning death on the cross. Did He die needlessly? Certainly not!

There are so many people who think they can achieve holiness in the way they live. If they don’t do this and do that, God will smile on them. Listen, holiness only comes as we submit completely and fully to the Holy One. He takes our ungodly life and transforms it through His Spirit. Today, dwell on His atonement. Think about what He did for you. There is no other way but Jesus.

Lord, I praise You for giving me the only thing that could bring me to You – Jesus.

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Belief, Bible, Blessing, Chosen, Family, Favoritism, Genealogy, God's Will, Gospel, Heritage, History, Salvation, Scripture

HERITAGE

GALATIANS 2:15

“‘We are Jews by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles;’”

I had a hint the other day on one of my genealogy sites. It was pretty awesome. That hint led me back to the 11th century to a relative on my mom’s side of the family. He was an Earl in Scotland. Isn’t that cool? I find these family trees to be intriguing. Knowing where you come from can give you some grounding in life.

As Paul continues his rebuke of Peter in verse 15, we see him talking about his and Peter’s heritage. They were Jews, not Gentiles. They had prior knowledge to the things of Jehovah, unlike the Gentiles, who were commonly referred to as sinners by the Jews. But Paul wasn’t setting himself up above the Gentiles. We can see that later in this letter in Galatians 3:28. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

APPLICATION

What can we make of this verse today in application to our life? Know where you come from! We are told in Ephesians 5:8, “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” We were all sinners doomed to an eternal damnation before coming to Jesus. Never forget what God did for you in salvation. We should stay forever grateful.

I believe the second thing we can see in today’s verse is that God did not make the Gentiles a lower class. He has always desired to see them come to Him. Look at Isaiah 60:3, “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Aren’t you grateful for that? God had a plan from the beginning for all mankind to come to Him. He knows who will and who want. But the Word says in John 3:16, “whosover.” That included the Gentiles.

And the final thing I see in this verse today is a warning not to flaunt our position in Christ. I don’t think for a second that Paul was putting down the Gentiles in this verse. I can just see him standing and addressing the crowd. You have to remember that Paul loved these Gentiles and had a mission from God to preach the Gospel to them. He was not putting the Jews above them. We are all the same at the foot of the cross. Praise the Lord!

Father, thank You for saving me. Thank You for giving me a family tree that leads to You.

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