FRUIT INSPECTION: I Can Do Bad All By Myself

We are currently in a series of messages based on Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:19 and following list the works of the flesh. This list refers to our sinful nature and lists things like sexual immorality, hatred, jealousy, angry fits and the like. There is an old Tyler Perry movie title that reminds me of this list: I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Our old sinful nature, the works of the flesh, are things we can do on our own, actions and attitudes that are motivated and empowered by our natural, human nature. It takes little or no effort to let these works rule or control our lives. We can, as the movie title suggests, do bad all by ourselves.

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23 are motivated and empowered by our new nature, by the Holy Spirit of God. These are actions and attitudes that do not come naturally to us. They come, as it were, supernaturally, by the Spirit of God. The motivation and power is from our surrender to God, our filling with the Holy Spirit. It is quite natural to say something like “I am not patient”. That is very accurate and understandable. Empowered by our old, human nature, we probably are not very patient. It is a new experience, with our new nature as followers of Christ, to say I can do all things through Christ Jesus. Now, empowered by Him, I can be patient, kind, gentle, loving, joyful, etc. It is no longer me, but Christ who lives in me and enables me to experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

This past Sunday we spoke of the fruit kindness. Kindness is love expressed. It is not just the action of love, but the attitude behind the action. This is what I like about kindness: we don’t have to agree on anything to be kind to one another. Christ in me and in you is the hope of kindness. The command to be kind to one another can be kept because of Christ in us. Otherwise, I can do bad all by myself.

See you this Sunday, good Lord willing…

Pastor Tom