Onward into more of the language and understanding of the Spirit. Galatians has been called by some the Apology of the Spirit, "apology" here meaning defense, not sorrow. Reading today you can easily see why.
Whenever I read this passage, the one thing that sticks out is one thing. That sounded silly, didn't it. But I mean the one thing that sticks out is not nine things but one: fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is what Paul describes, not the fruits.
I say that to say this and say it simply: when the Spirit is at work in our lives, we bear these characteristics in our lives by His power. We don't get to pick and choose because He is the one bearing them through us. We may need more help and more growth in an area, but He is the one who does it.
And when you see it as fruit instead of fruits, it makes a lot more sense I think...
Isn't love patient?
Isn't self-control kind? (Parents, think hard here about the time you didn't spank in anger)
Isn't peace joyful?
Isn't faithfulness good?
I could keep going, but I hope you get the point. The Spirit brings these to us through His work in us and we bear them all because "they" are actually "it," the fruit of the Spirit.
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