Life in Christ

​Galatians 5:22-23 New Living Translation
 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
 
There are many different avenues to explore when learning to live in Christ Jesus. Jesus taught parables to help us understand what it meant to follow him. All of the epistles at some point or another explain how we are to be imitators of God. With so many avenues out there; it can become an overwhelming endeavor to figure out what it means to live a life in Christ.
 
Paul saw this in the Galatian church. In chapter five, he gives them a long list of behaviors and attitudes that are not fitting for disciples of Christ. We as parents give our kids a list of things not to do or say. Sometimes we say “Stay away from this and you’ll turn out all right.” However too many restrictions without hopeful yeses create more than boundaries; they create identity, belonging, and purpose dead ends. The no’s declare a boundary, but they don’t provide a hopeful way forward toward a new vision of living.
 
Paul’s list doesn’t end with all the “no’s”, he understands that these people need a hopeful way forward. In a turnaround, Paul lists ways of behaving that are indicative of followers of Christ Jesus. He qualifies these behaviors not as fruits of individual action, but as the fruit of the Spirit.
 
The behaviors that come from the Holy Spirit, not from the individual are ways of living that are a result of being connected with God. For thr first two-thirds of this chapter, Paul is drawing our attention to how our selfishness disconnects us from God. Then he quite simply says if you put aside your selfishness, then the Holy Spirit can do theses amazing things through you.
 
So let me ask you to ponder on this: What will you need to do to live with the fruit of the Spirit more instinctually?