THE KING’ S ' BUSINESS
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mentioned in verses 22 and 23 are “ fruit” : they are the spontaneous and delicious product o f the indwelling and all-control ling Spirit; o f God. Furthermore, they are not “ fruits” but “ fruit,” i. e., the one many flavored fruit; there is a unity o f origin in all the multiplicity o f manifesta tions. When the Spirit is given control over a man’s entire being, all these graces will appear. Not some in one and/ some in another, but all o f them in every one whose whole life is given up to the control o f the Spirit. What a fair catalogue it is : (1) “Love,” the pre-eminent grace (cf. 1 Cor. 13:1-3), love to God and lov e'to man, the all-inclusive grace (1 Cor. 13:4- 8), “the fulfilling of the law” (v. 14; Rom. 13:10). (2) “Joy,” adding beauty and power to the life (cf. 1 Thess. 1:6; Heb. 1 :9 ). The whole secret o f overflowing and constant joy is giving the Holy Spirit absolute control o f our whole life. He becomes within us a well o f waters spring ing up into everlasting life (John 4:14). He is “the oil o f gladness” (Heb. 1:9). Joy reigns perpetually in the heart that is fully surrendered to the control o f the Holy Spirit. (3) “ Peace,”’ peace in our own hearts and peace with all men. (4) “ Long-suffering,” the rare grace o f taking injury and insult without a word o f restort upon our lips or without a trace o f resent ment in our hearts.- (5) “ Kindness,” i. e., thoughtful consideration for others. (6) “ Goodness,” a comprehensive word, but especially denoting large-hearted benefi cence (cf. Rom. 5:7 ). (7) “ Faith.” (The Revised Version changes to “ faithfulness,” but there is no warrant in, the usage o f the Greek word for this change.) What is meant is “ faith” in -God and His Word. This indeed leads one to be “ faith’ful” in every relation of life. Where the Holy Spirit reigns doubts and questions and uncertainties will disappear and there will be absolute triumph, unwavering faith in God and His Word. (8) “ Meekness,” i. e., gentleness in dealing with others. (9) “Temperance,” L e., the control o f appe tites, desires, ambitions (the Revised Ver-
flesh does if the Spirit is not given con trol and so the flesh has it own way. It is a dark catalogue o f “works” that fol lows. It was an especially dark catalogue to contemplate by those who were talking so much about "works?’ First in this awful list o f the' works o f the flesh we have sexual impurity in three forms, then idolatry, and then what in our modern phraseology we would call occultism, in its various forms summed up under one word “ sorcery.” Then follow eight forms o f bitterness o f one against another, which appears to have been the commonest form monest form o f carnality in the church today. By “heresies” is meant the making of parties, a common manifestation of carnality even among many who profess “perfection,” and many others who say they are “out and out for the truth,” as for example, the so called Plymouth Brethren, with their numberless divisions from one another. Then follow “ drunkenness,” and “ revellings,” , the forms o f carnality which we usually put in the forefront, but which with Paul come at the end of the catalogue. And now comes, a warning o f awful solemnity: Paul says, “ I forewarned you (i. e., you who are looking to your doing for justification and a basis of inheriting the kingdom) that they which practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Eph. 5:5). These are awfully solemn words, and it will stand us each in stead to go carefully over this catalogue o f things that shut men out o f the kingdom, and ask ourselves, am I We have just seen “the works” o f one o f the two antagonistic forces that strive for the mastery in every believer’s life, “ the flesh” and “the Spirit.” Now Paul turns and tells us "the fruit?’ o f the other o f these two forces. ' The change from “works” to “ fruit” is significant (cf. Eph. 5:9, 11). These things that the flesh does are not “ fruit.” Indeed they are most unfruitful. On the other hand the graces doing such things ? Saturday, May 2 $. ' '■ Gal. 5 : 22 , 23 .
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