Thorburn-Sutherland's River Pastoral Charge

God of wisdom, prepare our hearts and minds to receive your Word. Where it challenges us, lead us by your Spirit to respond in faithfulness for the sake of Christ who gives us both courage and compassion. Amen.

Our New Testament reading this morning came from a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, which was a province in what is modern day Turkey, and at that time was part of the Roman Empire. In the section we heard today Paul talks about the Holy Spirit and what it produces in a believer’s life, so I thought a good starting point would be a refresher on just who the Holy Spirit is.

Living Faith, which is one of the standards of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, defines the Holy Spirit in these words, “The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Triune God and is one with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirt is the Lord and Giver of Life, the Renewer and Helper of God’s people. By the Spirit, God is present in the world, the source of all goodness and justice. By the Spirit, God convinces the world of sin and testifies to the truth of Christ. By the Spirit, Christ is with his church.

Thus, the Holy Spirit exists within all people who have come to faith in Christ, and it is the part of the Trinity that is with us at all times in our lives and empowers us with spiritual gifts. He fulfills this promise which Jesus made to his disciples on the night of the Last Supper, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

After Jesus had risen from the dead and just prior to his ascension to be with the Father he gave this mission to his followers, “‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” (Acts 1:8) Therefore, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to accomplish God’s plan for the world.

And some of these powers, or as Paul calls them, “fruits”, are the following which Paul writes about. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul calls them fruits to compare them with what is produced from a tree or a vine or a plant, they are the result of the work of the plant. For believers in Jesus, these so-called fruits are the qualities which the Holy Spirit can produce in us.

Back in the days when both the Old and New Testaments were written the countries of the Middle East were agricultural societies, so using the fruit of a plant as a metaphor for something which was produced was quite common. An example of one of these can be found in the Old Testament, this is from Psalm 1, “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3) What those lines are referring to is spiritual fruit being produced in a righteous life.

And in the New Testament there are many references to the fruit, or works, which man produces. Several times Jesus talks about himself being the vine, mankind being the branches and the good works they produce being the fruit. Here is what he told his disciples on the night of the Last Supper, “‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.’” (John 15:1-5) Here Jesus was telling them that God wants them to have good qualities in their lives. The same applies to us today.

The Holy Spirit leads us to each quality, reveals to us that this is God’s will for our lives, and if we will exercise our free will to produce them in our lives, he will empower us to do so. But each fruit is produced as an act of our will in cooperation with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Again, as Paul tells us, the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the qualities that God wants to produce in our lives as we follow Jesus Christ. They are not natural traits that we can develop on our own, but supernatural gifts that the Holy Spirit gives us as we abide in Christ. Each are builders of our faith and show our love for God.

Paul is challenging us to examine our lives and see if we are bearing the fruit that God desires. He is also encouraging us to grow in our relationship with God and allow the Spirit to work in us and through us. The fruits of the Spirit are not optional for Christians, but essential for our spiritual health and well-being.

And the fruits of the Spirit are not only for our benefit, but also for the benefit of others. They are the evidence of God's presence and power in our lives. They are the way we show God's love and grace to the world. They are the way we glorify God and reflect his character. They are the way we become more like Jesus and fulfill his purpose for our lives.

And because God has given us free will, we have the freedom to make choices. We all face choices in our lives, big and small, every day. Some choices are easy, like what to eat for breakfast or what to wear to work. Other choices are harder, like what career to pursue or who to marry. The Bible tells us that God has a plan for our lives, and that he wants us to follow his will. The Bible also tells us that God gives us the wisdom to make good choices, and that he will direct our steps if we trust in him.

So, when it comes to the fruits of the Spirit, being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, what do we choose?

Here’s what we should choose:

We choose joy.  We will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. We will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see the Holy Spirit help us in our lives.

We choose peace. We choose peace because we respect the dignity and rights of all people, regardless of their differences. We choose peace because we know that violence only breeds more violence, and that war is costly and destructive. We choose peace because we want to create a better future for ourselves and our children.

We choose patience. We will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, we will thank God for a moment to pray. We choose patience as a guiding principle for our lives.

We choose kindness. We believe that kindness is not a weakness, but a strength that fosters trust, respect, and collaboration. We strive to be kind to ourselves, to each other and to the world around us. We know that kindness can make a positive difference in any situation, and we are committed to spreading it wherever we go.

We choose goodness. By choosing goodness we choose to live in peace and harmony with ourselves and others. We believe that goodness is the best way to achieve that. We are not perfect, but we try our best to be kind, honest, and respectful. We choose goodness because it is the right thing to do.

We choose faithfulness. We choose faithfulness because we believe in the power of love. We don't want to hurt each other or ourselves by being unfaithful. We value honesty, loyalty, and respect in our relationships with God and others.

We choose gentleness. We choose gentleness because we believe it is the best way to live. We don't want to hurt anyone with our words or actions. We try to be kind, compassionate and respectful to ourselves and others. We know that gentleness is not weakness, but strength. If we raise our voices, may it be only in praise.

We choose self-control. We choose self-control because we know it's good for us. We don't let our emotions or impulses get the best of us. We think before we act, and we respect ourselves and others. Self-control helps us achieve our goals and live happier lives.

Making choices is not easy, but it is part of our responsibility as God's children. We can trust that God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, will help us make the best choice for his glory and our good. Therefore, when we face choices, we should seek God's guidance through prayer, his Word, and his Spirit.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We need to commit to these each and every day. If we succeed, we will give thanks. If we fail, we will seek God’s grace. And then, when the day is done, we give thanks to the Holy Spirit for his help.

Let us Pray:

Help us, Lord, to live loving, obedient lives, so that we may have full joy in this life. Help us to love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbour as ourselves. Help us use the Fruits of the Spirit as we lead our daily lives. Thank you, blessed Holy Spirit, for residing in us and guiding us, each and every day. Amen