Gal 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law.
If you were a farmer, how would you check the quality of your product? Would you continue in a course of action that produced bad results season after season or would you make changes? I encountered this decision about 5 years ago. I was doing my daily Bible reading during one of my "re commitment stages." One of those stages that cycles around right after a terrible season of defeat, which is usually preceded by a season of my commitment waxing cold after a period of re commitment. I've been around this mountain a few times in my 20 years with the Lord. During this particular season of renewed commitment for the Word, I was faced with these two lists in Galatians 5. The good news is, I had one of these lists almost completely covered. The bad news is, it was the wrong list. After 15 years of calling myself a Christian, I still found my life littered with all the garbage from the first list and new shoots sprouting up every year. I was bitter and envious. I was a completely different person behind closed doors. I flew off the handle at the slightest little thing into fits of rage. I murmured against my pastor and anybody else. I wasn't involved in orgies, adultery or witchcraft but I had everything else on the list. This is especially shocking since at the time, I was playing a part in some ministries. I had recently been a Life Group leader. I was a Sunday School teacher. I was making video presentations for the church and going on missions trips. I had NONE of the fruits of the Spirit but had so much fruit from the sinful nature. How does one explain that? How does one stay active in a church and call themselves a Christian for so many years without enjoying any fruit of the Spirit? My conclusion: I had no idea who I truly was.
During those years of play-acting the part (the word "hypocrite" can be translated "actor") of a Christian, I was repeatedly reminded that I was "just a sinner, saved by grace." It was hammered home during every service and get-together. I was never told that I am son of the Living God or co-heir with Christ. I was not told that I could live a sinless and victorious life while waiting for Jesus' return. I was told not to expect sinless behavior from myself because it's impossible while in the flesh. So, I tolerated a little bit of envy and then a little more envy and soon jealousy and bitterness were constant companions and before long I found myself hosting a banquet for demons every day of my life. I wasn't told that I could do all the things Jesus did except atone for sins. I was told to just do my best to hang on to my salvation until Jesus comes back. Well, after 15 years, I got a little tired of raising bad fruit. I went to see my Pastor of the Month (we'd been doing some church-hopping too) and asked him what I was doing wrong. He had nothing to suggest! He kinda shrugged his shoulders and said it takes time to grow all that fruit of the Spirit and I shouldn't beat myself up about it. Well, I wasn't beating myself up, I was just wondering why I hadn't managed to cultivate any fruit of the Spirit after 15 years of "walking with Jesus." He had no answer. I decided that wasn't good enough and it was time to make some changes.
This is the moment of clarity that would eventually lead me to a "Word of Faith" church. I'll admit, at first, I had my problems with them and I'm not about to say they have it all figured out. But I'm reminded of the man who received his sight after Jesus touched him in John 9:20. The man was born blind, Jesus made some mud and smeared it on his eyes, the man received his sight. When asked by the Pharisees how a "sinner like Jesus" could have performed this miracle, the man replied "I don't know, but what I do know is I was once blind but now I see." There were terrible dark days for me, when I would let my flesh just run wild until the Word of Faith taught to take my thoughts captive. I was a miserable unreliable hot-head until the Word of Faith taught me to put my flesh under and control myself. For the past five years, I have been endeavoring to live a victorious life of faith and I don't have time for grudges or bitterness. I don't envy other people's success because I know my success is on its way too. Say what you will about the "Word of Faith" movement but for me, it has produced great fruit in my life.
The one distinctive element to living the life of faith is "identity." For 15 years, my churches and pastors called me a "sinner saved by grace" and I lived like someone who was on borrowed time. I lived like someone who felt my proper place was on my knees constantly begging for forgiveness. I lived as if happiness and success were doled out mysteriously by some detached Heavenly Father to those He approved of and the rest of should bite our tongue and wait our turn. During those 15 years, I was living like a second-class citizen of Heaven and I resented it. Since coming to a new understanding of my true identity, I am joyously producing fruit of the Spirit. I have peace, joy, and love. It flows quite naturally from me. I don't see myself as some shameful beggar standing far off from God. I see myself as one who is welcomed and encouraged to walk boldly into the throne room of God.
My approach to God has changed significantly as well. I no longer feel like I need to come to Him with "Hannah's bargain" and promise Him something in order to receive from Him. In 1 Sam 1, we have the story of Hannah promising to devote her child back to God if he'll open her womb and give her a son. For so many years, that's the method I was encouraged to emulate. It was never put into so many words but the implication could not be avoided. Very little was taught about the method Jesus used which was ask in faith and in accordance with God's will, believe you have received it and it will be yours. This kind of preaching was called "Prosperity Gospel" and many other names (none of them polite.) I wasn't encouraged to ask God for the everyday things that make life better and more enjoyable. I wasn't encouraged to ask God for enough money to pay my bills. Which I always thought was very easy for the Pastor to say because he seemed to be doing just fine financially. I was instead encouraged to just take whatever life hands me, trust that it's what God wants for me and He knows best. But I found out that's not true either.
Jesus didn't just tolerate whatever life handed him. When he needed something, he asked for it and received it. Things like enough food to feed all those people during those two miraculous sermons. If Jesus wanted us to just accept what life handed us, that would have been the perfect time to tell us, "We don't need food. We can get along without it for a meal or two. These people just need to forget about their stomachs and listen to me." If we we're just supposed to weather life's storms as best as we can, why then did he stand up and rebuke one? No, we are not supposed to live as victims of this life. We are supposed to life as we truly are. We are more than conquerors! We have been handed to keys to life and death. We are supposed to be living above our circumstances not under them.
There are plenty out there who will find fault with my conclusions and call this heretical teaching. That's fine. I am no longer worried about pleasing people. They can say what they want. All I can tell you is once I was a bitter, self-absorbed, deceitful, ambitious hot-head with questionable motives and now I am bearing fruit of the Spirit. It's hard to argue with results. You have two menus to choose from and only one life to eat from it. Which menu would you choose?
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