Galatians 5:18

Galatians 5:18 – “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

One of my favorite parts of the Bible is how it can teach us the same concept effectively, through different ways. Just like the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 and Mark 4, the verse leading up to the fruit of the spirit is what puts the entire fruit-bearing process into context. This verse more or less shows us how we can be fruitful, before the fruit of the spirit is even explained.

In a sinful world, it’s not uncommon to subconsciously assume that our responsibility is to plant the seed of love, joy, peace, etc., within ourselves in order to be good people (or even to be good Christians). The Bible never tells us that, though; God ultimately tells that to be “good people”, we reflect Him. Can you think of a better person? So instead of trying to plant that seed within ourselves, we should allow the Spirit to dwell in us and take control of our lives. We call it the Fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the sinner – these things were never meant to come from us, only through us. The truth is that our responsibility is, as Billy Graham puts it, to cultivate the soil of our hearts through sincere devotion and surrender, so He might find favorable ground to produce His fruit.

I couldn’t possibly put it better than that. Allowing God to work through us is truly much more than we deserve.

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