Wednesday 5/9/2012 4:50 AM
Today I read Galatians 5 where Paul contrasts the acts of
the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.
The acts of the flesh are listed: sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage,
selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the
like. The fruit of the Spirit follows:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.
Thankfully, when I look at my life it seems the fruit of
the Spirit have a more prominent role in my life than the acts of the
flesh. I’m sure I look at my life
through rose colored glasses, seeing more of the good than the bad, but as I
look at the two lists it seems that the acts of the flesh are more those things
associated with immaturity and youth while the fruit of the Spirit are things
associated with the wisdom that comes from experience. As I age my testosterone level begins to wane
and I don’t have the energy for fits of rage, selfish ambition, and the
like. It seems that a gentle spirit and
self-control are more easily attained without the large doses of hormones
coursing through my veins.
The Bible clearly states that when I came to faith in
Christ I become a new creation and the Spirit of God began to mold and shape me
into the image of Christ. It is also
true that I gain wisdom and experience as I live my life and naturally mature
over time. I wonder how much of the
change is due to natural aging and how much is due to the work of the Spirit.
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