Cultivating the

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 Bible Studies for Adults

Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit

Part 3 in the Spiritual Formation Series

Volume 108, Number 3 AL—2023-3-S-eng

Bible Studies for Adults is published quarterly by the Bible Advocate

Press, 330 West 152nd Avenue, Broomfield, CO 80023, U.S.A. Copyright
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 Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit
Part 3 in the Spiritual Formation Series

Table of Contents
Lesson Page
Special Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Introduction to This Quarterly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1. Fruit or Flesh? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2. Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3. Joy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4. Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5. Longsuffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
6. Kindness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7. Goodness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
8. Faithfulness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
9. Gentleness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
10. Self-Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
11. Crucify the Flesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
12. Walk in the Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
13. The Law of the Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

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 Special Introduction

This Spiritual Formation study series comes to you by request. Over

the last year, I’ve asked numerous church leaders and teachers what
kind of material they needed from the Bible Advocate Press. The over-
whelming response was for lessons that aid local churches in developing
deeper, intentional, and more resilient disciples. These lessons are an
attempt to fulfill that request.
The Christian life lends itself to several metaphors. It is about walk-
ing in the way, climbing the mountain, cultivating fruit, and growing up.
In all these we see what Eugene Peterson called “a long obedience in
the same direction.” It is a process — the walk, the climb, the fruit, the
growth — the product of time, dedication, and discipline. This is what
authentic formation, the second word in our title, entails. It’s what life-
long discipleship looks like.
But the first word is even more important. Spiritual formation isn’t
self-help or a personal program. It is yielding ourselves to the transform-
ing power of the Holy Spirit. This journey to maturity isn’t taken alone,
for the Spirit goes with us, guiding us. As Paul said, “If we live in the
Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”; “as many as are led by the Spirit of
God, these are sons of God” (Galatians 5:25; Romans 8:14, NKJV). This is
what Jesus’ disciples do and are.
The four quarterlies in this series are about our life and journey in the
Holy Spirit toward conformity to Christ. The first quarterly explored the
spiritual disciplines and the foundations of discipleship. In the second,
we hiked up the “mountain” to hear Jesus’ Beatitudes afresh (Matthew
5). In these lessons, we will visit the orchard of the fruit of the Spirit
(Galatians 5). We conclude our series by studying how the Holy Spirit is
growing up the body of Christ in a community of faith (Romans 12). We
need each other on this journey. Let’s get started, together.
— Jason Overman, Editor

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 Introduction to This Quarterly

In the beginning, “the Lord God planted a garden toward the east,
in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed . . . to
cultivate it and tend it” (Genesis 2:8, 15, NASB). The Christian life is like
that. God’s garden is a good gift, but its many fruits must be attentively
cultivated.
There was an enemy in Eden: the serpent sowing seeds of another
kind.
After Adam and Eve were seduced and rebelled against God, “the
Lord God sent him [Adam] out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the
ground from which he was taken,” but thorns and thistles competed
with that cultivating effort (3:18, 23, NASB). The Christian life is like that
too. The Enemy (the weeds) threatens to rob us of fruitfulness, so the
garden must be attentively kept.
After Eden, fruit becomes one of the Bible’s most pervasive meta-
phors for describing our life in God. Psalm 1, for instance, says the one
who delights in the Lord’s law is “like a tree planted by rivers of water,
which yields its fruit in its season” (vv. 2, 3). Proverbs echoes life in Eden,
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life” (11:30).
The metaphor of fruitfulness also extends to the people of God as
a whole. In the Old Testament, vineyard is a common image for Israel.
Isaiah calls her a beloved vineyard, but an unproductive one (5:1-7).
Micah laments that God’s people are more like sharp thorns than ripe
grapes (7:1-6). Israel will bear fruit either way, whether good or bad
(Jeremiah 24:1-7).
The New Testament carries the horticultural imagery forward but
fills it up with fresh content. Jesus teaches, “I am the vine, you are the
branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit”
(John 15:5, NASB). Jesus also warns, “Every branch in Me that does not
bear fruit, He takes away” (v. 2, NASB). There is good fruit and bad fruit,
Jesus teaches. “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). As in
Eden, the Enemy sows seeds — tares bearing wicked fruit that chokes
out the good (13:18-30, KJV).
Galatians 5:16-26 is the focus of these lessons. It’s a blessed tool that
helps us unearth the specific fruit that grows from the heart of God, as
well as the weeds that subvert His character. Galatians reveals nine fruit
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of the Spirit that we need to cultivate and eighteen weeds of the flesh
that we must pluck up. These lessons challenge us to answer the ques-
tions “Which fruit are we producing? Are we, as individuals and church-
es, thriving in Christ, or are we dying on the vine?”
As we begin, two truths must guide our studies. First, as John 15
teaches, life on the vine is life in Christ. Our fruitfulness is through Jesus
as we abide in Him and are nourished by His Spirit. We’re “filled with the
fruit of righteousness which comes [only] through Jesus Christ, for the
glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11, NASB). Second, as with Adam
in Eden, fruitfulness requires our participation and cultivation. When
the Spirit is quenched and our gardens neglected, we become unfruitful
(Mark 4:19).
It’s a twin truth: Apart from Jesus we can do nothing, yet we are respon-
sible to follow the Spirit as well (John 15:5; Galatians 5:25). Let’s study the
fruit of the Spirit and learn to live by the Spirit, so that we may be known
by good fruit to the glory of God.
These lessons have been enriched by the insights of Philip D.
Kenneson in his excellent book Life on the Vine: Cultivating the Fruit of the
Spirit in Christian Community. He helps us understand each fruit of the
Spirit biblically and what it means to practice them together in a culture
like ours. I recommend this book as a companion to these studies.
— Jason Overman

Recommended companion resource: Life on the Vine: Cultivating the

Fruit of the Spirit in Christian Community by Philip D. Kenneson

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 Lesson 1

Fruit or Flesh?
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,
but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap
everlasting life (Galatians 6:8).

Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:16-26

Objective: to set the fruit of the Spirit within the larger context of
Paul’s message to the Galatians about two ways of living: by faith or by
flesh.

Introduction: How shall we live? That’s maybe the most important

question we can ask ourselves and each other. The Bible consistently
offers two ways, or alternatives. In Eden there were two trees: the tree
of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One represented
God’s way, the other, our own way. The rest of the Bible is really com-
mentary on these two ways and their life-and-death consequences
(Genesis 2; Deuteronomy 30:19).
We see the same emphasis taken up by Paul to the Galatians in pre-
senting the fruit of the Spirit. Its immediate context finds him contrast-
ing our walk in the Spirit with works of the flesh (5:16, 19). Here are
two ways of life: The Spirit yields the fruit of love, joy, and peace; but
the flesh produces the weeds of hatred, contention, jealousy (vv. 16-
23). Significantly, Paul sets nine fruit opposite eighteen “weeds.” Every

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gardener knows fruit is harder to cultivate than weeds. Paul goes on to
say we will sow to one or the other (6:8).
But before we get to Galatians 5-6, let’s look at the groundwork Paul
laid in the previous chapters. Galatians is about life and how to find
it. Life cannot be found in works of the law any more than it can in
works of the flesh, because both are constrained by the limits of hu-
man will and ability. The law of God isn’t against life, but it can’t give it
either (3:21). We may try to live by the law and the flesh, but both end in
futility.
The life God has for us requires a miraculous intervention. Paul found
that miracle in Jesus Christ:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me
(2:20).
Paul’s words sound like those of Christ himself in John 15: “Abide
in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it
abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (v. 4;
cf. vv 1-8).
There is no life in the flesh or fruit in self-reliance. A fruitful life is
found in Christ alone. By faith, we’re united with Him and live in Him,
being transformed by His Holy Spirit miraculously as the Spirit grows us
into His likeness and bears the fruit of His righteous nature.

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . What is the metaphoric significance of fruit, and related terms, in

the Bible, and why are they so useful? Share a favorite Bible exam-
ple. Psalm 1:2, 3; Proverbs 11:30.

2 . How does Paul present two ways of life in Galatians 5:16-26; 6:8?
What are the fruits of each? How many are there, and is that sig-
nificant? How do they relate to the two ways in Genesis 2:8, 9;
Deuteronomy 30:19, 20?

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3 . Where do Jesus and Paul locate true life, and how is that life de-
scribed and lived? Galatians 2:20; John 15:1-5.

4 . How are works of the law and works of the flesh similar and differ-
ent? Galatians 2:16-21; 5:19. Why do they fall short of life and fruit?

5 . Carefully relate the nine fruit of the Spirit in contrast with the eigh-
teen fruits of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-23. How do the two lists spe-
cifically show how the flesh contradicts and distorts the character
of the Holy Spirit?

Personal cultivation: Meditate on your life in Christ and your walk

in the Spirit. How do they manifest practically in your daily life? As we
begin these lessons, take an initial, personal inventory of your garden,
its fruits, and the weeds that have grown up. What are you sowing and
reaping?

A prayer for fruit: O Lord, forgive us of our sins. Turn us, Lord, from
our works of the flesh, and deliver us from death. May we choose life,
Lord; may we choose You. Grant us the grace to live by faith, to live in
Christ, to live by the Holy Spirit, and to bear fruit of righteousness to
Your glory. Amen.
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 Lesson 2

Love
Through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled
in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as
yourself” (Galatians 5:13, 14).

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Objective: to understand the origin and definition of biblical love and

how it differs from worldly concepts of love.

Introduction: The first fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22). Some
see it as the singular fruit from which the other eight grow. Similarly, we
can say that the eighteen works of the flesh listed just prior to love are
the opposite of it (lust, vv. 16, 19-21). But what exactly is love? Because
the word is used so loosely today, and often contrary to the biblical
meaning, we must carefully define it in order to understand the fruit
God has planted in our hearts.
The Greek word agape is by far the word most often used in New
Testament writings for love. More than a feeling or desire, this supreme
love is a choice that seeks the good of the other, regardless of whether
they deserve it. Agape is the word for the fruit we find in Galatians 5:22.
It is the love God has for the world and that moved Jesus to die for us
(John 3:16; Galatians 2:20). Agape love motivates Christians in all their
actions (1 Corinthians 13:1-8).
Even better than the word agape, we understand biblical love best
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by noting what the Bible says about it. According to 1 John 4:8, “God is
love” — the attribute that best describes the essence of His nature. And
if we love Him, it is because He first loved us (v. 19). This profound love
God demonstrated in sending His Son to atone for our sins (v. 10). The
love of the Father and of the Son is the basis for our loving one another
(v. 11).
In his book, Life on the Vine, Philip Kenneson notes four key character-
istics of God’s love: It is unmerited and undeserved (Romans 5:8); stead-
fast and faithful (8:31-39); suffering and sacrificial; and boundless and
for everyone (John 3:16). This divine love is found throughout both Old
and New Testaments and leaves a pattern of love for us to follow. The
two great commandments are to love God and neighbor (Deuteronomy
6:5; Leviticus 19:17; Matthew 22:37-39). The same love the law com-
manded is the love the Spirit delivers. Most significantly, Jesus demon-
strated this love when He died on the cross (Galatians 5:14, 22; 2:20).
Biblical love originates in God and is embodied in Jesus. Love is in-
separable from who the Father and Son are and what they have done. It
is essentially sacrificial in nature, serving in grace and truth. It is in sharp
contrast to the self-interest love we see in the world — love confused
with lust, reduced to superficial affections and affirmations. In a materi-
alistic society where all is reduced to transactions, sacrificial love is cer-
tainly hard to cultivate.
What is the opposite of love? Hate? Lust? Indifference? The world is
full of these. But for those who have known God’s love, “the love of God
has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to
us” (Romans 5:5). Let’s walk in love.

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . What is the origin, essence, and ultimate demonstration of love?

How do these set biblical love apart from worldly love? 1 John 4:
7-19; John 3:16; 15:13.

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2 . How do the other references to love in Galatians help explain what
it is? 2:20; 5:6, 13, 14. What does 1 Corinthians 13 add to our under-
standing of what love is and does?

3 . How important is God’s love and ours in the Old and New
Testaments? How does Galatians 5:13, 14 show the consistent bibli-
cal emphasis on love?

4 . What weeds does the world sow that distort and corrupt the sacrifi-
cial love of the Spirit? Galatians 5:16, 19-21.

5 . What is the opposite of love, and how is it manifested around you?

What are we doing as individuals and churches to cultivate love?

Personal cultivation: How is God’s sacrificial and serving love flow-

ing from your heart and manifesting itself in acts of grace and truth?
Is there anything that threatens to subvert this love? Identify weeds of
hate, lust, and indifference, and cultivate love by attending to others re-
gardless of who they are.

A prayer for love: Father, You are love itself, and You have loved us
with an everlasting love. We thank you for Jesus, who loved us and gave
Himself for us. Father, forgive us for failing to love You and others as
You have loved us. Fill our hearts with Your Holy Spirit so we may live
Your love before this lost world. Amen.
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 Lesson 3

Joy
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might
remain in you, and that your joy might be full
(John 15:11, KJV).

Scripture Reading: John 16:20-24

Objectives: to understand the nature, source, and fullness of joy that

is in Jesus Christ.

Introduction: Paul wrote that a sign of the last days is that men
would be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4,
KJV). In a culture obsessed with manufacturing and consuming pleasure,
godly joy stands out as both a rebuke and a refuge.
What is joy? Like simple pleasure, biblical joy is the experience of
happiness, satisfaction, and delight. It can also refer to the cause and
expression of that gladness. But as Philip Kenneson has observed, “. . .
unlike pleasure, joy cannot be pursued for its own sake. Joy is the sat-
isfaction that comes when we find that for which we’ve been looking.”
Joy does not seek itself but results when a person finds what they have
longed for.
This explains the joy we find all over the Bible. For God’s people, the
state of joy, source of joy, and expression of joy centered on their life
in the Lord. In the Old Testament, the greatest occasions of joy were
in Israel’s worship: “In Your presence is fullness of joy . . . I will offer
13
sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the
Lord”; “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Psalm 16:11; 27:6; Nehemiah
8:10)​​.
But joy is often hoped for as well: “Weeping may endure for a night,
but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Isaiah focuses on the joy to
come, when God gives “oil of joy for mourning” and “Everlasting joy shall
be theirs” (61:3, 7).
The promise of joy finds its fullness in the coming of Christ. This is
seen in the Gospel of Luke especially, where everything from the an-
nouncement of Jesus’ birth to His ascension is accompanied with joy
(1:14, 44; 2:10; 6:23; 10:17; 15:7, 10; 24:41, 52). Just like His love, the joy
that is Jesus, He leaves with us “that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).
Jesus speaks of the present and future aspects of joy too (16:20-24) and
how joy is present even in suffering (see also 1 Peter 4:13). No wonder
believers can “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1:8, KJV).
As the second fruit of the Spirit, joy characterizes not only our person-
al life but also the life of the church, as Philippians, the “epistle of joy,”
illustrates. We rejoice in one another, in our salvation and shared faith,
in our fellowship, in Christ, and in our hope of His return (1:4, 18, 25; 2:2,
16-18, 28; 3:1, 3; 4:1, 4, 10). In short, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I
will say, rejoice!” (4:4).
​​In these days of self-seeking pleasure on one hand, and the dark of
despair and depression on the other, the joy of the Lord shines as a light
of correction and comfort. Let not this world rob us of our joy. Rather,
may we be joyous people in this world. That’s the heart of our witness.

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . What does the Old Testament teach us about joy as a present and
future reality? Psalm 16:11; 27:6; Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 30:5; Isaiah
61:3, 7.

2 . In what ways does Luke show us that Jesus is the fulfillment of joy?
1:14, 44; 2:10; 6:23; 10:17; 15:7, 10; 24:41, 52.

14
3 . What is fullness of joy, and how does it relate to suffering? John
15:11; 16:20-24.

4 . List five things that Philippians teaches us about joy. Why is it called
the “epistle of joy”? 1:4, 18, 25; 2:2, 16-18, 28; 3:1, 3; 4:1, 4, 10.

5 . How are joy and pleasure similar and different? How do manufac-
turing and consuming pleasure for its own sake corrupt real joy? In
what ways do we see the absence of joy in our world, and how can
we bring joy to it?

Personal cultivation: Meditate on the difference between pleasure

and joy, and examine the ways that our culture would have us be “lov-
ers of pleasure” (2 Timothy 3:4) rather than ministers of joy. Cultivate joy
with a fresh focus on Christ-centered worship, fellowship, and content-
ment.

A prayer for joy: Father, Your unspeakable joy is our strength. We

thank You for the joy that You have revealed in Christ, who has set all
things right and made all things new. Father, in our temptations and suf-
fering, we ask for the fullness of joy that is in Jesus and beyond our pain
and disappointment. Amen.
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 Lesson 4

Peace
Be anxious for nothing . . . and the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6, 7).

Scripture Reading: James 3:13-18

Objectives: to define biblical peace, understand its reality in Jesus

Christ, and learn how to practice it by the Spirit in a world of endless
conflict.

Introduction: Greetings, brethren! “Grace to you and peace from

God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:3). This saluta-
tion begins all thirteen of Paul’s epistles; Peter’s too. Grace, peace. These
two wonderful words encapsulate the heart of our faith and life. Father,
Christ. They reveal where grace and peace come from and how we re-
ceive it.
Across the spectrum of experience, we seek peace but find it wanting.
From wars on a global scale right down to the anxiety in every person;
from pews to politics, we see dispute, discord, and division. These are
among the works of the flesh that Paul speaks of in Galatians 5:19-21.
It is the way the world works. And yet, right there in the midst of the
conflict is the promise of fruit: the peace of God. No wonder it passes
understanding. But the Spirit gives it.
In the last two lessons we’ve noticed how Jesus speaks of love and joy
16
right in the midst of His passion. He speaks of peace in the hours before
the cross too: “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27;
see also 16:33). Beyond our circumstances, the peace that the Spirit
bears in us is Jesus’ own peace. It’s not the absence of conflict but God’s
reassuring presence in the midst of it.
The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. As Kenneson writes, “Scripture
speaks of peace in . . . far richer ways than our common understandings
of peace.” Old Testament use and meaning is central to understanding
the significance and scope of shalom. It is much more than the absence
of conflict, whether inner or outer. It signifies wholeness, well-being,
and salvation that embraces all of life. Aaron’s blessing in Numbers 6:26
(“The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace”) holds
forth this shalom.
The Law and Prophets speak much of peace. The peace offering is
referred to thirty times in Leviticus, showing that peace is a spiritual
condition. Peace with God is needed first to reconcile all else, from every
heart to the whole earth. Isaiah talks of this shalom most; it is the central
trait of God’s kingdom. And it is coming with the King!
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the gov-
ernment will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called
. . . Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace
there will be no end (Isaiah 9:6, 7; cf. 26:3, 12; 32:17; 52:7; 54:10;
60:17-21).
This shalom arrives in Jesus. He preached peace, made peace, and is
our peace (Ephesians 2:14-17). His peace will one day fill the earth, but
already it is breaking down walls and reconciling hostilities. We possess
His peace by the Spirit, but it’s not full fruit until we practice it in our
fallen world. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9; James 3:18)!

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . How does the Hebrew term shalom help us understand the mean-
ing and scope of peace? Numbers 6:26. How does this peace differ
from common understandings?

17
2 . What do John 14:27 and 16:33 teach us about the fruit of peace?
How does this relate to what Paul says about peace in Philippians
4:6, 7?

3 . Why is peace with God fundamental to peace in every other

sphere? How is peace with God accomplished? Leviticus 3:1-5;
Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14-17.

4 . What does Isaiah teach about peace, and how did Jesus fulfill it?
9:6, 7; 26:3, 12; 32:17; 52:7; 54:10; 60:17-21. How is peace both a
future and present reality?

5 . What works of the flesh oppose peace? Galatians 5:19-21. How

does James 3:13-18 instruct us in the practice of peacemaking?
Matthew 5:9.

Personal cultivation: First, identify the fragmenting weeds that rob

us of peace. These may include internal and external conditions, from
anxiety to social media consumption. Pray over practices that contribute
to strife, like partiality and self-seeking, and focus on peacemaking in
truthfulness and humility.

A prayer for peace: Father, You are the God of peace. May the peace
that You have made through Your Son, and given to us through Your
Spirit, abide in our hearts in these anxious times. May Your kingdom
peace come and fill all the earth. Until then, may we practice the way of
peace in this world as Your peacemakers. Amen.
18
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 Lesson 5

Longsuffering
Therefore . . . put on tender mercies, kindness, humility,
meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and
forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against
another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do
(Colossians 3:12, 13).

Scripture Reading: James 5:7-11

Objectives: to understand the nature of biblical longsuffering and

patience as oriented toward hope in God and forgiving others.

Introduction: ​​The fourth fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering, or pa-

tience, as modern translations put it. We see at once how patience
follows peace; both inform each other. Peace cultivates patience, and
patience strengthens peace. As we’ll see, longsuffering relates to other
words and different objects too.
In the last three lessons we’ve rooted love, joy, and peace in the char-
acter of God. The same is true here. That God is longsuffering, or “slow
to anger,” is among His most celebrated attributes in Scripture: “The
Lord is longsuffering . . . abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and trans-
gression” (Numbers 14:18; Exodus 34:6; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15;
103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Nahum 1:3).
Kenneson makes a great observation: “The point that is easy to miss
20
in all of this, however, is that God’s patience — God’s slowness to anger
— represents a willingness to yield control.” Patience waits, but it is not
resignation. It is not for its own sake; its object is the other. As the texts
above show, patience is in the service of forgiveness. Longsuffering is
God’s holding back to give space for repentance and restoration.
The patience of God continues in the New Testament: “The Lord is
not slack concerning His promise . . . but is longsuffering toward us, not
willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”
(2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4). God’s patience reveals His compassion and
concern for others.
God’s longsuffering is the very fruit that the Spirit sows in us. We’re
tempted to control events and judge others, but patience means sur-
rendering control and “bearing with one another.” Slow to anger means
letting go of judgment and “forgiving one another.” We are longsuffering
with others because Jesus is longsuffering with us (Colossians 3:12, 13).
Godly patience refers to perseverance and endurance too. Here, the
object is God and waiting for fulfillment of His promises. James 5 uses
the metaphor of farmer and fruit to illustrate this hopeful patience. Just
as it takes time for harvest, just as we have no control over the process,
we need perseverance like Job to endure without complaining (vv. 7-11).
This persevering patience applies to the fruit of the Spirit too. We
don’t see full fruit overnight; it grows and develops over time as the
Spirit works and we cultivate. In a world of quick tempers, instant grati-
fication, and relentless activity, Jesus’ words refocus our priority on
patience:
“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, hav-
ing heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear
fruit with patience. . . . By your patience possess your souls” (Luke
8:15; 21:19).
Run the race with patience (Hebrews 12:1). Be patient with yourself.
Be patient with one another. Be patient with God’s plan.

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . What does the Old Testament teach us about God’s longsuffering

nature? Numbers 14:18; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15; Joel 2:13;
Jonah 4:2. What are the purpose and goal of God’s longsuffering?

21
2 . What does the New Testament say that God’s patience is for?
2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4. Who is a pattern of this? 1 Timothy 1:16.
How does divine longsuffering inform ours, and what does it look
like in practice? Colossians 3:12, 13.

3 . Do you agree that patience is the willingness to yield control? Why

is this the case, and why is it important in practicing patience?

4 . What metaphor and Bible characters does James use to illustrate

patience and its relationship with perseverance? 5:7-11. How does
this relate to the fruit of the Spirit and its maturing? 1:3.

5 . What does Jesus say about patience, and how does this challenge
the way the world is? Luke 8:15; 21:19. What is the opposite of pa-
tience? In what ways does modern life undermine the cultivation of
godly patience?

Personal cultivation: Meditate on the key words surrounding pa-

tience and the place they occupy in your life: slow to anger, surrender, for-
giveness, and enduring hope; judgment, control, complaining, and relentless
productivity. Sabbath is helpful in cultivating patience as it reorients our
time, expectation, and activity to the rhythm of God’s grace, work, and
plan.

A prayer for patience: Father, You are the God of patience. We

praise You for Your forbearance with us, which has led us to repentance.
Lord, may we be longsuffering and forgiving with one another, as You
have been with us. Father, may we be found faithful, waiting patiently
for Your return. Amen.
22
 Lesson 6

Kindness
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Objectives: to understand how kindness is linked to salvation in God’s

act for us through Jesus Christ, and how that kindness informs our ac-
tions and ministry.

Introduction: Kindness is the fifth fruit of the Spirit. In modern cul-

ture it is often equated with being nice. While that is not bad, kindness
can easily be reduced to superficial sentimentality that obscures the bib-
lical richness of the word.
Kindness follows longsuffering on Paul’s list of fruit. He utilizes this
order two other times in his epistles. “Love suffers long and is kind” are
the first two attributes Paul lists in describing love (1 Corinthians 13:4).
In defending his gospel ministry, he writes that it is “by longsuffering, by
kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love” (2 Corinthians 6:6).
This pair and their order are significant in a couple of ways. First,
each one is a unique manifestation of love. Longsuffering is an inner
disposition that makes space for others in love. Kindness is concrete
acts of love within that space opened up by patience. Second, kindness
is otherward and outward, as Philip Kenneson says: “Kindness is neither a
state of mind nor an invisible attribute or emotion. . . . Rather, we regard
23
people as kind because they go out of their way, often quietly and with-
out fanfare, to engage in kind actions.”
David’s consideration of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9 is an excellent
example of a rich kindness in action: “Is there still anyone who is left of
the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
(v. 1). David shows how divine kindness enters deeply into the need and
life of another.
What sets biblical kindness apart from worldly kindness is that it is
inseparable from, and instrumental to, God’s action for salvation in
Jesus Christ. God’s great love in bringing salvation is nothing less than
“His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). In Titus, Paul
personifies God’s kindness in the appearing of Jesus Christ for salvation:
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward
man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to His mercy He saved us (Titus 3:4, 5, emphasis
added).
This divine, salvation-oriented kindness defines the fruit that the
Spirit sows in our hearts. No superficial niceness, it is radical kindness
for others for the sake of the gospel. Looking closer at our Scripture
reading, we see kindness as a key characteristic of Paul’s ministry of
the gospel of God, in delivering the message that “now is the day of
salvation.” Far from being sentimental, this kindness is accompanied
“by ​purity, by knowledge . . . by the word of truth, by the power of God”
(2 Corinthians 6:1-10).
When situated in Jesus’ sacrificial life of mercy and truth, Paul’s ad-
monition to “be kind to one another” (Ephesians 4:32) takes on a much
greater force. In a world of lonely individualism and disconnected self-
sufficiency, the fruit of kindness is the power of the Spirit to enter inten-
tionally and meaningfully, mercifully and honestly, into the needs and
lives of others. Let’s practice that!

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . What is the significance of Paul’s pairing of longsuffering and kind-

ness? 1 Corinthians 13:4; 2 Corinthians 6:6. How do they relate and
differ?

24
2 . How does David illustrate biblical kindness in 2 Samuel 9? Find and
share with the class another Old Testament example or verse about
kindness.

3 . Explain how Ephesians 2:4-9 and Titus 3:3-7 orient our thinking
about the nature and goal of kindness.

4 . How do kindness, longsuffering, the gospel, salvation, purity, truth,

and blameless ministry all fit together, according to 2 Corinthians
6:1-10?

5 . How do worldly niceness and biblical kindness differ? What obsta-

cles does our culture present for exercising divine kindness, and in
what ways is it undermined?

Personal cultivation: Think about the ways the world has con-
formed us to a non-offensive niceness, or “random acts of kindness”
that only superficially engage the needs of others. Then think about the
specific actions you might take that demonstrate the kindness of God
that leads to salvation. Consider how the word of truth accompanies the
grace of God in our acts of kindness.

A prayer for kindness: Father, in Your rich mercy and great love,
You have shown Your kindness to us in Jesus Christ. We praise and
thank You for this grace. Lord, may this kindness fill our hearts and
overflow toward others in need of Your salvation. May Your kindness be
shown in all our actions. Amen.

25
 Lesson 7

Goodness
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works . . . for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness,
righteousness, and truth (Ephesians 2:10; 5:9).

Scripture Reading: Matthew 12:33-35; Ephesians 5:8-11

Objectives: to compare and contrast the goodness of God with our

human pretensions of goodness; to learn how to become the goodness
of God.

Introduction: By now we understand that the fruit of the Spirit is

the divine sharing of the divine nature with us. This is nowhere more
evident than with the fruit of goodness. Psalms repeatedly praises the
goodness of God:
• Good and upright is the Lord (25:8).
• Oh, how great is Your goodness (31:19).
• The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord (33:5).
• Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good (34:8).
• The goodness of God endures continually (52:1).
• Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good (135:3).
My favorite is Psalm 100: “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlast-
ing, and His truth endures to all generations” (v. 5). Psalms pairs God’s
26
goodness and His mercy ten times (23:6; 25:7; 86:5, et al.). No wonder
the psalmist sings and repeats: “Oh, that men would give thanks to the
Lord for His goodness” (107:8, 15, 21, 31).
God is good! But Psalms is equally emphatic that we are not! “There is
none who does good, no, not one” (14:1, 3; 53:1, 3). The fundamental
truth that God alone is unequivocally good is emphasized in the New
Testament too. It is central to the gospel. To the rich young ruler’s ques-
tion “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” Jesus re-
sponds, “No one is good but One, that is, God” (Matthew 19:16, 17). Paul
quotes the psalms above to prove that there is no boasting in our good-
ness before God (Romans 3:9-20; 7:13-20).
This truth makes the appearance of goodness among the fruit of the
Spirit all the more wonderful. For while we are not good, God calls us to
goodness — not our own but His in us, by grace: “For we are His work-
manship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). But
what is goodness, and what does it mean to be good? Paul gives us a hint
by pairing goodness with righteousness and truth as fruit of the Spirit
three chapters later (5:9). Good means “right” and “true.” There is noth-
ing wrong or false in God’s perfect goodness. Good is opposite of bad
just as light is opposite darkness (vv. 8-11).
Regarding goodness, Kenneson makes an important observation in
Life on the Vine: “The word good usually points to some excellence . . . As
such, the notion of ‘good’ cannot usually be separated from some idea
of that object’s purpose.”
So what is our purpose? We were made in the image of God; He de-
signed us to reflect Him. His goodness. This image was corrupted by
sin, and the capacity for divine excellence was lost. But the good news is
Jesus has restored the image and us to our divine purpose and poten-
tial. We can be the good tree that bears good fruit in Christ. By His Spirit,
we, like “a good man out of the good treasure of his heart,” bring forth
good things (Matthew 12:33-35).
Praise the Lord, there is none good but God. And yet, by His grace,
we “also are full of goodness” (Romans 15:14). Brethren, go bear fruit of
goodness!

27
Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . What does Psalms say about the goodness of God and of humanity
(see Introduction)? What’s your favorite psalm about the goodness
of God?

2 . How do Jesus and Paul confirm the truth found in the Psalms?
Matthew 19:16, 17; Romans 3:9-20; 7:13-20.

3 . If we are not good in ourselves, how do Ephesians 2:10 and 5:8-

11 help us understand how we become good and what goodness
means?

4 . We call something good if it performs according to its purpose.

How does our goodness relate to our divine purpose? How was this
lost and restored in Christ? Genesis 1:27; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6.

5 . How does the world’s understanding of goodness differ from

the Bible’s? Is being and doing good important for us Christians?
Matthew 12:33-35; Romans 15:14; Colossians 1:10.

Personal cultivation: Distinguish worldly notions of self-righ-

teousness and self-help with the Bible’s teaching of God’s goodness and
our possession of it by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Confessing our
sins and imitating Christ within a community of believers yields the fruit
of goodness.

A prayer for goodness: Oh Father, how great is Your goodness.

We praise and thank You because Your goodness endures forever. Lord,
forgive our sins through Your Son, and make known your goodness in
us through Your Spirit. Amen.
28
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 Lesson 8

Faithfulness
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant;
you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over
many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’” (Matthew 25:21).

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:1-7

Objectives: to learn about the faithfulness of God in Christ and how

we are called to follow their example under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit.

Introduction: Is there a fruit of the Spirit that inspires you, a fruit

you are aspiring to? After love, faithfulness is the one that has caught
my heart as I’ve written this quarterly. Faithfulness is translated from the
same Greek word we get faith (pistis). If faith is understood as trust, then
faithfulness is trustworthiness. It conveys something that is true, reli-
able, and steadfast.
Again, to understand the word, we turn to the character of God. The
Hebrew equivalent to pistis is emet. In the KJV / NKJV, it is often trans-
lated as “truth.” In relation to YHWH, the word carries strong covenantal
overtones. Just like covenant marriage, God is faithful and true to the
covenant relationship:
“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful
God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations

30
 with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuter-
onomy 7:9).
The relational character of emet is evident. Because He is covenant
maker and partner, Israel knows YHWH as “the faithful God.” He is com-
pletely loyal; He keeps His promises. In this way, Israel understands
both God and His words to be faithful and true (the very truth). We also
notice in the text above that faithful is paired with mercy (hesed). If there
were ever two words that captured the covenant character of the God
of Israel, it is mercy and truth (Exodus 34:6, NKJV) or “steadfast love and
faithfulness” (ESV).
Perhaps more than any other fruit of the Spirit, faithfulness has a
strong and direct affinity with love. God’s love is faithful, and His faith-
fulness loving. We find these words together across the Old Testament,
particularly in Psalms: “All the paths of the Lord are mercy [steadfast
love, ESV] and truth [faithfulness, ESV], to such as keep His covenant and
His testimonies” (25:10; cf. 26:3; 36:5; 40:10; 57:10; 61:7; 85:10; 86:15;
88:11; 89:1; 92:2; 98:3; 100:5; 108:4; 115:1; 117:2; 138:2).
Perhaps Lamentations 3:22, 23 expresses the Old Testament’s rev-
elation of God’s nature best: “His compassions [steadfast love] fail not.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” But this faithful-
ness is seen and experienced most fully in the new covenant: “God is
faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). In Jesus, God is faithful to forgive,
establish, and guard us (1 John 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:3).
Kenneson notices that “In stark contrast to the faithfulness and reli-
ability of God, we live and move within a dominant culture increasingly
characterized by rapid change and instability.” Where the world is unreli-
able, impermanent, and untrue, Jesus is faithful, unchanging, and true.
The fruit of faithfulness is our response of fidelity and obedience to this
faithful God.
In the Spirit we aspire to hear the Lord’s words to us: “Well done,
good and faithful servant.” May we be churches like the Colossians,
whom Paul called “faithful brethren” (Colossians 1:2, 7).

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . Usually translated “faithful,” what do the Greek and Hebrew words

pistis and emet mean? How are faith and faithful similar? How does a

31
 covenantal context help us understand faithfulness? Deuteronomy
7:9; Exodus 34:6.

2 . What is the significance of the frequent pairing of “mercy and truth”

(or “steadfast love and faithfulness”) in Psalms? What’s your favorite
example, and why?

3 . How is God’s faithfulness related to the truth of God’s Word?

Hebrews 11:11; Psalm 119:138. How is God’s faithfulness fully seen
and experienced? 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:3.

4 . How does our faithfulness relate to God’s in the new covenant?

What does it mean to be described as faithful? Matthew 25:21;
Colossians 1:1-7.

5 . How does divine faithfulness differ from the way the world is? How
does our unreliable and impermanent world present obstacles for
faithfulness?

Personal cultivation: Identify areas in your lifestyle that reflect the

world’s fast-paced and ever-changing character, and consider if they
undermine faithful and steadfast relationships with God and the church.
Cultivate faithfulness in prioritizing and simplifying loyalties and com-
mitments.

A prayer for faithfulness: Father, how great is Your faithfulness.

Without fail, You have been true. Your steadfast love and mercies fail
not. Lord, give us Your faithfulness that we might trust and obey You in
all things. Covenant God, may You look upon us and say, “Well done, My
good and faithful servant.” Amen.

32
 Lesson 9

Gentleness
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand
(Philippians 4:5).

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6; 2 Timothy 2:20-26

Objective: to understand the importance of gentleness, or meek-

ness, as an attribute of Christ and an essential fruit of the Spirit for our
relationships.

Introduction: Gentleness may be the most neglected and maligned

fruit of the Spirit. Translated also as meekness or humility, in our increas-
ingly angry and aggressive culture, meekness is considered weakness,
and so we justify exchanging gentleness for righteous indignation. But
Kenneson rightly notes that these key words “point to that strength of
character required to ground one’s relationships in something other
than pride and power.”
Gentleness, meekness, and humility orient us in our relationship
with God as much as our relationships with others. They convey a trust
that submits its will and strength to the Lord. This trusting submission
informs our human relationships, too, because gentleness is His will for
His disciples as we interact with all people.
We comprehend gentleness best by seeing how it’s set side by side
with various works of the flesh in key verses. Paul contrasts gentleness
with “outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions” (Galatians
33
5:20). It doesn’t seek glory or make demands (1 Thessalonians 2:6). It is
not violent or quarrelsome (1 Timothy 3:3). Without gentleness, one “is
proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments . .
.” (6:4, 11). Second Timothy 2:23, 24 sums it up perfectly: Though foolish
disputes that lead to strife are the norm, the “servant of the Lord must
not quarrel but be gentle to all.”
Throughout these lessons we’ve grounded each fruit in the character
of God, but in what way can we say that He is gentle? It is significant that
while God exercises wrath, anger, judgment, and vengeance, as Holy
Creator, these He expressly forbids His people (Matthew 7:1; Romans
12:19). But God is much more than raw power. Our sovereign God is lov-
ing, longsuffering, and gentle. David sings, “Your gentleness has made
me great” (Psalm 18:35). Describing His ways with Israel, God says, “I
drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love” (Hosea 11:4). These
divine attributes He specifically calls us to.
We see the gentleness of God best in Jesus. Kenneson is right that
“God reveals the divine character most determinatively in Jesus Christ,
whose life is characterized not by the exercise of brute force, power or
coercion, but by self-sacrificing love.” In Jesus we understand that meek-
ness isn’t weakness, for in Jesus is all the power and authority of God, but
directed toward others in the interest of salvation: “Take My yoke upon
you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Surely the gentleness of Jesus
is seen most clearly on the cross.
Jesus embodies true gentleness, and we follow Him through the
Holy Spirit: “By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you
. . . clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness
and patience” (2 Corinthians 10:1; Colossians 3:12, NIV). This power of
gentleness is upside down from the way the world works. The meek do
not conquer the earth; they inherit it (Matthew 5:5).

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . How is the gentleness of God seen in the Old Testament, and how
is it fully revealed in Christ? Psalm 18:35; Hosea 11:4; Matthew
11:29; 21:1-6.

34
2 . List two biblical synonyms and six antonyms for gentleness. How
do these give us a better understanding of what gentleness is?
2 Corinthians 10:1; Colossians 3:12; Galatians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians
2:6; 1 Timothy 3:3; 6:4, 11.

3 . Do you think meekness equals weakness? How does 2 Corinthians

10:1-6 help us understand the upside-down nature of the power of
gentleness? In what ways did Jesus teach and model this?

4 . In what specific circumstances is gentleness recommended?

2 Timothy 2:20-26; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 4:1-3; 1 Timothy 3:1-3;
Titus 3:1-3.

5 . How does the world rob us of gentleness? What might it look

like to be clothed in meekness before all people? Philippians 4:5;
Colossians 3:12.

Personal cultivation: Domination and self-promotion — not to

mention strife and violence — are found and praised in business, poli-
tics, and even family relationships. Entertainment and pop culture inun-
date us with stories of power and aggression. Root these from your life.
Consider how you might creatively demonstrate gentleness in all these
contexts.

A prayer for gentleness: Father, we praise Your name, for in Jesus

Christ Your gentleness has made us great. In this proud and violent
world, may we be meek and humble before You and others. May we
boldly demonstrate Your powerful love through the meekness of Your
Son and our King, Jesus. Amen.
35
 Lesson 10

Self-Control
Now as [Paul] reasoned about righteousness, self-control,
and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid . . . (Acts 24:25).

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Peter 1:2-11

Objectives: to understand the nature of self-control; to determine

its true source and how it must be exercised to run the race of faith
unhindered.

Introduction: We come finally to the ninth and last fruit of the Spirit.
It is usually translated as self-control or temperance. This final fruit is
unique — and open to misunderstanding. While the first eight add posi-
tive virtues to the believer, self-control works by negation, resisting
the “works of the flesh” that arise within the self. Notice the contrast
between selfish ambition and self-control in Galatians 5:20, 23. Further
contrasts are self-indulgence, self-seeking, and self-willed (Matthew
23:25; Romans 2:8; Titus 1:7).
But this raises the question: What is the self, and how can it control
itself?
Though listed last in the fruit of the Spirit and not referred to much
in the New Testament, self-control was the first and fundamental vir-
tue among the Greeks. But even they saw the internal contradiction.
Kenneson summarizes the conundrum: “In brief, the paradox is this:
when we speak of self-control . . . who is ‘the self’ that is being controlled

36
or mastered, and who is ‘the self’ that is controlling or mastering? Isn’t it
in both cases the same ‘self’?”
Both logically and biblically, something greater than the self is neces-
sary to master the self. The apostles understood this. In Galatians 5,
Paul presents the self as a battleground between the passions of the
flesh and the virtues of the Spirit. When he lists self-control last, he’s not
thinking of it as the Greeks did. He’s subverting their idea of self-mastery
and placing that work under the transforming control of the Holy Spirit.
As Kenneson explains, the new Christians understood “that a new power
had been made available to them through Christ. This power was not
of their own making, nor was it a power inherent in the human person.
Instead, this power was intimately bound up with Jesus Christ and made
possible a new way of life.”
With this crucial understanding of self-control, we can appreciate our
part in the Spirit-led process of self-mastery. Paul’s metaphor of ath-
letes in training in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 helps us understand this virtue:
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training” (v. 25,
NIV). And The Living Bible puts it this way: “To win the contest you must
deny yourselves many things. . . .” In contrast to this is Proverbs: “He
that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down,
and without walls” (25:28, KJV). Which will we be?
Spirit-motivated self-discipline is essential to the race we run. Paul
identifies the last days as “without self-control.” Today, the pursuit of
happiness is a justification for every desire. But in these self-indulgent
and addictive times, the believer asks, “What’s God’s desire for me? What
should make me happy?” In the answer is the reason for self-control. We
do well to heed Peter’s word: Not as those who “walk according to the
flesh” and are “self-willed” but as those who, “giving all diligence, add
to [their] faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control”
(2 Peter 2:10; 1:5, 6).

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . How is self-control different among the fruit of the Spirit? How is it

easily misunderstood? How does Paul speak of the self in Galatians
5:14 — 6:1?

37
2 . How is the self a battleground between the Spirit and the flesh?
What is set in contrast to self-control? Galatians 5:20; Matthew
23:25; Romans 2:8; Titus 1:7. What is the true source of self-control?

3 . How does Paul’s athletic metaphor help us understand the pur-

pose of self-control? 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. What are some “body
parts” that need to be mastered? Psalm 39:1; Proverbs 16:32; 29:11;
1 Thessalonians 4:3.

4 . What is the source and goal of self-control? What is our responsibil-

ity in the process, and what happens if we neglect it? 2 Peter 1:2-11.

5 . How does biblical self-control address desires and addictions?

How does Paul describe the last days, and what is his advice to us?
2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Personal cultivation: Self-control resists the weeds that threaten

the other eight fruit. Meditate on the race you are running and the finish
line. List the spiritual exercises you’re doing that are bringing your body
into subjection to Christ. What habits are you eliminating along the way?

A prayer for self-control: Father, we thank You for Your thoughts

toward us and for Your Spirit who is working Your will in us. Lord, we
pray that You will increase our self-control and break every chain that
holds us in bondage. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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 Lesson 11

Crucify the Flesh

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).

Scripture Reading: Romans 6:1-11; Colossians 3:1-11

Objective: to recognize that Christians continue to wrestle with the

works of the flesh; to learn what they are and how we can put them to
death.

Introduction: We have come to the end of the fruit of the Spirit but
not to the end of Galatians 5. While our focus tends to be on those nine
fruit, for Paul the list sets up the critical statement that follows: “And
those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and de-
sires” (v. 24).
It is noteworthy that the fruit of the Spirit is sandwiched between
references to the flesh. Paul begins, “Now the works of the flesh are evi-
dent” (v. 19). If lust is the first work of the flesh (v. 16) and mother of the
seventeen that follow, and love is the first fruit of the Spirit and mother
of the other eight, then the flesh outnumbers the Spirit two to one.
Sometimes it feels that way. The Christian garden will always be threat-
ened by weeds. Believers aren’t at all free of temptation or failure. The
Spirit-flesh battle is real.
At the same time, the flesh is no match for the Spirit. And Paul’s ver-
dict is decisive; the winner is clear. “Those who are Christ’s,” he says,
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“have crucified the flesh.” Being Christ’s constitutes a new identity that
makes a victorious life in the Spirit possible. This brings us back full cir-
cle to Lesson 1. Galatians 2:20 is the key verse of the epistle and of this
lesson. The verb tense gives our status: “I have been crucified with Christ
. . . and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God.” In Christ, we claim the past reality “I have been” and the present “I
now live.”
What Paul condenses in this short verse, he unpacks fully in Romans
6:1-11 and Colossians 3:1-11. These passages cover the same impli-
cations but give different emphasis. In Romans 6, Paul explains our
present identity in Christ through baptism. We “were baptized into His
death” (v. 3) and so have died to sin. Likewise, “as Christ was raised
from the dead . . . even so we also should walk in newness of life” (v. 4).
Because we died and were raised in Christ, neither sin nor death has do-
minion over us. They are put to death with Christ, and now we live with
Him and for Him and by Him. Now! Praise the Lord!
Colossians 3:1 starts with the same crucifixion-resurrection pattern:
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above.”
But Paul also emphasizes the continuing battle against our carnal nature
and our role and responsibility in that work. He employs two meta-
phors. As if wild, rabid beasts, “put to death . . . fornication, uncleanness,
passion, evil desire . . .” (v. 5). And as if they were filthy rags, “put off
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy” (v. 8). We can’t make peace with our
fallen nature: It’s got to go, so take it off.
I am crucified with Christ! This event marks the point between our old
man and our new man — our old life, dominated by the flesh, and our
newness of life, powered by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, let’s claim
this holy identity and our ongoing victory over sin.

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . What does Paul say the works of the flesh are and what must be
done to them? Galatians 5:17-24. How do lust and love relate to
each other and in these two lists?

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2 . How does Galatians 5:24 relate to Galatians 2:20? What present
identity and reality is outlined in the latter verse?

3 . How does Romans 6:1-11 unpack Paul’s condensed teaching in

Galatians 2:20? How does baptism reveal our past and present
identity in Christ?

4 . How is Colossians 3:1-11 both similar and different from Romans

6:1-11? What metaphors does Paul employ in teaching about the
ongoing battle against the flesh?

5 . According to Colossians 3:1-11, what do the old man and new man
look like? How does this vice-virtue list compare with Galatians
5:19-23?

Personal cultivation: “Crucify the flesh” doesn’t mean killing the

body, of course, it is just another way of saying, “Weed your garden.”
Our work in eliminating the bad begins by identifying it. The Bible helps
us with this, and being crucified with Christ empowers us to eliminate
sins by the Holy Spirit.

A prayer for dying to self: Father, we thank You for Your Son, Jesus
Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us. We praise You for the new
identity we have in Him. God, may we now live out our baptisms, dying
to sin, putting it to death, and rising to newness of life in Jesus and by
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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 Lesson 12

Walk in the Spirit

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit
(Galatians 5:25).

Scripture Reading: Romans 4:1-12

Objectives: to learn that walking in the Spirit refers to a journey of

faith and lifestyle of holiness possible only through the guidance of the
Holy Spirit.

Introduction: As we near the end of these lessons on cultivating the

fruit of the Spirit, we hear what Paul may consider the conclusion of the
matter: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians
5:25). There is much to unpack in this sentence. Let’s look at each
phrase closely:
In the Spirit Paul uses twice in thirteen words. That’s our divine posi-
tion: In the Spirit! That is the whole point. God has called us to a holy life-
style, and each fruit shows what that life looks like. But it’s unattainable
in the self. It is only possible as the nature of Christ is shared with us in
the Spirit.
If we live suggests much more. If means this life is not forced on
us but is a matter of our response of faith to God. If means many will
choose lives of flesh rather than lives of faith. We indicates life in the
Spirit is not life alone but an intimate life in the community of saints.
We means we don’t bear this fruit in isolation but in the company of

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believers. And live signifies the calling isn’t part-time or when I find time
for it. It means a way of life that is ongoing and uninterrupted and in re-
lation to Christ through the Spirit.
This way of life in the Spirit is referred to again in the second clause,
let us also walk. Since we live in the Spirit, it naturally follows that we will
walk in the Spirit. But what does walk mean? Recalling Lesson 1, this
walk is a way. Walking on the path is figurative language for conduct in
conformity to a godly way of life, such as “You shall walk in all the ways
which the Lord your God has commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5:33; cf.
Psalm 119:1; 2 John 1:4-6).
We find this walk throughout Scripture: “Enoch walked with God”
(Genesis 5:22); “Noah walked with God” (6:9). Isaac, David, and
Jehoshaphat walked with God. Maybe Abraham exemplified this journey
of faith and faithfulness best. God told him, “I am Almighty God; walk
before Me and be blameless” (17:1). And he did. That is why Abraham
is the father of the faith and our model: “Walk in the steps of the faith
which our father Abraham had” (Romans 4:12).
Under the new covenant, this walk is empowered and guided by the
gift of the Spirit. Jesus promised the Spirit to believers before His death:
“When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth”
(John 16:13). As our teacher and comforter, the Spirit leads and we fol-
low. The truth we’re being guided into is the way of Christ as seen in
each fruit of the Spirit. Walk in the Spirit means taking each step by faith
as the Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ.
The Epistles tell us what these steps will look like. Ephesians alone
might be called A Guide on Walking: walk in good works; walk worthy of
your calling; walk in love; walk as children of light; walk wise (Ephesians
2:10; 4:1; 5:2, 8; 5:15).
Brethren, let’s walk — in the Spirit and together!

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . Dissect and discuss each part of Galatians 5:25. What is the signifi-
cance of the phrases in the Spirit if we live and let us walk?

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2 . What does walk mean as a biblical metaphor? Deuteronomy 5:33;
Psalm 119:1; 2 John 1:4-6. Who does Genesis say “walked with God,”
and what can we learn from their examples?

3 . How is Abraham’s walk a model for ours? Genesis 17:1; Romans

4:1-12.

4 . What does Jesus call the Spirit, and what is His role? John 16:13.
Why is His role significant, and why is the gift of the Spirit so impor-
tant for new covenant believers?

5 . In what specific ways does Ephesians tell us to walk? Ephesians

2:10; 4:1; 5:2, 8; 5:15. How is your walk going?

Personal cultivation: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the
Spirit” (Galatians 5:25) is a command and a challenge for each of us.
Think about the we and us in that sentence and how we may live and
walk together.

A prayer for walking in the Spirit: Father, thank You for the gift
of Your Spirit, who is in us and with us, guiding and comforting us. Lord,
help us to not quench Your Holy Spirit but surrender to His leading. And
may we bear much fruit to Your glory. Amen.
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 Lesson 13

The Law of the Spirit

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me
free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:1-13

Objective: to understand that the presence of the Spirit and its fruit
is the fulfillment of God’s new covenant promise to write His law on our
hearts.

Introduction: In concluding our study on the fruit of the Spirit

and our life in the Spirit, I want to take a step back from the details of
Galatians 5 to see the big, beautiful picture of how God has kept His
promises concerning the new covenant and the Spirit’s role in that
covenant:
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel . . . I will put My law in their
minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they
shall be My people” (Jeremiah 31:31, 33).
Jeremiah doesn’t tell us how this new covenant would be made, only
that God would make it and that His forgiveness and our obedience
would be experienced in a way it wasn’t under the old covenant. Ezekiel
adds a key detail:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will
take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of
46
 flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (36:26, 27).
The prophets promised a new covenant, new hearts, and new obedi-
ence to His law through the gift of what He calls “My Spirit.” Jesus estab-
lished the new covenant in His blood, and in Him is the fulfillment and
embodiment of the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 26:28; 5:17). We are
called to fulfill it too.
This is the “law of Christ” that Paul refers to right after he lists the fruit
of the Spirit (Galatians 6:2). Note that Paul ends his list with “Against such
there is no law” (5:22, 23, emphasis added). Of course, this is because
these fulfill God’s law, as he says a few verses earlier: “For all the law is
fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as your-
self’” (v. 14).
Pastor and author Timothy Keller recently said over social me-
dia, “Love defines what it means to act lawfully (see the two Great
Commandments), and law defines what it means to act lovingly (John
14:15; 1 John 5).” That’s a good summation of Paul’s message in
Galatians 5.
Paul explores this more fully in Romans 8:1-13. Here we find all the
basics we’ve already seen in Galatians 5: being in Christ, walking in the
Spirit. But in this passage Paul refers to “the law of the Spirit” to describe
the miraculous work of fulfilling the law. God’s Son “condemned sin in
the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in
us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit”
(vv. 3, 4).
There’s the flesh again. We know its ways now, and the way of the
Spirit. In Romans 8, Paul says the carnal mind cannot be subject to God’s
law, and the flesh cannot please God: “But you are not in the flesh but in
the Spirit” (v. 9).
Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! May we, by His Spirit, be found
pleasing to Him.

Questions for Study and Discussion

1 . What do the prophets tell us about the purpose of the new cov-
enant? Jeremiah 31:31-33; Ezekiel 36:26, 27. How is this purpose
fulfilled?

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2 . What does Jesus say about Himself and the making of the new cov-
enant? Matthew 26:28; 5:17.

3 . How does Galatians 5:14 — 6:2 speak of the law and its relationship
to the fruit of the Spirit? What is the law of Christ, and what fruit
sums up the law best?

4 . What is our relationship to Christ, the Spirit, and the law in Romans
8:1-13? What is the law of the Spirit, and how is the carnal mind dif-
ferent from the spiritual mind?

5 . Compare Romans 8:4 and Galatians 5:16. What does fulfill mean,
and how is it used in these verses? How do they relate to each
other and to your life?

Personal cultivation: Walking in the Spirit recognizes the law of the

Spirit, and both are equivalent to the new covenant promise of fulfilling
the law of God, obeying His commandments. Consider how all these are
summed up in love. Examine your heart and actions to see how much
they are conformed to love.

A prayer for the Spirit: Father, You have been faithful in keeping
all Your promises. Thank You for the new covenant You have given us
through Your Son Jesus. Thank You for writing Your law of love on our
hearts, giving us a new relationship with you and with others by Your
Spirit. Amen.
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