New Testament Reading Plan: Hebrews 1-2
SCRIPTURE READING
Gal 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who
belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (ESV)
Paul writes; ‘the fruit of the Spirit IS . . .’ In other words, the behaviour and the works of a
person who has the Spirit of God are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness etc.
etc. I want you to notice here that Paul defines the life of the Spirit by a set of actions not a
set of beliefs. According to Paul, the sign that a person has the Spirit of God working in them
is not that they have a certain set of beliefs in their head – though obviously it would include
that – but that they have a certain set of actions and behaviours that are consistently pouring
out of them. Works matter in the Christian life, behaviour matters. Works are a sign of what
is happening inside of you. If the Spirit of God really is in you, then there will be proof in the
pudding of your actions and behaviour. Notice also verse 24; ‘And those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.’ Who are the type of people
who belong to Jesus? The people that crucify their flesh with all of its passions and desires
belong to Jesus. Notice that Paul does not say that some people who belong to Jesus do
this, and some do not. No: all people who actually belong to Jesus, this is something they all
have in common – they crucify their flesh, with all of its passions and desires. This is graphic
language and crucifying the flesh is painful. Paul is telling us that people who actually belong
to Jesus are not content to leave sin in their lives: they’re not content with their sinful attitudes;
they’re not content with their dirty thoughts; they’re not content with their sinful habits and the
selfishness and greed and apathy in their lives. No – they are painfully crucifying and putting
to death their flesh. They are confessing and repenting and getting help and turning from their
selfish and worldly ways! Praise the Lord!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Pray that as a church, we would grow in crucifying the flesh and that we would not be
content to leave sin in our lives.
2. Pray that the Canadian church would see the importance of confession and repentance
and would turn from their wicked ways.
