25th July 2023 – Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.


Nor is it difficult to see how what was said in the previous Note will merge into gentleness which combines the idea of good-naturedness with that of kindliness. This must not be taken to mean an easygoing attitude to the point of sacrifice of principle. It is rather the vibrant quality shown by Christ in His attitude towards those on whom He had compassion - the woman with the issue of blood, blind Bartimaeus, or the lepers. This tender sensitiveness in dealing with human need is possible only to real strength. Only the truly great and strong can be gentle. In the moral and spiritual realm, gentleness has the strength of steel! The quality of goodness is perhaps best exemplified in the record we have of Barnabas, in the Acts of the Apostles. The son of consolation (Acts 4:36), he was the kind of man we would instinctively want to have beside us in time of trouble. Goodness 'minds the things of others' (Philippians 2:4), and has 'a heart at leisure from itself to soothe and sympathise'. There is nothing very negative in all this, is there? Love on trial, love in society, love in action - this is the Christian 'lifestyle' that is called for today - to be in the world as Christ was in the world, living a life of suffering love. Well, is this how we live? Is the fruit of the Spirit showing in our lives?