Today is Friday, May 13th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2065
Taken from an inset in my Living Application Bible, found near Galatians chapter six:
Our Wrong Desires Vs. The Fruit of the Spirit
The will of the Holy Spirit is in constant opposition to our sinful desires.
The two are on opposite sides of the spiritual battle.
Our wrong desires vs. the fruit of the Spirit:
Evil..........Good
Destructive..........Productive
Easy to ignite..........Difficult to ignite
Difficult to stifle..........Easy to stifle
Self-centered..........Self-giving
Oppressive and possessive..........Liberating and nurturing
Decadent..........Uplifting
Sinful..........Holy
Deadly.........Abundant life
Bible Commentary:
We are all controlled by some outside force.
If we are controlled by the law, we are condemned by our inability to keep it.
If we are controlled by sin,
we are destroyed by our own evil.
If we are controlled by the Holy Spirit,
we produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We do not need to fear the Spirit's control.
He does not possess us against our wills
or treat us as robots.
The Spirit produces character traits,
not specific actions.
We can't go out and do these things,
and we can't obtain them by trying to get them.
If we want the fruit of the Spirit to develop in our lives,
we must recognize that all of these characteristics
are found in Christ.
Thus the way to grow them
is to join our lives to his.
We must know him,
love him,
remember him,
imitate him.
The result will be the intended purpose of the law---
loving God and man.
Which of these qualities most needs further development
in your life?
****
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