Works of the Flesh or Fruit of the Spirit?

Self-assessment questions:

1) Am I finding it difficult to not give into sin?

2) What fruit is my life producing? (works of the flesh or fruit of the Spirit (see below))

If your answers were 1) Yes 2) Flesh. It is most likely due to you trying to conquer sin on your power.

Galatians 5:16–17  [34] [16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (ESV)

    Paul tells us that our flesh is against the Spirit and to not let the flesh win, it must be that we yield to the Spirit and follow His lead. He continues by giving us some tangible tests to discern if our life is being led by our flesh or by the Spirit.

Spirit – Galatians 5:22–23  [43] [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control….(ESV)

Flesh – Galatians 5:19–21  [43] [22] [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21] envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these…. (ESV)

    If we have the desire to be increasing in the fruit of the Spirit and decreasing in works of the flesh and we now understanding that this must be done by the Lord and not us. What do we then do?

John 15:4–5  [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. [5] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (ESV)

    To live out our Christian life in a fruitful way requires us to abide (Greek, meno – means to remain, or stay, or continue) in Christ. For a branch to be fruitful from a tree, it must be vitally connected to it. In the same way, we must be vitally connected to Christ. So that His Word daily renews and reshapes us to be more like Him.

John 8:31–32 . [31] So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, [32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (ESV)

    When we abide in Christ the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit, that is the result of our obedience. As we become more obedient to the Lord and learn to walk in His ways, our lives will change. This change takes place in our hearts and results in new conduct (thoughts, words, and actions). This is done through the power of the Holy Spirit from the inside out.

Why should we care that our life produces fruit? Because it is to the glory of God of what He did in us.

Ephesians 2:8–10 . [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV).