by George Runyan | Jan 27, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Galatians 5:22-23 – The fruit of the Spirit is self-control; against such things there is no law.
The last attribute Paul mentions to the Galatians is self-control. The word temperance used in KJV is translated self-control in the NASB. Paul shared Christ with Felix in Acts 24:25. He discussed righteousness, self-control, and judgment. God’s desire for every believer is self-government. That was God’s plan in the beginning for Adam and Eve. Out of a relationship with God, Adam was expected to govern his own life within the surroundings where the Lord had placed him. Jesus, whom Paul calls “the last Adam, who is a life giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45), governed Himself out of His relationship with the Father through the Holy Spirit. It is possible for each believer to be self-governing if one is fully surrendered to the Spirit of God.
Self-control is very important in the marriage bond. Consider Paul’s instruction to “Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (1 Corinthians 7:5-6). Paul also gave instructions concerning the unmarried. “If they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn” (1 Corinthians 7:9-10). Peter also dealt with the subject of self-control by writing, “in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance” (2 Peter 1:6). Peter gave his own list of disciplines for the Christian life, and self-control is right in the center. Are there areas in your life that are out of control and need the power of this attribute? Can you list areas in your life in which self-control operates freely?
I want to be clear that I am not speaking about a person by their own strength or effort living a life of self-control. I am addressing an attribute of the Holy Spirit. We can live a life of self-control by surrendering our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, through the power of His Spirit.
Father, I ask for the Holy Spirit to show me areas of my life needing Your power for self-control. I ask for the Spirit to strengthen me with this attribute in specific areas in which You make me aware. Lord, I want to live under Your governmental rule and demonstrate a lifestyle of self-control in all I do. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for this part of Your nature in me!
by George Runyan | Jan 26, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Galatians 5:22-23 – The fruit of the Spirit is gentleness.
King David gave this testimony of the Lord in 2 Samuel 22:36, “Your gentleness has made me great” (NKJV). In 2 Samuel 22, David wrote a song to the Lord in gratitude for God’s deliverance from the hands of his enemies, including King Saul. David began by declaring that the Lord is his rock, his fortress, and his deliverer. In verse 36 (KJV), David spoke of God’s “gentleness.” In the NASB, the word gentleness is translated “help.” Gentleness speaks of the Lord’s help. Our God is an ever-present help in the time of need for He said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6). The writer of Hebrews also exhorted us by saying, “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). In all these exhortations, we find the gentleness of the Lord revealed.
The Scriptures repeat David’s conviction of God’s help in Psalm 18:35. “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness makes me great.” In this verse, the translators use the word gentleness. Paul, as he instructed the church at Corinth, spoke about the attitude in which he handled them. “Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!” (2 Corinthians 10:1). Paul strongly depended upon Christ and His meek and gentle spirit to be manifested in and through him as he ministered to God’s people. Before Paul’s encounter with Jesus, he was hard and legalistic in his dealings with God’s people. Later, as Christ’s apostle to the Gentiles, he was the representative of Christ. He understood that it was Christ’s Spirit in him ministering to the Lord’s people.
The fruit of the Spirit in the believer is gentle. He administers the salvation of God with gentleness and meekness. God does not come with the attitude, “I am the Lord, and you had better obey me”! Rather, He draws us to Himself through His mercy and grace. He takes His time ministering His salvation to each of us. At times, He cries for the lost through an intercessor. Other times, He lays His burden for the salvation of a person on the heart of a believer. The Spirit of God is gentle in His dealings. The testimony of David should be ours as well.
Father, I pray for the Holy Spirit to give me the shield of salvation for every problem I face. I ask You to uphold me with the nature of Jesus and then to strengthen me with Your gentleness. Make me great for Your Glory. Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness makes me great.
by George Runyan | Jan 25, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Galatians 5:22 – The fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.
The fruit of the Spirit flows out of God Himself. Faithfulness originates with our Heavenly Father, as do all of these attributes. When Jesus judged the religious leaders of His day, as recorded in Matthew 23, He pointed out their neglect of the weightier matters of the law recorded in Micah 6:8. He accused them of neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Faithfulness is associated with humility. Faithfulness relates to another person’s interest. It takes humility in order to be faithful. Our first priority in faithfulness is toward God. We need to be faithful in His interests, faithful to His will, faithful to other believers, and faithful to share with those still separated from God’s love revealed in Christ, the Lord.
We begin to learn about faithfulness as we make reading God’s Word a priority. Through the Word of God, we learn of His desire to reveal Christ in us. The Word of God is the primary way the Spirit of God instructs each of us. He will give us power to be faithful to His instructions as we allow Him to control our thinking and actions. At times, He will reprove us in order to bring our thoughts into alignment with His own. He brings correction as needed, to establish our life in Christ’s righteousness.
Our life of prayer is as important to our relationship with our Father as His Holy Word. We need to hear God’s still, small voice. Every believer is called to be faithful in praying for others. Jesus has invited us to participate with Him in His ministry of intercession. The Scriptures declare, “He ever lives to make intercession for us” (Hebrews 2:17; 7:25). It is our responsibility to pray faithfully as well. There are two specific areas the Lord Jesus commanded us to ask the Father. First, we pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as in heaven. Second, we must pray faithfully for God to send laborers into the Harvest.
Father, I ask for the Holy Spirit to strengthen me in faithfulness. I ask for a greater commitment to Your interests. I ask for faithfulness toward my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I ask for faithfulness to bear witness of Your kingdom to those around me.
by George Runyan | Jan 22, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Galatians 5:22 – The fruit of the Spirit is patience.
Patience is a direct result of peace. In fact, you really cannot have patience unless you’re walking in peace. We begin to see how the fruit of the Spirit is singular and cumulative. In other words, one part of the fruit leads to another.
James said, “Count it all joy when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2). True character is formed in the trenches. An older friend who is a minister was listening to a younger man talk about his own ministry experiences. The older minister was intently looking at the younger man. The young minister asked, “What are you looking at?” My friend answered, “I am looking for the scars.”
The Scriptures teach, “The testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:3). In the King James Version, endurance is translated patience. I am grateful for all the difficult times I have known in my life although, at the time, I did not like it one bit. Today, I can see how the Lord used tests beyond my strength, and wounds too deep to heal without His grace. Each trial became a new challenge to overcome, an instrument of the discipline of God’s great love. I now know each trial and wound helped to form Christ in me. I like what Paul said, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-15). In this verse, Paul captures the essence of what patience is about.
Paul was a man who knew rejection, prison, and beatings. He was misunderstood and was even left for dead. Yet, he never lost sight of the goal; he never turned back and gave up. He cried out to the Lord three times for help. After the third time, Jesus spoke to Paul and assured him that His grace was sufficient. The Lord told Paul that “His power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). Today, those words are for us as well. Determine to be a man or woman of patience. Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you as you walk through the various trials of your faith. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you grace sufficient for each situation that comes your way.
Pray, thanking the Holy Spirit for being your helper in all things. Verbalize that you submit your weaknesses to Him. Ask Him to help you receive patience out of every trial so that His character would be manifested in your life.
by George Runyan | Jan 21, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Galatians 5:22 – The fruit of the Spirit is peace.
In Romans 14:17, Paul puts peace before joy, but here in Galatians he lists joy before peace. In Romans 14:17, righteousness is mentioned preceding peace. Peace comes as a result of becoming righteous in Christ Jesus. Joy flows from that peace. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he is speaking of the attributes of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit brings His joy out of His love. When that joy is experienced, supernatural peace becomes the result.
The world is constantly trying to find peace, whether individually or among the nations. The efforts are futile, if they are not predicated upon God’s righteousness. Only God’s righteousness can produce lasting peace. The Scriptures declare that “the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Peace is not static but dynamic in nature. The peace of God guards our hearts from the intrusion of the subtle deceptions of the enemy and allows us freedom to live freely in Christ.
A number of questions are worth considering: Do you enjoy the peace of your salvation? Do you have peace in your life that the righteousness of Christ is sufficient to cause you to be accepted in the beloved? Do you experience the peace of God guarding your heart? If you have that supernatural peace, rejoice in the Lord and give Him thanks because many people do not have what you have. Make sure you share God’s love with those you meet who do not enjoy the peace you enjoy. Give them opportunity to receive and experience the peace you have received.
If you do not have the peace of which the Scriptures speak, that can change today. Invite the Holy Spirit to show you what you must do to receive the peace of God’s kingdom. Wait upon Him for His counsel. Give up whatever He shows you and receive what He desires to give you.
Father, I thank You for Your peace that is available to me in the Holy Spirit. Teach me how to daily enter into Your peace that surpasses all comprehension and guards my heart and mind through Christ Jesus. Help me to be able to lead others to that peace.
