“The gifts of the Spirit are not meant to give us a short cut to maturity.
One of the dangers in the Church is we expect the gifts of the Spirit to quickly do what only the fruit of the Spirit is meant to do slowly.” -Rich Villodas
Strait: (of a place) of limited spatial capacity; narrow or cramped.
close, strict, or rigorous
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there …
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7: 13-14
A close reading of Matthew 7 points to the truth of what has twice been pointed out to me this past week:
That Jesus placed priority on the fruit of the Spirit, the attributes of holy, Spirit -filled living that arise from hungering and thirsting for righteousness.
Pastor Craig Carter said last Wednesday night that the fruit of the spirit is this sign of maturing Christian character. The gifts of the Spirit are works that can be accomplished even without maturing in one’s faith and, in fact, can even be counterfeited for the glory of one’s own self.
“The fruit of the Spirit enables us to be holy. It is eternal in nature and is the character we take into eternity with us.
The Gifts of the Spirit equip us for good works. They are temporal and are for the building up of the church in the world.”
Then, a few days later I observed this from Rich Villodas on Twitter:
“The gifts of the Spirit are not meant to give us a short cut to maturity.
One of the dangers in the Church is we expect the gifts of the Spirit to quickly do what only the fruit of the Spirit is meant to do slowly.”
The gifts of the Spirit are outward manifestations
of DOING the Christian life and may even be done to exalt one’s self. The fruit of the Spirit is a manifestation of BEING the heart of Christ in the world for the glory of God and furthering of the Kingdom. Christ knows the true condition of the heart.
Judging Christian faith by what one DOES can be risky. Some are very adept at DOING good for the sake of the favor of men or to fulfill the desires of their own flesh…. To indulge their own pride of life, securing their immediate reward from their satisfaction in their good works.
Note the distinction between the two, gifts and fruit, made by Jesus in Matthew 7:15-24:
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (Each of these things DONE by men are presumed by men to be offered as gifts of the Spirit! But Jesus offers a rude awakening!)
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.
Rather than relying upon one’s works in the name of Jesus, especially the works of prophecy and miracles and things which in one’s own eyes are viewed as “wonderful”, look to the fruit of righteousness in how a person submits to the will of God. They came to Jesus commending themselves for their good works. But Jesus saw no righteousness in their hearts. So it was with the rich young ruler who came to Jesus to know the way into the Kingdom. He prided himself on keeping the law but could not surrender his wealth and stature to stoop to follow Christ. So also did the Pharisees glory in their self-avowed righteousness in keeping the letter of the Law while condemning the Son of God who brought a higher call to live into the Spirit of the Law. That would demand leveling the field among all men and offended their prideful stature. In their hearts stirred wrath and envy, not love.
Paul gives a specific characterization of the life exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:13-26
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit,and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
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. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Things done in the name of Christ with a love of self that gratifies the flesh will be rejected by Christ, but things done out of the fruit of the Spirit that defines love as sacrifice of one’s own desires for the good of others will be celebrated in heaven. 9/25/2021