Daily Thought

Christians are called to liberty. We must firmly stand in our God-given freedom, purchased for us by the Lord Jesus the great Emancipator, resisting all attempts to bring us under legalistic bondage. However, it is a common misconception that liberty equals licence. Actually, they stand in contrast. Liberty is not giving free rein to our flesh, our fallen self-centred nature. It is not doing whatever we like. Rather it is being the men and women God wants us to be, and doing what He wants us to do. Christian freedom is freedom from sin to serve God. That involves commitment to the loving, practical service of our fellow believers. Paradoxically, it is in serving God and others that we are most truly free.

Such a lifestyle is impossible naturally. It is only possible by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. He is the dynamic of holiness. We are exhorted in our chapter to live empowered by Him, to submit to His gracious leading and to keep in step with Him. Walking in the Spirit demands reality. It means seeking to forsake sin and to obey God’s commands. It means feeding on God’s word and praying, drawing on His grace and power. It is living as a Christian with all our heart.

However, full perfection will never be achieved on earth. We all have a ‘fifth columnist’ within, our flesh. The flesh and the Spirit are locked in deadly conflict. Only by reliance on the Spirit will we be freed from gratifying the desires of the flesh. Even then, the continuing battle prevents the full fulfilment of our aspirations for God and holiness.

The flesh manifests itself in an ugly catalogue of vices, all involving self-gratification. These works are varied. They are sexual, idolatrous, anti-social, and intemperate. In contrast, the Spirit produces a beautiful cluster of fruit. The nine-fold fruit of the Spirit essentially means being like Christ. His life perfectly manifested these virtues. The Holy Spirit is at work reproducing Christ’s character and conduct in His people. Are the features of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control apparent in my daily life? Only the grace of the Spirit can produce them as I submit to Him.