SteveB
Well-known member
Good morning all.
The life of the Jesus followers is a life of spiritual things.
In Galatians 5, Paul describes what it looks like to walk in the Spirit.
He says that the fruit of the Spirit is love.
The question becomes, what does love look like in our lives?
While Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 that love is patient, kind, not boastful or proud, does not take delight in wrong/iniquity and delights in the truth, endures all, believes all, hopes all, and never quits, he goes on in Galatians 5 to say that Love is perceived as
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faith
Gentleness
Self-control
And while we may indeed have these attributes in our being, as people, they are expressed well-beyond our natural lives, because God inhabits the life of the people who follow Jesus.
They get most readily exposed in the hardships we encounter in our lives.
Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 12 how that in his hardships, he learned that the Grace of God is sufficient, and in our weaknesses, God will give us his Strength.
He iterates a similar idea in Philippians 3, where he says that he seeks to experience the power of the resurrection of Jesus, while he undergoes the fellowship of his sufferings.
Then, in Peter's first letter, first chapter, he said that we rejoice with joy indescribable because of this salvation God is giving us, even though there are times when we feel overwhelmed by our hardships.
I.e., in the hardships we experience with Jesus the fellowship of knowing he suffered because he believed and was obedient to God. As we read in Hebrews 5, he learned obedience through the things he suffered and became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
In Romans 8:4-7, we read that the way to walk in the Spirit is to focus our thoughts on spiritual things. Note that he tells us the only way to fulfill the law is to think on spiritual matters.
In Romans 7:12-14, we see that the Law is spiritual and we are carnal, or natural.
In Romans 13:8-10, and in Matthew 22, we see that the law is fulfilled by love.
Jesus said that the greatest law is to Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. He emphasized that the law and prophets all hang on those 2.
So, how do we do this?
Go back to Romans 8:4-7
The life of the Jesus followers is a life of spiritual things.
In Galatians 5, Paul describes what it looks like to walk in the Spirit.
He says that the fruit of the Spirit is love.
The question becomes, what does love look like in our lives?
While Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 that love is patient, kind, not boastful or proud, does not take delight in wrong/iniquity and delights in the truth, endures all, believes all, hopes all, and never quits, he goes on in Galatians 5 to say that Love is perceived as
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faith
Gentleness
Self-control
And while we may indeed have these attributes in our being, as people, they are expressed well-beyond our natural lives, because God inhabits the life of the people who follow Jesus.
They get most readily exposed in the hardships we encounter in our lives.
Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 12 how that in his hardships, he learned that the Grace of God is sufficient, and in our weaknesses, God will give us his Strength.
He iterates a similar idea in Philippians 3, where he says that he seeks to experience the power of the resurrection of Jesus, while he undergoes the fellowship of his sufferings.
Then, in Peter's first letter, first chapter, he said that we rejoice with joy indescribable because of this salvation God is giving us, even though there are times when we feel overwhelmed by our hardships.
I.e., in the hardships we experience with Jesus the fellowship of knowing he suffered because he believed and was obedient to God. As we read in Hebrews 5, he learned obedience through the things he suffered and became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
In Romans 8:4-7, we read that the way to walk in the Spirit is to focus our thoughts on spiritual things. Note that he tells us the only way to fulfill the law is to think on spiritual matters.
In Romans 7:12-14, we see that the Law is spiritual and we are carnal, or natural.
In Romans 13:8-10, and in Matthew 22, we see that the law is fulfilled by love.
Jesus said that the greatest law is to Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. He emphasized that the law and prophets all hang on those 2.
So, how do we do this?
Go back to Romans 8:4-7
Rom 8:4-7 WEB 4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; 7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God; for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be.
In Philippians 4:4-9 we read Phi 4:4-9 WEB 4 Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things. 9 The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.