January 3, 2012 Galatians 5:22-23 and what Rihanna taught me about the fruit of the Spirit
Just after breaking up with Chris Brown who eventually pleaded guilty to assault charges for beating her, Rihanna confessed that she definitely likes high-risk men. ‘I don’t like cream puff, corny guys. Usually they are the nice guys, the ones that won’t hurt you. They’ll pull out the chair for you and the whole nine yards. Everything is perfect and boring. I like the risk, I like the edge. That’s the thrill for me.’
Maybe she’s right. Compare the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 with the works of the flesh described in verses 19-21. If we’re honest, flesh beats fruit any day of the week. But Paul warns that if we follow that path, it won’t lead us to a place where God is (5:21). And that can’t be good.
Rihanna may think that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are boring, but there’s an even more significant issue when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit. Is it really possible to live this way – even if we wanted to?
Is it possible …
- To love in a culture motivated by greed?
- To be joyful when there’s so much to complain about?
- To be peaceful when nothing seems to work?
- To be patient when we feel the pressure to produce?
- To be kind to those who use us, criticize us, and put us down?
- To be good when surrounded by temptations to lust, hate, steal, and cheat?
- To be faithful when nothing is permament?
- To be gentle when others are aggressive?
- To be self-controlled when addictions are so easily fed?
In verse17 Paul says that the desires of the flesh keep us from doing what we want to do. IOW, even if we want the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in our lives, there are forces within us so powerful that we lose the battle for love, joy, peace … every time.
This Sunday we’re beginning a series on the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) by asking the questions:
Do we want it? (Hint: Most prefer devil’s food cake to carrots.)
Is it possible? (Hint: The fruit of the Spirit is about more than just good character.)
How do we get it? (Hint: Romans 8:13-14)
Tags: fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, Rihanna, sermons
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Babylonian theology, discipleship, Religion, sermons, Uncategorized
