Today, we’re going to talk about ways to build character through the lens of the Bible, focusing on the fruits of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:16-26. Make no mistake, the sinful nature is also listed below. These are the things that make us fall away from God. We don’t want to fail God in our beliefs and faith in him, however, we do want to thrive with him and his will. By understanding and embodying these fruits, we can align our lives more closely with God’s will, avoiding the sinful nature that the world often encourages.
Let’s begin by reading the scripture:
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Understanding the Sinful Nature
The sinful nature, also known as the “works of the flesh,” means the behaviors of human desires and impulses that are not aligned with God. These actions are considered sinful because they lead us away from God and break our character with Him and others. Let’s break down some of these sinning works.
Adultery and fornication, essentially sex, which is cheating while married (adultery), and sex outside of marriage (fornication). These behaviors not only violate God’s design for the well-being of our relationships with others but also lead to emotional and spiritual harm with them as well. Single parenting, disease, unhappiness, regret, and more are all things that can stem from unnecessary sex.
Uncleanness represents impurity in thoughts, words, and actions, not pork! This is a process of our thinking such as bullying or putting yourself and others down, not the food you consume. It can include anything that corrupts the character of our heart and mind, leading to moral and spiritual breakdowns.
Lasciviousness (luh-siv-ee-uhs-nis), better known as greed or fetishes, is an unchecked indulgence in sensual pleasures. It is a clear lack of restraint, where one gives in to lustful desires without acknowledging the consequences of their actions, like pedophilia or more commonly, something you overly obsess for. You lose focus of what is the norm and require the obsession to become your life. This ultimately becomes idolatry. Placing anything or anyone above God in our lives is idolatry. This could be material possessions, relationships, careers, or even in church worship. Think of how many pastors who want you to clap, dance, or praise them for simply being in your presence. Some even call themselves “fathers” even though Jesus explicitly tells us not to call any man that name. Nothing and no one is more important than God.
Witchcraft has grown to be more popular nowadays for the wrong reasons. From tarot cards to crystals, the practice of magic or seeking supernatural powers is far from God. It gives humans any and every attempt to control others or manipulate circumstances through dark practices, which is directly opposed to relying on and trusting in God. Faith, the size of a mustard seed, is all you need to change your life with God.
Hatred, variance, and emulation are feelings of hostility, strife, and jealousy. Hatred leads to bitterness between people. Variance is to have constant disagreements and conflict, and emulations are resentful people that stir up discord. To hate is not of God, because God forgives what we do. If someone has a podcast that does nothing but create chaos and confusion, God is not who they are with. Think about that. You can say you’re with God, but create an atmosphere that God would not be a part of.
Wrath, uncontrolled anger, strife, ongoing conflict, and seditions are rebellious actions against those in authority like parents, teachers, elders, and government officials. This is what causes division among people. These behaviors destroy harmony and peace in communities and homes. If we cannot stand united, how can we represent God? To be at peace with ourselves is where we must start to end separation. Most of it starts in the church with heresies. These are false teachings or beliefs that contradict the truth of God’s word. Heresies lead people away from the true faith and create confusion within the church, teaching people to divide themselves from those who need God’s love.
Envy, a deep resentment toward others because of their success or blessings, can lead to a desire to harm or undermine others. You want what they have, but dislike them because they have it. Why do this when you can be content with your own blessings by living in the presence of God? Then you have those who care for nothing based on things like envy and give in to murder. The taking of innocent life is the ultimate expression of hatred and disregard for the blessings of life created by God. Imagine if you created several masterpieces or started businesses and someone came along and destroyed everything you carefully placed together, just because they wanted to. See, God created us. We should never feel entitled enough to take away his creations.
Drunkenness is a choice that involves excessive indulgence in alcohol. It leads to a loss of self-control and often results in other bad actions. You might think, “Jesus turned water into wine,” but my friend, they were not drunk at the wedding. 40% of violence is the result of being drunk, as it affects your decision-making and self-restraint. The other is alcohol poisoning, where the body tries to purge itself due to the alcohol reaching your blood. If the body can’t purge fast enough, you can fall into a coma or die from it.
Then there’s the choice of participating in riots and crazy parties or reveling. We are aware of such events, like the white Diddy parties and the January 6th riot, both of which shocked the world. The parties Diddy held were in explicit detail and disturbing beyond all means. The riot enticed individuals to carry out foolishness to take someone’s life! All of this is not of God. These choices that they chose are the path to move further away from God and onto the journey of destruction.
Living in a sinful nature leads to spiritual death of your character and separation from God. The Bible warns that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21). Do you wish to hear, “Get away from me. I never knew you, (Matthew 7:23)” as you stand before God? This is a serious warning, as Paul is stressing the need for repentance and a turnaround toward living by the fruits of the Spirit.
Understanding the Fruits of the Spirit
The fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (self-control)—are the qualities that reflect the character of Christ. These attributes should be evident in our daily lives as believers.
Love involves showing an unselfish concern for others. Love has no boundaries. A dislike or disagreement does not mean that we should hate others or push them aside. Love prevails against all opposition and runs from no one. A trait such as this is an accomplishment in God’s eyes as he wants us to love our neighbors.
Joy is the deep-seated happiness that comes from knowing and walking with God. Your soul is in pure delight and you are comfortable in your wellbeing as an individual. It is not a feeling, it is a state of being. Your actions are done with cheer and happiness. Think of the character “The Ghost of Christmas Present” in “A Christmas Carol.” He was full of joy, laughing and taking everything in delight because he knew his time was short. Once his time was up, he was at peace with how he lived through his time.
Peace refers to the inner tranquility that comes from trusting in God’s plan, even in difficult times. No matter what comes your way, your heart is calm. It is a freedom from worry and fear. It allows us to be untroubled with life’s ever-winding road.
Longsuffering, or patience through someone else’s impatience and anger, is the ability to go through trials without complaint. This does not mean you must suffer to be with God. That is a misunderstanding that many people fear when becoming a Christian to be with God. God does not want us to suffer for his sake, but to rely on him when we do experience hardships in the world.
Then there’s gentleness, which involves being kind and considerate in our dealings with others. We are thoughtful of other’s views and respect them in their place. When we choose to reflect on the possibilities of showing others to not be harsh or petty, we are choosing to have forgiveness for their actions over vengeance.
Goodness is honesty in everything you do, to put your best foot forward without tricks and deception. God knows our hearts and lying can tear down even the best of men, like David. When we choose to be honest in our dwellings, we honor God. While David was favored by God, he still chose to lie for his desires. He lost his son, due to his choice in the past.
Our faith is to trust and have loyalty toward God. We should always want to give our complete trust to God. His blessings and mercies are gifts of our faith. It’s not how much you give, but how much you trust in God to deliver you to his promises.
Meekness is humility or humbleness. To be meek is to be willing to do and accept the things that may come your way. I found out that I have a condition where my spine continues to shrink as I age. I dislike that I have it, but I refuse to sit and complain about it. I think of what I have to help me through it and in turn, I’m thankful. My husband is my blessing, he helps, provides, and loves. Because I know that I have my husband and his loving spirit, I am not arrogant or prideful to boast about him. We made nothing on this earth happen on our own, and that takes open vulnerability from the heart.
Lastly, temperance is the discipline and self-control that keeps us from giving in to temptations. The self-restraint that we must show is a display of how much we are not tempted to want to engage. We already know of the road it will lead us down to. Some will say, don’t watch this movie, and don’t drink that wine, but in honesty, you should not be weak enough to let the world draw you into sin. Just because we see it, that doesn’t mean we partake in it. With temperance, you know what not to do due to the resistance of God in you. The works of the flesh—adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and so on—are behaviors that draw us away from God. They are often impulsive, driven by desires that oppose the Spirit. These actions may seem fulfilling in the moment, but they ultimately lead to spiritual decay and separation from God.
Applying This to Our Lives
When we walk in the Spirit, we are enabled to resist the works of the flesh. It’s not enough to simply know about the fruits of the Spirit; we must actively do them in our lives. This means making conscious choices to love others, practice patience, seek peace, and exercise self-control in all situations. Living by the Spirit requires personal honesty, good character, and courage. It’s about aligning our actions with the values we want to hold as Christians. When we do this, our lives become a testament to God’s transforming love.