The Fruit of the Spirit

 and the Works of the Flesh

A Sermon by the

Rev. S. Randall Toms, Ph.D.

April 15, 2021

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 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. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)

It is my intention to preach a series of sermons on the fruit of the Spirit.   In the course of these messages, I will explain in detail those characteristics that are found in the Christian that are produced by the powerful indwelling of the Holy Spirit.   People who profess to be Christians should be able to say that these traits are present in their lives, and it should be obvious to the people who know them that these characteristics are present in them.  Sadly, as we look at those who profess to be Christians, we often find exactly the opposite of those traits listed here by the Apostle Paul.   In other words, rather than finding the fruit of the Spirit, we find the works of the flesh:   adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lusciousness, idolatry, witchcraft, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, and revellings.  These things are so prevalent in the lives of many who call themselves Christians, that we see little difference between them and the rest of the world.

Christians should be separate from the world, and if they were displaying the fruit of the spirit, they would be separate.   The chief characteristic that is missing in the lives of most who call themselves Christians is holiness of life.   The command to the Christian is clear: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (I Peter 1:15-16).   The word “holy” means “to be set apart.”   The Christian is to be set apart from a sinful lifestyle.   The Christian is to be separate from the world, not in the sense of physical separation, not cloistered away, but in the sense of not partaking in that manner of life that is so characteristic of those who are opposed to God and have no interest in keeping his commandments.   St. Paul’s exhortation to us is, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  Having therefore these promises dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Cor. 6:17-7:1).     Throughout Scripture, beginning with his own people, Israel, he told them that they should not be like the other people in the world.   They were to be a separate people living in obedience to his commandments which would make them entirely different from those who engaged in the sinful practices committed in the surrounding nations.   In that same way, the Church is a holy nation, just like the people of Israel.   They have come out of the world, and their lifestyles are entirely different than those of the people outside the Church.  Sometimes, Scripture describes the world  as Babylon, a symbol of living in the lusts of the flesh.   In the book of Revelation, the people of God are commanded to come out of Babylon: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not her plagues” (Rev. 18:4).  In God’s eyes, there are two cities:  Babylon and Jerusalem.   Babylon is the world, and Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem, is the church.   We are to come out of Babylon, refuse to join with her in her sins, and rather, be part of the heavenly city, where we find those who are characterized by holiness of life.   In those who are holy, we see the fruit of the Spirit.   In those who belong to the world, we see the works of the flesh.  How important it is at this point in history for Christians to bear the fruit of the Spirit!   Never has there been such an opportunity for the Christian to show the stark difference between Christians who are bearing the fruit of holiness and the rest of the world dominated by the works of the flesh.

As I begin this series of messages, let me make a few initial statements that I hope will prevent any misunderstandings.   First, as we study the fruit of the Spirit, let me say that these characteristics can only be produced in us by the inward working of the Holy Spirit Himself; that is to say, these characteristics cannot be found in non-Christians.   Non-Christians have the ability to produce a worldly kind of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, but when these traits are seen in the Christian, they are quite different.    These characteristics in the Christian are produced by a miracle–the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.   These qualities in the Christian, though similar in some ways, are far more superior and excellent than anything that can be produced in the non-Christian.   Therefore, these characteristics are found only in the Christian.   If you are not a Christian, do not think that you can produce these characteristics by your own efforts or a program of self-improvement.   If these characteristics  are ever to be found in your life, you must first come to Christ, receive him as your Lord and Savior, and commit your life to follow him.   When you do so, then the Holy Spirit will fill your life and begin to produce this fruit of the Spirit in you.

Second, though the Holy Spirit begins to produce the fruit of the Spirit in the Christian, this fruit is not found in us in perfection.   The Christian must grow in all these graces.   The Holy Spirit produces love in the Christian, but the Christian must grow in this love, and in all the other graces mentioned.   Therefore, Christians must use all the means of grace at their disposal to grow in grace.   Christians must study the Scriptures, spend much time in prayer, attend the worship of the church, and participate in the Sacraments.   We must be a holy people, but holiness is a lifelong pursuit.   In a verse that we looked at a moment ago, St. Paul said, “…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1).   When you became a Christian, you were made holy; that is, you were set apart to live in obedience to God.   But that holiness must be perfected.   Day by day, with an awe-filled reverence for God, we renew this process of cleansing ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.   Christians still have much remaining sin, and it is our duty, with the aid the of the Holy Spirit to perfect the holiness which was implanted in us when we became Christians.   As the writer to the Hebrews said, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).   The word “follow” in this verse means “to pursue.”   Perfect holiness is something that the Christian never attains in this life, but holiness must, nevertheless, be constantly pursued.

Also, if the Holy Spirit is going to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, we must overcome the works of the flesh.   After Paul lists all the works of the flesh, he says, “they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21).   As you can see, if a person’s life is characterized by the works of the flesh, rather than the fruit of the Spirit, then that person is no Christian, and will not enjoy eternal fellowship with God.   The Apostle Paul makes the same point in II Corinthians 6:9-11: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”   The lifestyles of these people showed that before their conversion to Christ they had been dominated by the works of the flesh.  But now, they have been sanctified, made holy, set apart for the service of God.   Again, Paul makes it plain that if a person’s life is characterized by these sins, they will not inherit the kingdom of God—they will not enjoy the pleasures of eternal life in the presence of the Lord.   As you can see, living a godly life is not an optional matter.   If we live in the same manner as the rest of the world, that is evidence that the Holy Spirit is not living in us, and obviously, not producing His fruit in us.

To truly demonstrate what the fruit of the Spirit is in this series of messages,  I will contrast the fruit of the Spirit with the works of the flesh.   The fruit of the Spirit is the opposite of the works of the flesh.  Your life is either a demonstration of the fruit of the Spirit or a demonstration of the works of the flesh.  .

With that said, let me say again that you cannot overcome the works of the flesh by your own efforts.   All of us are born with sinful natures, and these sinful natures produce these works of the flesh.   It is our nature to live in a way that demonstrates we are controlled by the flesh; that is, by our sinful natures.   If you try to overcome these sins by your own efforts, you are doomed to failure.   You must be born again.   You were born with a sinful nature.   Now you must be born again by the Spirit of God.   You must be given a new heart, a new nature that desires to live a holy life in obedience to God.   You must be given the Holy Spirit himself so that the works of the flesh can be put to death.   You will notice that Paul says in Galatians 5: 24: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”  If you are a Christian, a crucifixion has taken place.   The works of the flesh have been crucified.   Paul describes this crucifixion in Romans 6:6:  “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”  The old man of whom Paul speaks is that man that was dominated by sin—dominated by the lusts and desires of the flesh.  If you are a Christian, that old man that was the slave of sin, that served sin, has been crucified.  It no longer has dominion over you.

Again, let me offer another word of caution.   Though the old man, dominated by the sinful nature has been crucified, that truth does not mean that a Christian cannot fall into some of these sins of the flesh.   One of the works of the flesh is drunkenness, but Noah, a man the Scripture describes as a righteous man, got drunk after the flood.   Lot, who is also described as a righteous man, got so drunk that he did not realize he was sleeping with his own daughters.   One of the works of the flesh is adultery.  David was described as a man after God’s own heart, and yet he fell into this sin.   One of the works of the flesh is murder, and again, David was responsible for the death of Uriah the Hittite.   While it is true that Christians may fall into some of these sins of the flesh, the difference between the Christian and the rest of the world is that their lives are not dominated by these sins.  Though David committed murder and adultery, the Scripture says, “… David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”  This is not to say that David’s sin was a light matter in the eyes of God, and David paid the price for these sins for the rest of his life.   Nevertheless, David’s life as a whole was characterized by doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

Also, let it be said, that we are quick to judge people who are guilty of those sins of the flesh that we might call the “gross sins,” –sins such as adultery, idolatry, witchcraft, murder and drunkenness.   But we gloss over the more “respectable sins,” such as hatred, jealousy, anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, selfish ambition, and covetousness.   But these “respectable sins” are just as much works of the flesh as the other sins mentioned in this list.  Didn’t St. Paul say, “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5).   Do you know any professing Christians whose lives are dominated by covetousness?   Yet, the apostle Paul sees covetousness as just as damning as adultery.   Didn’t Jesus say, “…whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”? (Matthew 5:28).  Lust, then, would be just as damning as witchcraft.    Didn’t Jesus say, “…whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22).   Anger is just as damning as fornication.  As Christians, we know that we are prone to fall into these sins, because there is still corruption left in the heart of the Christian.  But the difference between the Christian and the non-Christian is that the Christian is genuinely trying to overcome these sins.  If the Christian falls into these sins, he eventually experiences great remorse and repents of the sin he has committed.   Just as the Christian pursues and perfects holiness, he is also engaged in putting to death these works of the flesh.   The Christian follows the admonition of the Apostle Paul who said, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:12-13).  The Christian lives in the constant process of mortifying the deeds of the body, putting to death the desires of the flesh.

This mortification of sin does not occur in a single moment of time.   Though, in one sense, the old man has been crucified with Jesus when he died on the cross; it is also true that this crucifixion must continue on a daily basis.   Just as Paul said that we have already put off the old man in the past, he also teaches that we must also put on the new man day by day.   Paul says in Colossians 3:9, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.”  But then in Ephesians 4:22-24 he tells them to “put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”  These Ephesians were already Christians.   Have we already put off the old man as Paul says in Colossians 3:9, or do we need to put off the old man and put on the new man as he says in Ephesians 4:22-24?   Both!   We made the decision to put off the old man when we became Christians, but we must be continually putting off the old man, for there is still this sinful tendency within us.   But the old man can no longer dominate the Christian to the extent that it can said that the person’s life is characterized by the works of the flesh, for we are no longer the slaves of sin.

One of the sad circumstances of church history is that ministers of the gospel have not taught their people how to crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts.   We have not taught people how to mortify the deeds of the body.   We have not taught people how to walk in the Spirit so that they would not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  The old Puritans did not make that mistake.   The great theologian, John Owen wrote a powerful work on this very topic called  The Mortification of Sin. Owen said, “…the mortification of sin remaining in our mortal bodies, that it may not have a life and power to bring forth the works or deeds of the flesh is the constant duty of believers.”  So, in this series of messages, I will be describing the works of the flesh and how to mortify them, coupled with a description of the fruit of the Spirit  and how to grow in these graces.

In our time, we want instant gratification.   We want to walk down an aisle, pray a prayer, reach a state of absolute surrender, and suddenly, no longer have a battle with the works of the flesh.   Dealing with the works of the flesh is a battle lasting a lifetime.   To quote John Owen again, “The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.”   Rather than accepting the truth that mortifying the deeds of the body will be a lifelong task, we want to go to the front during a worship service, have someone pray over us, and be instantly mature in every area of the Christian life.   The Scriptures teach us that we must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ “(II Peter 3:18).  We must say with the Apostle Paul, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).  If St. Paul had not achieved perfection, I doubt that you and I have achieved it.   But let us not be discouraged, but press on.   Let us pursue holiness.   Let us perfect holiness in the fear of God, and let us never rest until the fruit of the Spirit is found in abundance in every area of our lives.   Amen.