I love to chew gum. Who doesn’t? But I am keenly aware of how long it takes for some gums to lose their flavor. I hope that you realize that it is designed that way. There is reason those things are temporary. Take Juicy Fruit for example. It seems as if, throughout the years, the taste longevity of this particular gum has been cut nearly in half several times. The memories of the iconic commercial run longer in my mind than the taste value of the gum. Juicy Fruit is gonna move ya. Sure. It did for about 44 seconds.
Now, full disclosure, I haven’t had that gum in over 10 years until very recently. It was news to me that it is now yellow in color. It kind of weirded me out if I am honest but I took the plunge anyways. What I noticed immediately was that it tasted relatively the same as I remember but that flavor only lasted maybe 20 seconds. To which I responded in kind and added another piece. Soon, I had a wad of gum in my mouth and the flavor was gone.
The juicy fruit was only temporarily juicy.
This is not the kind of fruit that Paul is talking about in Galatians chapter 5.
He is talking about the real Juicy Fruit. The kind that comes out of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Take a moment to read, reflect, and pray about this working in your life and the lives of those around you.
READ
Galatians chapter 5 – TWICE.
REFLECT
1. What argument is Paul trying to make in Galatians 5:1-6?
2. What does Paul mean by the “offense of the cross” in verse 11?
3. In verse 14 why does Paul summarize the fulfillment of the law in “one word?” Notice there is a missing phrase we have seen before usually tied to this? Why did he omit that?
4. Which “work of the flesh” do you find the most common in your life?
5. Which “fruit of the spirit” do you find most common in your life?
6. Do you presently feel that you are in “step with the Spirit”?
PRAY
Take a moment to pray that you might be delivered from whatever “work of the flesh” might be cropping up in your life and that you might be someone who is in “step with the Spirit” and then producing “fruit of the spirit” all by the power of the Holy Spirit.
By Dan Bender