The fruit of the Spirit are character qualities not actions. The character qualities will produce attitudes and actions pleasing to God, but the real fruit is in the character.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
May the Lord be the One doing all the work in us. What we do in our own flesh out of our own pride does not count and is not pleasing to our Lord.
He loves for us to trust in Him to work in us.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Our culture doesn't believe there should be divisions. We should all just learn to get along by accepting everything, there is no wrong and there is no right. In other words we ought to stand for everything and nothing at the same time. Sort of an oxymoron.
In another dear friends post she lamented the fact that we don't hear sermons on the division that happens between families, and that Christ said it would be so.
We are not only living in the 2 Timothy 3 times, but we are also living in the times of Luke 12.
Luke 12:51-53
"Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Matthew 10:35-37
"For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
2 Timothy 2:1-5
"1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules."
Irrational isn't all of it!!!!!
