Fruit Of The Spirit
Pt. 7 Faithfulness
Galatians 5:13-26

The fruit of my flesh is IDOLATRY and SORCERY
Since the beginning, God made humans as spiritual creations with a desire to sense and connect with the supernatural. This good hunger came from God who built humans to have a relationship with Him (Gen. 1:28). Along with humans, God also created angels—some of which became demons bent on deceiving and destroying humans created in God’s image. Hatred for God means hating what God loves (2 Cor. 11:14; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:7-9). Instead of turning to God, people began to connect with other things through idolatry (Gr. eidōlolatreia, ‘image worship’) and sorcery (Gr. pharmakeia, ‘drug use, witchcraft, magic arts’). This curiosity or focus on the supernatural is often just a selfish attempt to manipulate reality. The worship of anything other than God is just self-worship. Any action to contact the dead or demons or know the future outside of God’s revelation (witchcraft, Ouija boards, horoscopes, crystals, séances, fortune telling, necromancy, etc.) is prohibited and destructive (Deut. 18:9-14; Is. 8:19; 1 Cor. 10:14-22). In Christianity, the Holy Spirit isn’t Someone to conjure or manipulate or have special services for. He is the ever-present God who empowers those who honor Jesus (John 15:26; 16:13, 14). Only God is worthy of our faith and focus!

The fruit of the Holy Spirit in me is FAITHFULNESS
Because humans are made to worship and ascribe worth to things they value, the Holy Spirit helps believers to be faithful (Gr. pistis, ‘belief, trust, fidelity’) to God. Instead of trying to manipulate the future, believers trust God and pray that God’s will is done in and through them (Matt. 6:9, 10). When believers respond to God with trust and faithfulness, God is glorified, and the Holy Spirit uses them for greater things. The Holy Spirit helps us know the true God and live lives true to Him (John 14:15-17; Rom. 5:5; 8:9)!

I need to act more FAITHFUL in my life
Whether regarding the future, finances, health, or relationships, Christians should have the reputation of being ‘trusters’ in God. As God is faithful and true to His promises, believers should be examples of being trustworthy and faithful. The Holy Spirit and scripture guide the hearts and minds of believers to be people of faith and faithful. Act in faith knowing God is faithful!