Monday
Learning Holy Living Christian lifestyle and the fruit of the Spirit BY ALAIN CORALIE
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an there be an “Association of Adventist Bank Robbers”? Such a question, you might say, is ridiculous because there are certain modes of life that you cannot associate with Adventism. How then should we live out our faith? This question begs for a biblical answer, yet falsehoods abound. Let’s consider two of them.
GETTING IT WRONG: TWO CRUCIAL FALSEHOODS
For some, a distinct Christian lifestyle does not really matter, because they refuse to see the link between belief and lifestyle, doctrine and behavior. Then there are those who focus only on rules and regulations, displacing Christ from the center of their religious experience. The apostle Paul faced a similar situation in Galatia. Some Christians believed that freedom in Christ dispensed with ethical living (Gal. 8
November 2020 AdventistWorld.org
5:13–6:10). There were also others who believed they could earn God’s favor by following obsolete Old Testament regulations, including circumcision (Gal. 1:1–5:12). Paul challenged both positions. To those who thought that works are unimportant, the apostle stressed that God’s people will be judged according to their deeds (Gal. 6:7, 8). To those who believed that works earn them divine merit, Paul emphasized that “a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16). The apostle reckoned that unless a Christian lifestyle is rooted in the gospel, it becomes cheap grace at best and perfectionism at worst. The key to Christian living, according to Paul, resides in a radical commitment to Christ through the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5:22, 23, he uses the expression “fruit of the Spirit” to refer to virtues or character traits produced by the Holy Spirit. Paul lists nine virtues that make up the “fruit of the Spirit.” These include “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness self-control” (NASB).1 All these virtues represent the character of Christ that we are called to manifest as His followers. As the term indicates, the fruit of the Spirit is not human-made but God-given. Just as apple trees cannot bear bananas and pigs cannot fly, it’s impossible for sinful human beings to produce godly virtues by themselves. Only God can produce and express His character in us. Hence the question: Do we share the biblical vision of a Christian lifestyle? The truth is that we cannot exalt Christ in our families, in our churches, and in our communities unless such virtues as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness Photo: Ivan Bandura
