Problem Children

Problem Children

I Thessalonians 5:14-15

Inexperienced people sometimes hold one of two images of the church.  Both are wrong. 

One suggests the church is filled with people who have their lives together and have no problems or difficulties.

The other suggests the church is filled with neurotics who couldn’t hope to function in the “real” world.

   The truth isn’t so much somewhere in the middle, as it is something entirely different.  The church is neither a holy sideshow where you may observe all manner of ecclesiastical freaks nor a kind of spiritual club-med where you see nothing but tanned and toned specimens of saintliness.   It is more akin to a rehab center where most residents are on the road to good health, some are still seriously ill, and others are struggling with relapses.

The church at its best has a realistic view of itself.

As John Stott points out in his comments on this passage, every church has its “problem children.” 

Do you remember Designing Women, the 90’s era TV series set in Atlanta?  Julia Sugarbaker, one of the key characters, once offered this observation about the difference between the North and the South.  She said that every family has its crazy or weird members.  In the North, those members are locked away in the attic; in the South, they’re paraded out for everyone to meet.

That’s a truth that can be applied to the church.  We have our flawed members and, as in the South, we don’t deny their existence.   But neither do we exploit them or assume that nothing can be done to heal them.

In this passage, Paul deals with a variety of these problem children.    And, to carry on the image of the rehab center, he begins with those who resist getting with the program before he moves on to those who will need a longer-term therapy.   Keep in mind: the motivation for dealing with all of them is a patient love.

We are all called to help individuals in the church be at their best.

Meet Some “Problem Children”

At this point, we’re invited to meet some “problem children” we find in a typical church.  We meet them and learn how we are to respond to them

   1.  In any church, we may find those who are undisciplined:  We are to admonish those who are undisciplined. 

The phrase is translated in a variety of ways and is understood to refer to those who are "unruly," "disorderly," "shirkers," "idle," "lazy," "idlers," "careless," "loafers," and "vagabonds."  The AMP simply says "those who are out of line." 

   Just whom did Paul have in mind?  Some will probably see a reference to those who had stopped working because they believed the Second Coming was to take place soon.  According to this explanation they had begun to leach off of more industrious Christians, thus becoming a drain on the resources of the congregation.  The word was sometimes used to refer to “lazy idlers” who played truant or who neglected their duties.  This idea is behind Peterson’s paraphrase in The Message:  “…warn the freeloaders to get a move on.”  That may be what Paul had in mind but it’s possible he saw a greater threat.

 The word comes out of a military background and was used of those who broke rank or to those who had defected from the army or other duty.  Consequently, Vine sees the word as referring to the insubordinate.

Some translations capture both ideas by referring to those Paul refers to as “lazy troublemakers” or “idle and disruptive.” In his letters to Timothy, Paul refers to individuals who might be thought of as “busy troublemakers.”  They stay busy promoting their own agenda, sometimes undermining the church’s leaders.   It’s hard to know which one we would rather have in our churches.  After all, just remember a “lazy troublemaker” is a troublemaker still.

   Coming as this instruction does immediately after Paul’s appeal for respect to be given to the leaders of the church, perhaps there were some in the Thessalonian congregation who were failing in this area.  It probably wasn’t so much open rebellion against leaders as it was a kind of passive aggression.  They just quietly ignored the leaders’ appeals to do the work of the Kingdom.

   Of course, the word “undisciplined” suggests several ideas.  Today, Paul might apply this exhortation to those who enjoy the benefits of the church but never commit their time or talents to its work.

There might be others whose passive aggressive behavior becomes simply aggressive behavior. For example, The Voice translation expresses the word’s meaning as “the rebels who devote their lives to wreaking havoc.” In many churches, there are those who cause trouble, motivated by jealousy, envy, even self-promotion. 

How are we to respond to such individuals?  We are to “admonish” them.  The basic idea is that of an earnest but gentle warning, one that is thoughtful and reasonable.  Often, the pastor is the individual who should bring this warning but elsewhere Paul makes it clear that any Christian may sometimes be called to say to a fellow believer, “We need to talk.”  This may be especially true if the church’s leaders are the object of the havoc. 

By the way, Aiirhart believes Paul had in mind a private, rather than public, confrontation with those guilty of such behavior.  In fact, a thoughtless, public confrontation could easily turn lazy troublemakers into busy troublemakers, passive trouble makers into active troublemakers. 

Paul’s instructions clearly imply that by no means are we to make these “lazy troublemakers” the subject of gossip or to ignore their behavior.  Neither course reflects the kind of love Christians are to have for their church.

    2.  In any church, we may find those who are disheartened:  We are to encourage the disheartened. 

The word is translated in several ways:  "Fainthearted," in several translations, "frightened," "timid," “apprehensive,“ or "afraid" in others; Webster and Young translate it as "feeble-minded" but Vine believes this to be a poor rendering.  The word, oligopsuchos, means "small-spirited" and carries the idea of someone about to give up.  The word "disheartened" might be an appropriate synonym.

Maybe they were among those who suffered because things didn’t happen the way they expected.

There are those who get tired in the pilgrimage; rather than chasten them or shame them, Paul says we are to encourage them--give them the courage to keep going.

There are many fearful people in our churches.  They are afraid for a variety of reasons.  Past failures.   Spiritual threats, real and imagined.  A culture perceived to be at odds with all things godly.  The media and the public schools.  They are afraid of the future as they hear the nightly news.

How are we to respond to the disheartened?  Not with shaming or ridicule, but with encouragement.  The Greek word suggests we are “to exercise a gentle influence by words.” Other translations speak of supporting those who are afraid.  Still, I like the word encourage.  We are to do our best to infuse them with the courage to go on.

 3.  In any church, we may find those who are weak:  We are to support the weak. 

TCNT says, "give a helping hand to the weak."  Weak is used in almost every translation. 

Some commentators feel the weak may be particularly susceptible to moral temptation.   This might be part of the explanation, but it may simply refer to those whose defenses have been worn down.

   If the undisciplined were careless about the pilgrimage, the disheartened frightened and discouraged, the weak were completely drained, unable to go on.  They would need special help to get them going again.  A key notion is that they are not to be abandoned.  One writer says the idea is that of putting an arm around them.

The kind of help given is to be supportive, help that sustains.

The help Paul prescribes involves more than just a pat on the back, for the asthenes are "strengthless" (Strong).  The word translated as “help” implies holding onto someone tightly.  Figuratively speaking, we tell the weak that we’re not going to let them go.

 A Key to Successful Ministry with the Problem Child

Paul couldn’t list every possible “problem child” in a congregation, so he gives a key to successful ministry to every needy person:  “Be patient with everyone.”  Here was an instruction that covers each case.  No matter how exasperating these individuals might be, real change would result only if someone showed them patience.  That would not be easy.  Vine translates the word as "long-tempered."  We all know people who are short-tempered, this is the opposite.

Arthur Holmes comments on the challenge of being patient.  He says, “Ministering to those in the body who have deep needs or hurts, as Paul here urges us to do, is often difficult, sometimes simply because people do not always respond, heal, or grow as fast as we think they should.  This may be why Paul adds a word about patience at this point.” 

Patience is a challenge but it may be rewarded with seeing the lives of the problem children transformed.

The patient may see the undisciplined become focused and useful to the Kingdom of God.

The patient may see the disheartened become bold and confident in the face of the challenges of living for Christ.

The patient may see the weak mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint.

The Motive Which Shapes Our Approach to Problem Children

   Love should shape our approach to problem children. This verse describes that love.  This love helps make this patience possible.

   Look at the negative picture of our motivating love:  "Take care that none of you every pays back evil for evil."

Striking back at those who hurt us or frustrate us is a “natural” impulse. 

Christian love calls on us to resist that impulse.    

   Look at the positive picture of our motivating love:  "Always aim at what is best for each other and for everyone."

   Agape transcends emotion and calls us to seek the best for others.  Because of this it must be thoughtful; what is best for another is not always immediately apparent to us or to the other person.  Although we cannot ignore another's happiness, only seeking to make the other person happy may not be in their best interests.

Loving this way isn’t always easy.  Doing the loving thing may make the other person temporarily unhappy with us.  We may discover this when we must oppose a self-destructive lifestyle or other behaviors that are offering temporary pleasure to someone.  In fact, since evangelism--presenting the good news--may involve beginning with the "bad news," witnessing may be another venue in which seeking the best for another may involve making another unhappy for a while.

At the same time, showing agape love within the church is sometimes demanding.  A commitment to show agape means we cannot be content with leaving the “problem child” alone.

This love will “admonish” the “undisciplined” even if it puts us in the way of their rebellious behavior.

This love will “comfort” the “fearful” even if being around them is sometimes a downer.

This love will “help” the “weak” even if it is more fun to be around the strong and confident.

 

   Look at our motivating love's breadth:  "...for each other and for everyone."

   Love is to be demonstrated within the Christian community, that is a given; but it is to also be demonstrated to those outside the community.  This was one of the distinguishing marks of the early church, distinguishing and radical. 

When love looks at problem children, it sees more than the problem; it sees the potential.

Conclusion

Every church—even good churches, like the Thessalonian church, has its problem children.  Who’s to try to help them?   The pastor?  Sure.  The deacons?  Sure.  But not because of their titles.  Every Christian is called to help these people.

Ernest Best:

“Paul lays the responsibility for the whole community on the community itself; each member, and not the leaders alone, must be aware of his or her responsibility for others and seek to help them.  At no stage can the ordinary member lean back and say, ‘This is the task of the ministry alone.’  Paul knows nothing of an inert mass, the congregation, on which the ministry operates.” 

The church at its best will be a place where people get better.

Movie Night

I am on vacation so I won't be posting a sermon this week.  Vacation is not only a break from the routine, it brings an opportunity to see things through the eyes of a bright three-and-a-half-year-old.  And that includes seeing movies I might not ordinarily see.
On this trip we watched *Frozen* with our grandson.  I’m sure he was more excited by the talking snowman Olaf and the wise reindeer Sven than he was by the plot twists and story of how life-changing “true love” doesn’t have to be romantic love—though the film has its share of that.
On that note, there was a curious song, sung by some winsome trolls, describing a major character as “a little bit of a fixer-upper.”  He was, it seems socially "impaired" and, though clean, sometimes smelled of reindeer.  In the end, the song proclaimed "everyone's a bit of a fixer-upper" and asserts "the only fixer-upper fixer/that can fix a fixer-upper is...love" [there's a surprise].
Over the years, Disney has often stumbled across some profound truth, one that is bigger than any story of princesses and evil-schemers.  It hasn't always been true, of course.  We can only imagine how many children refused to eat apples after that whole Snow White incident.  But the notion that love changes people may be a keeper.
As a Christian, I recognize it as a fundamental theme of the gospel.  Individuals trapped by self-destructive behavior, rooted in estrangement from God, an estrangement sometimes manifested in hatred of God are changed when they are loved by that very God they hated.  John makes the profound statement:  " We love because God first loved us." (I John 4:19)
Often translated, "we love God," the verb actually has no stated object.  So, many translations (including the ASV, NIV, and ESV) do render it as simply "we love."  Given John's devotional intensity,  the notion of God's love inspiring love for God is probably included but the statement certainly has other thought-provoking implications.
Could he be saying that God's love for us "fixes" our capacity to love others?
  At the risk of reading too much into John's statement, psychologists do know that children who feel unloved often find it difficult to love.  Now imagine knowing for sure that the Creator of the universe loves you.  More than that, the Most Holy loves you, even though you are a broken "fixer-upper."
By no means do I wish to suggest that only Christians--those aware of God's love manifested through Jesus Christ--know how to love.  But his words surely suggest that the Christian, being aware of that love manifested through Jesus Christ, has no excuse to be unloving.  Put more simply, when we Christians really understand what happened on the cross we can never justify failing to love God or another.
That's a tough statement to make because we do so often fail to love.  We do convince ourselves we are justified being angry at God or, if we're honest, even hating God when we face trial, tragedy, or loss.  We do convince ourselves that some individuals just don't deserve to be loved, as if we always deserve love.   Still, John's words seem to imply that love should be the natural response to the love of God.
Because this "natural response" is often so unnatural, we need to keep the cross in sight.  One result of the Reformation was a tendency among Protestants to regard the crucifix as an inappropriate Christian art form.  In some places they were even outlawed and considered as evidence of "heresy" (being a secret Roman Catholic).  While I understand that the empty cross, a symbol favored by Protestants, is meant to recall both the crucifixion and the resurrection, I believe the crucifix has some evocative value.
Several years ago, while on a vacation, our family toured one of the oldest churches west of the Mississippi.  It was a Roman Catholic church founded by French settlers in what would become Ste Genevieve, Missouri.  Just inside the doors there is a large crucifix; as our boys stood staring at the image of Jesus who was depicted with the crown of thorns, nails in feet and hands, and wound in his side, one of the boys remarked, "They are really mean to him, weren't they?"  That statue did more to convey the ugliness of Jesus' death than any words I might have used.
I'm not saying every Protestant church needs a crucifix, but I do think we must be sure we never forget what the cross means.  We must never forget it is true love's sacrifice.  We must never forget that God demonstrated his love for us when "while we were still, sinners Christ died for us."  When Christians fail to love we may be sure they have forgotten the cross.
In recent years several books have appeared that deal with the same phenomenon, the growing perception that Christians are hate-filled.  As evidence, our accusers point to groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church or to the some of the words of individuals like the late Jerry Falwell.  While Westboro has lost its fiery leader and Falwell eventually apologized for some of his most vicious remarks, the accusation against Christians in general and evangelicals in particular continue to be made.
That such accusations are often unfair can be demonstrated by a simple review of the facts regarding charitable giving by Christians and acts of compassion by the church throughout history.  But that is largely irrelevant because the books containing those reviews of the facts probably won't be read by the average person listening to the criticism.
In the centuries immediately following the death of the apostles, Christians were sometimes accused  by civil authorities as "haters of mankind."  The accusation was used to justify persecution.  In time, however, the average non-Christian stopped believing the propaganda.  Why?  The love demonstrated through the lives of the Christians.  Such love was demonstrated not only as Christians cared for their own but as they cared for others.  To mention a famous example:  While non-Christians usually fled plague infested cities, Christians remained behind caring for their sick and the abandoned sick who had been left behind when their relatives fled.  This prompted one historian to say these Christians "outlived" their critics.
The trolls were right.  Love can "fix" a "fixer-upper."  Love has done much to fix me, though I'd still qualify for fixer-upper status.  Chances are love has fixed you.  Chances are you know a "fixer-upper" who needs love.

The Spirit's Orchard

Galatians: A Study of Christian Freedom

Lesson 18:  The Spirit’s Orchard  Galatians 5:22-25^_

Paul presented a dark picture when he introduced the "works of the flesh."  Now, he presents another picture, one with promise and hope.

If the “works of the flesh” may be described as “obvious,” in the sense that they are so-often seen, these virtues are rarer, harder to find in human behavior.  As we look at this passage I think we will appreciate the beauty of the Spirit’s orchard.

²² By contrast, Clearly Paul is inviting his readers to contrast these two lists. Think of how ugly that first list is, how beautiful this list is.  Paul invites us to ask, What kind of person do I want to be, the person who exhibits the characteristics on the first list or the person who exhibits the characteristics on the second list? If you want to be known as a “first-list” person, you don’t have to do a thing; if you want to be a “second-list” person, Paul will show the way.                 

the fruit of the Spirit is

The qualities of the first list are the out-workings of who we are in an unredeemed state, sinners, estranged from God, doing those things we ought not to do and leaving undone those things we ought to do.  The qualities of the second list result from the supernatural working through our personalities.  The Holy Spirit working within us creates these qualities.

Let me deal with an issue passages like this raise.  It involves a question philosophers and theologians have been debating for centuries:  Can we be good without God?  That is, are we capable of being morally upright without some acknowledgement of God?

Of course, we could argue from the outset that “the works of the flesh” condemns those attempting to be good without God from the outset.  In its broadest sense, “idolatry” implies a wrong view of God and certainly any view of God that denies God’s  existence or God’s right to our allegiance, is, Biblically speaking, a wrong view.  As such, by definition, they cannot claim to be good.  Of course, some might say this is just sophistry, a clever or not-so-clever word-game to avoid the fundamental question.  Can we be good without God?

It goes without saying that there are good (kind, merciful, patient, generous) people who have no apparent recognition of God or practice no religion, so far as we know.  At the same time, there are those who openly deny the existence of God while being good neighbors, better neighbors, sometimes, than professed believers.  Of course, those philosophers and theologians are quick to point out that these individuals may be living in ways that do not fit the implications of their worldviews. 

Beyond this, we have to keep in mind that some of these qualities Paul lists have theological or spiritual dimensions, that require faith in God.  We’ll see that as we go through the list.  In other words, while some atheists may be better neighbors than some theists, when we look at the virtues Paul describes as “the fruit of the Spirit,” we have to say that none of us can be this good without God.

Remember, when Paul speaks of “the fruit of the Spirit,” he uses the singular.  This is not a fruit bowl filled with a variety of fruit, depending on the season.  The expectation seems to be that each of these virtues will be present when the Spirit is working in our lives.

Let’s take a closer look.

love, Many see this virtue as the one out of which all the others grow.  We have already defined love in an earlier lesson.  We said it was a benevolent good will that actively seeks the good for another.  We desire to see that good worked out even in the lives of those who have determined to be our enemies.  The person who claims to always demonstrate this kind of good will toward others without the help of God is either the most remarkable person we might ever hope to meet or is utterly self-deceived.

joy, One translator renders this as “exuberance about life.”  Certainly that is part of what Paul has in mind.  But there is more in mind here.  It is a condition linked to the character of the gospel.  Fourteenth century English reformer John Wycliffe defined the gospel this way:

Euangelion (that we cal the gospel) is a greke word, and signyfyeth good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that makyth a mannes heart glad, and makyth him synge, daunce, and leep for joy.

We have this joy because God is at work in our lives to accomplish what we could not accomplish on our own—our salvation. 

Wycliffe says the gospel inspires those who receive it to “synge.”  Christianity has a rich musical heritage generated, in part, by the good news of the gospel. 

Then, too, this joy has enabled countless Christians to hold onto their faith in the most difficult of circumstances.  We need to remember that joy, unlike happiness, is unrelated to our circumstances.  Consider what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. (I Thess. 1:6)

Of course, the great example of this is Jesus.  Though he faced opposition during his ministry, he knew joy.  Consider this moment when he saw hints of God working in the lives of his followers.  Luke 10:21 tells us that when those followers reported success on their first mission tour “Jesus overflowed with joy from the Holy Spirit.”  Ultimately, his joy was linked, not to outward signs of success—there weren’t any on Calvary, but to the knowledge he was following the Father’s will.  The writer of Hebrews encourages believers to be inspired by Christ’s example:

…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross… (Hebrews 12:2)

Does Paul mention joy at this point because he sees it threatened in the Galatian churches?  The joy that should have marked their fellowship was being threatened by the conflicts and divisions that appeared to be growing in the church.  Then, too, their joy was being threatened by the false teachers who were calling into question the basis of their salvation.  If so, he may have seen that these things were also threatening the next Spirit-generated virtue he mentions. 

peace, This is another virtue linked to the saving work of Christ.  Paul would write the Romans, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith (been declared righteous by faith), we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The New Testament sometimes speaks of peace reflected in an untroubled heart (John 14:27) and of peace reflected in harmonious relations with those from whom we might ordinarily be estranged (Eph. 2:14).  Whatever other peace the Christian may know is rooted in that peace, peace with God. 

I shared Joseph Thayer’s definition of peace with you a few months ago but it bears repeating.  This Greek scholar says peace is "...a conception peculiar to Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot.”

This peace should have kept the Galatians from falling for the false teachers’ spiel, put their fleshly thinking seems to have interfered as they began to ask themselves, “Is there something more I should be doing?”

With these three virtues—love, joy, and peace—firmly established in our hearts, our relationship with others will be different as these next virtues suggest.

patience, That’s a good translation but you have to appreciate the Authorized Version’s “longsuffering.”  Another translations has “an even-tempered forbearance.”  Not, bad but it just doesn’t beat “longsuffering.”  Whatever word we use, we know that patience is a quality that is hard to achieve.  Yet, it is so much needed in our lives as Christ’s People.

We need it as we do the work of evangelism.  There have always been obstacles to persuading people to believe but in an age where it has never been easier to communicate our message to millions, it is equally easy for the opponents of the gospel to get their message out.  We need patience.

We need it as we teach.  Whether we are teaching children or adults, teaching can be challenging.  We know it can be tough teaching wiggling pre-schoolers but, today, we are facing more and more adults who have no understanding of the basics of the Christian message.  Even worse, so many of them have been given the wrong idea of what Christianity teaches and who Christians are.  It demands patience to “unteach" so many things.  Think of Jesus:  for three years he taught the disciples and on the eve of the crucifixion, they still didn’t get it, still didn’t understand what he was about.  Talk about needing patience.

We need patience in our relationships.  Whether we are dealing with a neighbor, a fellow church member, a co-worker, our children, or our spouse there are times when we need patience.    More and more of us are finding that we need patience, not only with our children, but with our parents, especially as they age and face the challenges that brings.  All of this, by the way, assumes there will be times when these people need patience with us.

I could go on but I’d risk talking too long and you might lose patience with me.

kindness, With “kindness,” Paul introduces a series of virtues that demand outward expression.  It’s possible to argue that “love, joy, peace, and patience” are all qualities we might be able to possess without outwardly expressing them (though, the fullest definition of “love” implies action).  That’s not so with “kindness” and the remaining virtues Paul lists.

Having said that, we need to look closer at this word and the next generosity because they are complementary.

“Kindness” translates “chrēstotēs” and speaks of treating someone with “gentleness,” as used in several translations.  “Generosity” (from agathōsynē ), in the NRSV, is not a bad translation so much as a limited one. “Goodness,” found in several translations, is better.  But keep this in mind, when we display our generosity by giving to some charity like the Red Cross or the United Way, our objective is to do good.  

Here we can begin to see how these words complement each other.  Each has “good” as an objective.  “Kindness” (chrēstotēs) seeks the good of another through a soft or gentle approach.  “Goodness” (agathōsynē) often takes a sterner approach.  As R. C. Trench says, it includes “qualities by which doing ‘good’ to others is not necessarily by gentle means.”

Jesus is our example.  Think of how he is portrayed in the encounter with the woman caught in adultery; after her pitiless accusers leave, he lifts her to her feet and says, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”  Or think of his dealings with the tax-collector, Zacchaeus; Jesus changes this outcast’s life by treating him courteously and having lunch with him. Now, contrast that with his dealing with the unscrupulous money-changers in the temple; he drives them out.  But his actions still have good in mind: He wants to keep the poor worshippers from being cheated, restore dignity to the temple, and recall the nation to true worship.

[On this Fathers’ Day, we should remember how much parents need to know when to be “soft” and when to be “stern.”  We need the wisdom of the Spirit.]

faithfulness, The Authorized Version’s “faith” is a proper translation of the word “pistis” but so is “faithfulness.”  To a degree, given Paul’s effort to impress upon the Galatians the message of justification by faith, rather than works, the first might fit.  But given the specific context, the second meaning seems better. R. E. Howard says,

Throughout the New Testament pistis relates primarily to the believer’s complete dependence upon the work of Christ.  However, these fruits of the Spirit are ethical virtues dealing primarily with interhuman relations.  Pistis does, in a few instances, have the ethical meaning of “faithfulness,” which is obviously how it it so be understood here. As such it depicts loyalty, trustworthiness, and dependability.^_

This faithfulness, according to The Message, is seen as “we find ourselves involved in loyal commitments.”  In a sense, it complements “patience” because the same situation that demands our patience may also call for this kind of stick-to-it dependability. 

²³ gentleness, This a word Jesus used early in his ministry when he said, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”  It is sometimes, translated as “meekness.”  The Greek word praus, was sometimes used for a horse that had been tamed.  It is strength under control. 

William Barclay describes this quality as it works itself out in life:

It is when we have [meekness] that we treat all with perfect courtesy, that we can rebuke without rancor, that we can argue without intolerance, that we can face the truth without resentment, that we can be angry and yet sin not, that we can be gentle and yet not weak.

Jesus would use the term to describe himself, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and humble in heart:and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” 

and self-control. When we looked at “the works of the flesh,” we saw that several implied loss of control.  If the “meek” are the strong who keep their strength under control, here is that self-control as a product of the Spirit’s work within us.

Do you remember Matthew’s account of Jesus being arrested in the garden?  Peter tries to prevent it but Jesus stops him.  He says, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us and he would send them instantly?  But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?’

With the cross looming before him, Jesus shows self-control.  Because of his self-control, we can know salvation.  Later writers would appeal to Christ’s self-control to encourage Christians to face insult and provocation without retaliation.

Paul ends his list with an understatement.

There is no law against such things. I can picture Paul’s tongue firmly planted in his cheek as he says this.  After all, what kind of culture would make these virtues illegal?  Paul’s comment invites us to use our imaginations as we make some observations.

Observations

Imagine a transformed world.  Think of “the works of the flesh.”  Many of our laws have been enacted to restrain the unbridled expression of those traits.  Imagine a world where division, feuding, rage, jealousy, envy, and even selfishness were replaced with kindness, patience, trustworthiness, benevolence, and thoughtfulness. Imagine a world where you did not fear for the safety of your daughter or son walking across the campus late at night, a world where the holiday highways would not be made dangerous by drivers who knew “when to stay when” but wouldn’t.  That would be a transformed world.  But that is  a world transformation no legislature or parliament can produce.

This is a transformation possible only as individuals “walk with the Spirit,” as they open themselves to the work of the Spirit to overrule their natural tendency to rebel against God, their inclination to think only of themselves, and their eagerness to plunge into self-destruction in the name of freedom. 

The Bible nowhere allows us to imagine that this present world will ever know a time when the rebel flags will forever be lowered, when our daily lives will reflect the reality of the words we have looked at today.  Still, there have been times when we’ve caught a brief glimpse of what it might be like.  Like Camelot, they have existed for “one brief shining moment,” but they have existed.  No, not all over the world but in small communities of faith.

Shortly after the Day of Pentecost, when the church was born, that band of new believers experienced a transformed way of life. Listen to Luke’s description:

 Acts 2:43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

  This didn’t last long but long enough for believers to look back with yearning for such times to be known again.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in some of the little Welsh mining communities, the Holy Spirit moved; a great awakening came and life was temporarily transformed.  So many people were converted that jails, once filled with drunks on Saturday nights, sat empty and judges were told there were no cases to be tried. 

We can’t legislate this into reality, but we can pray for the fruit of the Spirit to be flourish in our churches.

Imagine a different picture.  Last time I talked about the picture of Dorian Gray and behind the facade there is an ugly portrait reflecting the fallenness of humankind, a picture of what we might be but for the grace of God.

Today we have looked at a different picture.  But whose picture?  I’ve given you several hints.  As we look at these virtues Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit,” we see a picture of Jesus Christ.  He revealed each of these in his life and ministry. 

It is a reminder of what the Spirit wants to do in our lives.  The Spirit wants to reproduce the character of Jesus in our lives. 

In Ephesians 2:10, Paul says we are God’s “workmanship.”  The word can be translated as “work of art.”  Think of all the artists who have produced paintings of Jesus through the centuries.  Each is different but when you look at them you recognize Jesus.  In the same way, when we allow the Spirit to produce this “fruit” in our lives, we will possess different personalities, different temperaments, different styles, but when people look at us they will recognize Jesus.

Will we let the Spirit do his work?