The Fruit of the Spirit

'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, . . . . (Galatians 5:22-23-NIV)

How could I be so ungodly as not to want to write about love? I guess there are two reasons. One has to do with my former experience as a public-school teacher and administrator. Liberal thinking was strong in those days and there was a great deal of talk about love.

It was absolutely sickening.

Some of the people espousing all this love were meaner to me than most humans I have encountered. They talked love but they exhibited hate, self-seeking, jealousy, a willingness to step on others in their personal ambition, treachery and most other characteristics we do not enjoy in people.

I do not know whether they actually loved children or used them for their own purposes. God has given me a genuine love for children and young people and that love served me well in public-school work. I think I know the real thing when I see it. But these people were not pleasant to be around unless you spouted the party line.

Love! Love! Love! It was, as I said, absolutely sickening! The second reason: I hear the same thing in the Christian churches and I do not think it is of a much better quality. Since I preach iron righteousness, fiery holiness, and stern obedience to God, I sometimes am accused of not loving people.

This is so perverse as to be undeserving of comment. However I will attempt a response.

I know from the Bible that most American Christians are not living as disciples. They are being taught grace, grace, grace, rapture, rapture, rapture. Does anyone imagine this kind of preaching is going to produce iron righteousness, fiery holiness, and stern obedience to God?

Such preaching is great for scratching itchy ears but it will not produce iron righteousness, fiery holiness, or stern obedience to the Father in Heaven.

The preachers of America need to get back to preaching what the Bible actually says without tearing the text apart with Dispensationalism, Gnosticism, or some other unscriptural philosophy.

Now, you be the judge. Who is it that loves the people, the one who is currying favor with them by watering down the Gospel or the one who is telling them what God is saying?

The preaching of today reminds me of the story of the unrighteous manager. In order to make friends with the people of the town he was telling them to change the amount they owed the rich man.

Do you know what?

This did not actually change the amount owed because the rich man found out what was going on.

So it is today.

Many of the ministers in America are telling their congregations that good old Jesus is going to carry them to Heaven any day now even though they are not obeying His commandments. But this does not change the fact that the majority of the Christians of our nation are in for a devastating shock when they discover they have been lied to.

There is not going to be a pre-tribulation rapture. Get used to the idea and prepare yourself and your loved ones for the age of moral horrors on the horizon.