Living and Walking in the Spirit

 
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:2525If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)).
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-2322But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22‑23)). The command to love God and our neighbor, given by the law, did not give the power to do it, and thus the law was weak through the flesh. The Spirit, working through faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, produces love by a new nature, which the law never gave. Now the moment that love is there, the law is fulfilled, for “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:1010Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:10)), and we love God and our neighbor. Those who have the Spirit have this, and it is the basis of all. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:1919We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)), and “love worketh no ill to his neighbor” (Rom. 13:1010Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:10)). The first three fruits mentioned are the individual state and enjoyment of “the spiritual,” that which ought to continue in everyone without interruption. But it does not always, as we know. “Thou hast left thy first love” (Rev. 2:44Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. (Revelation 2:4)), as is said by the Lord. And here, in the Galatians, it had not continued, though they had started well, having received the Spirit. “He that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in Him. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit” (1 John 3:24; 4:1324And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1 John 3:24)
13Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (1 John 4:13)).
Joy and Peace
Joy and peace, too, were the fruits of the Spirit and the experience of the spiritual man. They rejoiced in Christ Jesus and had no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:33For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)). They had His joy fulfilled in themselves (John 17:1313And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. (John 17:13)), besides boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1111And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:11)). They had peace with God; and the peace of God which passeth all understanding keeping their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:77And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)); the “peace of Christ [ruled] in their hearts” (Col. 3:1515And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:15)), for they had Christ before them. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you” (John 14:2727Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)). The spiritual man personally having this peace could be used to bring others into the sphere in which they themselves lived and moved, or to bring back such as had fallen from it — to restore such.
Long-Suffering and Gentleness
Spirituality then is shown next in a passive form: “long-suffering.” What could be more needed in helping saints, or in the Lord’s service towards the world, than long-suffering? God is “long-suffering and gracious”; so are they who have the Spirit and walk in it. Difficulties are many, and the opposition great — the contradiction of sinners, the waywardness of saints, the enmity of Satan, and the working of the flesh. “Charity suffereth long, and is kind” (1 Cor. 13:44Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (1 Corinthians 13:4)). It requires patient endurance, the labor of love, and if the Spirit works in us, it will give the ability. “The God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus.” As God is patient, and Christ also, so the spiritual are long-suffering and patient.
Next, we have “gentleness.” This is relative too. Those who are spiritual are very careful to be considerate of others. Is being overbearing, or abruptness, of Christ? Is harshness of Christ? The gentleness of a nurse cherishing her children is that by which Paul illustrates his manner of caring for and helping on the saints. A stern or short way, which stuns or snubs, is not of the Spirit.
Goodness and Faith
“Goodness” comes from a “good and honest heart.” Just as long-suffering is not stoical, enduring because it cannot be avoided, so gentleness is not assumed as an exterior polish, the fruit of education, because roughness would be considered bad manners. Underlying both, and that by which both act, is goodness — a “good and honest heart.” There is a difference between a righteous man and a good man. The former is upright, strict and scrupulous as to his obligations to others, but requires from them the same in return. He does his duty, but looks sharply after others that they do theirs too. A good man will do much more, without expecting returns. A righteous man may be respected; a good man is loved. He is a truly philanthropic man in God’s sense, for God’s philanthropy has appeared to us in Christ (Titus 3:44But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, (Titus 3:4)).
Then comes “faith” (faithfulness), not for the soul’s salvation, nor that by which they received the Spirit by believing the gospel of “Christ crucified,” but trust, or reckoning in God by which they live, as it is written, “The just shall live by faith,” and by this they stand — they act faithfully. The spiritual man has been taught to cease from man and to confide in God, who is above all circumstances. By this he is led to be active, or by it to be passive, standing still or going forward as this living, precious faith connects him with God in everything. In their measure the spiritual ones walk in the path of Him who began and ended a perfect life of faith (Heb. 12:22Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)), and they look to Him as the only perfect one in it, though there had been a great cloud of testifiers from the beginning who had trodden that path.
Meekness and Temperance
Lastly, “meekness” and “temperance” are given as parts of the fruit of the Spirit. The spiritual man would not act rashly or hastily. “He that believeth shall not make haste.” They would be preserved from excess. They, as to their feelings and judgment, would keep the mind evenly poised and unbiased. The loins of the mind being girded up, they would be sober. So, Titus gives us, as needed for an overseer, to be “sober” and “temperate” (Titus 2:22That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. (Titus 2:2)). Thus the “spiritual,” ones having the mind unbiased by temperance, have not warped judgment. “He that is spiritual judgeth all things” (1 Cor. 2:1515But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. (1 Corinthians 2:15)), and this by the Word. So it is written, “If any man think himself to be spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that we write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” And thus are we preserved from error by the Word.
Bible Treasury, Vol. 13 (adapted)