Galatians 5:22-23

Galatians 5:22-23: love joy peace... These are not personal characteristics. This list and these nouns describe how we relate to others.

Paul speaks of the struggles of flesh vs spirit (lower nature vs higher nature) in Romans 7:14+. God has set us free to live victoriously but we have to act on it.

The list in Galatians is different. . I think it is helpful to see the difference. This list of model characteristics is about relationships. Be loving. Be joyful. Be peaceful. Be patient. … Practicing these things will make your church run more smoothly and pleasantly. This is applicable in my Life Group, my family, my workplace, even my business. I can strive to be these things in these social situations.

I love to try to find relationships between these nine nouns. Most people try to group these into three groups of three. I think it looks easier in English. The first three seems basic somehow: Love, joy peace. In another place Paul speaks of three main spiritual values: faith, hope, and love. Are these three related? Faith hope and love do seem to be more individual in nature. Is hope related to joy? And faith to peace? Perhaps so.

I have tried to find relationship pairing words within the first three and the second three and the third three. Some have tried to characterize each groups of three. I can’t remember any of them but at the time I thought they were good.

It seems to me that these characteristics go from the simple to the most difficult. Love joy and peace are also things we are going to have a hard time getting by ourselves. Those are things that come from God. They are based on feelings. Love, joy, and peace are things you find out you are experiencing after the fact. I guess you can sort of take your emotional temperature and see that you are joyful, peaceful, and loving. But it’s hard to plan for it.

To be patient, kind, and good you do have to add some intentionality. Faithful, gentle, and self-controlled seem to be qualities that I usually do not experience. So what do I say about them? I think there is a sort of hierarchy. Those last three qualities seem to be the fruit of a long time of discipline.