The Fruit of the Spirit Is ...

[HazelEyed]

How does that verse go again? The Fruit of the Spirit is Not Listening to Rock Music, Wearing Knee-Length Culottes, No Hair Touching Your Collar, Not Going to Movies, Not Drinking Alcohol, No Dancing, No Kissing Until Married, No Shopping on Sundays, and Singing in the Choir...

Wait, did I get it wrong?

On a serious note, when I was a child a person's holiness and spirituality was judged on things like the ones listed above, and there was much less emphasis on love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, and so forth. I was taught that verse, of course, but it never clicked with me. There was a moment for me one day when I thought about that verse and it was like a light came on. I said, "Wait a second. This isn't what I've been taught at all. This is more like that liberal teaching that's always focusing on God's love and such."

I remember during a youth group meeting, one of the leaders was giving some challenge and they commented how their neighbor "claimed to be a Christian, but every day when they drive past my house to work I hear the beat of their music coming from their car." The implication was clear: they listen to rock music. Are they really a Christian? (This BLOWS MY MIND NOW.)

I was also always bothered by the messages and challenges that said, "You need to be a good testimony to the world, so wear long skirts, don't hold hand with your boyfriend (or even have one, maybe), and don't go to movies. The world won't want what we have if we're the same as they are." I asked, but isn't what we have supposed to be things like peace, faith, love? The externals like long skirts and dancing are different, at least for the average middle-class American in the 21st century, but not in a way most people would want anything to do with. How is the transforming power of Jesus shown when I sneer at you for wearing shorts and a tank in the summertime while I sweat away in my holy culottes and extra-coverage top (I have no objection to somebody having standards if their conscience dictates, but I do object to people looking down on others who do not share these extra-biblical standards!) Shouldn't we be showing our difference by our forgiving natures, our lavish love, our kindness and charity and faith and peace? Isn't that what people will notice and be drawn to? These are the things I wondered as a young fundamentalist.

That question wasn't really ever answered when I posed it, and I struggled with this "complaint" until I realized I needed to get off the dying ship that is fundamentalism. Now I am astonished that there was ever a question in my mind.

Anybody else experience these thoughts when they were a fundy child?

[Lizzy F.]

I didn't think of it that eloquently.

In one Sunday school lesson we read a story about a boy. His little sister breaks his balloon and he makes her give him a penny to pay for it. The story emphasized his lack of forgiveness towards his sister.

But I knew it was wrong because Mom liked to watch Judge Judy. If adults don't "forgive" each other like that and sue each other on TV, then why should I have "forgiven" my sibling for breaking my toys?

That's when I figured out that "adults" couldn't be trusted. The different standards (or fruits of the spirit) that measured the salvation of children and adults were biased to make the adults always right.

[exIFB]

I don't want what I had and now I want what I don't have and can't seem to grasp (peace, hope, love).

Seriously... why would the world ever want what Christians "have" if what they have is no fun and a bunch of rules and terrible clothing.

[Smith]

Lizzy, I can relate to your consternation. Although I wasn't a child, I made a profession of faith (where is that in the bible again?) at the age of 20 and I was fairly unskilled and ignorant in the things of churchanity. For instance, I thought we were all on the same side; I thought that we (at least) liked each other; I thought we were all supportive of each other; I thought since God resided in all believers, the playing field was level....but here's what happened that shattered all that:

*"I thought we were all on the same side"...the reality was: The associate Pastor who took an interest in me was a bigger guy but he immediatly wanted to make sure I was discipled, I had no idea what that meant but it sounded like it should be something that should happen...HOWEVER, that night, the Pastor said he was going to fire the associate because he was FAT.

*"I thought that (at least) we liked each other"...the reality: A buddy and I took one of the girls home (an older girl) and when we got there we saw ashtrays and empty beer bottles (I was more interested in what KIND of beer) and at the next Sunday PM service, one of the "pillar ladies" of the more respected families said I should stay away from that girl because she wasn't a "nice" girl (me being who I was, was immediatly interested)...but the idea that rather than ministering to help the girl and her family, I was told to stay away.

*"I thought we would be supportive of each other"...the reality: see the first two.

*".....a level playing field"...the reality: What an idiot I was! The preacher preached and the rest was a Peyton Place.

So Lizzy, I said all that to segue into this: with all that going on, there was NO ROOM for the fruits of the Spirit. As a matter of fact, the fruits of the Spirit wouldn't be recognizable in the least.

[pastor's wife]

It took me a LONG time to realize the importance of the fruit of the Spirit. I'd studied them, even listed which ones I felt I had and which I needed more of, but the last couple years they've been really important to me. As I began to shed some of the fundy traditions, I began to wonder what was left: I had been very busy avoiding the world and avoiding "all appearance of evil, " but what would I do now that I no longer felt going to movies or listening to CCM was wrong? Then I realized how lacking I often was in being loving, in being gentle, in being patient, in being joyful. My fundy pedigree, all my self-righteous holiness of which I was so proud, was NOTHING in the eyes of God, and I felt like a baby, starting again learning the things that I should have exhibited all along.

I'm also still struggling with the idea of striving/effort/trying to be good vs. just loving Jesus and meditating on Him and allowing the Spirit to work in my life. It's so hard to get off the wheel of personal performance.

[Historian]

(02-08-2011 11:52 PM)pastors wife Wrote:  It took me a LONG time to realize the importance of the fruit of the Spirit. I'd studied them, even listed which ones I felt I had and which I needed more of, but the last couple years they've been really important to me. As I began to shed some of the fundy traditions, I began to wonder what was left: I had been very busy avoiding the world and avoiding "all appearance of evil, " but what would I do now that I no longer felt going to movies or listening to CCM was wrong? Then I realized how lacking I often was in being loving, in being gentle, in being patient, in being joyful. My fundy pedigree, all my self-righteous holiness of which I was so proud, was NOTHING in the eyes of God, and I felt like a baby, starting again learning the things that I should have exhibited all along.

I'm also still struggling with the idea of striving/effort/trying to be good vs. just loving Jesus and meditating on Him and allowing the Spirit to work in my life. It's so hard to get off the wheel of personal performance.

Such a good point. One of the worst things about making up rules and regulations the Bible never gives is that it distracts from what sin really is. It makes light of sin, which inevitable leads to a light view of grace and of Christ's work. It makes people think that sin is all on the outside and is easily avoidable–after all, I've never been tempted to murder anyone and I NEVER watch bad movies. Then people get the sense that they can keep themselves holy, if they really want to, so really what is that Christ and the Holy Spirit did/do for them?

I think that's one (among many) reasons that Jesus saved His harshest words for the Pharisees. It wasn't just a matter of making things more difficult for a believer–it was a matter of completely deluding others about what sin is, what God demands and where they stand before Him. And now we have a whole new generation of Pharisees obsessed with the length of someone's skirt, while they are eaten up with pride and a complete lack of love, joy, peace, patience, etc. Satan must rejoice.

[captain_solo]

In the words of Jesus, they "cross land and sea" to convert someone to their way of thinking and in the process "make him twice the child of hell" as themselves

this is the likely end when you focus on external compliance over genuine spiritual growth, which is demonstrated by the fruit of the spirit.

[JimE]

I experienced something like this in my 40s. Helped someone move, the MOG helped also. Everyone was car pooling and I was the only one willing to ride with the MOG. On the way he asked me if I was "growing in the Lord". I carefully responded that I felt that the fruits of the Spirit listed in the Bible were increasing in my life. This silenced him. It was a quite ride home after that. He was expecting a response like, "I'm spending 2 hours in the word every day." or something like that.

[Historian]

(02-09-2011 04:49 PM)JimE Wrote:  I experienced something like this in my 40s. Helped someone move, the MOG helped also. Everyone was car pooling and I was the only one willing to ride with the MOG. On the way he asked me if I was "growing in the Lord". I carefully responded that I felt that the fruits of the Spirit listed in the Bible were increasing in my life. This silenced him. It was a quite ride home after that. He was expecting a response like, "I'm spending 2 hours in the word every day." or something like that.

I love this. Amen!

[sparkysugarsdad]

(02-09-2011 04:49 PM)JimE Wrote:  I experienced something like this in my 40s. Helped someone move, the MOG helped also. Everyone was car pooling and I was the only one willing to ride with the MOG. On the way he asked me if I was "growing in the Lord". I carefully responded that I felt that the fruits of the Spirit listed in the Bible were increasing in my life. This silenced him. It was a quite ride home after that. He was expecting a response like, "I'm spending 2 hours in the word every day." or something like that.

Wonderful!!! When I'm asked when I was saved, I say, "About 2,000 years ago on a hill called Calvary." Shuts 'em up every time. Sometimes the goal is a quiet ride... .