The book of Galatians gives a glimpse of who Jesus is in the N.T.
The book of Galatians is well known for its reference to the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), but close introspection of this text in connection with other verses in the Bible, reveals that it is not just character traits that one must aspire to produce, but a hidden treasure that Jesus Christ himself, is THE FRUIT OF The HOLY SPIRIT of God. Let us dive deep. Galatians 4:22 lists love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance as the fruit of the spirit.
Love:
John 3:16 is a expression of God’s love for mankind and 1 John 3:16 states that this is how we know what love is, because Jesus laid down his life for us and 1 John 4:8 states that God is love and since Jesus is God, Jesus is Love; love personified.
Joy:
Philippians 4:13 states that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength and Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. This means that Jesus Christ is the Joy of the Lord, who gives us strength, through whom, we can do all things. Jesus is Joy; joy personified.
Peace:
Isaiah 9:6 enlist as one of the titles for Jesus, the title, “Prince of Peace” and Hebrews 5:6, informs us that Jesus Christ is the priest forever in the order of Melchizedek (which means King of peace). Not only in Jesus Christ, the prince of peace, but he is also the priest of peace and king of peace. Jesus is Peace; peace personified.
Longsuffering:
Nehemiah 9:7 states that God is ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness and forsakes not. Jesus is a patient God who is gracious, plenteous in mercy, and slow to anger. Jesus was patient for his time to come. When his time had not yet come, to be glorified as God’s son, he told his mother, “Woman, my hour (time) has not yet come” (John 2:4) and his brethren the same (John 7:6), but when his time of fulfilling God’s work of Salvation as God’s son had come, he told God the Father, “my hour (time) has come” (John 17:1). Jesus is Patient (for God’s time to come); patience personified.
Gentleness:
2 Corinthians 10:1 establishes the fact that Jesus Christ is gentle. Jesus is Gentle; gentleness personified.
Goodness:
Psalm 34:8 asks us to taste and see that the Lord (Jesus) is good and Jesus himself expressed in John 10:11 that he is the Good Shepherd. Jesus is Good; goodness personified.
Faith:
The definition of faith according to Hebrews 11:1 is that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Colossians 1:27 establishes the fact that Jesus is the hope of glory and Colossians 1:15 establishes the fact that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is not only faithful, but he is Faith; faith personified.
Meekness:
2 Corinthians 10:1 establishes the fact that Jesus is meek. Jesus himself said in Matthew 11:29, that he was meek, when he asked us to take his yoke upon ourselves and to learn from him. Jesus is meek and lowly of heart and all who take up his yoke and learn from him will find rest for their souls. Matthew 21:5 also portrays Jesus as the meek King who comes to us riding on a colt. Jesus is Meek; meekness personified.
Temperance:
Temperance means restraint or self-control. Come to think of it, the first encounter of the devil with the Lord Jesus as the devil tempts Jesus (Luke 4:4) could have been the devil’s last, but the devil and his angels are reserved for a day of judgment (Matthew 25:41). Jesus was in self-control in dealing with temptation as he used the Scripture, the Scripture he had come to fulfill. In fact, Jesus said that at his request, God would send him over twelve legions of angels to fight for him, but if he did so, the Scripture would not be fulfilled (Matthew 26:52-54) and he did not do so in self-control. Jesus is Temperance; temperance personified.
In Galatians, Jesus is the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.
Galatians 5:22 (KJV)
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
