November 25, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

(Galatians 5.22-23)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

The Apostle Paul had a lot to say about both secular and non-secular leadership and our response to it in faith. Paul, formerly Saul the Pharisee, knew a lot about the “Law.” He held dual citizenship in more than one way. By birth, he was both a Roman and Jewish citizen. His father was a Pharisee. It is unclear the situation by which his father was also a Roman citizen and such privilege was then passed on to Saul. This privilege proved to be important as Paul ministered throughout Asia Minor. Besieged by both Jewish and Roman authorities for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, his citizenship allowed him to move through the justice system eventually leading him to Rome and the Emperor’s court. However, Paul also held a dual citizenship, as do we as mighty ones of God. He was a citizen of the world and a citizen of the Kingdom of God by rebirth being found by Christ and in Christ. His knowledge of the laws of Rome and Israel were significant. It would be his knowledge of the laws of God which are righteous and holy which would prove not only significant in his ministry but empowering as he stood against his accusers in the love of God. While we have no record of him saying, as Jesus did to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world,” there is little doubt that he lived by those words on a daily basis. He was transformed and commissioned by the law of God’s mercy and grace.

It is significant then that Paul would iterate the fruit of the spirit, which he mentions in his letter to the Galatian community of faith in Christ, was beyond the control of “the Law.” It is clear to those of faith that no one can legislate morality. However, the moral righteousness of God has great and permanent influence upon the true legislation of the law of the land, the law of government and the law of God which is love. All world religions have some aspect of this fruit within their contexts. What they lack, of course, is the promise of salvation and eternal life as the gift of grace and mercy for those who believe in the One True God and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And while Paul declares that the “fruit of the Spirit” is beyond the confines and control of the law, he knew and we know that the law of man would certain attempt to influence and confine if not eliminate such fruitfulness. How would it do that? By redefining it to serve man-made purposes. This has been the pattern of thinking used by the enemy of God and humankind since the heavenly insurrection. That very first question of the prosecuting attorney, Satan- the fallen Lucifer, makes that point clear. He asked, “Surely God did not mean…., did He?” The fill in the blank for that context in the Garden of Eden was “die.”

Death comes in so many ways: physically, of course; mentally; financially; emotionally; socially; and, of course, the most important and longest lasting death spiritually. We see these forms of death on a daily basis. Some deaths occur naturally. Some deaths are the result of the actions of others intentionally or because they were intentional about the wrong things. Some deaths happen because of the transformation of life with a focus on things of this world as opposed to the things of the Kingdom of God. We are called, as mighty ones of God, to accept the “death sentence” by dying to self and living for God and find it transforming. In that transformation, we accept the “life sentence” which is promised to all believers in Christ and who commit themselves to follow after Him all the days of their lives. For those who do that, the fruit of the spirit becomes far more than words easily misconstrued by those who are not followers. The fruit of the spirit becomes a way of life and rises above the laws of this world as we know them. They influence how we see the laws, as it happened for Paul who reminded Christians to honor the leadership of government because such leadership is ordained by God. God did not ordain bad leadership. God introduced what good leadership looked like. The appearance of such remains true today regardless of what many might say. We should give thanks for those who drew near to the leadership in the context of righteousness in the founding of this nation. It has suffered much and there is disillusionment, of course. The influence of the enemy goes without question as a way of the world. However, for those who persist to hold true to their true citizenship in Heaven, as Paul did himself, the opportunity to proclaim the truth of God made known perfectly in the gospel of Jesus Christ is still ours. And so, too, are the blessings and benefits of that same truth born out of the fruit of the Spirit of God. As we gather around Thanksgiving tables, let us be called to an accounting of our true thanksgiving which is the bounty of the fruit of the Spirit by which we know real life and living and by which we are able to fulfill such life and living for the glory of God and the welfare of others.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.