The scripture contains many admonitions to seek for knowledge. Today's passage says that knowledge is something that should be added to the foundation of faith. Yet, knowledge brings with it a set of temptations. Knowledge increases sorrow (Ecclesiastes 1:18), has potential to pervert (Isaiah 47:10), and when not handled properly, “knowledge puffeth up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). With this understanding, it should come as no surprise that the Lord would instruct us to add temperance to our knowledge. Knowledge without temperance leads to many pitfalls in an individual, church, or ministry. Our knowledge must be balanced by temperance.
Fruit thrives within the right environment with the proper living conditions. The same holds true concerning God's virtues in the life of a Christian. It is God's indwelling Spirit that provides the fertile environment necessary for every believer to cultivate these virtues. They include love, joy, peace, and faith. Only as Christians submit to the leading of the Holy Ghost can we fully access these virtues. Though mentioned last in the list from Galatians, temperance is another of the important virtues making up the fruit of the Spirit. Though frequently neglected, temperance is no less important than the other virtues naturally growing in the life of a fertile believer. A disregard for the proper mix in the Christian life causes imbalance. Believers who fail to cultivate stability and peace by not yielding control to God's indwelling Spirit never realize their God-given potential.
Today's passage contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the flesh are works done by man in his own strength and abilities; whereas, the fruit of the Spirit is the natural growth in the believer's life when surrendered to the leading of God's Spirit. The Bible lists eighteen works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) but only one ninefold fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit of the Spirit includes many wonderful things such as love, joy, and peace. However, meekness remains one of most undervalued characteristics in that list. Similar to the other fruit, meekness should naturally mature in the believer's life as he yields to the Lord. When a believer lacks meekness, it is because he is not properly surrendered to God's will.
As we have previously studied, God is the believer’s source of joy. Specifically, God’s indwelling presence makes this an accessible virtue. The Lord indwells those who are saved and does so through the person of the Holy Ghost. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the disciples who were filled with the Holy Ghost were also filled with joy. God identifies the nature of the kingdom of God as “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17). This is why the Bible includes joy and peace when it defines the ninefold fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). This is why the believers in Thessalonica received the word “with joy of the Holy Ghost” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). The more the Holy Ghost has control, the more joy from the Lord a man will experience.
Today's passage teaches several remarkable truths concerning joy. First, joy is given to man by God--but not indiscriminately given to every man. Apparently, joy is given to those who are not sinners in the sense of wallowing in it. Everyone sins, but this verse speaks to the fact that God does not openly bless the sinner who has no desire for God to help him overcome his sinful ways. Moreover, our passage further reveals that God considers it good in His sight for a man to have joy. This point may seem insignificant, but it emphasizes God's true desire for man. Just as God desires for men to have wisdom and knowledge, He wants men to know the joy that comes only from and through Him. Some may think the source of joy disputable, but James 1:17 affirms that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”
Life presents many troubles that at times make it difficult to stand strong in the Christian walk. Standing alone makes it seem nigh impossible. Perhaps this is why God created friendships. The most precious times amongst spiritually-minded friends often take place when one of them finds himself in need. Far too many Christians stumble and fall spiritually because they have no one offering support and encouragement. True Christian friends are a help when those troublesome times arise. A true Christian friend encourages and strengthens his friend before he hits his lowest point and contemplates quitting. The heartbeat of Ecclesiastes 4:7-10 reveals that it is hard to serve the Lord alone. Yet serving Him with Christian friends provides extra strength in times of weakness and despair. A friend may be there to lift his brother up one day only to find the act of kindness reciprocated on another occasion.
Christians are supposed to strive to be Christlike. For this reason, today's lesson will involve searching the scriptures to learn about the nature of God. One constant theme concerning the Lord’s nature is that He endures. The Bible not only proclaims that the LORD will personally endure for ever (Psalm 9:7; Psalm 102:12), but the scripture declares forty-two times that His mercy “endureth for ever.” God’s enduring mercy means that man does not always receive the bad that he deserves. The Bible also proclaims that many other things directly associated with God will endure. These include God’s “goodness” (Psalm 52:1), “name” (Psalm 135:13), “truth” (Psalm 100:5), “glory” (Psalm 104:31), “righteousness” (Psalm 111:3), “dominion” (Psalm 145:13), and “word” (1 Peter 1:25). In other words, the God of the Bible and all things directly associated with Him will endure for ever.
Scripturally speaking, a vow involves a solemn promise made to another individual or to God Himself. In our passage, vow is used both as a verb and a noun. Vowing a vow is analogous to someone promising a promise. Men are to keep their word by keeping their promises; or, in other words, men are to be faithfully dependable. When a man makes a promise to God or to another person, he should do everything within his power to keep that promise. The Bible warns against a man allowing his mouth to cause his flesh to sin by making promises with no intention of keeping them. Those who vow a vow to the Lord and fail to perform it are called “fools” and the Lord “hath no pleasure in fools.” Before making any promise, one should first count the cost to determine whether or not making the vow will simply cause him to sin.
True contentment only flourishes within the lives of committed followers of God's word. Three important truths aid in fully comprehending scriptural contentment: (1) Man was born into this world with nothing (1 Timothy 6:7), (2) Upon death, man leaves this earth with nothing (1 Timothy 6:7), and (3) God declares that man should be content when provided with food and raiment (clothing) (1 Timothy 6:8). Understanding and accepting these three truths helps cultivate a true sense of godliness and contentment. This is why the Bible defines godliness combined with contentment as “great gain” and warns those who will be rich that they fall victim to temptations, snares, and many foolish and hurtful lusts (1 Timothy 6:9). Interestingly, the Bible warns the covetous man that all of his earthly possessions during a lifetime of accumulation will be left behind for someone else to enjoy (Ecclesiastes 2:17-21). Contrariwise, the contented man with few possessions has his possessions enlarged into “great gain.”
