The Patience of Love

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February 11, 2007 - 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:4a

The lesson for today is 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:4a. This study guide is from Galatians 5:16-26 that contains information on patience.

Open It

  1. If you could change one personality trait in yourself, what would you change?

  2. What do you really like about yourself?

Explore It

  1. What would happen if the Galatians lived by the power of the Holy Spirit? (5:16)

  2. What is the conflict between the sinful nature and the Spirit? (5:17)

  3. How were the Galatians affected by the conflict between the sinful nature and the Spirit? (5:17)

  4. How could the Galatian Christians lead godly lives? (5:18)

  5. What is one obvious feature of human nature? (5:19)

  6. To what sexual sins are we prone? (5:19)

  7. What religious sins does the sinful nature produce? (5:20)

  8. What societal evils come from our sinful nature? (5:20-21)

  9. In what sense is Paul's list of sins incomplete? (5:21)

  10. What warning is given to those who live sinful lives? (5:21)

  11. What happens to a Christian who is under the control of the Holy Spirit? (5:22-23)

  12. What is the result of yielding to the Spirit? (5:22-23)

  13. How do the Christian graces affect all areas of the believer's life? (5:22-23)

  14. How is a Christian empowered to live by the Spirit? (5:24-25)

  15. What did Paul tell the Galatian Christians not to do? (5:26)

Get It

  1. How much should we rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and power in our lives?

  2. How is your response of faith necessary in order for the Holy Spirit to have victory in you?

  3. Why do Christians tend to excuse the behavior of their old nature?

  4. What acts of the sinful nature tend to entangle you?

  5. What is the fruit of the Spirit?

  6. In what sense do love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control grow in a person much the way fruit grows on a tree?

  7. How can a person cultivate the character qualities of the Holy Spirit in his or her life?

  8. What can a Christian do to promote the growth of godly character in his or her life?

  9. How do you see the character of the Holy Spirit growing in your life?

  10. Who is kept out of the kingdom of God?

  11. How does the warning against living a sinful life apply to someone you know?

  12. In what ways do Christians need to guard against conceit and envy?

Apply It

  1. What can you do this week to nurture the character of the Holy Spirit in your life?

  2. How can you and the Spirit get rid of the dead wood that stifles your growth?

  3. What do you want to do the next time you encounter conceit or envy in your church?

Notes

Galatians 5:16-18: If your desire is to have the qualities listed in Galatians 5:22-23, then you know that the Holy Spirit is leading you. At the same time, be careful not to confuse your subjective feelings with the Spirit's leading. Being led by the Holy Spirit involves the desire to hear, the readiness to obey God's Word, and the sensitivity to discern between your feelings and his promptings.

5:17 Paul describes the two forces conflicting within us-the Holy Spirit and the sinful nature (our evil desires or inclinations that stem from our bodies; see also Galatians 5:16, 19, 24). Paul is not saying that these forces are equal-the Holy Spirit is infinitely stronger.

Galatians 5:19-21: We all have evil desires, and we can't ignore them. In order for us to follow the Holy Spirit's guidance, we must deal with them decisively (crucify them- Galatians 5:24).

Galatians 5:22-23: The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. They are the by-products of Christ's control-we can't obtain them by trying to get them without his help. If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our lives to his (see John 15:4-5). We must know him, love him, remember him, and imitate him. As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law-to love God and our neighbors. Which of these qualities do you want the Spirit to produce in you?

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