The Fruit of the Spirit

Notes

1. Home should be a miniature heaven. It should be the dearest place on earth to each member of the family. That alone which will make it what the Lord desires it should be, is love. Nowhere are the tender, gentle, soul-winning, heavenly graces of the Holy Spirit more fitting than in the home circle, between husband and wife, and the children. Without this adorning, no home is worthy the name. Let these lessons on the fruits of the Spirit be studied with this thought especially in mind.

2. "Christ's act in cursing the tree which His own power had created, stands as a warning to all churches and to all Christians. No one can live the law of God without ministering to others. But there are many who do not live out Christ's merciful, unselfish life. Some who think themselves excellent Christians do not understand what constitutes service for God. They plan and study to please themselves. They act only in reference to self. Time is of value to them only as they can gather for themselves. In all the affairs of life this is their object. Not for others, but for themselves, do they minister. God created them to live in a world where unselfish service must be performed. He designed them to help their fellow-men in every possible way. But self is so large that they can not see anything else. They are not in touch with humanity. Those who thus live for self are like the fig-tree, which made every pretension, but was fruitless. They observe the forms of worship, but without repentance or faith. In profession they honor the law of God, but obedience is lacking. They say, but do not. In the sentence pronounced on the fig-tree Christ demonstrates how hateful in His eyes is this vain pretense. He declares that the open sinner is less guilty than is he who professes to serve God, but who bears no fruit to His glory."—Desire of Ages, page 584.