meeknessfruit

Over the past year we have been doing a series of articles that deal with the various aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23. This month we are examining the topic of meekness. What will we discover as we open the Scriptures and taste of the spiritual nourishment that we find concerning meekness?

It’s easy for us to erect walls against things that we don’t understand. We also do this toward things that we misinterpret. This is especially true where this particular aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is concerned. Too many of us have the notion that meekness is weakness until we mine the truth and discover the personal spiritual and emotional strength that lies at the heart of this section of fruit.

Israel has a very colored history and there are many lessons that we can learn by studying the cycles of spiritual rebellion and restoration that mark the passing of time for the nation of Israel. At one point in their history the Lord spoke to them through the prophet Zephaniah and said, “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger.” (Zephaniah 2:3) The King James Version of the Bible translates the word’s “humble” and “humility” to say “meek” and “meekness” in this verse.

In an age where prophets supposedly abound, and a word from the Lord from a latter day prophet is as common as the squawking of gulls on the beach, we need the clarity and simplicity of the Scriptures to speak to us concerning God’s will and wishes for our lives. Those who are attentively and selflessly looking into the Scriptures and listening to the Spirit will still hear the voice of the Lord echoing across the ages the words found in Zephaniah 2:3.

Early in his ministry on earth, Jesus taught and left behind what has become known as the Sermon on the Mount. The introductory words to this long sermon are known as the Beatitudes. In Matthew 5:5 Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time. (Isaiah 41:17, Luke 18:1-8) Gentleness or meekness is the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation. The gentleperson is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will. (Galatians 5:23)

Christ didn’t merely dictate. He modeled. He lived what he said and taught. Jesus modeled this definition of meekness throughout his life. He was totally entrusted into God’s care and will even to the point of his own crucifiction. Isaiah tells us, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)

The fruit of meekness is an essential commodity in communicating the way of the Lord to those who are outside the realm of Christian faith. Our approach in communicating the Gospel should not be either defensive or offensive. Consider the instructions that we find the Apostle Paul giving young Timothy. “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26) The King James translates the first part of verse 25 to read, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…” Accomplishing this demands that we be secure in our own knowledge of Scripture and our personal communion with the Lord.

It is important to remember that bearing the fruit of the Spirit is intended to be the norm for all believers. It’s also important for us to remember and understand that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is what the Lord Jesus is primarily looking for in our lives. Jesus talked about the fruit of the Spirit in John 15. He made it plain that without him we could do nothing of any spiritual or eternal benefit. Fruit is what he wants to see in our lives. In his parable of the sower, he spoke of seed bringing forth thirty, sixty, and a hundred fold. Jesus wants us to bear much fruit.

Bearing the fruit of the Spirit may indeed be the intended norm for believers but that doesn’t imply ease or simplicity. Though this fruit is inherent and a residential part of the Holy Spirit, allowing the flowering, growth, and fruition of it requires attentiveness and effort on our part. Our carnal nature will always be at odds with God’s intentions and we must meaningfully engage ourselves in the process of growing in our knowledge of his will for our lives.

The Apostle James tells us, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21) Often the greatest evil that we have to contend with is found within our own hearts where the seeds of greed, envy, and pride grow tangles of roots that constrict and squeeze the spiritual life out of us. None of us are immune to these spiritual enemies. Regardless of our station or status in life, these enemies will always find plenty of fuel to feed them.

Much of modern Christian thought revolves around a deified form of materialism that is foreign to anything found in any other era of the Church age. Materialistic aberrations have an attractive appeal and it is the wise and discerning soul that is able to see through the deceptive hype and glitz that holds many sincere souls captive in our age. However, as we sift through the chaff of modern Christianity we find whole kernels of precious truth that we can build our lives solidly upon.

True Christianity has little to do with external possessions that rust and waste away. Rather, it has all to do with the one who possesses us, resides within us, and changes us from within. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

Our great challenge in this life is not to do what we can to resemble the world or the way of the world. Our great challenge is to allow the Spirit of God to remake our mortal image so that we resemble and model Christ before a world that is adamantly and often diabolically opposed to Christ and Christ’s way. By his own design, the fruit of the Spirit growing to fruition in us helps us toward Christ-like living. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

The Fruit of Meekness

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23

©David Kralik Ministries, Inc. 2004
Email: matthewfivesix@hotmail.com