22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

The first three comprise Christian habits of mind in their general aspect.

Love‚ of course, is the foundation. As the expression of holiness, this is the quality that describes the nature of God.

“It is shed abroad in our hearts through the holy Spirit which was given unto” (Rom. 5:5).

It is enlightened good will.

It is the outreach of a heart and life that are renewed by grace and restored to the image of God.

This greatest of all commandments (Mark 12:30, 31) is not an achievement of long labor and struggle.

It springs almost unnoticed as fruit from the inner work of the Spirit of God in the human heart.

Joy. It is not the amusement or temporary release that comes from a pleasurable experience.

It is a basic attitude or habit of mind that springs from the depth of the soul, where all is right because Christ is King and life is full by the Spirit.

It is the sense of spiritual well-being that can neither be given nor destroyed by any power less than the Spirit Himself.

Peace.

It is more than forgiving oneself and living with oneself.

It is a sense of harmonious relationship with one’s most significant environment—God, heaven, righteousness, truth, and men of good will.

It is not so much adjustment to outward circumstances as to inner and ultimate realities.

It breathes calm during the storm and gives an anchor to the soul.

It is a source of strength and courage, hope and trust.

The next three are special qualities that affect a man’s relationship with his neighbors. Longsuffering is a passive virtue of patient endurance under injuries inflicted by others. This is love under pressure with power to continue to exhibit itself as love. Works of the flesh lack this staying power of good will. This is a mark of the Spirit’s presence. Kindness is not necessarily solely active or solely passive. Lightfoot calls it neutral. It is a kindly disposition toward one’s neighbors whatever the circumstances. It can express itself in either the patience of longsuffering or in a crusade of usefulness. It is not hard to live with. Integrity and strength belong to it. The third of this second triad is goodness. This is a more active and energetic principle. The Greek word is found only in biblical and ecclesiastical writers. The quality in its full force was apparently so lacking to heathen observation as not even to call for coining such a word. Pagans knew good deeds but a consistent quality of goodness was beyond the works of humanity. It had to be a fruit of the Spirit. It is uprightness of heart and life, activated goodness, beneficence.
The last three are again principles that guide a Christian’s conduct. Faithfulness (pistis) is the usual word for faith, but here it is used not in the theological sense but in the ethical. That is, it is not here considered as the cardinal principle of faith in God which is the root of all true religion, but as good faith in dealing with men and a due regard to their just claims. Hence, it is trustworthiness, fidelity, honesty, dependability. Meekness is joined with faithfulness. Either by itself or in this context it bears an image quite opposite to the popular impression. It is not weakness but strength. The meek man has sufficient strength of character to be mild, gentle, and kind under pressure. Weak men do not have the strength to be gentle. Meekness, too, comes from a higher than human power. It is a fruit of the Spirit. The last is well translated in the ASV as self-control. This is the crowning glory of life in the Spirit. To the renewed image of God in the redeemed is added the renewed prerogative of dominion. Since, on the human level, all legitimate control begins with self-control, here is the solid base for trustworthy service. It should be noted that grace does not take away the controls from us and make us controlled puppets even of the blessed Holy Spirit. Rather, it restores by that very Spirit to redeemed man the self-control that he lost in the fall. Rendall says the term comprehends every form of temperance, and includes the mastery of all appetites, tempers, and passions.” At this point of greatest failure in the works of the flesh under law, the Spirit triumphs and enriches the sons of promise. Who would not stand fast in the freedom for which Christ made us free since it involves all this? Here is the way of life that satisfies and is not harassed by the threat of a broken law. It is life on too high a plane to be oppressed under law.

Paiteince - Longsuffering is a passive virtue of patient endurance under injuries inflicted by others.

This is love under pressure with power to continue to exhibit itself as love.

Works of the flesh lack this staying power of good will. This is a mark of the Spirit’s presence.

Kindness is a warm disposition toward one’s neighbors whatever the circumstances.

It can express itself in either the patience of longsuffering or in a crusade of usefulness.

Goodness.

This is a more active and energetic principle. The Greek word is found only in biblical and ecclesiastical writers. The quality in its full force was apparently so lacking to heathen observation as not even to call for coining such a word.

Pagans knew good deeds but a consistent quality of goodness was beyond the works of humanity.

It had to be a fruit of the Spirit.

It is uprightness of heart and life, activated goodness, beneficence.

Faithfulness (pistis) is the usual word for faith, but here it is used not in the theological sense but in the ethical.

but as good faith in dealing with men and a due regard to their just claims.

Hence, it is trustworthiness, fidelity, honesty, dependability.

Gentleness - meekness is joined with faithfulness.

It is not weakness but strength.

The meek man has sufficient strength of character to be mild, gentle, and kind under pressure.

Self-control. This is the crowning glory of life in the Spirit. To the renewed image of God in the redeemed is added the renewed prerogative of dominion.

Since, on the human level, all legitimate control begins with self-control,

here is the solid base for trustworthy service.

the blessed Holy Spirit restores to redeemed man the self-control that he lost in the fall.

temperance, and includes the mastery of all appetites, tempers, and passions.”

Nailed - put in place so it won't move off under its own power, someone has to remove it

Crucified -

Killed to pay for some sort of crime

Speared to insure real death has occurred

Taken down after death and buried

Passions - weaknesses that lead to sinful decisions, the tendency the flesh has to lead us astray

Any passions and desires that need to be crucified in your life?

It does not mean we no longer have passions and desires...God does not destroy in redemption that which he made in creation...

But the decision of mastery is settled here, no more inner conflict, but peace.....

as Romans 5:17 reminds us

Here is how you know if this process of crucifying the flesh has actually happened.....

If these are not present in the church.....

Conceit – to be proud when there is no reason to be proud, boasting about something you can’t back up because you are trying to put forth an image that is not rea

Provoking – to call out, a military term challenging someone to combat

Envying – as before to have ill will toward someone because of a perceived advantage they have over you, to be spiteful or resentful over the success or possessions of another

Nailed - put in place so it won't move off under its own power, someone has to remove it

Crucified -

Killed to pay for some sort of crime

Speared to insure real death has occurred

Taken down after death and buried

Passions - weaknesses that lead to sinful decisions, the tendency the flesh has to lead us astray

Any passions and desires that need to be crucified in your life?

It does not mean we no longer have passions and desires...God does not destroy in redemption that which he made in creation...

But the decision of mastery is settled here, no more inner conflict, but peace.....

as Romans 5:17 reminds us