strength without submission: Lesson from samson

Dear RockSpring Church Family!

I hope your days are going well. Aside from our Lenten devotion, something that sparkled my heart today and I wanted to share this with you. On Sundays, currently I preach through the Gospel of Mark expositional series and on Fridays, I go through 1 Corinthians. And, for my personal daily devotion, I've been reading the book of Judges seeking God's grace through it. Today, I came to Judges 15, which, as you well know, tells the story of Samson. Samson was set apart as a Nazirite from birth and lived as someone gifted with a special calling. Yet throughout his life, he broke the vows and regulations that a Nazirite was meant to keep, one by one. From today’s passage, God has place an important lesson in my heart. And it is about the difference between the gift of the spirit and the fruit of the spirit.

The gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit are not the same. Samson received the gifts of the Spirit, but receiving them did not automatically produce fruit. Just because someone has received a spiritual gift does not mean they are a spiritually mature Christian. From this perspective, religious activity and spiritual life must be distinguished. Receiving the gift of prayer or the gift of tongues does not make someone spiritually mature. Preaching every day of the week does not make a preacher more spiritual or more mature. Serving more, going on more missions—none of that automatically makes a person spiritually superior to others. Spiritual gifts are indeed a work of the Holy Spirit, but receiving a gift does not guarantee spiritual maturity. The Corinthian church received gifts—they had tongues, prophecy, and many other spiritual gifts but the church was still filled with divisions, pride, and a lack of love. A gift without fruit cannot be called truly spiritual.

To summarize: saying someone prays a lot may be evidence of devotion, but it is not the same as maturity. Preaching a lot may reflect a sacred calling, but it does not guarantee maturity. Going on many missions may demonstrate dedication, but it does not necessarily mean their inner life has been transformed. So, who is truly spiritual? Galatians 5:22–23 tells us about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. May these fruits be clearly seen and manifested in our lives. Samson received extraordinary strength, a powerful gift, but his life was impulsive, indulgent, and not fully obedient to God. He had the gift, but the fruit did not fully mature in his life.

Today, I kneel in reverence and awe before the Lord as I reflect on His Word. I have served in ministry for thirty years. I have ministered to many congregations, devoted myself to missions, evangelism, and preaching. Yet doing a lot does not make me spiritual. Serving for a long time does not make me mature. Holding any title in the church does not make me better than others. What matters is that the fruit of the Spirit flows abundantly in that person's life. The question I ask myself is: Have I witnessed, testified, and manifested the fruit of the Spirit in my life and to those I serve? Today, I submit myself, surrender to Christ, and yield before Him to continue teaching me through His Word. I invite all of you to do the same.

Blessings,

Rev. Won Kim

Lead Pastor of RockSpring Church