The Bible says in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.”
The book, Jesus with Skin, is a valuable resource to study Galatians 5:22 more thoroughly. In the book, Christian author Elizabeth Hemen gives examples of struggles that Christians encounter on a daily basis and elaborates on ways to be “Jesus with Skin” to a hurting world.
Elizabeth Hemen’s book examines the fruit of the spirit in a way that relates to the modern-day Christian in a manner both accessible and applicable. She openly professes that she isn’t a Bible scholar but rather just a Christian trying to find her way. Her vast teaching background paves the way for an easy-to-understand book with bite-size morsels of Scripture to apply and to chew on.
Elizabeth goes through each of the nine fruit of the spirit, chapter by chapter, and gives examples of “Jesus with Skin” in her own life while also including encouraging and supporting Bible verses.
The author includes some of her own personal struggles that she faces with each fruit. She portrays these as applicable examples rather than abstract concepts from a scholar’s point of view. Elizabeth states her pragmatic approach throughout the book and on her video channel — she’s simply a Christian trying to live for God in a struggling world.
Elizabeth hopes that readers will take away from this book some “food for thought” from a fellow Christian. She wrote the book to be used as a nondenominational Bible study curriculum for families and friends, whether new or experienced believers.
Members of the Bible study could use the included journal pages as a place to write about ways they have experienced “Jesus with Skin” in their own lives or ways they could be “Jesus with Skin” to others.
The Bible clearly shows the wonderful, personal liberty of embracing the fruit of the spirit and growing in these vital areas of Christian living.
For new believers — people who have recently come to Christ — Jesus with Skin helps them approach the Bible by showing them the largest earthly benefits bestowed upon the believer. Gifts provided by the Holy Spirit for us and through us.
Every believer comes from a different walk of life, and the author clearly shows this as a foundation for her book. Growing in Christ is, therefore, an individual process that is to be embraced rather than molded to some arbitrary form.
For the experienced believer, Elizabeth’s book sheds light on better understanding and applying how Jesus works through Christians to share His love and light in a hurting world. Reinforcing Scripture shows this is part of growth in a Christian walk that ends only when we see Jesus.
Highlighting one of the most important fruit, Love, Elizabeth writes that we are called to be the salt and light of the earth and spread Jesus’ love. There is so much negativity in our modern society; social media, political beliefs, church views, and the list goes on. Our world is so divided, and the worst part is, Christians can be more skeptical than non-believers.
Just like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, it is easy to get caught up in the religion that is man-made. But God has no religion. Jesus with Skin was written with the intent that, as Christians, we are to be a living proof of a loving God.
- Accessible study of Galatians 5:22-23
- Bite-size
- Nondenominational
- Individual or Group Study
- Reader Journal Pages
- Under 70 pages
Not being one for “cookie-cutter” Christianity, Elizabeth wants readers to be creative as they engage with Jesus with Skin. She includes a journal page that encourages readers to elaborate on any thoughts, ideas, or favorite Bible verses they took away from that chapter.
Also at the end of each chapter is a short author’s prayer that helps new believers find their fruit of the spirit.
Christian author Elizabeth Hemen talks about her book, Jesus With Skin
Readers are encouraged to use the chapter-based journal pages to document ways they have experienced “Jesus with Skin.” Maybe someone made you smile on a gloomy day. Maybe a stranger bought your coffee. Maybe a friend shared words of encouragement or comfort in a time of need. Maybe you received a call that brightened your day. Maybe the clerk at the grocery store smiled at you. Identifying these examples in your life helps show how the fruit of the spirit are given through you and others, allowing you to grow in the knowledge of His will for your life.
Elizabeth shares her struggles with the two fruit of the spirit she finds most challenging. Believers will find comfort in knowing that contributing factors like a fast-paced modern society, social isolation, uncertainty and a divided nation can all be remedied by growing in the Lord and embracing the fruit of the spirit to not only calm our weary hearts but also share and show God’s love to the world. While she fully acknowledges the temporal experience of life on Earth, Elizabeth applies clear Scriptural advice even when taking her own medicine. This testimony from a mature believer in Jesus Christ is both enlightening and priceless.
Although there is no one-size-fits-all chart of importance, each fruit has obvious benefits to all believers — our Creator knows our hearts and our needs. But some fruit stand out as very relevant in this day and age, regardless of your season in life or maturity level in Christ. The author shows numerous examples of how these fruit play out in day-to-day life and even for the remainder of the race we must run. Some fruit may stand out as situational while some believers will identify clear priorities for their circle of influence in life.
The flesh vs. the Holy Spirit is a battle going way back to creation: what we know is right compared to what we, as sinful human beings, want and desire.
One need only look at the news to see that this battle isn’t changing any time soon. But for the believer seeking to change his or her life by showing “Jesus with Skin” to those around him, the fruit of the spirit steps outside of this struggle. The Bible clearly says there is no law against the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:23), thereby providing the believer with a wonderful, personal liberty to embrace and grow in these vital areas of Christian living.
CONCLUSION
For a book short enough to be read in one long afternoon sitting, Jesus with Skin shows an effort by the author to encourage new and mature believers with the benefits of growing with the fruit of the spirit. Especially for a hurting world like the one we’re living in now, Elizabeth Hemen writes a book full of real-world application.
Stay tuned to more videos from her YouTube channel.
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