The fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5:22-23

Introduction

As we continue our study on the fruit of the Spirit tonight we will look at longsuffering, gentleness, and goodness. Remember these are characteristics that every christian should embody as we produce the fruit of the Spirit.

We can either produce the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit, but not both. The only way we produce the fruit of the spirit though is by living a life filled with the Spirit.

Long-suffering

Long-suffering - command of temper; restraint of passion.

Colossians 1:9–12 “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:”

In our trials we should be long suffering

Someone once said we are in a trial, we just got done with a trial or we will be in a trial soon.

Trials are normal in our lives but how we react to those trials should be different than those who are without Christ.

The Christian who is long-suffering will not avenge himself or wish difficulties on those who oppose him

God is long-suffering towards us

Exodus 34:6 “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”

Romans 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

1 Peter 3:20 “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”

Jesus was longsuffering towards his own generation

Matthew 17:17 “Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.”

He was long suffering with the Samaritans who refused him passage through their village

Luke 9:54–55 “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.”

He was long suffering with Judas

Over and over he gave him opportunity knowing that Judas would betray hi and forgave him

He was long suffering with Peter even in his denial

He was long suffering with his half brother James who didn’t get saved until after the resurrection and even went to find him following the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:7“After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.”

We must follow the example of Jesus when it comes to long suffering.

Sometimes we think we are pretty good at this until someone cuts us off in traffic or wrongs us in some way.

Think about how wrong Jesus was and he still cried out from the cross “father forgive them.

The longsuffering life isn’t just difficult, its impossible apart from the Holy Spirit.

Gentleness

Gentleness is goodness in action

Isn’t it amazing that God shows gentleness towards us?

I think about the prophet Jonah and it is a story of God’s goodness in action and a lesson for us as well

When you get into the real reason Jonah didn’t want to got to Nineveh, it wasn’t because he wanted to disobey God, it’s really because he knew the character of God, and didn’t want to see Nineveh repent and be saved.

He thought if he could stay away from Nineveh for the 40 days they were promised before God would destroy them, even if it meant his death, at least Nineveh wouldn’t repent and they would be destroyed.

John Phillips said this in his commentary “When, at last, he did go to Nineveh and deliver the ultimatum of heaven, it was to see his worst fears realized. Nineveh repented, and judgement was stayed. The sullen prophet determined to wait it out until the bitter end to see if, perchance, the repentance would prove too shallow to change God’s mind”

Look at Jonahs complaint against God

Jonah 4:2 “And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”

Think about all of the people in the Bible who knew that God is good, gentle and kind.

Moses- Numbers 14:17–20 “And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word:”

David - Psalm 86:5 “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”

Hosea - Hosea 11:8–9 “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, My repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: For I am God, and not man; The Holy One in the midst of thee: And I will not enter into the city.”

Micah - Micah 7:18–19 “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, And passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, Because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; And thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

The gentleness shown by Christ

Peter summarized his 3.5 years with Jesus like this Acts 10:38 “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

think about the dying thief on the cross and how Jesus treated him

Luke 23:42–43 “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

I think its impossible to imagine Jesus as being unkind, and as Christians we should live a life of gentleness and we can only do it through the power of the Spirit.

Goodness

Goodness- The moral qualities which constitute christian excellence; moral virtue

The word used for Goodness here represents a sterner virtue than gentleness, showing itself in a zeal for truth which rebukes, corrects, and chastises, as Christ when He purged the temple

Matthew 21:12 “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,”

Jesus’ goodness could not allow this to continue

I like what one person said, Real goodness confronts wickedness on a level that strikes the very conscience of the wicked.

It is the work of the Holy spirit to make us like Jesus. He was good; therefore we are to be good. This goodness is not a list of things we do not do but rather a lifestyle we live as we pursue to be more like Christ.

Our goodness is like filthy rags, but Christ goodness in us is as white as snow.

Phillips said this “It can be wrought in us only as we, in our humanity, make ourselves available to the Lord Jesus, in all His deity, so that He in His incomparable goodness, can be available to us to live His life in us, by His spirit”

Christ goodness is impossible to get without His Spirit living in us

Conclusion

Are we long-suffering? Do we lose our temper immediately when something goes wrong, or are we living a life controlled by the spirit?

Are we practicing gentleness?

Are we practicing goodness?