The Fruit Of The Spirit

Galatians 5:16-25.....

Over the next few weeks, as the Lord is willing, we are going to be looking into the fruit of the Spirit. A passage of Scripture we are all familiar with.

This look into this is going to provide for us the nature of each of the fruit, the example (which what produces the fruit), and what it looks like in the believer.

In all of these 9 fruits is the reality of God, the essence of God, the characteristics of God. All of these was witnessed in Christ Jesus. Therefore, He is our example! The reality of the Godhead and the characteristics of Heaven, lived out in Jesus Christ and recorded for us.

We are going to look at each fruit, one sermon at a time or maybe 2 of them in one sermon, either way, we are going to look into each one and the Author of them and see where we are at...........Let us read what Paul is explaining to these churches in the region of Galatia. Galatians 5:16-25.......

Today, we are going to explain the Holy Spirit’s role in this and lay out the struggle within and our response to this......Tonight, we will look into Love.......The greatest of all the fruit.......we will explain why, tonight so come back tonight @ 5:30.

Paul begins by teaching us to walk in the Spirit.....Walking in Paul’s context speaks to how one conducts their lives. It is their actions. The idea of this comes from this statement in Galatians 5:13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

Paul is trying to convince these churches that they are free from the human elements of the law, in Christ Jesus! He adds a warning.....do not use this liberty in Christ for an occasion to live in the flesh......

Paul’s use of “flesh” in these verses, refers to the “fallen human nature”........which has fallen from God.....fallen from the fruit that we have just read.

The fallen flesh does not desire that fruit, does not like that fruit, will only use that fruit when it is needed to deceive.

It is totally hostile to the essence/character of God.....Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

The flesh does not submit to the law of God, if it tried it cannot keep the law.

“The Christian is saved, Christ is our liberty and life. Therefore law, sin, and death may not hurt you or drive you to despair. This is the constitution of our priceless liberty. Now take care that you do not use your wonderful liberty for an occasion of the flesh......Satan likes to turn this liberty, which Christ has gotten for us into licentiousness (a license to do anything against God’s nature).”...Martin Luther

Paul calls us into walking or living out our lives in the Spirit.....The Spirit of God......The Holy Spirit......The Holy Ghost (KJV), which means Spirit........The Comforter.........Spirit of Truth.....

Everything that the Holy Spirit does within us, is to empower us with everything about Christ.....John 14:17–18 “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” .....

A few more to state the point John 16:13–14 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

Jesus is encouraging His disciples that when He ascends, they will not be alone.....Jesus actually tells this: John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

It is better for them(us) because the Holy Spirit will dwell within us. Instead of a physical body, where they get separated from time to time.

Remember when Jesus got arrested and was tried in court and was separated from His disciples, how did that work out for Peter??

Denied 3 times! I like the reality that the same spirit the raised Jesus from the dead dwells within us......guiding us into all truth, bringing to our remembrance everything that Jesus has said, and glorifying Christ!

We see the Holy Spirit’s work in the disciples in the book of Acts, after Jesus ascended. Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” ........That is the work of the Spirit!

It is a battle royale between the Spirit and the fallen flesh.........Note to the believer, the Spirit’s side is already the victor. these battles can only hinder the reality of the victory we have in Jesus!

In this battle there is one thing to keep in mind, this is a spiritual battle, it is for the soul of man, not the outward victory!

You will do well to keep that in mind, because the minute you start trusting what is seen physically, that is when the flesh begins to carry weight in this battle.

Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

The outward, the fallen flesh, has no fruit.....or the fruit is rotten.........2 Corinthians 4:16 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”

Paul lays out here that this a struggle that is within the believer.....so how do you walk in the Spirit!

You believe the Spirit of God, despite what you see or how your flesh pulls you

.Let’s look at what the Spirit is not.....sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. This list is not exhaustive!

Let us just say this straight out.......If you are known by some of these characteristics, then I say REPENT........It maybe that you need to know about God, rightly, so that you can have Godly sorrow, the leads to repentance, which leads to salvation in Jesus Christ!

This is what Paul is stating here......that if you are known by these characteristics, then you are of the fallen flesh, you live by the fallen flesh, and the most dreadful part, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God!

None of these things can dwell in His presence and will not be in God’s presence!.....Revelation 21:27 “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Paul gives a contrast to the 9 Spiritual fruit, they are at odds with God’s character........It is a struggle.....going back to the verse 16.......Galatians 5:16 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” .......

If you live out your life in the fruit of the Spirit, the Spirit will not lead you into these things! You will eventually get to a place of not wanting the carnal things!

Turn with me to Matthew 7:15-20.....How do you tell a false prophet, by their fruits.......what fruit you say? Well you read the fruit of the Spirit......It is the characteristics of God and Christ!

Jesus is pretty pointed here.....A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit and a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit!

Makes the line pretty simple.....you go back to those lists in Galatians 5 and you will see the things that are good and evil.......compare them with your life, compare them with others lives and you can tell!

Jesus said.....By their fruits you shall know them.

I read this statement from John MacArthur: “False teaching cannot restrain the flesh, so they will manifest wickedness.”

Nothing restrains the flesh except for the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth!

2 Thessalonians 2:7 “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.....This is the Holy Spirit!

The Author of this Spirit, this fruit.....John 15:1-8........Both of these accounts of Jesus’ words states that if the tree does not bring forth fruit, if it does not abide in Him, it is hewn down, cut down, dead, and cast into the fire.......

That is a reality of this, whatever angle you want to argue this from, it all winds up here in the eternal category...........What are you striving for the eternal or the temporary........You want to have your best life now or forever with God?

The only Way is to abide in Christ and His fruit will look much different than the flesh’s....that is the bottom line!

You can tell whose you are by the fruit that you bear!

The Spirit unites us to Christ, through whom we bear fruit (John 15:5).

We do not produce this fruit to be saved, but we bear this fruit because we are saved.

When you come to believe in Jesus Christ, His Person and His Work, there is an inward renewal that happens, being born again (John 3) or born from Above! This is not seen ........John 3:8 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

The Author of this takeover is God the Spirit, which is the “newness of life” that is given through His presence and the takeover will call us into the life of Christ.....

This is where we get the word Christian, which simply means being Christlike.....The Spirit reveals Christ to us in our daily walk and we trust and obey..........This is the reality of faith.....

As we journey through these different fruits, let us remember these are gifts given, the flesh cannot produce this fruit genuinely! I have no power within myself to produce this fruit, the Spirit is the power! I read this: “Not natural temperament but supernatural transformation”

Another great reality from Scripture that we have, which we will read tonight.........there are gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12......however those gifts are not of the Spirit unless there is the fruit of the Spirit living in those lives.