Fruit of the Spirit

Good Housekeeping magazine listed the five most-common things guests notice when they enter our homes.

First, they spy piles of mail laying around, so keep an empty drawer in the kitchen for your correspondence. Second, they notice dust bunnies and cobwebs, so watch those room corners and use a broom and a hand vacuum. Third, they notice a messy bathroom, so use glass cleaner for the mirror and other handy clean-up aids for the floors and appliances.

Fourth, they notice dishes in the sink. Avoid embarrassment here by throwing them in the dishwasher. Or, if needed, rinse and place them in the oven. Fifth, our guests notice full trash cans, so empty any filled container into a larger receptacle that can be kept out of sight.

People check our houses, and they also look at us. A good question to think about is: When they view me, what do they see? What do they see indeed.

Galatians 5:22–26 NLT

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

If the Holy Spirit is in us this is what we are gonna see in our lives.

I. Why does Paul call it Fruit?

- Just look at all we learn from this.

A. Karpos is an agricultural world kind of word. So we can learn a-lot about this from the study of horticulture.

B. Christian growth is Gradual. Most of all botanical growth is something you can see actually happening, but only measure it over time. It is the same way we grow. Some growth is instant, but much of it comes together over time. An incident happens and we look back and say no way I would have responded like that last year. We are growing…sometimes its is just so gradual it goes unnoticed. We should always keep this in mind.

C. Christian growth is Inevitable. There will be growth. There must be growth. Nothing can stop the growth. A story is told about a man who when he died was buried under a marble slab. An acorn got in there and over time it grew and eventually it split open the marble. Look at the power of growth. So Marble vs. an Acorn? If you don’t know about how things go, we would bet on the marble. But our money should be on the acorn.

D. So what does this mean. It means that if the Spirit of God truly dwells in us the fruits of the Spirit will be there. What ever our life is like, no matter the soil hard or soft, the Spirit will burst through. It is inevitable. Our hearts could be diamond hard, but the Spirit is mighty enough to even change that. So the burning question today…is there fruit in our lives? We are saved by faith, not fruit, but our faith is not fruitless.

E. Christian growth is Internal. It is really not about traits or characteristics on the outside, but it is so much deeper than that. Do apples on a tree mean that the tree is really alive? No, because you could tie apples onto a dead tree, it would not make it alive. The Apples do not give life, they are a sign that the tree is alive. Life produces the fruit, not the other way around.

F. We do tend to see gifts and outward traits as a sign of the spirits work in someone. Saul was used mightily my God, but was there internal change? The Pharisees were considered the holiest people around, and they rejected Christ. White washed tombs. Does not matter how awesome our works are. The first fruit of the spirit is love. If I speak in the tongues of men and angels and have not love I am a resounding gong, am nothing, gain nothing. And don’t forget the depart from me, I never knew you.

G. Christian growth is Symmetrical. Paul says fruit not fruits. He is using a singular word to describe a whole list of things. What does this mean? All of it is there growing together. We do not get one part of the fruit of the spirit growing without the others.

H. When we look at the list given, we will probably see things that we are stronger in than others. But our strength, apart from the Holy Spirit, are due to our natural temperament or even natural self-interest. Some people are naturally gentle and diplomatic but a sign that this is not the work of the Spirit is that these same people are not bold or courageous when they need to be. Its not the fruit but just natural temperament.

I. John says,

1 John 4:20 NLT

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

He did not say, If a man loves God but does not love his brother, he is unbalanced. He says he is a liar. If you love God then you will love your neighbor. If they are not both there, then neither are they there at all.

J. Some people are happy and bubbly and are good a meeting new people, but are unreliable and always fights with their friends. This is not joy, but just being an outgoing by nature. Some people seem unbothered by stuff that happens around them (peaceful) but they are not kind or gentle. Some will confuse peace with learning how to keep themselves from being hurt, but now they are desensitized and hurtful.

K. It will all be there together. So what are they?

II. The Fruit of the Spirit

- If the Holy Spirit is in us this is what we are gonna see in our lives.

A. Agape - Love. It is a strong non sexual affection and regard for a person and their good as understood by God’s moral character; especially characterized by a willing forfeiture of rights or privileges in another persona behalf. To serve a person for their good and intrinsic value, not for what a person brings to you. The opposite of this is fear: self protection and abusing people. A counterfeit version is self affection, where you are attracted to someone and treat them well because of how they make you feel about yourself.

B. Chara - Joy. A delight in God for the sheer beauty and worth of who he is. The opposite would be hopelessness or despair. A counterfeit is a happiness based on the blessing not the blesser. This will cause mood swings based on circumstances.

in another persona behalf

C. Eirene - Peace. A confidence and rest in the wisdom and control of God, rather than your own. The opposite here would be anxiety and worry. The counterfeit is indifference, apathy, or not caring about stuff.

D. Makrothumia - Patience. Ability to face trouble or adversity without blowing up or giving up. It is the opposite of resentment toward God and others. The counterfeit is cynicism or lack of care. This is too small to care about. Or too stupid to spend anytime.

E. Karistotes - Kindness. The ability to serve others practically in a way which make a person vulnerable which comes from having a deep inner security. The opposite of envy. The counterfeit is manipulative good deeds, doing good for others so I can congratulate myself and feel like I am good enough.

F. Agathosune - Goodness or Integrity. Being the same person in every situation, rather than a phony or a hypocrite. This is not the same as being always truthful but not always loving; getting things off your chest just to make yourself feel or look better.

G. Pistis - Faithfulness. Loyalty, courage, to be utterly reliable and true to your word. The opposite of opportunistic, a friend only in good times or when in need. The counterfeit is to be loving but not truthful, so that you are not willing to confront or challenge.

H. Prautes - Gentleness. Humility or Self-forgetfulness. The opposite of being superior or self absorbed… which tend to be harsh. Gentleness is not inferiority.

I. Enkrateia - Self-Control. The ability to pursue the important over the urgent, rather than to be always impulsive or uncontrolled. The counterfeit is will power based on pride, the need to always feel in control.

III. Follow the Spirit’s Leading

- We should do this in every aspect of our own lives.

A.