Fruits of the Spirit Long-suffering & Kindness

Fruits of the Spirit Long-suffering and Kindness

Last week Joy & Peace

. How the fruits of the Spirit are not of the natural because they are of God they are in fact supernatural.

.They are in us as a result of the Holy Spirit,not because of us.

.we can still experience Joy and Peace in our lives when everything is going wrong and falling apart.

. “You will keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts you.”

. When we learn how to keep our thoughts/focus on God, its then that we are able to experience Peace and Joy through trials, if we allow ourselves to think or look elsewhere for help we lose sight of the fact that because of the Holy Spirit developing these fruits within us we are able to experience supernatural joy and peace.

This week ( long-suffering & Kindness )

IF THE FRUIT IS NEVER HARVESTED, IT WILL NEVER NOURISH THOSE WHO NEED IT!

Galatians 5:22-26

The New King James Version Chapter 5

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

.First up is long-suffering or patience, there are 2 Greek words for long-suffering/patience the first one ‘makrothumia literally means ‘long-suffering’

. the second ‘hupomone’ literally means ‘to remain under’

. Both words speak of the ability to take a great deal of punishment from evil people or circumstances without losing one’s temper, without becoming irritated and angry, or without taking vengeance. It includes the capacity to bear pain or trials without complaint, to forbear under severe provocation, and to have the self-control that keeps one from acting rashly even though suffering opposition or adversity.

Carpenter, E. E., & Comfort, P. W. (2000). In Holman treasury of key Bible words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew words defined and explained (p. 357). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

. Patience is not just the ability to wait for something “i have good patience because i can handle being on hold to telstra for 20 minutes” ‘or i can handle having slow internet ‘

. Our thoughts on what patience/long-suffering is are very twisted as our generation and this age we live in, the i want it now generation where nearly everything is immediately accessible

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Paul says to timothy in

2 Timothy 4:2 NKJV

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

. As Paul is saying to Timothy here be ready and be willing in ever season you are, despite what you are facing despite the circumstances of your surrounds and the people attacking you, continue to do what you are called to to do in the face of it all.

.its not a casual patience to be able to deal with or speak to someone who annoys you or you struggle to get along with.

.The long suffering that Holy Spirit grows/builds in us is a supernatural capacity to continue to move forward even through trials and pain to stand and suffer, its a supernatural strength to press on towards the goal through any trail.

.its a capacity to carry a much greater burden then normal person would be able to bear.

2 Corinthians 11:22–28 NKJV

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

KINDNESS

. Kindness is much more than simply being nice to somebody/being friendly.

.Kindness is a divine attribute of who God is, it is a part of his character.

.and because of this like all the other fruits so far it has a divine purpose

Romans 2:4 NIV

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Romans 2:3–4 NIV

So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

. God is kind to all he has made (), even when his creatures are ungrateful and wicked (; cf. ). His kindness is intended to lead to repentance, not to rejection of him ().

Huttar, D. K. (1996). Kindness. In Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 447). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

. The kindness that God shows to all people is designed specifically to lead people to him to lead people to repentance, ton lead people to relationship with him.

. which is why the Kindness of God is not conditional its not based on whether or not people honor him, or are ungrateful or wicked its so that people will be drawn to him as a result of his kindness.

. God values kindness in us toward other people over even sacrifices that we make to him.

Matthew 9:13 NIV

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Ephesians 4:32 NIV

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 3:12 NIV

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

. As we show true kindness even to those who hate us even to those who would hurt us, we are expressing to them the divine nature of Gods kindness.

. i think in doing this we need to understand that its not just so we can make friends, its not just so we can live at peace with one another.

. it is ultimately as God designed it to be, to lead people to repentance and salvation!

.Yet human imitation of God’s kindness does not come naturally. In fact, ultimately no one is kind (; ). It is only as the fruit of God’s Spirit that kindness can be a consistent part of the believer’s experience ().

Huttar, D. K. (1996). Kindness. In Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 447). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

. it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit and as a result of what he is doing in us that will all enable us to live out this divine expression of kindness.