Living the Fruit of the Spirit (2)

Galatians 5:22-25 15May20

It is Time to Live the Fruit of the Spirit (2)

SU Last week we looked at the first five Fruit of the Spirit, the singular attributes that the child of God possesses and must display in their life, in the way they interact with the world. Nine characteristics that are given to the believer upon the filling of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word we get fruit from is karpos, used to describe any type of fruit, but most often used to describe the fruit of a tree or vine.

Jesus says that a tree can be recognized by its fruit.

Matthew 7:16 (NIV)16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Did you think about these this week, how they are displayed in your life? As you live in the world, can you be recognized as a child of God by the way the Fruit of the Spirit is displayed in your life?

Galatians 5:22–25 (NIV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Last Sunday we looked at love, love defines the nature of God, love that is patient, kind, selfless, the believer must possess this love for others. Joy is the second Fruit of the Spirit, it is much more than being happy, joy is something you have no matter the circumstances, you have JOY knowing that you have a relationship with Jesus, joy knowing you have salvation and eternal life. Peace is the third, peace that comes only from a relationship with God, much like the reason a child of God has JOY, peace comes from a relationship with God and the knowledge He is always with you.

Forbearance/patience, consists of two directions, trusting in God’s plan and timing, but also patience with one another, those you easily get along with and those you don’t, those who seem to not to be happy unless they are argumentative and grouchy. This flows into kindness, gentleness, through patience you display kindness, gentleness, to others. Just as it is with patience, kindness with those who are easy to be kind to, and those who are just downright mean and difficult for others to be around. These are the first five of the Fruit of the Spirit that display the image of Jesus in the life of the believer.

VI: Goodness: Close to kindness is goodness, in this context goodness is an action, a deliberate not passive desire to display generosity, selflessness, the deliberate purpose driven desire to resist the immorality and selfishness of the world and to be motivated by the desire to display the goodness of Jesus in your life.

Galatians 6:9–10 (NIV)9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Even in a world where so many people fail to display the Fruit of the Spirit in their lives, do not grow weary. Live a life of goodness out of love for Jesus and others.

VII: Faithfulness: Here faithfulness, also translated as faith, is a noun, possessing the idea of trust, fidelity. Faithfulness is a multifaceted attribute just as patience is. You must be faithful to God and you must be faithful to other members of humanity.

A: When you read the word faithfulness in Galatians 5:22 we must consider that there are three aspects of faithfulness. Faith IN God, faithfulness TO God, and faithfulness to others. First, the child of God must direct and place faith in God. Faith in the omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence of God. Faith in the fact God keeps every single promise to humanity.

B: The believer must also be faithful to God. Faithful to the promise you make as you fall before Him and surrender your life to Him. Faithful to obeying His commands of morality. Faithful to following His plan and will for your life. God will always keep His promise to be faithful to you, living the Fruit of the Spirit consists of you, the believer being faithful to your promise to God.

C: You must also be faithful to others, trustworthy, when you say you are going to do something, as much as it is within your power, do it. If you tell someone you will help them do this or that, do it. If you say you will vacuum for your wife, if you say you are going to take the garbage out, it may be best to do it then, how often do we forget when we put it off till later?

Faithfulness also refers to being faithful when you tell someone that you will pray for them. A friend, loved one, you hear of someone who is in need of prayer. How often do you say, “Ill pray for you,” and then how often do you? Maybe you are one who has developed a strong habit of doing this. But I believe it would be safe to say that not everyone is strong in faithfully praying for all those they tell they will. Instead of saying I’ll pray for you, pray for them then, and then again later. Maybe that is not always feasible, but it is an idea.

But the point is, faithfulness to others is another way we display the image of Christ in our lives, it is how you display the Fruit of the Spirit in this unfaithful sinful world.

VIII: Gentleness: Gentleness is a quality that Jesus uses to describe Himself.

Matthew 11:29–30 (NIV)29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Jesus is gentle, humble, and He invites all of us to release the yoke of the world and to take on His yoke. When Jesus said this, those of the day understood that, as His followers, they were free from the multitude of rules and regulations of the Mosaic laws, free from the regulations that the religious leaders placed upon people of the day. And today, when you surrender to the same gentle Savior whose yoke is still easy, it is a relationship of gentleness, faithfulness, and love. Not a religion of rules and impossible regulations.

But with this relationship we also must display an attitude of gentleness. As with several of the attributes of the Fruit of the Spirit, it is easy to be gentle with those who are gentle with you.

But to display the image of Christ we must follow what we read in.

Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Ephesians 4:2 (NIV) 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Gentleness is not weakness; Jesus is gentle yet He became angry as He walked the earth. But He did not forego His gentleness as He corrected the sinfulness of humanity. Through the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit, display gentleness to others just as Jesus has displayed gentleness to you.

IV: Self-control: We all know what self-control is, you know something is wrong to do and you resist doing it, that is self-control. You become angry at a situation or someone, you do not lash out in anger, this is self-control. Think before you speak, think before you act, better yet, when your self-control is being tested, PRAY before you speak, PRAY before you act.

Jesus in His humanity was tempted as He walked the earth, Satan tempted Jesus three times when He was in the desert, Jesus set the example and displayed self-control by quoting Scripture that stood against the temptation. Strengthen yourself as you memorize passages that strengthen your self-control.

God’s Word says this about self-control.

Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.

James 1:19–20 (NIV)19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Conclusion: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Nine individual attributes, nine characteristics of a professing Christian. One Fruit that the Holy Spirit imbeds in the heart, mind, and life of the one who surrenders their life to God.

There are many gifts and talents He gives His children, but there is but one Fruit that we all must display in our lives as we serve Him and display the love of Jesus in our daily lives.

511 Victory in Jesus

124 Spirit of the Living God