The FRUIT of the SPIRIT…

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Just a few reminders before we go to the nine characteristics of the fruit – first, we’re talking about the fruit, NOT fruits, of the Spirit.  In other words those nine characteristics we see in verse 22 are a “packaged deal”, all in one.  We’re not supposed to choose which ones we want.

Many Christians make the mistake of making their lives a result of a “multiple choice” test.  They look at God’s word, His commands, and choose what they like.

If we claim the Spirit is in us, then His character, His life, will be worked out in us.  All of it.  There’s no choice.

Then, Galatians 5 speaks of the fruit OF the Spirit.  In other words these characteristics come out as a result of the working of the Spirit in us.  These do not come from self effort, from trying hard.  These characteristics come from the Holy Spirit Himself. 

One of the “wrongest” (ok, there’s no such word…but if it’s worse than wrong, it must be wrongest!) understandings in life is that “God helps those who help themselves”.  No.  God helps those who realize they are helpless, and can only do things out of the working of God in their lives.  Look what Jesus said:

John 15:5 (NIV)
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.

It is only because Jesus lives in us, and we abide in Him that we are able to bear fruit.  It’s not about trying hard to bear fruit.  It’s about having God indwell us.

The same thing is said of the Holy Spirit:

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NIV)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

We were born with hard hearts, hearts of stone, that just naturally went against what God desired from us.  This is why we need to be born again, where God gives us a new heart and places His Spirit in us to move us to follow and keep His laws.

This is the only way that any man can bear fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, in his life – by having the Spirit in him.

The only reason we are able to work out our salvation is because God is working in us.

Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

So stop trusting in yourself! Stop trying hard to be who Christ wants you to be!  This is not what God is asking from you.  All He asks is that you know that Christ is in you, and that the Holy Spirit is there to fill your heart with the power and strength you need to follow His ways.  All He desires is that you abide with Him, always.  Let the Spirit bring out the fruit God looks for in us.

How’s our fruit?

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

This is a very familiar passage of Scripture, I know, but how many of us actually use this as a checklist if we have been living the kind of life God wants us to live?  Sad to say, many Christians look at the fruit of the Spirit as a choice, and not something that should be seen in our lives.  Many churches focus on gifts of the Spirit, rather than the fruit.  They are more concerned with externals – how their ministries look, sound and attract, rather than how their members look ,sound and attract others to our Lord Jesus Christ!

God always looks for the fruit. 

When it came to checking if someone was a false prophet, Jesus told us we would know them by their fruit.

Matthew 7:15-17 (NIV)
15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

A false prophet may be so gifted, such a charismatic speaker, but the Lord says we are to watch his life.

As early as the ministry of John the Baptist, the message of bearing fruit was clear:

Matthew 3:7-8 (NIV)
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

In other words, if we are truly repentant it will be seen in our life, in our turning away from our sin, and not in our continuing in sin.

And when it came to our call as HIs disciples Jesus had this to say:

John 15:16 (NIV)
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

We were appointed to bear fruit.  Bearing the fruit of the Spirit is not by self-effort. We don’t try to bear fruit.  We allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and bring it out.

This is why we need to meditate and check – are we bearing the fruit of the Spirit in our life?  Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way, to the point that He works in us His character, and works it out in our everyday life?  Or are we allowing our flesh, our sinful nature, to have it’s way?  Everyday we are in a battle between our flesh and the Spirit.

Galatians 5:17  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

If you’re walking by the Spirit you can sense the conflict within.  On one side our flesh tells us to do something, while on the other side the Holy Spirit is moving us to do the opposite.  You know you’re bearing fruit when you DO NOT DO WHAT YOU WANT, but what the Lord wants.

We need to check.  Does this list best describe us:

Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Or does this list best describe how you are living:

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Bearing fruit is not a choice.  It is a natural working in the life of someone who has been born again and who has the Holy Spirit in him.

 

2 Peter 1:4“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

Covered…Uncovered

Psalms 32:1-2 (NIV)
1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
David knew the blessing of being forgiven by the Lord.  Some commentaries say that this psalm was written side by side with Psalm 51, which is the psalm that David wrote after he committed adultery with Bathsheeba.  It is a blessing to know that God has forgiven the sin we committed against Him.  The word forgive in Hebrew means “to lift up”.  In Greek one of the words translated forgive means “to send away”.  When God forgives us He lifts up the heaviness of sin in our lives, sends away the guilt of our sin.

But there are times when no matter how much we ask God to forgive us, the guilt remains.  We have no assurance that God has really forgiven us.  What is it that gives us assurance that God has really forgiven us?
David said: Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  What is it that covers our sins?  In the Old Testament it was the sacrifices they offered that covered, made atonement, for their sins.
Leviticus 17:11 (NIV)
11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

The blood of the creature sacrificed was what appeased God’s wrath upon sin. This was what covered their sin.  But what about today, in the New Testament?  We have something else, or, rather, Someone else, who covers our sins:
1 John 2:1-2 (NIV)
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

The Christian is made able not to sin.  This is by God’s grace and strength.  But there are times, when we are not careful in our walk, we do sin.  John said that when we do sin we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense.  The King James says “we have an advocate”.  When a Christian sins, the first voice God hears is not our own confession, but the intercession of our Savior, Jesus Christ, in our defense!  We have an advocate, an intercessor, seated at the right hand of the Father.  Why does Jesus do that?  Because He is our “covering”, the One who atoned for our sins.
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

To atone means “to appease”.  The sacrifice of Christ is what appeased the wrath of the Father upon us.  And it is our faith in what Jesus did for us, His dying on the cross to atone for our sins, that brings this covering over us.  This is why the Father can forgive us, and why He continually does every time we sin.  Blessed is the man whose sin is covered! 

Have you ever made a mistake in the office, and you need some explaining to do to the Boss, and your supervisor comes and says “I’ll cover for you”.  That’s what Jesus does.
God forgives because we are covered by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.  This is why there is no forgiveness apart from Jesus Christ being Savior.  If we have not received Him, believed by faith in what He has done for us, there can be no forgiveness.  He COVERS our sin.

But that’s not all.
Psalms 32:5 (NIV)
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

We are to trust in the atoning sacrifice of our Lord, but there’s something God wants us to do – acknowledge our sin and not cover up our iniquity.  God wants us to uncover our sins before Him.

To acknowledge simply means “to know”, to know we have sinned against our God.  We don’t just think we have sinned, or just claim we sinned.  In our hearts we know we have done wrong, we have transgressed.  And God wants us coming before Him and confessing it to Him.
To confess literally means “to speak the same thing”, or to agree – to agree with what the Lord reveals is sin.  Forgiveness is settled with the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but it is effective only when we acknowledge and confess our sins before our God.  This maintains our right relationship, our right fellowship with our God.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

That’s God’s promise – if we confess He will forgive us our sins.  That’s how faithful and just He is.  God wants us to UNCOVER our sins.

So, to have assurance we are forgiven two things we need to know:
Covered.  We are covered by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is made effective through our faith in Him as our Savior.
Uncover.  We confess, acknowledge our sin before our God and allow Him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.