BibleStudyFruitoftheSpiritIILesson12

Fruit of the Spirit II Lesson 1

Foundation Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

1. In this study we are going to take a look at the different aspects of the “fruit” of the spirit. It is notable that the scripture does not state “fruits” as in a pleural sense, but “fruit” as in a singular context. This “fruit” that the Spirit of God bears in us is one fruit. Think of a prism. There is one piece of glass which could correspond to the body of the believer, then there is the light that shines through that glass which could correspond to the Presence of God in the Person of the Holy Spirit. As the light shines through the glass, it is displayed in different colors. Likewise, when we allow the Holy Spirit to shine THROUGH us, He is displayed in nine different aspects of the one “fruit” of the Spirit. If the glass is opaque or translucent the light does not go through. It is still shining, but it is blocked from going through the glass. Likewise, we are to become transparent in ourselves, so that the light of the Presence of the Spirit of God can shine through us.

According to the above scripture, it is the “sinful nature with its passions and desires” that prohibits the Light of the Holy Spirit from displaying the “fruit” of the Holy Spirit through us. We are admonished in scripture to reckon ourselves dead to our flesh and alive to Christ Jesus. His crucifixion is applied to us. It is the ONLY way to do away with our sinful nature.

Galatians 5:24-26 (NIV), “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Galatians 5:24-26 (MsgB), “Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.”

2. This wonderful, beautiful, fruitful life of the Spirit of God has been placed within us. We are vessels, temples of the Holy Spirit. Thus there has to be a “working out” of that which has been put within. Consider Paul’s words to the church in Philippi:

Philip. 2:12-15 (NIV), “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, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

Philip. 2:12-15 (MsgB), “What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night

3. As we study the different aspects of the “fruit” of the Holy Spirit, it is not going to be so that we can take a good look at what they are, then go out and try to make them happen in our lives. Religion has taught this bondage and it has never worked. The emphasis of this study is going to be to learn the character of the Holy Spirit, so that we can recognize His working within us, come into agreement with what He is doing, then allow Him to bring forth through us His plan and purpose.

For example, when we study “Love” as part of God’s fruit. We are not going to have to go out and try to “love” everyone we see. The call is to die to “self-love” so that the Love that is God can shine through us. We will not look around at everyone else to see who is displaying the fruit of love. The call here is to live in a state of “responsive obedience” to the Presence of the Holy Spirit within, and allow Him to love others through us. When we fail, which we will surely do at times, we will realize that the same love the Lord wants to bring forth through us is also expressed TO us, and we are able to own up to our failure, allow the Lord to forgive and cleanse us, then go forth to try again. When we confess our sins and failures to God, He REMEMBERS to forget them. People don’t, but the really important One, the Lord, does remember to forget our failures. As we continually die to ourselves and our “self-esteem”, we find ourselves able to live from God and receive “God’s esteem” for our lives. We become a people that have received so much love and forgiveness FROM God, that we will eventually find it impossible not to pass it on to those around us.

When our eyes are on ourselves and our performance, we will find ourselves continually judging our own works to see if we “measure up”. This brings forth a competitiveness with others as we try to justify our own failures by looking at those that have failed worse than we have. Thus, we can boost our “self” esteem by comparison with those that are not “performing” as well as we are. As stated in Gal. 5:26 above, each of us is an original, and we are to be continually “receiving” our blue print from the Holy Spirit living within. He is our guide - our umpire.

Col. 3:15 (Amp), “And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].”

4. Peace is one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit of God within us. When we are rightfully related to God, submitted to that which He is calling us to do and obey, the result within us is “peace”, the shining forth of His Presence from within through a transparent will. It is this “peace” that crushes the works of the satan in our lives as stated in Romans 16:20 (NKJV), “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

We do not have to spend a lot of time “fighting” the works of the satan, either in ourselves or in the world. The call is to live in obedience to the Holy Spirit within. God will enable us by His Grace to obey that which He calls us to do. This will ALWAYS line up with the written Word of God and will result in a deep inner peace which no person nor situation can steel away from us.

Fruit of the Spirit of God II Part 2

Foundation Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)

1. The character of the Love that is God being revealed among men is seen in the prayer of Moses for the Israelites. These people had tried the patience of Moses, God had even offered to wipe them out and start over again with Moses’ seed. However the heart of Moses is united with the Heart of God. He does not “whitewash” the sin of God’s people. Real Love that is God does not compromise righteousness. It deals with sin and iniquity right up front. Love understands that sin is like cancer. It wants to take the lives of those that God loves so much. God can NEVER lie down and play with sin. God can NEVER say that sin is alright, no big deal. Sin IS a big deal. Sin has murder at its heart. Sin wants to steal our lives. It is content to do it little by little, or by one foul swish. Sin wants to kill the people that God loves.

However, it is the Love that is God that sent Jesus to die for us and pay for the sin power that wants to destroy us. God paid the highest price that could ever be paid so that we do not have to live under sin’s power. We do not have to give in to sin’s lies, or be held in the clutches of sin’s death grip. The heart of sin is the preoccupation with self, remember that original sin was You shall be as god without God. You shall know good and evil for yourself, without taking God’s word for it.

As the fruit of Love begins to blossom in our hearts and lives, we will see a new dependence upon God for everything begin to develop within us. We will be willing and content to take God’s word for things and walk in heart felt obedience to Him. The more we obey the voice of the Holy Spirit within, the more tender we shall become. Instead of fighting second causes, we will be enabled to allow the Lord to deal with the first cause -me at the center of the universe! The bondage of having to think of all of life in terms of how it effects me. Consider Moses’ prayer for God’s people. Within it is the characteristic of a heart of love in a servant of God.

Numbers 14:17-19 (MsgB), “ "Now, please, let the power of the Master expand, enlarge itself greatly, along the lines you have laid out earlier when you said, God, slow to get angry and huge in loyal love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion and sin; Still, never just whitewashing sin. But extending the fallout of parents' sins to children into the third, even the fourth generation."Please forgive the wrongdoing of this people out of the extravagance of your loyal love just as all along, from the time they left Egypt, you have been forgiving this people."”

2. First Moses reminds himself, as he reminds God of His great power and character. He recalls the fact that God is slow to get angry, that He is huge in loyal love, that it is His nature to forgive iniquity and rebellion and sin. He does not ask God to whitewash the sin, but admits sin’s power to corrupt, even to future generations. However, you do not come away hopelessly in bondage to sin, you come away from this prayer with a revelation of God’s great character and Love being expressed through a servant that has been greatly wronged by God’s people. Even after God gave Moses an out, Moses continues in love towards the people of God.

Consider this Moses. His sister Miriam was very instrumental in starting a rebellion against Moses’ authority to lead Israel. When God strikes her with leprosy, it is Moses that prays for her healing, then waits the seven days for her cleansing before they move on. When the people came upon the bitter waters of Marah, it was Moses who cried out to God for provision and the Lord showed him the branch that made the waters sweet and drinkable. Even though Moses was angered when Aaron led them in the building of the golden calf and the idolatrous festival that followed while he was up on the mountain receiving the ten commandments, it was Moses that went back up and received another copy. He cried out for food when they complained. Then for healing when the judgment of God came upon them. Moses stood as a true intercessor, for he walked in the Love of God for God’s people. He was human, however. Because in his frustration with the people, he struck the rock for water instead of speaking to it as God had instructed, he was unable to enter the promised land. Even with all of the love that poured through Moses, as a leader of the people of God, the judgment of God was heavy upon him.

3.The church stands in a place in this world much like Moses. The people are in darkness, hidden away in caves and attics without hope and in despair:

Isaiah 42:22 (NIV), “But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say, "Send them back."”

Isaiah 42:22 (MsgB), “But this is a people battered and cowed, shut up in attics and closets, victims licking their wounds, feeling ignored, abandoned.”

When the Love that is God begins to manifest in our lives there will be a burden to see the people set free of the sin and rebellion that ensnares them and wants to take their lives. Our first place of action will be before the throne of the Lord. We will become a people that cry out for the lost to a loving, all powerful God that can do anything. We will not “whitewash” sin, we will begin to see a God that is able to deliver from sin and all unrighteousness. Even if God would give us the chance to start all over again with only us, we would refuse and continually cry out for those that need His love so desperately. Sin blinds our eyes to God and His truth. It holds us hostage and lies to us about God’s love and mercy. Many times the church has become part of the accusing voice that offers no hope of change or healing.

4. We cannot change ourselves. If we try, we will simply turn on ourselves and begin to accuse the church that God loves so much. Yes, we have messed up. Yes, we have not done things right all of the time. But the church must begin to love the church and cry out for brothers and sisters that do not see things the way we do. Moses did not turn his back on God’s people, even though they frustrated and angered him. He cried out for them before the throne of God.

If we are going to allow the Holy Spirit of God to manifest the fruit of Love in our hearts, we must get out of the way and allow Him to change our hearts - even if we think we are right. We must spend time basking in the Love that God has shown us in our own lives and allow Him to make us secure and confident in His ability to hold us, care for us, defend us, and move out through us to others. This will take time and a setting of our will to seek Him and Him alone. We must be willing to be taught and to change. We must allow the power of the Holy Spirit to heal our hurts and mend our lives by His grace and wisdom. We will never love others until we have experienced for ourselves the great Love and hope God has for us, both individually and corporately as a body. God is Love, the more He has of us the more His love will be made manifest through us.

Rev. 3:19 (MsgB), “"The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!”

What are we running after?