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What is the Fruit of the Spirit
· 21.05.2024 · 10:21:23 ··· Dienstag ⭐ 1 🎬 43
📺 Destiny Church Wakefield
Have you ever thought about the fruit of the Spirit? Here's a little list that the Bible gives us. If God is in you, this is the character of God that should be coming out of our lives. It says that it's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We've got to keep asking ourselves as Christians, am I growing that fruit in my life, or am I sometimes acting in the opposite way?
Fruit is the outcome or the result of what the seed is. If I plant an apple seed in the ground and wait for a fairly long time, the fruit will eventually come, and it won't be oranges, grapes, or, unfortunately, chocolate—it will be apples. The Bible tells us what the fruit of God is when He is in us; it tells us what the fruit should be in our lives.
The apple seed in the ground produces apples, and God's Spirit in me and you will produce some really great things. When God's Spirit is in us, the character of God should start to be seen. It should grow, flourish, and become more and more obvious the longer you are a Christian. This series is called "Growing as a Christian," and this is such a key part for us to grow in.
Here is our key verse for this topic. It’s Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance (or patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Paul, the writer of Galatians, outlines for us what it is we should see and what it is we should be if God is in us and we are Christians today.
Jesus himself talks about the fruit in John's Gospel. In John 15:4, Jesus says, "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." There are two things going on there: we are in Christ because we are saved through Christ, and he is our strength; we get a free ticket because really we're on his ticket, aren't we? We are in Christ, but the second thing is also true that he is in us, the Holy Spirit. Jesus says if that's the case, you're going to bear much fruit.
What fruit is he talking about? If we go a little further down that chapter in John, Jesus lets us know. He says in John 15:16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last." He is talking about fruit that goes beyond the finite nature of earthly things. He says, "This is my command: love each other."
What is the fruit of God in you? It’s love. Jesus said the greatest of these is love. I believe the others in the list of the fruit of the Spirit hinge on love. If you show love, you bring joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Jesus was the ultimate example of all of these things when he walked here on Earth.
Matthew 11:29 says, "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." Hebrews 2:17 says, "For this reason, he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God." Jesus said of himself in John 10:11, "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
We can think of countless times in Jesus' life where he showed kindness, patience, and goodness. Imagine all those disciples making mistakes all the time. Perhaps you and I would have given up on them, but Jesus didn’t because he showed us the true character of God.
Now, let’s look at some steps you and I can take to help us grow this fruit of the Spirit. The first step is to ask yourself, "Have I seen this fruit in my life, or am I doing the opposite?" It’s important to keep checking in with ourselves. Are we growing as Christians? Are the characteristics of God being shown through us? Are we actively growing them in our lives?
The second step is to acknowledge upcoming opportunities. Think about moments in life where you can deliberately show some of these things. For example, if you know you will meet someone who usually makes you lose patience, prepare yourself to show peace and kindness. Identify opportunities to display self-control, faithfulness, or any other fruit.
If you are a Christian, God is in you. You have the Holy Spirit within you. Let's show that character wherever and whenever we can because that’s the fruit of the Spirit
· 21.05.2024 · 10:21:23 ··· Dienstag
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