16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
beliefs dont automatically affect our lives
- must be turned inward through christian practices
- must examine ourselves for the fruit of the spirit
-- all true christians produce fruit
-- it may not be big, but it should be growing
what are fruit?
love - caring about others for their sake, not what i get
joy - love of god, not his gifts
peace - trust in god
patience - ability to suffer/be wronged without becoming bitter
faithfulness
kindness
goodness
humility
self-control
gentleness
fruit = singular
- fruit of spirit = supernaturally produced character
-- many facets of same holy spirit but not seprate
our character is revealed by our actions
- if we're not growing in one, then we're not growing at all
- "temperamentally" patient is really just self-centered/sinful patence
- being led by spirit means growing in fruit
how do i cultivate this?
1. crucify sinful nature
- 'sinful nature' - acts of the flesh; system of self-salvation
--not talking about physical body
- if we're led/live by spirit, then we dont satisfy sinful nature and not under the law
--under the law = system of self-salvation
-- do i obey the law out of thankfulness or as an attempt to earn it
--- f.o.s. = flesh operating system
---- creates over desire
---- sucks good into center/heart and makes it an idol, displacing god
---- human approval is good but under the f.o.s., when ppl disapprove, we're devastated not just upset
i am therefore i do or i do therefore i am
2. belong to christ
- f.o.s. even says that i have to crucify the sinful nature to belong to christ
-- says i must obey to be loved/blessed
- gospel says belong and then the flesh will be crucified
-- gospel says ive been saved and loved so i can love others, knowing theyre what i am without christ (not based on what ive done)
how do i know i belong?
- because the price has already paid the price by christ
- gall =bitter fruit
-- christ recieved gall/thorns so i can have sweetness/fruit
-- fruit of hs is foretaste of coming age
-- obeying out of thankfulness because it has already been earned and freely given
-------------------------
building blocks to discipleship
1. exp the word
2. flesh vs spirit (what's at the center?)
- help them identify it and move themselves back on focusing on christ
3. singular fruit - are you growing?
- ask about and pt out fruit of spirit
4. identify root causes for behavior
-- ask why they do certain behaviors and examine motives
5. freedom in christ - gal 5:1
- what does it mean to be free?
6. christ crucified and changed lives
- im evil but hestill loves me, now he hs is he power of change
how?
- preach the cross
- be vulnerable in 1 on 1
- lead by living it out
- help them understand the interconnectedness and the importance of christ
- ask the right questions
- never let a mtg end without telling ppl how much god loves them
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Christian Change; must understand: Nature, Pattern, Process
Nature:
- the phrase “fruit of the spirit” implies 4 things
1. gradual
why does paul use fruit?
- Christian change is as gradual as botanical growth
- growth is hard to detect; can’t see it; mysterious
-- but can only be measured
must be patient; won’t see dramatic change overnight
- some have seasons that grow quickly, but have seasons (like winter) where they grow but it isn’t seen
so gradual that we can never feel it
- it may be tested/measured but not seen
- like a 16 year old boy who is faster than when he was 15
-- doesn’t feel faster, but he is
- growth is evident when faced with struggle
what is the seed that produces fruit?
- holy spirit
2. inevitable
- If I have the spirit of god, I will grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
acorn falls into crack on marble slab, eventually grows into tree and splits the marble slab
- at first acorn seemed to be no match, until it grew
-- if botanical growth has that power, what kind of power will spiritual growth have?
Saved by faith, not fruit; never saved by fruitless faith
- real faith will inevitably produce fruit
we all have quirks/issues
- many show our lack of fruit
-- unless we’re changing, we’re not saved (but it may be really slow)
-- mustn’t give up on change/growth/faith
3. internal
what is fruit of spirit?
- not counseling, editing, leading, intelligence, charisma
- diff between external/mechanical and internal/organic growth
-- throwing bricks on a pile isn’t growth; pile is bigger but just in quantity and not quality/complexity
- diff between religiosity and faith
-- growing in faith or resume?
--- It’s not about doing great things
--- possible to do good works but miss growing in faith
--- good works mean nothing without growing in fruit of spirit
I may be changing lives but is my life changed?
- fruit of spirit means my life is being changed!
- can’t judge my growth based how many other lives are changed or how the HS is using my efforts
4. symmetrical
fruit = singular
- did it on purpose
- showing us that real Christian change has us growing in all collectively, not individually
if you want to know it’s real, permanent, spiritual:
- fruit of holy spirit is concatenated
1. all the fruit go together
ex: pride and peace don’t go together; it’s counterfeit peace
- worry = arrogance; refusal to assume a humble position before God and trust God is in control
- worry = arrogance = pride
-- anyone who worries thinks they know how things have to be; not trusting in God
-- Pride and peace occurs only when things are going well (“I chose well”)
- will not last
- if I don’t have one of the fruits, I don’t have any
2.all fruit is interdependent
ex: self control and joy
- what creates real self control is joy
- addiction comes because of lack of joy; seeking joy in other places
- guys don’t cry as much of girls
-- when guys cry, they’re told to stop being a girl
--- told to be “superior” to girls
--- false self control because we need to cry, but that isn’t self control but restriction
ex: patience and faithfulness
- tolerance of others; accepting of others failures and short-comings
-- if I have patience but not faithfulness/integrity, then my patience is just a way to assuage my guilt over my shortcomings
How do I develop these things?
2 things for how to grow in grace:
1. crucify sinful nature with over-desires
- find things that are too important and remove it from the center
-- place those things back in their proper order
2. keep in step with spirit
- spirit yearns for Christ
-- points us to Christ; tells us to see Christ's
-- need to see Christ as so real that he becomes more desirable than anything else
Paul comparing fruit and works! (not weeds)
- works of flesh are things i do
- fruit is something that grows from a seed (holy spirit)
-- can only open myself to them
-- gardener creates conditions but does not grow the plants himself
-- cannot make myself more peaceful, patient, good, loving, etc
This blog will chronicle my spiritual learnings and gleanings hopefully over a great deal of time. Included in here will be sermons, journal entries, thoughts, and the like.
Please comment on whatever you see. The point of this is not to boast in any wisdom but to start discussions that will uplift the church body as a whole. I am not perfect, and neither are you, but together we will be better equipped to discern God's movement in this world.
