GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD |
(OCT 2011)
The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit By
Derek R. Williams. Image Š Photoquest
This Month: Part 3.The Fruit of the Spirit Read Galatians 5:22-23 Part of the Work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life is to produce in him/her the fruit of the Spirit. The seed of the Fruit of the Spirit is sown in us when we receive Jesus Christ into hearts, it then must grow and mature. Notice that it is fruit and not fruits; it is one and not many. I would liken it to a blackberry or raspberry - one fruit, but made up of different pieces. The center of the fruit is love and gathered around it are joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Against such there is no law - in other words no law can enforce this fruit into a person, for it is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Of this fruit, P. Borrington says, "joy is love's strength; peace is love's security; longsuffering is love's patience; kindness is love's conduct; goodness is love's character; faithfulness is love's confidence; gentleness is love's humility; and self-control is love's victory." The fruit can be put into three groups: love, joy, and peace are the manifestation of the Life of the Spirit, resulting from fellowship with the Lord Longsuffering, gentleness, and goodness refer to the spiritual life in its manifestation to others Faith, meekness, and temperance describe Christian conduct in the face of trials and opposition. All these depend on love being central to
As Paul writes in 1 Cor. 13:13 "Now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
It is a joy that our tongues cannot describe, for it is full of the glory of the Lord.
Definitions and Exposition
Peace. The Hebrew word is Shalom, used as a greeting among Jews. It means harmonious fellowship between God and man and between men.
Love The Greek word used here is agape, that is, love unstained by evil, love of a deepest reverence, the love of God. This is the love that has to be deeply embedded within our spirits by the Holy Ghost. It is the love that bears all manner of wrongs, envies not, nor boasts, has no pride that does not behave in a shameful or disgraceful manner, nor just look out for oneself. It is not easily aroused to anger nor think evil of others nor delight in sinful behavior but delights in the truth of God. It believes and has a hope in all things concerning Him. It is the love that is able to cover a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). It is the love which never fails (1Cor. 13:4-7). Joy. This is the exuberance of joy that bubbles over. The early Christians used it as a form of greeting with the meaning good health to you, may your life be full. This is the joy of companionship and union with the Lord. It is Christ's own joy, the joy of His presence, and so is not dependent upon circumstances. That is why we are able to rejoice in times of trouble (2 Cor. 7:4), and count it joy to face difficulties (James 1:2). We are strengthened by this joy Neh. 8:10.
It is the peace of reconciliation that was made by Jesus Christ on the cross between man and God and the rest and contentment that follows (1 Col. 1:20).
It is the peace that Jesus gave us and left with us (John 14: 27), a peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7), for it is the peace of God. Because the seed of peace has been planted in our hearts how should we behave towards God, to one another and to all men? Paul tells us that the message of reconciliation has been committed to us (2 Cor. 5:18) and in order to convey this message effectively we must be at peace with each other and with all our fellow men (Rom. 12:18). We are to let the peace of God rule in our hearts at all times (Col. 3:15). In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that peace-makers would be blessed (Matt. 5:9). Longsuffering or patience. Ivor Rosser says of this fruit "it has an enduring quality of
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