Galatians 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Love
- Agape. Pure love. Loving without expectations of getting something in return.
Joy
- A feeling of happiness that is not dependent on circumstances.
- Specifically in reference to salvation.
Peace
- Prosperity, success, welfare, state of health, deliverance, salvation.
- A time or state of peace as an interlude of an everlasting state of war.
Patience
- Remaining cheerful when others are making you annoyed or angry, especially when they are doing it on purpose.
- A state of remaining tranquil while awaiting an outcome.
Kindness
- Usefulness or helpfulness, provide something that is beneficial to someone
Goodness
- Generosity
Faithfulness
- Being someone that someone else can place complete confidence in. Trustworthiness, dependability.
Gentleness
- Courteous, considerate, wholesome, humble
- Opposite would be harshness
Self-control
- Restraint of your emotions, impulses or desires
- Specifically at time: Able to control your temper
How do we get the fruits of the Spirit? The HOLY SPIRIT Produces….
How does this process start? At salvation
- Colossians 2:6-7 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on him.
- John 15:5 “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”
Analogy of tree
- Roots in Jesus
- Allow HS to reveal sin, show us where we need to grow, pour out his grace over us.
How can I get the most possible Fruit of the Spirit? Pruning
- Like actual fruit trees, we may need pruning to allow the fruits to grow and be plentiful!
- Pruning is: Thoughtful, careful cutting of tree branches for the health and future fruitfulness of a tree.
Natural vs. Spiritual pruning
- Develops desired tree shape (character)
- Maintains the tree at the desired size (helps us fit where we are planted, get along with others)
- Allows sunlight and spray materials to enter the center of the tree (every part of us will flourish)
- Improves tree strength and encourage new shoots (ability to withstand hardship, new growth=more fruit)
- Improves air circulation within the tree and reduces the potential for disease (our spirit is not sick but thrives!)
- Removes dead or broken branches (removes negative thought patterns, sin patterns etc. that aren’t helpful to us)
Why does the HS prune us?
- He loves us! He wants what is best for us!
- He wants us to live up to our full potential, having access to peace, grace, becoming who Father God created us to be!
“This fruit is the manifest evidence one may expect from a life in which the Spirit of God is living and reigning.” – W.L. Gerig
Imagine if the fruits of the Spirit were constantly growing and activated in you, your family and your church family. What would life be like?
What should I do about this?
- Make room for the HS – go back and listen to the last 4 messages.
- Let the HS choose which fruit he wants to develop in you right now.
- Don’t try to do this in your own strength. THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES!