To Bear the Fruit of Spirit_ 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit (1)
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May 05, 2019 |
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 Senior Pastor Rev. Jaerock Lee
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Gal. 5:22-23
The apostle Paul was an Orthodox Jew. However, he met the Lord on his way to Damascus and repented. He hadn't had a chance to understand the truth of gospel, which is we receive salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. But after he received the Holy Spirit, he spearheaded evangelism for the Gentiles.
The 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit are written in Galatians chapter 5, one of Paul's epistles. We can understand the significance of bearing the fruits of the Spirit when we understand the social background of the letter to the Galatians.
1. You Were Called to Freedom
Galatia was the place he went to for his 1st missionary trip. In the Jewish synagogue, he didn't preach the Law of Moses but the gospel of Jesus Christ. He confirmed his word with the following signs and many souls were won. Some of the believers in Galatia loved and trusted him enough that they would have given their eyes for him (Gal. 4:15).
After he came back to Antioch, there was a problem in the church of Galatia. Some who came from Judea argued the Gentiles couldn't be saved if they didn't get circumcised. Strife and argument arose. The church of Antioch sent Barnabas and Paul to Jerusalem to make a decision on this matter among all the apostles.
Acts chapter 15 explains the Jerusalem council in detail. The disciples of Jesus, elders, and representatives of the church gathered and had a lengthy discussion on the matter. They concluded they'd prohibit the Gentiles from only 4 things. It'd be too hard for the Gentile believers to keep the Law of Moses, and thus, they allowed more freedom so that they'd be saved by faith in Jesus Christ.
The conclusion was delivered to the churches with Gentile believers, but those who didn't truly understand the truth of the gospel kept on arguing they had to keep the Law of Moses. There were even some false prophets who slandered Paul for not teaching the Law of Moses.
When the Galatian church was having this problem, Paul wrote a letter and explained about the true freedom of a Christian. "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" "Does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?"
He defended the truthfulness of the gospel and emphasized that the reason why the Gentiles didn't have to be circumcised was that circumcision of heart is more important.
He explained about the desires of flesh and those of the Spirit, and the works of the flesh and the fruits of Spirit, so that they could understand how they could use the freedom that they gained through the gospel.
2. Walk by the Spirit
What is the reason God gave them the Law of Moses? It's because people wouldn't know what sins are without the Law. They could discern what sins are and solve the problem of sin so they could reach the righteousness of God. However, we can't solve the problem of sin completely just by the Law. For this reason Jesus came to this earth when the time came so we could be justified through faith.
Gal. 3:13-14 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"—in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
That doesn't mean the Law was abolished. Jesus said in Matt. 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill," and in verse 20, "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."
Paul said to the believers of the Galatian church, "My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you." And he concluded by saying, "…through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF" But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another."
Now, what do we have to do to serve one another through love and have the form of Christ in us? We have to walk by the Spirit, so we will not carry out the desire of the flesh. If we bear the 9 fruits of the Spirit, Christ can be formed in us.
We have been freed by the grace of Jesus Christ who died on the cross, and now we have to bear the fruits of Spirit not to become the slave of sin again.
If we misuse the freedom to commit sins and crucify the Lord all over again, we won't inherit the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, if we walk by the Spirit and bear the fruits of Spirit, God will protect us from our adversary the devil, and we will receive anything we ask for in prayer.
3. Love Is the 1st of 9 Fruits of Spirit
The 1st fruit among the 9 fruits is love. To the extent we cultivate love, we will also have joy with which we can rejoice in any circumstances. Then, we will have peace with everybody. As we have peace with God, with ourselves, and everybody else, we will also bear the fruit of patience.
As we are patient with others, we will bear the fruit of mercy. We will show mercy even to those whom we can't understand at all. Even if they do something beyond the boundaries of common sense, we will understand and accept the individual.
Those who have mercy will also have goodness. They will consider others better than themselves with humility. They do not merely look out for their own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. They won't break those souls that are like bruised reeds, nor will they give up on the souls that are like the smoldering wick. If we bear such goodness, we won't insist on our own opinions, but become gentle and faithful in all God's household.
Those who are gentle do not become like a stumbling block to anyone, but have peace with everyone. They don't judge anybody but accept and understand everybody with a generous heart.
In order to bear these fruits of love, joy, peace, endurance, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness, there must be self-control. Abundance of goodness is good, but everything must be in harmony. When we exercise self-control even in good things and walk by the Spirit, God will cause all things to work for good.
4. Against Such Things There is No Law
The Holy Spirit leads God's children into the truth so they can enjoy true freedom and happiness. True freedom is salvation from sin and Satan that hinder us from serving God the Creator. It is the happiness coming from walking with God.
The key to opening this gate of blessing is the fruit of Spirit. However, keys will not open the doors by themselves. James 1:25 says, "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does." We can receive the blessings when we put the Word into practice by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in order to receive love and blessings of God, it is imperative we keep in mind what fruits of the Spirit are and cultivate them in our heart. If we abundantly bear the fruits of the Spirit by the Holy Spirit's help, we will not only enjoy true freedom but also hear the voice of the Holy Spirit clearly. We'll be guided delicately and prosper in all things.
In doing so, may you receive the glory of the light like that of the sun in the city of New Jerusalem, I pray this in the name of the Lord.
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