Fruit Of The Spirit (Bible Study) – Easy Production Series

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Today we’re going to quickly study the four-remaining fruit, then study how to throw fertilizer on the fruit for faster production, and finally how to use your fruit. I’ve enjoyed going through this study with the Holy Spirit and with all of you. I can’t wait to see what the Holy Spirit has for us next.

Before we read our fruit scripture for the last time, let’s talk about Homework!

- Who is ready to share how they overcame their pet peeves this week?

- This is one, I’d prefer you not share anything too personal, but did anyone check in the Lord about Anger Grenades? Unless we’re regularly checking, we have all taken in Anger Grenades. Some of us had them explode and some of us haven’t had it happen yet.

- How did meditating on kind acts verses love play out for you this week?

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Goodness.

Goodness in Greek means goodness in all four uses. In Hebrew, using…

Exodus 34:6 NKJV

And the Lord passed before him (Moses) and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,

We have 3 fruit in this one scripture. Goodness in Hebrew is tuwb (toob) Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon gives us an easy understanding of this word:

1. Good things, as in items (that would be the prosperity); also figuratively as in spiritual blessings

2. Goods, as in property

3. Beauty, joy of heart, prosperity of the righteous, discernment

4. Abstract sense, goodness of God as in bestowing good things

The definition of goodness in Hebrew, to me in the light of fruit bearing, is a result of God’s prosperous blessing being on your life, whether it’s items, property, or spiritual blessings for yourself and to share. You cannot give what you don’t have. Write this down: producing love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and kindness will bring a physical and spiritual blessing into your life to share with others. Bearing the previous fruit makes you trustworthy to receive the goodness of the Lord.

I do not want anyone to get this mistaken for a “prosperity doctrine!” The goodness of God is “blessed to be a blessing.” That means you have enough to share. Unless you have a supply, you can’t bless anyone!

This is an example of blessed to be a blessing

This is something that happened over 20 years ago, and it’s well worth remembering. A Christian woman who spent a lot of time in the Word and prayer received a gift, an expensive diamond ring. She loved the ring and wore it for a while. Then one day she felt it burning in her heart to give the ring away. She didn’t want to part with it; because it was expensive and beautiful, but she did. The young woman that she gave it to broke down crying. She told her that she wanted to get married, but her and her fiancé didn’t have money for rings. He had been working a second job trying to pay for them first, because he wanted to properly propose to her. Because she had the diamond, they had enough to buy the bands. She was so happy thanking her and the Lord, because they could get married. Do you know what that is? The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous (Proverbs 13:22NKJV), and the woman who first received the ring acting on the goodness of God.

If this lady who first received the ring was in need, she may have thought it was for her blessing then hurried to sell the ring to pay her bills. There is a reason why God not only wants to, but needs to, bless you first, so you can comfortably let go. When He bounces money or items through your hands to bless another person, He doesn’t want it to constantly be a painful sacrifice for you.

Blessed to be a blessing isn’t about a prosperity doctrine at all! It’s about being able to easily buy a week’s worth of quality groceries for a family in need. Through the years, I’ve seen people want to give to the poor and buy the absolute cheapest groceries to stretch their dollar. It breaks my heart, because people who are experiencing lack still have a loving heart to give. It’s time “to preach the gospel to the poor.” (Luke 4:18) They can be blessed to be a blessing and not hurt themselves to bless.

James uses not giving to the poor as an example to show the absurdity of not understanding “faith without works is dead.”