Being Different: Different Fruit 2 Series

GENTLENESS

Benevolence, kindness

Gentleness can be defined as tender concern for others, reflected in a desire to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats all believers.

Jesus commended gentleness in the Beatitudes. In the first three, he blesses the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and the “meek.” They go together. The poor in spirit know their need of God’s grace. The poor in spirit, the mourners, are gentle in this sense: their awareness of their sin keeps them from asserting themselves and their rights.

Jesus is called “gentle” in Matthew 21:5, and while we see that he arrives on a donkey rather than a warhorse, he immediately starts upending temple furniture (21:12). And though he is called gentle, he doesn’t sound gentle. He calls the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, snakes, sons of hell, fools, whitewashed tombs, and murderers, among other things (Matt. 23:12–35). Jesus makes it abundantly clear that gentleness is entirely compatible with blunt language and direct action.

Now notice how Jesus describes himself: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you . . . for I am gentle. . . . For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:28–30) The reference to his “yoke” means his teaching is neither burdensome nor stringent. The very next passage shows Pharisees making legalistic demands—the sort Jesus doesn’t make (Matt. 12:1–14).

GOODNESS

Generosity

The words good and goodness appear more than 600 times in the Bible. Obviously, it is a very important term to understand! Acts 10:38 tells us that Jesus went about doing good, so His ministry described in the gospels tell us of His goodness. The Lord is to be our model for goodness. Such as when He graciously forgave the woman at the well, or cast demons out of those who were severely afflicted, or when He attended Matthew’s dinner party. All of these acts show His goodness.

We, as God's people, are not good in and of ourselves. We have the potential for doing good and being good through the empowerment of His Holy Spirit and the presence of God in our lives. Through Jesus Christ we can attain this attribute. We cannot be good without something being produced.

How are you producing goodness in your everyday life?

FAITH

What can be believed, trustworthy

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.

In 1 Corinthians 12:9, Paul describes the spiritual gift of faith. This is not to be confused with saving faith. The spiritual gift of faith is a special gift where one shows extreme faith in God, His provision, and His promises. When a severe storm is brewing on the sea, this person is the one who is asleep in the bottom of the boat while the others are on deck panicking.

But the faith that is talked about here is simply showing basic faith in God. This kind of faith is a by-product of saving faith. Saving faith takes us from sinful creatures and to children of God. The fruit of spirit that is faith is that we make our trust in God a part of our daily conversation. While is may be unusual or foolish to the world, it makes perfect sense to us. The world wonders what the devil is wrong with us, while we may wonder the same thing about them.

But perhaps the best way to describe the fruit of the spirit that is faith is that it is the handle on what we can’t see.

MEEKNESS

Humility

Titus 3:2 “Showing every consideration to all people…”

When we think of someone being meek, we tend to think of a timid introvert who is mousy and quiet, never wanting to stir up any trouble. A better idea of this word would be humble.

Proverbs 16:6-9 lists seven things that God hates. The top of the list is a proud look, eyes that are arrogant, haughty eyes, or a spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others. The fact that this trait is listed first before such attitudes as constant liars, murderers, and just looking to get into trouble says a lot about how God values humility and meekness.

Humility is a very elusive character trait, yet the Bible regards it as a highly important quality. Jesus referred to himself as “humble and gentle at heart.” In Romans 12:3, Paul wrote the clearest definition of humility apart from Jesus’ own example: “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your revaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”

Humility, then, boils down to having an honest estimate of ourselves before God. We show false humility when we project negative worth on our abilities and efforts. We show pride when we inflate the value of our efforts or look down on others. True humility seeks to view our character and accomplishments honestly. Recognizing that we have succeeded in an effort need not be pride.