His Desired Fruit Series

Title: His Desired Fruit

Theme: Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Introduction: Jesus said, "This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples." (John 15:8) Considering how these are the very words spoken by Jesus Christ. Christians, longing to please the Lord will seek the council of God's Word. In their diligent search they will find Galatians 5: 22 - 25, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Studdert Kennedy's poem expresses mankind's nature and the tension that arises as we must choose to give into the flesh or walk instep with the Holy Spirit. He writes, "I'm a man and a man's mixture, Right down from his very birth; For part of him comes from heaven, And part of him comes from earth."

The Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Galatians. (Galatians 1:1) Through him we see that Christian freedom is not the means to indulge the lower side of human nature, which is described in Galatians 5:19-21. Christian freedom is the empowerment to walk in the life of the Spirit. (Daily Bible Studies) Our key text exhorts us to serious practical godliness (The Bible Knowledge Commentary; Matthew Henry Commentary) which is manifested through a transformed likeness of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Proposition: I would like to propose to you that walking in step with the Holy Spirit produces the lovely things of God, which everyone can choose to enjoy. Therefore, it is worthwhile to take time to gain a Biblical understanding of the nine fruit offered to every born again Christian.

Interrogative Sentence: Just how can the fruit of the Holy Spirit be a blessing to us and to everyone we come in contact with? I can't speak for you, but I need an fuller understanding of the fruit that comes from a close walk with Christ, the fruit that shows all of mankind that Jesus is truly our Lord and Savior.

Transitional Sentence: The first fruit is love. John 13:34-35 records the very words of Christ, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The Greek Word for love in Galatians 5:22 and John 15:35 is agape (ἀγάπη agápē). "In Greek there are four words for love. (a) Eros means the love of a man for a maid; it is the love which has passion in it. It is never used in the New Testament at all. (b) Philia is the warm love which we feel for our nearest and our dearest; it is a thing of the heart. (c) Storge rather means affection and is specially used of the love of parents and children. (d) Agape, the Christian word, means unconquerable benevolence. It means that no matter what a man may do to us by way of insult or injury or humiliation we will never seek anything else but his highest good. It is therefore a feeling of the mind as much as of the heart; it concerns the will as much as the emotions. It describes the deliberate effort—which we can make only with the help of God—never to seek anything but the best even for those who seek the worst for us." (Daily Bible Studies)

First and utmost, this agape love enables us to love God, His Son, and have fellowship in the Holy Spirit. Agape love seeks opportunities to do good to all men.

To help you grasp this truth, there are two stories that illustrate to us of how God intends for us to express His love.

1.) Walter B. Night writes about a young soldier who had been condemned to death for treason. "Just before the army court pronounced the day of execution, an older brother stepped forward. This older brother had lost both arms, while fighting in a battle for his country. All who sat in that court room knew of this soldier heroic act which involved the sacrifice of both his arms. This armless soldier gave earnest pleas for his younger brother’s life. Basing his plea not on anything of value of what his criminal brother had done, but on what he, as a soldier had suffered for their country.

The older sacrificing brother said; 'My brother is guilty and is worthy of death. But I plea for his life.'

The sight of his body being without arms spoke powerfully and convincingly of the sacrifice he had made for his country. For his sake, the army courts gave the guilty brother a pardon.