Let The Sap Flow...And Don't Be A Sap! Part II
Charles Haddon Spurgeon once wrote:
"There are overshot waterwheels and undershot. In the one case the motive power falls from above; in the other the water turns the wheel from below. The first is more powerful. Men, like wheels, are turned by forces from various sources, and too many move by the undercurrent--mercenary desires and selfish aims drive them. But the good man's driving force falls from above; let him endeavor to prove to all men that this is the most mighty force in existence."
I) Review
Jesus is the True Vine, the Genuine Article
Jesus saves, God prunes.
God prunes those things out of our lives and our manner of being so that we may bear more fruit.
Abiding in Jesus--which means to "be at home in Him, or better spoken for Him to be at home in you is what it means to abide.
You cannot bear fruit on your own. Jesus tells us in John 15:4
John 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (NKJ)
The Bible shows two different types of fruit
Action Fruit (spiritual fruit produced through believers)
Praise of the Lord
John 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (NKJ)
Winning converts to Christ
1 Cor 16:15 I urge you, brethren-- you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints--
(NKJ)
Godly work in general
James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (NKJ)
Attitude Fruit (Galatians 5:22-23)
Without Attitude Fruit, You Cannot Produce Action Fruit
II) A Study of Contrasts Part 1
Paul shows four areas of the sins of the flesh:
Sensual Sins--Sex (Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lewdness)
Superstitious Sins--Human Religion (idolatry, sorcery)
Social Sins--Human Relationships (hatred--plural, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like)
III) A Study of Contrasts Part II
Contrasted with the deeds of the flesh is the fruit of the Spirit. Deeds of the flesh are done by a person's own efforts, whether he is saved or unsaved. The fruit of the Spirit, on the other hand, is produced by God's own Spirit and only in the lives of those who belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.--John MacArthur
A machine in a factory works, and turns out a product, but it could never manufacture fruit. Fruit must grow out of life, and, in the case of the believer, it is the life of the Spirit.
Fruit also contains seeds. Seeds produce more vines or trees, which produce more fruit. Here's how I look at it: Because the word "fruit" is singular, you and produce fruit depending upon our relationship with God at that given moment in time.
If you have a relationship with God that is letting God be in charge, then the fruit you produce is of great character. If not, then the fruit is perhaps not as "flavorful" as it should be.
Here's an example--apples. Personally, I like Red Delicious Apples and Yellow Delicious Apples, and I don't care much for Granny Smith apples. It's a matter of my personal choice, my personal taste.
However, in the life of the believer, our fruit may be made sour because each of these flavors (love, joy, peace, etc) have not flowed because of our attitudes and actions.
22 But the fruit (singular) of the Spirit is love,
The first three fruit of the spirit "flavors" express the Godward aspect of the Christian life.
Agape love is the form of love that most reflects personal choice, referring not simply to pleasant emotions or good feelings but to willing, self-giving service.
Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NKJ)
Warren Wiersbe notes that "Paul begins with love because all other fruit is really an outgrowth of love.
Joy is the deep-down sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person who knows all is well between himself and the Lord.
Joy not only does not come from favorable human circumstances but is sometimes greatest when those circumstances are the most painful and severe.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy" (John 16:20). To illustrate that truth Jesus compared divine joy to a woman in childbirth. "She has sorrow because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she remembers the anguish no more, for joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too now have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you" (vv. 21-22).
Peace, Peace. If joy speaks of the exhilaration of heart that comes from being right with God, then peace (eirene) refers to the tranquillity of mind that comes from that saving relationship. The verb form has to do with binding together and is reflected in the modern expression "having it all together." Everything is in place and as it ought to be.
Jesus was the Prince of Peace, both in the sense that He was supremely peaceful Himself and in the sense that He dispenses His peace to those who are His.
The next three express the manward aspect of the of the Christian life.
Longsuffering, (Patience.) Makrothumia (patience) has to do with tolerance and long-suffering that endure injuries inflicted by others, the calm willingness to accept situations that are irritating or painful.
Kindness, Chrestotes (kindness) relates to tender concern for others. It has nothing to do with weakness or lack of conviction but is the genuine desire of a believer to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats him.
Goodness, Agathos (goodness) has to do with moral and spiritual excellence that is known by its sweetness and active kindness.
A Christian can be morally upright but still not manifest the grace of goodness. He may be admired and respected for his high moral standards and might even have a friend who would risk his life for him. But the upright person who also has goodness is much more likely to have self-sacrificing friends.
Joseph was such a righteous and good man. When he learned that Mary was pregnant but did not yet know it was by the Holy Spirit, "being a righteous man" he could not bring himself to marry her, assuming she had been unfaithful. But being also a good man, he could not bear the thought of disgracing his beloved Mary and therefore "desired to put her away secretly" (Matt. 1:19).
Matt 1:18-19
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
(NKJ)
The final three qualities are selfward.
Faithfulness, Pistis (faithfulness) is the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit that pertains to loyalty and trustworthiness.
Jesus was faithful:
Phil 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
And because of the Son's faithfulness:
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NKJ)
Gentleness-- Prautes includes the idea of gentleness, but is usually better translated meekness. In his helpful volume Synonyms of the New Testament, R. C. Trench writes that prautes does not consist in a person's "outward behaviour only; nor yet in his relations to his fellow-men; as little in his mere natural disposition. Rather it is an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God. It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting".
Warren Wiersbe notes in his commentary on Galatians that meekness is "the right use of power and authority, power under control". Meekness is not weakness, in fact, it takes some of the last fruit--self control--to exercise meekness.
Self-control. Enkrateia (self-control) has reference to restraining passions and appetites. As with meekness, however, this grace does not apply to God, who obviously does not need to restrain Himself.
Malachi 3:6 "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
In His eternal being, the Lord "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever" (Heb. 13:8). Perfect holiness possesses perfect control.
But in His incarnation Christ was the epitome of self-control. He was never tempted or tricked into doing or saying anything that was not consistent with His Father's will and His own divine nature. Again like Jesus, believers should "exercise self-control in all things"
Against such there is no law.
When the Spirit produces fruit, God gets the glory and the person is unconscious of his spirituality. When the flesh produces artificial fruit, the person gets the glory and they are proud of themselves.
Fruit is meant to be eaten, not be put on display.
IV) Learning How To Get Out Of The Way
24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (NKJ)
Here's a few questions for you:
What does it mean when Paul says those that are saved have crucified the flesh?
What does it mean to "die to yourself?"
What does it mean to "bear your own cross"?
