“The Fruit of Living by the Spirit”
I. Names and Titles of the Holy Spirit
II. Origin of the Holy Spirit
III. Nature and Character of the Holy Spirit
IV. References to the Holy Spirit
V. The Holy Spirit’s Ministry in the Old Testament
VI. The Holy Spirit’s Ministry in the New Testament
A. The Holy Spirit’s Ministry with Jesus
B. The Holy Spirit’s ministry in people before Pentecost
C. The Holy Spirit’s Ministry AT Pentecost
D. The Holy Spirit’s Ministry related to Conversion
1. Regeneration (Inner Core Change)
2. Baptism
3. Indwelling
4. Sealing
Initial life (regeneration) comes through the Holy Spirit.
Continual renewal also comes by the work of the Holy Spirit; our perpetual prefect pastor.
E. Work related to Sanctification
• If you want to understand and communicate God’s truth -- you need the Holy Spirit.
• If you want to have inner assurance concerning truth and error -- it comes by the Spirit.
• If you long for inner assurance concerning your SONSHIP and relationship with God.
• If you want an effective prayer life -- it is when we pray in the Spirit.
• If you want specific direction that will bring eternal benefits -- listen to the Holy Spirit.
• If you desire boldness to witness to the lost and proclaim truth to the saints -- it is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• If you crave continual transformation in the soul that makes you more like Christ every day -- it is the Spirit who renews our soul as we yield to His direction.
New Life, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
• If you long for a hope, joy and peace that transcend any tribulation -- it can be found.
• If you want close fellowship with other saints that transcends surface relationship – you need the Holy Spirit.
• If you wish for inner power and strength that leads to the fullness of God – it begins with the Spirit’s power strengthening the inner man.
• If you seek daily victory over the demands and pressures of the flesh -- it is the Spirit who wars against the flesh and it is by His power we put to death the deed of the flesh.
• If you want to experience genuine response to God in genuine worship -- worship in the Spirit.
• If you want to know a supernatural perseverance in tribulation --The HS is always there.
In addition to the Holy Spirit’s work with individual members of the body of Christ, He also ministers to the church, the body of Christ, as a whole.
F. The Holy Spirit’s ministry to the Church – the body of Christ
1. Growth
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. Acts 9:31
in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Ephes. 2:22
2. Leadership appointment and gifting
And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. Acts 13:2-4
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Acts 20:28
And He gave (to the church) some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastor/teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. Ephes. 4:11-13
3. Spiritual gifts
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11
We gave considerable time to the subject of gifting earlier in Ephesians. Refer to the notes from message 23 and 24
G. The Holy Spirit’s ministry to the “World”.
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the encourager shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. John 16:7-11
The Holy Spirit encourages and corrects those rightly related to God. The Holy Spirit “convicts”.
“Convict” is a legal term that means to expose and pronounce a judicial verdict by which the guilt of the culprit at the bar of justice is defined and fixed. The Holy Spirit does not merely accuse men of sin; He brings them to an inescapable sense of guilt so that they realize their shame and helplessness before God.
1. The sin factor
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. The Holy Spirit convicts on the principle of sin (rejecting God’s rule) not the result of sin - sins. Sin is the problem, sins are only the consequence. The fundamental issue regarding sin is unbelief; a refusal to trust God; a rejection of intimate relationship with God. The foundation of sin is unbelief therefore the Holy Spirit convicts of sin because or “inasmuch as” they have not put their faith in Jesus.
To reject Jesus is to refuse the only way to God.
To reject Jesus is to stand before God accountable for your sin and resulting sins.
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
2. The Righteousness factor
The Holy Spirit is here today to let people know that their righteousness account does not and will never have the necessary righteousness to stand before a Holy God other than for judgment. Jesus did and we don’t. Without His righteousness, we are unprepared to stand before God; doomed.
3. The Identification factor
The issue here has to do with identification. Where is our citizenship? Whose team are we on? Who do we embrace as lord and ruler? If we refuse to identify with Christ "the King of Heaven and prince of peace", we, by default, identify with the "prince of this World, the prince of darkness." Inasmuch as condemnation has already been passed down to Satan, any identified (actively or passively) with him, stand condemned along with Him.
VII. The Holy Spirit’s Future Ministry
A. Ministry in the Tribulation Period
1. Salvation Work
We are told that many will come to Christ during the Tribulation. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is essential to Salvation. Rom 11:25 indicates thousands of Jews will final come to the knowledge of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the one to enlighten concerning truth. The Joel prophecy will realize its ultimate fulfillment during the final days. God indicated a great outpouring of His Holy Spirit in those days.
2. Work in Believers
The Holy Spirit’s work in believers is more by inference than direct reference. There is proclamation and witness -- a ministry of the Holy Spirit. There is empowering for service -- a ministry of the Holy Spirit. There is strength in adversity -- a ministry of the Holy Spirit. 3. Restraining Work
Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 2 Thes. 2:5-8
Because the Holy Spirit is not only omnipresent but also necessary for salvation, I don’t believe it is the Holy Spirit who is removed but the ministry of restraint thought the church no longer restrains evil.
B. Ministry during the Millennium
1. Salvation Work
2. Ministry Work
C. Ministry in Eternity
There will continue to be full cooperation and unity and presence of the Trinity with believes.
We will forever be with the Lord.
VIII. Our responsibility toward the ministry of the Holy Spirit
A. Don’t hinder His ministry.
1. Resisting the Holy Spirit by our unbelief
"You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit Acts 7:51
2. Quenching the Holy Spirit by our refusal to respond
Do not quench the Spirit; 1 Thess 5:19
3. Grieving the Holy Spirit by sin, especially relational sins
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephes. 4:30
4. Lying to the Holy Spirit by hypocrisy
But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? Acts 5:3
5. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit Matt 12:22-37
B. Live by the Spirit
1. The Method
Paul addressed a church in personal conflict. He provides the key to unity and harmonious living.
You were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:13-15
The next verse in His letter to the Galatians begins with, “But I say!” Rather than bite and devour one another “Walk or live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh (that bites and devours). The selfish desires of our unbridled flesh are the source of personal conflict. The only way to override and curb those drives is to live by the direction and dynamic of the Holy Spirit.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:16-18
It is a similar concept to filling we studied earlier. It is a matter of awareness of and surrender to the direction of the Holy Spirit at which point we are empowered to live according to His direction. It is a matter of faith, trust belief. We choose to humbly trust His work in our life rather than our efforts driven by pride.
It looks something like this. (See diagram)
God is in the business of transforming our soul to function like He originally intended. He does it through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the church to communicate truth that fosters belief (trust) which empowers the soul to form new behaviors that override the residual drives left over from the old director. To live by the spirit is to be attentive to the truth that transforms and then act on it. Hearing with faith is the key to walking by the Holy Spirit.
2. The Manifestation
The way we live is either directed by ungodly passions of the unbridled flesh or by the new godly passions of the Holy Spirit empowered inner person. The clue as to who is in control is evidenced by our behavior. Paul provides a list of representative behaviors of one controlled by (living by) the power of the Spirit and those behaviors that reveal a flesh driven person.
a. Evidence of one living by the desires of the flesh
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21
This list can be broken down into three categories. There are sensual signs, devotional signs and relational signs indicating what directs our life.
Sensual Indicators
“Immorality” (pornea)
“Impurity”
“Sensuality”
“Drunkenness & carousing”
Devotional Indicators
“Idolatry”
This is the tendency to grant higher priority to people or things than God. The previous demonstrates a life focuses on the pursuit of pleasure. This focuses on our tendency to find life in people and things. The whole struggle with codependency in our culture is idolatry.
The whole struggle with possession and things is a struggle with greed which amounts to idolatry.
“sorcery” (pharmaceia)
Attempt to control our environment or people for selfish reasons through ritual or curse or incantation or action.
Relational Indicators
“enmities”
“strife”
“jealousy”
“outbursts of anger”
“selfish ambition”
“divisions”
“heresies”
“envying”
Just as Paul indicated trouble in the early church by advising them to stop biting and devouring one another the bulk of the evidence of a fleshy focus has to do with relational conflict. It is a sure sign we are not living by the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. This is not an inclusive list. It is only representative of the kinds of behavior that indicate a fleshly focus.
What does a life living by the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit look like?
b. Evidence of one living by the direction of the Holy Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
We have heard this list over and over. Just hearing them does not make it true in our life. Only by surrender to the refining and renewing work of the Holy Spirit will these things become characteristic of our life. No one makes a law against loving, joyfulness, peace longsuffering, goodness. These are attributes generally recognized and admired worldwide.
A couple things of note.
1. Almost all of them deal with relationships Most of them relate to how we respond to people. They find their meaning only in connection with people. Love needs and object.
Kindness needs and object. Goodness needs and object. Long-suffering requires another person.
2. It is interesting to note that Paul calls them the “fruit” (singular) not “fruits” of the Spirit.
That means that when the Spirit is in control of our life all of this things will be evident. If they are not, then it warrants a closer look at who is really in control of our life. When the Holy Spirit is in charge, when I am surrendered to His direction and asking for His power I will bear His fruit. Just as the deeds of the flesh list is not all inclusive I do not believe the fruit of the Spirit list is all inclusive but representative. Technically love will cover all the rest. If we love we will also manifest joy, peace, longsuffering etc.
Love
The unconditional acceptance of others apart from merit that motivates me to seek what is for their good and God’s glory.
Joy
Joy is different than happiness. Joy is an internal sense of pleasure that comes from discerning God’s eternal purposes no matter the external circumstances.
Peace
Peace is an internal confidence and contentment realizing that our good God is able to do what He said he would do and will work all things according to His master plan.
Longsuffering
This could be translated literally as “long anger”. It is the ability to withhold a harsh response for higher purposes. It is the opposite from the response of the flesh which response with outbursts of anger.
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all endurance and longsuffering with joyfulness; Col. 1:11
Kindness
Compassion focuses on the emotional stirrings that inspire us to do good to others.
Kindness has to do with actions that compassion toward others inspires.
Goodness
Goodness is very close to kindness. It is a general term that describes one’s positive desire for life and people.
Faithfulness
This characteristic is one who is full of faith or one who is trustworthy, faith-worthy.
Jesus demonstrated faithfulness all though his life.
Gentleness
From a heart of humility comes a manner of dealing with and approaching and responding to people that communicates deep love and care that encourages open response rather than active resistance. The word was used in relation to the taming of animals. It is a disposition or manner that approaches others with calmness and disarming confident softness even though you might have the power or position to annihilate them.
Self-control
This has to do with dominion or power over self. It has to do with perseverance, steadfastness.
This is not self-controlling but self being controlled and managed. It is the opposite of self-indulgent. Self out of control. Self or flesh driving the life rather than the Spirit.
The flesh is out of control and drives us. The spirit is able to live in a controlled manner wither it has to do with our words, our emotions, our, actions, our appetites, our time, our thoughts, our moods, our desires, our spending, our eating, our sleeping.
We live in a culture of out of control people. We are controlled by everything but what we should be.
The purpose of the many lists in Scripture is to get our attention and overcome our tendency to trivialize sin. They allow for times of introspection and self-examination.
How do I measure up? This is not to condemn us for there is “No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). This is to free us and renew us and mature us. The truth will set us free. Sometimes the truth is that I have all the indicators that I am not presently walking by the Spirit. My responsibly at that [point is to acknowledge my failure to surrender to His direction and come back under His influence in my walk. At that point I once again walk by the Spirit and no longer carry out the desires of the flesh.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:24-26
Sample Type Prayer Of Surrender
I realize that when I was in Adam, I was independent of God and sought life from the things of this world. I sought to live life by indulging the fleshly drive for pleasures, possessions and power. I was deserving of condemnation and without your intervention would have spent an eternity in hell separated from God.
I praise You Father that even when I was dead in my sin You in Your mercy and love made me alive together with Christ and raised me up and seated me with Him in the heavenlies. You made me a new creation; old things passed away, I became new. I died with Christ and was raised to newness of life. You have made me Your special vessel, blessed with every blessing, given an inheritance reserved in heaven for me. I really have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live in this yet unredeemed body I live by faith in the Christ who loved me and gave Himself for me.
My true desire is to do Your will. I agree with the law of God in the inner man. I long to do what is right. I long to do Your will, not the drives of the flesh. I restate my desire to live the rest of my time on this earth in this body no longer for the passions of the flesh, but for the will of God.
I confess that I have indulged the desires of the flesh and energized the flesh by...(specifically name things revealed by the Holy Spirit). In doing so, I have rejected You, the fountain and source of the living water of life and sought to dig for my own water. In doing so, I have provided opportunity for Satan to gain a foothold in my flesh. I confess my sin of independence and my failure to seek my life from Your fountain of real life. I reclaim any territory in my members surrendered to the enemy through my sin. I yield myself once again to your protection and purpose for my life.
I now renew my goal to love You with all my heart. I once again reaffirm my desire to make pleasing You my supreme goal. I renew my goal to live my life in such a way as to reflect the character of Jesus Christ, to live according to Your ways and so bring honor to You in everything I do. I renew my goal to be Your hand in touching others. I recommit myself to a life of service to those who You bring into my life beginning with my immediate family, spreading to my extended family, church family, neighbors, work associates, and any others You may direct my way. I restate my goal to not just please myself or indulge the flesh but live to minister effectively to others.
I surrender my members once again as one made alive from the dead. I invite Your Holy Spirit to direct me and empower me to live this day, this hour, in full surrender of my members as instruments of righteousness, to consider those members as dead to sin and alive to Christ who is my life. I pray that my mind be set on the things above and not on the things of this earth.
I invite You to do in me what I cannot do in the flesh; that is to demonstrate the new life of Christ in everything I do today and everyday.
Quick Moment-By-Moment Surrender
Father, I feel the pressure of the flesh to seek life apart from dependence upon you. I realize life is not found in the flesh but in relationship with you. I am spiritual, not of the flesh any longer. I am a new creature. The things of this world cannot fill the emptiness I feel.
I refuse to heed the drives of the flesh but surrender my will and life to the will and direction of Your Holy Spirit.
I die to my selfish desires which are not compatible with the identity I have been granted as an heir and joint heir of Jesus Christ.
I lay aside every encumbrance and sin that so easily entangles my life and look to Jesus the author and perfecter of my faith. I consider what He went through for me and determine to put to death the desires of the flesh even though it may mean suffering.
I yield my thoughts, feelings, and will to the purpose and power of the Holy Spirit.
