Sermon Central
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Spiritual Fruit Series
Contributed by Brad Beaman on Nov 24, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: Your life should be more than a flurry of activity. You were meant to produce spiritual fruit. Paul uses the imagery of fruit trees to illustrate this. What you want out of a fruit tree is fruit. In the Christian life what we want is spiritual fruit.
Wouldn’t it be great if every time that you received a harsh criticism you returned it with a response of kindness? That is what it is like for the believer who has the fruit of the Spirit manifested in their life.
Wouldn’t it be great the next time you are wronged, instead of rage your response was patience? On top of that you experienced a sense of joy in your life even during the time you were wronged.
What if the next time you faced uncertainty instead of agitation and inward churning you had a sense of peace. We may not see much of this, but it is what we desperately need. Nothing will take your life of disorder and replace it with a sense satisfaction and harmony than when the Holy Spirit is working, bearing spiritual fruit in your life. The answer lies right here in this passage of scripture on spiritual fruit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
When rightly applied everything you do will have meaning and purpose. The spiritual fruit of love, joy, and peace will be characteristics that fill your inward being. Patience, kindness and goodness will characterize your relationship with others. These inward and outward characteristics are the result of God’s Holy Spirit at work in you. You can experience a spiritual Cinderella story. A spiritual transformation that takes you from spiritual rags to abundant spiritual riches.
Your life should be more than a flurry of activity. You were meant to produce spiritual fruit. Paul uses the imagery of fruit trees to illustrate this. What you want out of a fruit tree is fruit. In the Christian life what we want is spiritual fruit.
Spiritual fruit is different than a spiritual gift. When you come to Christ God gives you one or more gifts to use in the body of Christ. You are unique. God has gifted you in a special way. Not everybody has every gift. But the fruit of the Spirit should be manifested in every life.
Can you visualize it? Can you see your life bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit? Can you just imagine what your life would be like if the Holy Spirit really manifested His work in every area of your life? Everywhere you went you would be a source of God’s presence.
At a family gathering you would really be able to love your relatives. You conversations would leave other family members with a desire to know the Lord. This is when people movements happen along family lines. When love, joy and peace are produced through you your marriage will be a blessing to you and your spouse. You love with a deep love of the Lord.
The routine things at the barber shop or hair salon and a visit to the dentist or doctor office will become opportunities that change people’s lives because you will witness about Christ. Talking about Jesus will be flowing from you. That is what the Holy Spirit does, magnify Christ.
The People who see you at work day in and day out will notice there is something different about you. They will see you and they will wonder why you are different. When the opportunity arises they will seek you out and ask you why. They have seen your life so that makes your spoken explanation of the gospel powerful.
It happens and it could happen to you. This is what God desires in your life. This is what is available to you. You ask, how do I get that kind of victory? What must I do to have that kind of triumph?
Following the verse on the fruit of the spirit we find a step by step way to experience this fruit. There is a simple application to make this life lifestyle change available right now.
We must start by crucifying the sinful nature. This is another way to say repentance.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
We nail the sinful nature to the cross. Yes, your sinful nature was delivered a death blow when you came to Christ. But just a reminder that Jesus gave Satan a death blow when he went to the cross and rose again, but Satan still wreaks havoc. He still kills and steals and destroys.
The sinful nature is still a part of you until you are in heaven. Yes when we become a Christian we nail the sinful nature to the cross. But as it has been expressed, we try to take it down again.
