Transcript The Fruit of the Spirit - Christadelphian Resources

The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the spirit is…
Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Longsuffering,
Gentleness,
Goodness,
Faith,
Meekness,
Temperance,
against such there is no law”
1
Separate Fruit or Different
Aspects of One Fruit?
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Fruit in the New Testament is normally plural
Only in Galatians 5:22 and Luke 1:42 (referring to
Jesus) is it singular
Actually, this fruit is “singular collective”
One collective fruit – that is centered
in LOVE & made up of 8 other parts?
Consider I Corinthians 13 and 2 Peter 1
2
Galatians 5
Fruit of Spirit
I Corinthians 13
Love or Charity…
JOY
PEACE
LONGSUFFERING
GENTLENESS
“rejoiceth” “hopeth all things”
“beareth all things” “endureth all things”
GOODNESS
“rejoiceth not in iniquity” “thinketh not
evil”
“believeth all things” “never faileth”
“not puffed up” “vaunteth not itself”
“behaveth not unseemly” “seeketh not
her own”
FAITH
MEEKNESS
TEMPERANCE
“suffereth long” “not easily provoked”
“is kind” “envieth not”
3
2 Peter 1
FAITH
VIRTUE
KNOWLEDGE
Galatians 5
(same word)
brings
brings (see
2 Pet. 1:3)
TEMPERANCE
(same word)
PATIENCE
encourages
GODLINESS
brings
BROTHERLY KINDNESS and
CHARITY
equals
FAITH
GOODNESS
PEACE
TEMPERANCE
LONGSUFFERING
GENTLENESS
MEEKNESS
LOVE
4
“But the fruit of the spirit is…
Love…
Joy,
Peace,
Longsuffering,
Gentleness,
Goodness,
Faith,
Meekness,
Temperance,
against such there is no law”
Galatians 5:22-23
5
Longsuffering
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English word – joining together of 2 words
Original Greek – also combination of 2 words
– makro and themeo
– Literally “slow anger” or “long temper”
– Also translated “patience”
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Newer versions (eg, NIV & NEB) translate this fruit
of the spirit as “patience”
But, there is a difference between Biblical
“Longsuffering” and Patience (as we know it).
6
The Patience of Job
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Character of Job – well illustrates difference between patience
and longsuffering
Known for patience but not longsuffering
James uses both words in chapter 5:
– “Be patient (makrothumia) therefore, brethren, unto the coming
of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman…hath long patience for
it…Be ye also patient”
James 5:7-8
– “Ye have heard of the patience (hupomone) of Job, and hath
seen the end of the Lord…” James 5:11
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James says -- We need more than “patience” (humonone)!
Job, too, needed to learn “longsuffering” (makrothumia)
7
Longsuffering of Yahweh
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God is described as being “slow to anger”
Neh. 9:17
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Exhibited this characteristic many times
- e.g., time of Noah (see 1 Pet. 3:20)
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“…but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance”.
2 Pet. 3:9
“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation.”
2 Pet. 3:15
8
Slow Anger is not No Anger
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Impossible to experience no anger.
What counts is how we express it.
And we need to express it – release it in
some way.
Not in ways that are physically or
emotionally damaging to other people.
Opposite of “slow anger” = “quick temper”
– not a part of the fruit of the Spirit
9
Anger – Biblical Common Sense
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“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man
quietly holds back”.
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Prov. 29:11 (RSV)
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down
upon your wrath” Eph. 4:26
“Be…slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh
not the righteousness of God” James 1:19,20
10
Anger - Negative (& Positive) Sides
Negative Impacts
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Attacking another person
Thinking hateful thoughts
Festering grudges
Souring relationships
Guilt -> Neurosis -> Physical Illness
Positive Side
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Use it as ‘fuel for motivation”
But must let it go; “calm it back”
11
The Answer to Anger and
The Secret of Longsuffering
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It is quite simple –
It is the ACT of FORGIVENESS
It is essential to our own emotional, spiritual
and even physical well-being.
“To Forgive is to set a prisoner free and
discover the prisoner was YOU.”
12
Forgiveness – A Way of Life
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Forgiveness does not come naturally
It needs Practice – working on until it
becomes a habit
Starting with small everyday things
Just let it go; calm it back
Think back – Do you have anything
against anyone?
FORGIVE THEM – set yourself free
13
Forgiving Yourself
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Anger towards ourselves is no less bad than
anger directed towards others.
Can be most difficult form of forgiveness.
There is nothing wrong with having a
certain healthy regard for ourselves.
But, we think we own ourselves and
therefore can mistreat ourselves.
Not so! We were “bought with a price”.
14
Longsuffering Towards Ourselves
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Go easy on yourself or it will be impossible to go
easy on others.
If we are over-critical and chronically angry at
ourselves, we’re not going to project a different
attitude towards our “neighbors”.
We can’t give away what we don’t have ourselves.
“For if our heart condemn us, God is greater
(hearted) than our heart (than I am), and knoweth
all things” 1 John 3:20
Yahweh is more long-suffering than we can ever
imagine.
15
TEMPERANCE
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Is it ‘self-control’ or ‘God-control’?
Natural will is weak; to overcome must be aligned
with higher power.
True temperance – only through “delight and
meditation” in God’s Word.
We must hold back and not indulge in excesses
acceptable to the world.
16
TEMPERANCE
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Original Greek – Egkrateia (pronounced en-krateia)
Compound of two words – en + kratos
Literally means – “in strength”
To have power over one’s self; Self-control
Indeed, it takes much strength to overcome the
lure from within that is so strong.
– “He who rules his spirit [is better] than he who takes a
city”
Prov. 16:32
17
Biblical (NT) context of
Temperance
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“But if they [unmarried and widows] cannot contain, let them
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– The context is how much easier it can be to serve God if
one remains unmarried.
“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in
marry: for it is better to marry than to burn”. 1 Corinthians 7:9
– Original word for “contain” is egkrateia or temperance.
all things…But I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to
others, I myself should be a castaway”
1 Cor. 9:25,27
– Context of 1 Corinthians 9 is clearly confined to bodily excesses.
– Is “all” the universal all – absolutely everything?
– Should we be “temperate” in our love for God, for
example?
18
Other areas of self-control
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Drinking
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Amassing wealth
Spending
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Eating
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Etc.
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19
Temperance vs. Moderation
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These words are close synonyms but are not the
same, particularly as they relate to morality.
“Moderation in all things” is a phrase often heard
today but it is not Biblical.
There are some things we are told to abstain from.
Abstinence is the ultimate form of temperance.
20
Interlocking Pieces of Fruit
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All parts of the fruit of the Spirit overlap and
interlink.
All parts combine to make the complete and true
Christ-like character.
Lack of one part will generally mean shortages in
other parts.
For example - if we fail to be longsuffering, we will
fail at joy and peace
21
Gentleness
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Greek – chrestotes
More often translated “kindness” in AV
This fruit is better understood as Kindness
Acts of kindness – “the cup of cold water”
Everyday things – i.e. generally being “nice”?
Social Kindness - because we like to be liked
Fruit of the Spirit is not just Social Kindness
22
Being vs. Doing
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Fruit of the Spirit – about being more than doing
Internal quality of kindness rather than outward
manifestation of it.
Perfunctory kindness – no better than social
kindness
Chrestotes & related Chrestos – describe genuine
kindness of the heart
Mirrors the kindness of Yahweh himself and of His
Son
23
References to Kindness of God
Original Greek – “chrestotes” or “chrestos”
“the riches of his goodness”
“the goodness and severity of God”
“if thou continue in his goodness”
“the riches of His grace in his kindness”
“the kindness and love of God”
“the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance”
“He is kind to be thankful”
“Be ye kind…tenderhearted…forgiving
as God”
Rom. 2:4
Rom. 11:22
Rom. 11:22
Eph. 2:7
Titus 3:4
Rom. 2:4
Luke 6:35
Eph. 4:32
24
Kindness – principle attribute of
God’s grace
GRACE
favor
generosity
goodwill
allowance
clemency
mercy
beneficence
25
Sympathy for Others
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Gentleness (KINDNESS) will manifest itself in
greater sympathy for people.
Reality is – we all suffer from cursed human
condition.
Genuine kindness comes from knowing and
appreciating what others are going through
(treating them in a way that shows you really
believe they matter)
Kindness is NOT being patronizing and
condescending; but being empathetic.
26
Kindness begins “at home”
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Should find its fullest and best expression
among fellow believers.
“Let each esteem others better than
himself” Phil. 2:3 RAV
Indicates high level of grace, allowance and
understanding we should have for others of
the faith.
But, are we impartial in esteeming others?
- “They would be all right if only they were…”
27
What Philippians 2:3 does not say
“let each esteem himself [or herself] worse
than others”
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This passage is not “reversible” in this way.
Spirit of the verse is to exalt others; not knock
ourselves down.
It should have a positive effect on us – help us to
show kindness to fellow believers.
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So…How do we show kindness
to fellow believers?
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By passing on the grace that Yahweh has shown
unto us.
By making allowance for others.
Treating them with sympathy and understanding.
Understanding what makes them “tick”.
By putting away all the bad uses of the tongue –
Eph. 4:29, 31, 32
By “ministering grace unto the hearers” and using
the art of careful listening
29
Kindness can be “expensive”
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Real kindness does have a “cost” –
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–
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Our
Our
Our
Our
Our
Our
time
energy
money
pride
convenience
security
But, we won’t “count the cost” when it has
become part of our everyday character.
30
The Milk of Human Kindness
“too full o’ the milk of human kindness”
Lady Macbeth
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Is there a danger of being overly kind or taken
advantage of for our kindness?
Answer – leave it in God’s hands; trust in Him.
Never allow “the milk” to go sour!
The kindness of Christ and his Father is
experienced by tasting “the sincere milk of the
word”. [1 Peter 2:2,3]
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Kindness will be perfectly manifested in us as
citizens of the Kingdom.
31
Goodness
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Greek word – agathosune
Only appears in New Testament four times
–
–
–
–
Romans 15:14
Galatians 5:22
Ephesians 5:9
2 Thessalonians 1:11
32
“Full of Goodness” Rom. 15:14
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Not in absolute sense
Even Christ said “there is none good but one, that
is God”
Matt. 19:16-17
Yahweh may impute goodness on His own terms;
but it’s not inherent or earned.
But, Romans had sufficient knowledge and
goodness.
With such, they were able to “admonish one
another” and lead away from false doctrine and unChrist-like practices Paul warned them against.
Do we have “sufficient” goodness?
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Goodness
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Greek word – agathosune
New Testament references
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–
–
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Romans 15:14
Galatians 5:22
Ephesians 5:9
2 Thessalonians 1:11
34
“(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness…)” Ephesians 5:9
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Verse must be considered in context of chapters 4
and 5 and especially vv. 8-11.
Chief source of defense against unfruitful works of
darkness is fruit of the Spirit.
And only fruit mentioned explicitly is “goodness”.
Goodness works in “proving what is acceptable”
and in reproving the “unfruitful works of darkness”.
Relationship of goodness to admonishing and
reproving is very significant.
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“good pleasure of [His] goodness”
2 Thess. 1:11
“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would
count you worthy of [this] calling, and fulfil all the good
pleasure of [his] goodness, and the work of faith with power”.
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Some versions other than KJV impute goodness in
this verse to believers rather than God.
Alternate rendering of 2 Thess. 1:11 –
“that our God would count you worthy of calling and fulfill all
the good pleasure [delight and desire] of [your] goodness and
[your] work of faith with power”.
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In a nutshell – The fulfillment of their delight in
goodness would be their salvation.
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Goodness is…
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The quality of character that lies behind,
and must precede all truly good works.
It works something like a conscience and
may be just that.
“Inner voice” of the Word which is
admonishing and reproving us.
– “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might
not sin against thee”
Psalm 119:11
37
Self-Talk
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Nature of our ‘self-talk’ is extremely important to
our spiritual and mental well-being.
For people of the world, their ‘self talk’ is almost
entirely influenced by themselves and other people.
Any ‘goodness’ they have is not the real thing.
Their moral compass is not influenced by the Word
of God.
Self-talk of the believer is marked by gentle but
firm inner reprovings and admonitions of the Word.
– “When thou awakest, it shall talk with thee” Prov. 6:22
38
Our Inner Voice
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In the beginning, Adam and Eve’s self-talk was the
pure voice of goodness.
Disobedience introduced a new voice in their heads.
Voice of goodness became overwhelmed and in
need of constant reinforcement.
We desperately need the positive influence of the
Word to restore the godly voice of goodness.
What’s the inner voice in your head telling you most
of the time? Is it predominantly the voice of
goodness or the voice of evil?
39
Positive and Negative Thinking
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Goodness is a form of positive thinking.
Our natural mode of thinking is negative. It
can:
– Lead us away from our own highest good
– Drain our spirit if we let it
– Try to convince us that bad things are actually
good for us.
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Bible-based positive thinking is the only real
change agent that can overcome the natural
mode and result in true goodness.
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“Think of these things” Phil. 4:8
“whatsoever things are…
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TRUE
HONEST
PURE
LOVELY
GOOD REPORT
VIRTUE
41
“But the fruit of the spirit is…
Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Longsuffering,
Gentleness,
Goodness,
Faith,
Meekness,
Temperance,
against such there is no law”
Galatians 5:22-23
42
The Equation of Faith - Heb. 11:1
Faith =
1
The Substance
The Evidence
2
of Things hoped for
of
Things not seen
Substance
Greek: hupostatis; hupo - of, by or under; statis - state
literally – of state or of standing
something you can stand on; a solid base
43
JOY and PEACE – “flip sides of the
same coin”
JOY
(Active)
PEACE
(Passive)
Faith & Security
44
JOY
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Greek – chara
Related to charis (grace); charisma (gift)
JOY = certainty; doubt cast out
= expectations soon to be realized
“good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people”
…“when they saw the star,
they rejoiced (chairo) with
exceeding great joy (chara)”.
NO JOY with doubt, worry, lack of faith & insecurity
45
Attitude and Joy
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Christ’s Parables in Matthew 13 Attitudes toward the Kingdom
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Parable of Sower
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Treasure hid in the field – v. 44
– “The Kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hide in a
field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and
for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and
buyeth that field.”
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Pearl of great price – vv. 45-46
– “…is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
who, when he found one pearl of great price, went and
sold all that he had, and bought it.”
46
Certainty
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Comes through faith
Awareness of:
– Abundant Grace
– Mercy
– Goodness
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vs.
“Good Grief”
Acknowledging the
need for confession
and repentance
Certainty of
Forgiveness
Doubt
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Comes naturally
Not wanting to delude
ourselves
Thoughts of shame
and guilt
Constant failure to live
the Truth
Feelings of
unworthiness
47
“The joy of the Lord is your strength”
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Example of the children of Israel in the days of
Nehemiah
– “For all the people had been weeping as they listened to
the words of the Law” Neh. 8:9 [NIV]
– “Nehemiah said, Go and enjoy…This day is sacred to our
Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your
strength” Neh. 8:10 [NIV]
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“Strength” – moaz [Hebrew] = fort or stronghold
Joy founded upon the certainty of Yahweh’s love
and mercy – protection against despair and
hopelessness that the guilt of sin brings.
48
“but your sorrow shall be turned into
joy”
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Example of Christ and the disciples
– “A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little
while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you,
That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice:
and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned
into joy.” John 16:19-20
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Joy that comes from deep-seated spiritual
security.
Joy that comes by knowing the Kingdom will be
established.
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Secret of maintaining joy
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Keep the vision of your pearl clear
(not hidden in our pockets)
Keep the certainty of it always before you
(not letting doubt creep in)
Always be expecting its value to be realized
(not letting failure obscure your vision)
For “the joy of the Lord is your strength”
50
“But the fruit of the spirit is…
Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Longsuffering,
Gentleness,
Goodness,
Faith,
Meekness,
Temperance,
against such there is no law”
Galatians 5:22-23
51
Individual Ideas of Peace
Sitting alone reading
Fly fishing in a stream
Walking down a country path
Quiet time after children are asleep
52
Peace in today’s society?
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Our society promotes stress.
It is a treadmill society driven by materialism and
consumerism.
Chasing dreams that are never realized.
Getting “to the top” can take a heavy toll.
Opting to get off the treadmill is difficult in today’s
economy and can lead to the stress of survival.
Believers’ lives are no less stress-free than others.
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The Way of Peace
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“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you”
John 14:27
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“let the peace of God rule in your hearts”
Col. 3:15
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It is possible for everyone to experience real peace.
But, why is the way of peace so difficult for most of
us to find?
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Peace and Circumstance
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Many live with illusion that inner peace is totally
dependent upon external circumstances.
But, this is NOT the case. Real peace does not
depend on circumstances.
If your peace is controlled by external things, then
it is not real peace.
True peace is obtained by developing the other fruit
of the Spirit and constant “delight and meditation
on the Word of God”.
55
Scriptural examples
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Stephen was able to retain inner peace, even while
being stoned to death.
Habakkuk
– “Though the fig-tree does not bud and there are no
grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the
fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the
pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the
Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior”
Hab. 3:17-18 NIV
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Paul
– “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving
present your requests to God. And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Phil 4:4-7 (NIV)
56
Real Peace
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Practiced* by maintaining inner calm and absolute
trust in Yahweh during smaller everyday as well as
major crises of life,
*as with all the fruit of the Spirit; real peace takes effort to
develop as an aspect of our character
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for…
– “all things work together for good”
– Not that all things “are good”
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Bad things must be viewed in context of God
guiding all the events in life to a good, eventual
outcome.
57
The Gap
REAL PEACE (Spiritual Mind)
ACTUAL PEACE
(or Lack thereof)
YOU FEEL
THE
GAP
LIFE FILLED WITH
TROUBLE & CONFUSION
(Natural Mind)
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Cold War
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Real peace is not the absence of war (or conflict in
our lives).
It is a quality (fruit) in its own right which actually
replaces conflict within us.
Do we have our own personal, inner cold war going
on?
It is a form of being in the Gap (and can be on the
edge of falling out of the ”peace zone”).
Difference between only “resisting the devil” and
“drawing nigh unto God”.
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The Pendulum of Finding Peace
“Resist the Devil”
“Draw nigh to God”
THE GAP
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Finding peace through “the bad”
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To be reminded of God every time something goes
wrong is perfect way to stay focused on the Truth
and find peace.
Important to see the hand of God in things that
would normally defeat you and to…
Press the praise button, not the panic button (i.e.,
thank God and don’t complain).
Changed attitude to problems and recognition of
God in your life events will transform you and bring
real peace.
– Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Rom. 12:21
61
Confusion vs. Peace
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” 1 Cor. 14:33
Mind of the Flesh
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In the
GAP
Mind of the Spirit
The GAP is a mental state of confusion & instability or doublemindedness.
“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” James 1:8
The Answer: Psalm 86:11-12
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Peace like a River
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Isaiah 66:12
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and
the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.”
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Revelation 22:1,2
Psalm 1:3 “like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth
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Psalm 37:11
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forth his fruit in due season”
“meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight
themselves in the abundance of peace”
2 Peter 3:13-14
Col. 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the
which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful”.
63
“But the fruit of the spirit is…
Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Longsuffering,
Gentleness,
Goodness,
Faith,
Meekness,
Temperance,
against such there is no law”
64
8-Fold Fruit of the Spirit
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Characterizes the New Man in Christ
Number 8 signifies a new beginning
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Consider other lists of attributes for –
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– Elect of God (items to put on) - Col. 3:12-16
– Man of God - I Timothy 6:11-12
– Brethren –Romans 12 entire chapter
65
Balance and Attitude
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Must keep the Fruit in balance
They are the Correct Attitudes to Life
And the Fruit of the Spirit is all about attitude:
Correct attitudes =
JOY, PEACE, etc.
The Pull of the Flesh
66
Hupomone – Active Patience






One of the noblest of New Testament words
Relates specifically to tribulation
Not a passive form of patience
Through which we can bear all things
through hope
This was the patience of Job!
But, he still needed to learn “longsuffering”
towards his friends.
67
Real Faith






Works without faith is ‘phony fruit’.
May have appearance of real fruit.
But, God is not fooled.
Yahweh looks at the being not the doing.
Works without real faith will only bring a
bitter.
“by works was faith made perfect”
James 2:22
68
The Teenager Analogy




Human race is stuck in “adolescence” from God’s
perspective – never reaching spiritual maturity.
Teenagers want the benefits of adulthood without
the responsibilities.
Temperance is hard for spiritual adolescents of all
ages.
Reality is that believers still have same old
rebellious nature after baptism and can suffer from
shortcomings as “spiritual adolescents”.
69
Temperance – Biblical emphasis




Immorality was a problem in Paul’s day and its
much worse today.
Biblical temperance is all about being strong in the
control of our natural tendencies -- the primary
drives of the flesh.
Sexual drive is perhaps the strongest and most
difficult to control for some.
Paul explicitly exhorts the brethren in the first
century on this delicate subject, especially to the
ecclesia in Corinth.
70
Goodness in use as a Fruit






Goodness is -- quality of character in a believer by
which he or she is able to combat “badness” or evil.
Believer should direct his/her “goodness” toward
others in error; using it to validate their admonition
and reproofs.
It only comes from reading the Spirit Word and…
It gives us credibility when dealing with error –
doctrine or walk.
But, not its primary function.
More importantly, is what it does for us on the
inside (being rather than doing).
71
Faith Now

Three other matters of faith that are not
future:
1. Hand of Yahweh in our lives
2. His hand in the affairs of present nations
3. His hand in the past
–
–
Each of these has evidence in outworkings
beyond Scripture but still require faith
And we must have faith in ourselves.
72
Original Greek - Egkrateia




Compound of two words – en + kratos
Literally means – “in strength”
To have power over one’s self
Indeed, it takes much strength to overcome
the lure from within that is so strong.
– “He who rules his spirit [is better] than he who
takes a city”
Prov. 16:32
73
Example of Felix


Procurator of Judea - Paul defended himself against
claims made against him before Felix (see Acts 24).
“And as [Paul] reasoned of righteousness,
temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled,
and answered, Go thy way…” (v. 25)


History shows that Felix indulged in all kinds of
cruelty and moral excess including murder and
adultery.
Judgment would be the consequence of his lack of
temperance (and righteousness); therefore he
“trembled”.
74
Adultery and Murder in the Heart

We may not be guilty of adultery or murder; but
what about the spiritual equivalents?
“Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt
not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the
judgment: But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with
his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment.”
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust
after her hath committed adultery with her already in his
heart.”
Matthew 5:21, 22 & 28


Intemperate thinking is sin in Yahweh’s eyes just as
intemperate action.
Are we any less guilty than Felix in regard to
intemperate thinking?
75
Peace – Other side of “coin” of
Security
JOY (Active)
PEACE (Passive)
Security



Joy gives “sparkle” to life in the Truth.
Peace provides a deeper feeling of well-being.
True peace is a product of the other Fruit of the
Spirit.
76
Trees Bearing Fruit


Fruitful trees are worthwhile
Fruitless trees are worthless
– The Parable of the Fig Tree (Luke 13:6-9)


Fruit is the visible evidence/expression of a
tree’s good health – both natural & spiritual.
Cultivation = Spiritual Development
– “fruits meet for repentance” (Matt. 3:8)
77
A tree planted by the water
Psalm 1:3 & Jeremiah 17:8


Natural - Healthy trees are planted by good
water supplies
Spiritual – see preceding verses
– “his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth
he meditate day and night” Ps. 1:2
– “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose
hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree…” Jer. 17:7


Delight & Meditation in the Law
Trust & Hope in the Lord
78
“Of the Spirit”




Nobody but Yahweh can make a fruit
Farmers create best conditions for growth;
yet natural laws of creation bring forth fruit
Natural fruit is also “of the Spirit”
But, ‘fruit of the Spirit’ is extra special
– Brings together all the qualities of character produced in
the heart of a believer by the Spirit
– And like natural fruit, man cannot manufacture such
qualities on his own
– This fruit has to go through a process of growth
79
Fruit “of the World”



‘Good works’ of the unbeliever are not the
fruit of the Spirit and fail to please Yahweh
They are synthetic or imitation fruit.
‘Good people’ only appear to be what God
wants.
80
Not a gift of the Spirit


‘of the Spirit’ ≠ gift of the Spirit
This fruit is not conferred by the Holy Spirit
– Not ‘grown’ suddenly and miraculously at
baptism
– Nor can it be programmed like a computer

Development of it must be a free-will
response
81
What then makes it ‘of the Spirit ’?

Because it results from the
influence of the Spirit Word
82
Parallel Phrases
“mind of the Spirit”
Romans 8:27
“spiritually minded”
Romans 8:6
[minding] “the things of the Spirit” Romans 8:5
“mind of Christ”
1 Cor. 2:16; Phil. 2:5
“Spirit of Christ”
Romans 8:9
“Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:2
“Walk in the Spirit”
Galatians 5:16
83
The Mind of Christ =
Fruit of Spirit
“love one another as I have LOVED you”
“that my JOY might remain in you”
“my PEACE I give unto you”
“Jesus Christ might shew forth all LONGSUFFERING”
“…the Lord [Jesus] is gracious [Gr. chrestos, KIND =
gentleness]
John 15:12
John 15:11
John 14:27
1 Tim. 1:16
1 Peter 2:3
“ Can there come any GOOD thing come out of Nazareth?...
Come and see”
John 1:4
“Christ Jesus who was FAITHFUL to him that
Heb. 3:2
appointed him”
“by the MEEKNESS and gentleness of Christ”
2 Cor. 10:1
“Every man [includes Christ] that striveth for mastery is
TEMPERATE in all things”
1 Cor. 9:25
84
LOVE (agape)

What is ISN’T?
–
–
–
–
It isn’t the love the world knows.
It isn’t philia (friendship, affection, romantic)
It isn’t eros (physical passion)
It is not superficial or something you can turn on
and off and
– It doesn’t come naturally.
85
What Agape is…




It is best defined through its illustration in
Scripture – for all the Law is fulfilled in it
It is ultimately exemplified in Yahweh and
His Son.
Heaven (God)
It is transcendent.
It is practical - a sound
and workable approach
Christ
to daily living
Earth (us)
86
Love for our brethren should
be…

Of a higher order than those outside the
Truth (Gal. 6:10)
– It can (and should) be better expressed among
fellow believers than between believer and
unbeliever.
– Our love for those who love the things we love
will naturally be greater.

A form of witness to the world (John 13:35)
87
“Swear not at all”


“But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by
heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but
let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into
condemnation.”
James 5:12
Jesus warns not to swear at all – take no oaths or commit to
anything we are unable to follow through with. “But let your
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is
more than these cometh of evil”
Matt. 5:33-37
88
Everyday “Swear” Words

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“My Goodness”
“Good Gracious”
“Good Heavens”
“Gosh” or “Oh My Gosh”
“Geez” (Jesus)
“Jiminy Cricket” (Jesus Christ)
“Cripes” (Christ)
89
Swearing – A Social Disease



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
Can be caught like a common cold.
A strong social acceptance factor is involved.
But, believers must resist it. Why?
It displeases and even devalues Yahweh.
It is a sign of emotional immaturity.
A lack of ability to express strong feeling in
any other way.
90
Temperance and God



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Yahweh exhibits the controlled strength of
meekness (the last Fruit considered) to perfection.
Temperance works alongside His meekness as part
of His character.
God is not given to uncontrolled use of His power
and is extremely sparing in His omnipotence.
Lessons for us if we are to share in His character?
91
“I think, therefore I am”



French philosopher –
Rene’ Descartes
“Cogito, ergo sum”
Two choices:
– “I think, therefore I am…evil” or
– “I think, therefore I am…good”

Which mode of thinking applies to us?
92
Progress
Doing
Aspect of Fruit
Little or
None
1
Beginning to
see it
manifested
2
Doing & Being
Significant
but still often
lacking
3
Evident
majority of
time
4
Being
There or
almost there
in my “being”
5
Love
Joy
Peace
Longsuffering
Kindness
Goodness
Faith
Meekness
Temperance
93
FAITH

The only fruit that is defined in Scripture.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen”
Hebrews 11:1

But, what does this meaning really mean?
94
Faith and Works
James 2:18
“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew
my thy faith without works, and I will shew thee my faith by
my works.”





Not a doctrine of salvation by works but…
A doctrine of salvation by faith that inevitably leads
to works.
Works are not the goal.
Fruit of the Spirit is the goal and works are
outcome of developing of the fruit – especially
faith.
“by works was faith made perfect”
James 2:22
95
Box 2
1
Faith =
The Substance
The Evidence
2
of Things hoped for
of
Things not seen
96
Things hoped for




The return of Christ
Resurrection
Immortality
The Kingdom of God established
97
Faith in our own salvation



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
Believing in the salvation of others is much easier
than our own.
Difference is that we know ourselves only too well,
especially our ‘shadow selves’.
But, Yahweh is pleased in progress we gain for the
fruit of the Spirit and the development thereof.
The only true failure is to believe you have no
hope.
People with real faith affect those around them in
direct and indirect ways.
98
MEEKNESS



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
Greek: Praotes – gentle, mild and gracious
But it does not connote weakness or timidity in the
way the world would consider meekness.
Biblically defined as gentle, controlled strength
True meekness as a fruit of the Spirit can only be
developed as a characteristic of believers. It can
never come naturally.
It arises from the strength and security we have in
trusting Yahweh.
It grows within as a result of our continued delight
and meditation in the Word.
99
The Supreme Example




The Almighty Himself is the greatest example of
meekness.
He is “controlled strength” in the ultimate sense of
the term.
THE Creator and Sustainer of the Universe Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent and Glorious
beyond our comprehension.
Yet is mindful of us here on this earth and shown
His love to us in many ways more than we could
expect or deserve.
100
The Meekness of Christ

His life exemplified ‘controlled strength’
– From the time of temptation in the wilderness
– Slipping away from those who threatened to kill him
though he had the power to deal with them
– To his last entry into Jerusalem, riding on a lowly animal;
hearing the cheers of many who would call for his death
– And finally to be crucified as a common criminal.


Jesus resisted the temptation to use his power and
acknowledged the source of it.
And in this knowledge lies the secret of our
meekness.
101
The “Meekness” of Man





Yet, mankind is so ‘self-important’!
In reality, he has “much to be modest about”.
But, human nature admires self-reliance and
assertiveness.
If only, more people were spiritually ‘strong
enough’ to be meek!
The greatest barrier to having Biblical meekness is
the fear that it will appear to others as natural
weakness.
102
God-reliance





A Biblically meek person realizes the affairs of his or her life
are in no one’s hands but God’s.
Meekness is God-reliance not self-reliance.
Meekness is not weak, isolated or dependent on self.
He/she is therefore strong and connected as a child of
Yahweh but at the same time, independent in the sense of
John 8:32 …
“The truth shall make you free”
– Free from sin and its attendant anxieties.
– Free from the cares of this life; knowing the security and
strength of being in Christ.
103
Biblically-meek person…

Doesn’t need to prove anything or impress anyone
for…
– behavior such as bragging is a sign of insecurity and not
real meekness



His/her first priority is what God thinks and so…
Radiates a quiet God-confidence knowing the
outcome of everything is in His hands
For they have a deep trust that at the same time
brings humility
– Recognizing that what He decides is the best for us is not
always what we would have expected
– And reason for always saying and thinking “God willing”
(see James 4:13-16)
104
A Life of Meekness

Biblical meekness is a valuable asset in
every facet of life…
–
–
–
–

At home,
at school,
in the ecclesia,
daily activities: chores, errands, appointments
And especially at work (“as to the Lord”),
preaching to others and instructing believers
we believe are in error.
105
Blessed are the meek
Blessed are –
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The poor in spirit
They that mourn
The meek
They which hunger and thirst
after righteousness
The merciful
The pure in heart
The peacemakers
The persecuted for
righteousness
The reviled, falsely accused,
for Christ – rejoice, be glad.
The fruit of the Spirit is –
Longsuffering
Faith
Meekness
Temperance
Love
Goodness
Peace
Gentleness
Joy
106
“Rejoice in that day and leap for
joy”

“Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations”
James 1:2



“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they
shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast out your
name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that
day, and leap for joy: for behold your reward is great in
heaven…”
Luke 6:22-23
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is
tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hat
promised to them that love him” James 1:12
Joy is our best defense against trials and
temptations!
107
The Laodicean GAP (Rev. 3:15-17)
They thought they were
“rich, and increased with goods
and had need of nothing”
THE GAP (lukewarmness)
Christ said “thou art neither cold nor hot,
…poor, and blind, and naked”
108
Spiritual Clothing
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one
another… And above all these things put on charity [love:
agape] which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of
God rule in your hearts…”
Col. 3:12-15



Restatement of many aspects of the fruit of the Spirit
Equivalent to white raiment that Christ wanted the Laodiceans
to put on to cover their spiritual nakedness
Only putting off the old, filthy garments will leave one in the
Gap.
109
“But the fruit of the spirit is…
Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Longsuffering,
Gentleness,
Goodness,
Faith,
Meekness,
Temperance,
against such there is no law”
Galatians 5:22-23
110