Fruit of the Spirit

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Fruit of the Spirit – Joy

Joy

Gal. 5:22 Amplified Bible

“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].”

What is joy and what is joy based on? Joy defined is: “A shout, a proclamation that can manifest in singing. Joy is defined as a triumph, cheerful and a calm delight.”

 Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Definitions: “G5463, A primary verb; to be full of “cheer”, that is, calmly happy or well off.”

Joy is deeper then happiness. Instead of looking to Jesus, people look for JOY anywhere and everywhere else.

Pretty much everybody wants happiness. In fact, people do what they do for the purpose of “finding happiness.” People work hard to buy possessions that can make them happy. They look for happiness in entertainment, hobbies, sports, passions and various addictions, and even another person.

When you consider that happiness seems to be the main goal, it seems surprising that the Bible doesn’t talk much about happiness. But the Bible says a lot about something that is often confused with happiness. The Bible says a lot about JOY. The kind of JOY the Bible talks about goes much deeper than mere happiness.

Happiness deals with what is happening. Happiness depends on circumstance. In fact, for most people happiness is nothing more than a temporary interruption to boredom. We’ve all heard kids complain, “I’m bored.” That means, “I want some happiness, and I’m NOT finding it!”

Genuine joy, on the other hand does not depend on what’s happening. Joy is an inner sense of well-being that has nothing to do with circumstance.  Joy is an inside Job.

The kind of JOY the Bible describes can’t be found in possessions or entertainment or even in looking deeply into your inner self.

 Happiness vs. Joy

Happiness meets surface needs, But Joy meets your deepest needs.

Happiness is like a thermometer, it registers conditions,

Joy is like a Thermostat, it regulates conditions.

Now happiness many times evaporates in suffering,

But Joy frequently intensifies in times of suffering.

Let me give you an example:

Turn with me to James 1:2

James 1:2 NKJV 

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”

In other words, when you are in trouble, don’t start crying when things happen, in stead count it as Joy.

The word translated “various” is the Greek word on which our word “polka dot” is based.

It means variegated or diversified. If you look at a dress or garment with lots of polka dots on it, it can be a reminder that we will experience many trials.

Joy is not the natural response to Trouble. How many of you jump and scream with excitement when trouble comes a-knockin’?

Let me tell you something, Trials are meaningless, suffering is senseless and trials are pointless, unless there is some good purpose for them.

God has a goal in mind. God knows what the good purpose is.

Suffering is inevitable. He does not say, “Count it all joy, my brethren, IF you fall into trials,” he says, “Count it all joy WHEN you fall into trials.

What does that mean?

~ It means Trials are not optional.

~ Suffering is a normal part of the process God uses to bring us to glory.

~We are to rule over the trial and not allow the trial to rule over us.

The word “count” in the Greek means: “to lead, that is, command (with official authority); figuratively to deem, that is, consider: – account, (be) chief, count, esteem, governor, judge, have the rule over, suppose, think.”

Far too often we allow the trial to rule over us and it defeats us. We are to count, rule over with authority, any trial that comes our way because we know:

James 1:3 – 4 Amplified Bible

“Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. [with no defects], lacking in nothing.”

God wants to produce patience (fruit of the spirit) and endurance in us. Don’t be a wimp and crumble under trials. Trials will come. But rule over it with joy knowing God is with you and has the answers when we ask for His wisdom.

James 1:5 Amplified Bible

“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.”

This is how we are to respond in trials. Seek God for wisdom.

Often times we do quit the opposite. We try to acquire our happiness in false joy and end up giving up.

FALSE JOY

1.  Acquiring “things.”

I can have things and enjoy them, but if I don’t have them, I can still enjoy my life. We can desire things, but don’t lust after them. You can have things, but don’t allow things to have you. Lust steals your joy.

Hold everything loosely. Be a steward, not an owner. This is why giving our tithes and offerings are so important. If you can’t give it, then it has got you. That is why God will ask you to give up things that don’t make sense to you.

READ: 1 Tim. 6:6 – 12 

When we were born, we brought nothing into this world, and we can’t take anything out when we die.

My husband’s uncle passed away a few weeks ago. Ron and his brother and Mom and Dad went down to California to see after all the affairs and belongings his uncle had. His uncle had a passion for Nascar racing and throughout the years collected a huge miniature car collection. They lived in a double wide trailer and under the trailer was packed with this collection. They loaded a 20 foot U-Haul truck full of this collection and brought it up to Spokane to sale. It is amazing how we collect things, which brings us temporary happiness at the time, and end up not being able to take any of it with us when we die.

Things will not bring joy, it only brings momentary happiness at the time you purchase it and own it. I know of people who spend their time shopping and acquiring things to fill the void of not having joy.

Some people constantly are consumed with money. They want to get it, save it, or as soon as they get it, they want to spend it.

1 Timothy 6:10 NLT

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

Any addiction other then God will only bring you false joy. It is temporary and will never last.

God loves to bless His kids, but if you have to have it to be happy, it is wrong.

If you can’t get happy in the valley, you won’t be happy on the mountain top. We say things like… “If this would happen I would be happy!” or “If I had this it would make my life happy.” This is all false Joy. Again, things and possessions are temporary. God, and who He is in our life is permanent.

2.  Surroundings

Your joy shouldn’t be based on your surroundings. Our environment changes constantly. One day we have a job, and the next, it is taken from us. One day you have a beautiful home, and the next a tornado took it away. Our surroundings do not determine our true joy.

Isaiah 54:10 NASB

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” Says the LORD who has compassion on you.”

Mountains have been shaken and removed, but the promises of God never were broken by any event.

We should be able to give it up and still be happy. Love God and enjoy things and your surroundings, but don’ ever let them get ahead of God.

Matthew Henry Commentary:  “Creature-confidences shall fail; but when our friends fail us, our God does not.” 

3.  Relationships

Basing your joy on people and what they do for you, or who they are in your life is false security. It is a false sense of happiness. It is not their job to keep you happy or content. We don’t want to be dependent on people but on God.

If we put all our hope in people, or a certain person, we will be disappointed. People will let us down. People are not perfect.

2 Timothy 4:16 – 17 ESV

“At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.”

If we feel we can’t live without a certain person, we have our dependence on them instead of God.

Emotional or Co-Dependency towards an individual is a trap. Yes, people are God’s gift to us, but not to the point they take the place of God in our lives. What I mean is if they are the first thing you think of in the morning and the last thing you think of at night, chances are you are emotionally dependent on them. If you feel like you can’t breathe if you don’t talk to them, you are emotional dependent. Relationships should be healthy.

It is easy to place a person above God. After all they are there in the flesh. But we have to be careful, especially if you are a person who emotionally gets attached to people quickly. God wants that place.

It is time to get happy. It is time to walk in God’s joy He has already given you. Allow this fruit to develop in your life. Don’t prematurely pick this fruit thinking it is ripe. We do this by basing our happiness on people, places, and things.

WHAT BRINGS TRUE JOY?

1.  Salvation

Receiving the salvation God, provided through His Son Jesus Christ, changes our lives forever. We don’t have to spend eternity in Hell where there is torment and constant burning of our flesh. We are free from any bondage sin had on us to live in this world with freedom and joy. We are never alone because God is always with us. We are His. All this should bring joy.

Psalm 51:10 – 12 NKJV

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away form Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” 

Jesus rescued us. No matter what happens in this world, and in our life, we know who we are and where we will spend eternity after we die. We have a reason to get up in the morning because we are valuable and purchased with a great price. We are saved. Salvation is a precious gift that we should cherish every moment of our life. This brings a joy that no one can take away from us. Joy to the world the Lord has come!

2.  A grateful heart 

A grateful heart leads to a place of contentment and joy.

Proverbs 15:13 Amplified Bible

“A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.” 

Proverbs 15:15 Amplified Bible

“All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].”

Proverbs 17:22 Amplified Bible

“A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

We have a choice to be thankful, which gives us a happy heart, or to choose to complain and be ungrateful. Having a grateful heart brings life and joy. Looking at all the bad instead of the good in your life will bring stress, torment, and weariness.

This may sound very simple and even childish, yet most people tend to look at the negative or bad instead of the positive or good in their life. God is good and He has done great things in all of us. Choose to set yourself free with joy and enjoy your life and what God has done for you.

3.  Trusting in God

We can trust God with every part of our life. He will show us the right direction we need to take. He will help us and give us wisdom for our everyday life.

Psalm 16:11 NKJV

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right and are pleasures forevermore.”

This verse sums up. God will show us the right direction we are to take in life. He will be with us constantly, literally face to face. One encounter with God changes our lives forever. But in this case, we are with Him face to face on earth. We are His children and we can come boldly to Him like a child would their parent. No rejection. No fear.

The greatest part of this verse is, “in His presence is fullness of joy.” Not lacking anything. “It is totally full. Not partial joy; not imperfect joy; not joy intermingled with pain and sorrow; not joy which, though in itself real, does not satisfy the desires of the soul, as is the case with much of the happiness which we experience in this life – but joy, full, satisfying, unclouded, un-mingled with anything that would diminish its fulness or its brightness; joy that will not be diminished, as all earthly joys must be, by the feeling that it must soon come to an end.” (Albert Barnes notes on the Bible)

Acknowledging God and knowing He is with us and His presence is there makes us trust Him more and more. It empowers us to live our lives in boldness. It brings such a calm delight within us to know we are not alone.

Romans 15:13 NIV

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Trusting in God fills us with joy and peace. It allows hope to overflow in us and brings such a reassurance that life is good and God is with us. The Holy Spirit fills us with this hope. Wow, what a powerful insight on trusting God!

There are so many verses in the Bible about trusting God and what happens when we do. In the book of Psalms alone you will find over 80 verses on trusting God. Take time to study the Bible on trusting God. It will embed joy deep inside of you that no one or nothing can take away.

Pain, sorrow, trials, and tribulations, are temporary, but Joy is ETERNAL. Happiness is Outside, but Joy is Inside

Allow the fruit of Joy to grow inside of you. Walk in this promise daily. The Joy of the Lord is your strength! (Nehemiah 8:10)

Your Sister,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

 

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Fruit of the Spirit – Love

LoveThere are many Christians who want to love with God’s love, but in many cases, they don’t know how.

The entire Bible is a love story. From the creation of the world, through love, for the protection of the Israelites because of love, to the sending of a Saviour out of love, for Jesus sacrifice in love, the Bible is a book that is trying to send us a simple but powerful message. Love God and love each other as He loves us. The greatest commandment.

If you get nothing else out of the Bible and what it means to be a Christian, it needs to be this.

The word “love” gets thrown around so much that in many ways we have lost its meaning. Fortunately the Bible helps us get it back. We’re talking here about “Agape” love which is a divine affection, as opposed to “Phileo” which is more a friendship type of love and “Eros”, which is a romantic, or sensual love.

Love as a fruit of the Spirit is a verb. It’s not a feeling, and much like faith, if only expressed in words, it’s essentially meaningless. Though we like to hear the words “I love you” they mean nothing if not accompanied by loving action. Remember actions speak louder then words. Show you love people with your actions.

Agape love 

I. Love is Sacred

1 Jn 4:7 – 8, 16

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. … So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

This simplifies the idea of abiding if we see it as abiding in love because God is love. Love is from God, we don’t have this kind of love if we don’t know God and have his Spirit in us. If we are abiding in love, keeping it always in the forefront of all our interactions and choices, we are abiding in God.

Remember the love of God towards you is a special gift he gives each of us.

So really this message is to let Christians know that if they are not loving, they are not in God, they do not know God, they are not allowing His nature to abide in them, even if they profess belief in Jesus Christ.

II. Love is Selfless 

Php 2:1-3

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Eph 3:18 – 19

“That you being rooted in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Paul says this love is difficult to comprehend and surpasses all knowledge. Yes it is. We come out of the womb entirely self absorbed, egocentric, existing to get our needs met. You know what, we don’t change much, we just find ways to make it look like getting our needs met is actually helping someone else. Until we understand this kind of love and allow it to work in our lives, it is impossible to consider others more significant than ourselves.

Perhaps another word for selfless here is humble, to show the difference from sacrificial which is coming next. Besides the sacrifice on the cross, how did Christ love us? By always acting, and teaching that others are more important than ourselves.

Until we know that survival is not our primary purpose in life, our behaviour will be motivated primarily by self-preservation. This selfless, humble love that washes feet, seeks to build others up, is foreign to the human nature and our culture, but by the example of Christ we can practice this kind of love, and through the power of the Holy Spirit we can achieve this kind of love.

So, love is selfless and humble,

III. Love is also Sacrificial

Yes these are related, but here we are specifically talking about behaviour. We can consider others more significant than ourselves, but if we don’t show it in our behaviour, it’s lost.

Eph 5: 25

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

Ro 5: 8

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 15:13 

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for a friend.”

Love always requires sacrifice, whether it be giving up our time, interests, or to the far extreme, our lives or at least some organs. If you say you love someone, but have never given up something for them, chances are it’s not real love.

But there is another aspect to this that the church should feel very guilty about. That being loving those people who are hard to love. This may be the biggest sacrifice. It’s easy to love those who are attractive and likeable, who are on our side, but what about our enemies, the poor, the uneducated, the handicapped and mentally ill. How many of these people are in our churches. Why do you think that is? Maybe we need to sacrifice our comfort and our attitudes to make these people feel loved. It’s not easy, and only the Spirit can make it happen. Only agape love can love the unlovely.

IV. Love is Supportive

2 Cor 8: 1 – 8

“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. [] Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you— see that you excel in this act of grace also.  I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.”

Grace for others is an outcome of your agape love towards people.

James 2: 15 – 16

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?”

Love is always alert to the needs of others. Agape love always gives. I said earlier that love without deeds is the same as faith without deeds as James indicates, so the words faith and love could be interchanged in that passage of James. Not only is love alert to needs, it does whatever it can to selflessly and sacrificially meet those real needs.

V. Love is Soothing

1 Cor 4: 21

“What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?”

1 Cor. 13: 4 

“Love is patient and kind…”

This is the character of God. Patient and kind. Life is hard and we all need a place where we can lick our wounds, be ourselves, rest, and feel safe and cared for. That is what love is supposed to do. Love makes us feel safe and soothed rather than pressured to perform, or live up to some standard. Love comforts us when we are struggling. Jesus said he will give us rest and peace. We all need to ask ourselves, do the people I love feel soothed by me? Can my loved ones completely let down their guard around me? Are they emotionally safe?

If we all treated each other this way we wouldn’t have to worry about not getting it back from others. We do it with babies, but I will suggest that there is never a time in our lives when we don’t need that kind of soothing, where we can just surrender and be completely exposed in the presence of another person without fear.

In my opinion, the opposite of this love is judgment. When someone says something out of turn, makes a mistake, does something that we get angry about, and we judge them, we are coming with the rod. We need to learn to let people be who they are. Not that they can do whatever they want if it is sinful, but that they can be themselves. Accept people in the middle of their mistakes. God did that with you!

This is not just with our close loved ones by the way. Christians are to display this love to all people including our enemies. You know the best way to “get” someone who hurts you? Love the part of them that hurts so much that they have to ooze that pain out to others. Why not try to sooth that part of them and help them heal as a way to get them to stop, rather than hurting them back? Be a person who others feel soothed by, and seek out those who are able to sooth you when you need it. Ideally that would be everyone in the church.

VI. Love is Sincere 

Rom 12: 9 

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”

1 Pet 1: 22

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”

In these verses we see the purity of love. Hate evil (or as we learned, worthless or hurtful things), and hold fast to what is good. Purify your soul through obedience, and love from a pure heart. Purify your soul through obedience. Interesting.

Sounds like abiding again to me. We are being told that we can only love in a genuine, earnest way when we allow only goodness into our hearts and minds, and obey the truth (Jesus is the truth). The love that only comes from God as a fruit of the Spirit cannot be manifest when our minds are focused on sin or impure thoughts.

For instance, is it a sincere and pure love if you tell your wife you love her when she goes to bed, then go to the computer and surf porn sites? Are you loving your husband when you speak in a derogatory way about him to your girlfriends? Are you loving Jesus if you are not obeying his words?

VII. Love is Stubborn

1 Cor 13: 7 

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Psalm 118:1 – 4, 29 

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

The love that is from God never ends. Could you imagine if it did? Humans would have been obliterated eons ago. God bears with us, he believes in us, he hopes with us, and he endures our constant disobedience and wandering away from him. We are the prodigals.

This love is not dependent on other’s behavior, it is unconditional for the person, but may not be accepting of sinful behavior. Unconditional love means you love the person, but still confront the behavior. That is why God’s love sometimes looks harsh, but the motive is always for our good.

I always shake my head when I hear couples split up because they are not in love anymore. What does that have to do with anything? What does “in love” mean? I think in today’s world it means; “My selfish desires are getting met.” When we fall out of love it means we’re bored with the person. That’s not love, real love cannot be shaken, you cannot stop loving if it is real agape love, the essential nature of this love is that it is endless.

Basically love never gives up on anybody, no matter what they do, no matter what we feel. … And finally,

VIII. Love is Supreme 

1 Cor 13:1 – 3 

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

Matt 22:37 – 38

“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

There it is. Nothing is more important to God than love. But as we have seen, it is not the cultural romantic notion of love, or the feeling of love. It is the sacrificial, humble, persevering love that he has shown throughout the history of humanity. It is the love that confronts and disciplines so that the person being loved will not stray and end up in hell.

Tough love is often looked at as harsh, but in reality it is the strongest form of love because it is given to help pull someone out of their bad behavior. Tough love is Agape love. If you truly love someone you will want them to change bad behavior for their own sake so that they can grow in Christ and live a better life. 

Pastor Kris Belfils

Vernon McGee calls Love the “energy of the Spiritual gifts,” because Paul makes it very clear that any gifts without love are useless. It is the first fruit of the Spirit because it is the only one that is absolutely required.

But let’s return to the great and first commandment in Matthew 22 for a minute. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is like it, to love your neighbors.” When God says something is first, it is first. Love is the first or supreme fruit, and loving God is the first or supreme commandment.

He means that without this first foundational commandment, the others are unattainable, and in these first two depend all the Law and the prophets.

First of all notice it says, “the Lord your God,” emphasizing the lordship he has over us and the obedience that is our way to love him. Then it says, “with all your heart,” which is the feeling center of our being, “with all our soul,” which is the seat of our will, and “with all our mind,” the thinking part of us.

This is said in this way to represent the whole of our being. We are to love God with our feelings, our will, and our rational mind, and let me suggest that if even one of these is missing, the others are probably lacking as well. This is especially true of the soul or will. It is only by surrendering our will to the Lord that we experience Him fully.

We can love him with our mind by reading all the great things he has done for us, we can have warm loving feelings toward him because of these things, and may I suggest that this is where many Christians are stuck. The part that is lacking is an experience of Him that makes the thoughts and feelings about Him real.

Often people will only allow God so far into their heart and then no more. Is this you? If so, you have a lot of head knowledge about God and His love, but no heart knowledge, or experience. I can see how this prevents a personal relationship with God. If we did this with people we love in our lives our relationships would be shallow and cold.

Has God forgiven you of much? Do you believe that God exists? Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and mind? Now I know it’s easy to say yes, but if your entire life was on video tape, would anyone be able to tell that this is true?

Sometimes Christians try very hard to love other people, but their love for God is weak, and Paul says this gains us nothing. You can’t make up for not loving God by trying to love others more. You will pay an emotional price for this because you are not tapped into the source. When you drink the juice and eat the bread during communion are you really communing with Him?

You might be saying, that it’s an awfully tall order to love like this, and you would be right. It is not only the first and most important of the spiritual fruit, but it’s also the hardest to do through human will. That is why it is a spiritual fruit and not an inherent human character trait, and why we are commanded to do it so often. It is not in our nature.

The love we require in order to love God, and others like this, comes from God (It’s a bit of a dilemma, I am asked to love God but I can’t unless I get the love from him, which requires me to love him. But I remind you again that loving him is defined by obedience to his commands, something we can in our souls, will ourselves to do with the help of the Holy Spirit), so the other question is, do you have a deep intimate, obedient relationship with the Lord that allows this fruit to be manifest in your life?

Again I will suggest that if you do not love God like the commandment says, and as John tells us, you don’t really know Him, you haven’t really experienced Him, and that is why the church should exist, to help you build that relationship. God wants us to be that church, and I want us to be that church.

Are you growing in Christ and changing, or just going to church, going through the motions, smiling at people, listening to sermons, but never applying what you have heard? Truthfully, what a waste of time then! We should be growing, changing, and becoming more like Christ everyday. We should be seeing areas in our lives that need change and be determined for change to come. How can we reach out to our community when we are too self-observed and unwilling to change?  We can’t!

Open your heart to more love, Agape love, in your life. Hunger for the Fruit of the Spirit to be manifested in your life!

This is just small look at the fruit of love. Research in God’s word for yourself what all that fruit looks like, tastes like, and share it with others!

Your Sister,

Pastor Kris Belfils

http://www.krisbelfils.com

http://www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

http://www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

(My blog is usually my own writings, in this case this sermon was based off of Sean Harder’s message: “Fruit of the Spirit – Love”)

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Fruit Of The Spirit Series – Known By Your Fruit

Fruit of the spirit seriesFruit of the Spirit! “Wow,” I thought to my self, “What fruit do people see produced from me?” My mind wondered to all the “yucky” responses I had over the years of situations and circumstances beyond my control. Times when I spoke my mind in a harsh tone or when I felt the need to let someone know they hurt me by ignoring them or say edgy words to them. Those reactions didn’t produce “life” but only “death!”

How does the Fruit of the Spirit get developed in us? Many times the Fruit of the Spirit was only produced after God corrected me and showed me how I walked in my flesh instead of His Spirit.

Hebrews 12:11 Amplified Bible

“For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness – in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].”

OUCH! How can the Fruit of the Spirit be so painful? So I thought! Reality is; we all have more “flesh” in us then the Spirit. Our flesh produces fruit as well. Good or bad, we produce fruit.

What fruit are you producing?

What fruit are you producing? Fruit that looks good but is bad? Fruit that is immature, or fruit that is good?

I love plums. When plums are in season they are so sweet, juicy, and delicious. One day I went to the store to do some grocery shopping. I went to the fruit section and saw these beautiful, plump, deep purple plums. I thought to myself, “They look so good, they have to be delicious!” So I purchased a whole bag of them. When I got home, I was so excited to eat lunch and have one of those good looking plums. But when I bit into one of them it was bitter, hard, and dry. I was extremely disappointed. Thinking and expecting a juicy sweet bite and only got a bitter dry mouth. I quickly went to my sink and spit it out and threw the entire bag of plums away.

Fruit that looks good, but in reality is very bad! Is that you? God lovingly showed me  that that bitter plum was my fruit, and how He wanted to help me be the producer of good fruit.

It is easier to be selfish, which is the flesh, and think we are producing good fruit. We get all dressed up on Sundays and put on our best faces, but inside we are miserable or ugly. We can get caught up in what people think of us more then what God thinks of us. This will only produce good looking bad fruit.

People will come and “pick” your fruit. Again, what fruit are you producing? Maybe you are producing immature (not ripe) fruit. This is thinking you are a wonderful person when in reality you walk immaturely in Christ and expect others to like your fruit.

Immature fruit is walking around ignoring issues in your life and expecting good results. It is thinking everyone else is wrong and you are right. I know because I have walked down that immature, unfruitful road many times in my life. God would be working on me and I would allow Him a little of my heart thinking that was enough. Then I would try and minister to others not knowing my fruit was just in the infant stages. This can bring bitterness and resentment in others.

We can really do a world of hurt for others if we don’t take care of any issues in our own life. Issues like; pride, complaining, gossip, un-forgiveness, and so much more, if not dealt with, will produce bitter, unripe, even toxic fruit.

Rick Warren states in Purpose Driven Life:

“There are no short cuts to maturity. It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christlike character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. When you try to ripen fruit quickly, it loses its flavor. In America, tomatoes are usually picked unripened so they won’t bruise during shipping to the stores. Then, before they are sold, these green tomatoes are sprayed with CO2 gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but they are no match to the flavor of a vine-ripened tomato that is allowed to mature slowly.” Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 217.

If you want to live like Christ, and have given your heart to Him, there will be times of correction and rebuking. If you are like me, you know in your “knower” that you need to be corrected so that you produce the fruit of the spirit and not the works of the flesh.

God chose us before we were even born. He had a purpose for our lives and that is to bear good fruit.

John 15:16 NASB

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”

Jesus taught His disciples that fruitfulness was His purpose for them. The fruit of the Spirit is the character of Christ produced by the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life.

The Scriptures clearly teach that we cannot hope to develop godly character without the work of the Holy Spirit in our life. Paul write about contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit:

Gal. 5:19 – 21

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

A Self-centered life manifests the works of the flesh, while a Christ-centered life manifests the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul continues in Galatians:

Gal. 5:22 – 25 NLT

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

The flesh can produce nothing but evil works, while the Holy Spirit produces Christ-life fruit. The former requires self-effort and results in death, and produces dead things, while the latter requires obedience to the Holy Spirit and produces life and peace.

Dying to our flesh always produces good fruit. We have to die to live. John the Baptist stated:

John 3:30 HCSB

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The Contemporary English Versions states this verse:

“Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.”

This is talking about releasing our desires and needs, actually dying to them, for what Christ wants.

It is not easy dying to our flesh. It doesn’t come natural, and their will be pain involved when we do. We have to surrender and allow God to give us a new heart.

Ezekiel 11:19 Amplified Bible

“ And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God],”

Do you want God to live in you? This is what happens when we crucify our flesh (Gal. 2:20). When we ask Christ to come into our hearts as Lord and Savior, we are asking Him to come and live, dwell in, and abide in us. We all need this! If you have done this, you can no longer practice or walk in sin. What I mean is that we have to STOP living in and participating in things that don’t please God.

1 John 3:9 – 10 The Message

“People conceived and brought into life by God don’t make a practice of sin. How could they? God’s seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It’s not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin. Here’s how you tell the difference between God’s children and the Devil’s children: The one who won’t practice righteous ways isn’t from God, nor is the one who won’t love brother or sister. A simple test.”

Do you practice sin or righteous ways? God has given us a “blue-print” of how we should live in the form of the Bible. This is His love-letter to us. Not rules and regulations to make our life miserable, but guidelines to make us fruitful and live an abundant life!

Be a Fruit Inspector, first in your own life, then in others. What fruit are you producing? Take a look around you and see if there is destruction, strife, chaos, hatred, lack of self-control, anger, un-faithfulness, lack of patience, meanness, and so much more bad fruit.

Surrender means pain before pleasure. Surrendering is dying to your fleshly desires. Anytime you get your way by acting ungodly, you have really lost. Oh we might win an argument or get to have our own way, but stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, you have lost. Remember, whenever flesh wins, we lose. When the Spirit wins, we win and produce good fruit.

Are you going to keep your flesh happy, but have no peace or die to your flesh, experience some pain, but then receive an abundant reward of peace, goodness, joy, and love? Really, the choice is yours.

In the natural, good fruit brings life to those who eat it, bad fruit only brings death. This is the same for our spiritual life. Giving God our whole heart and yielding to His correction brings forth good fruit always. But, if we put our time and energy into dead, worthless things, we will produce death.

We avoid “death traps” in the natural. Often in our spiritual lives we tend to run to them. Examples of Death Traps can be; Un-forgiveness, bitterness, harboring an offense, selfishness, self-pity, laziness, complaining, feeling superior to others, and the list goes on.

Death traps do not produce good fruit. They don’t produce life of any kind, only death. It is time to bury the dead things and move on with God. Quickly get rid of anything, or anyone that might be bringing death to you.

If you have people in your life who are always bringing you down, or producing dead fruit, it is time to walk away. But remember, if they are bringing you down, it might be due to your immature fruit of being offended over something they never meant to hurt you with. See how you need to mature and have a better perspective on life and people? See how important it is to die to your flesh and walk in God’s spirit? We can lead ourselves astray thinking others are death traps, when in reality we are the ones who need to change.

Inspect the fruit of others when you are not sure if they are someone you should have in your life. If they are producing good fruit, then relax and enjoy the fruit they are producing. If they produce bad fruit, if they constantly have a wake behind them of destruction, selfishness, and pain, it is a sign to walk away. Not in anger or resentment, but in wisdom and peace knowing God is with you, and pray their hearts soften to allow God to work in their life. The devil came to still, kill, and destroy. This is his fruit. This can also help us when we inspect the fruit of others.

Everyone bears fruit. I want to be fruitful and produce good fruit, the Fruit of the Spirit. What does it mean to be fruitful? One definition of it is the word “fertile.” Of course, the word fertile has several meanings. If a woman is fertile, that means that she has the ability to conceive and give birth to a child. If a piece of land is fertile, that means it has the power to bring forth something that can be harvested to meet the needs of human beings. If your life is bringing forth anything that can be harvested to meet the needs of others when they pluck that fruit, then your life is fruitful, just as God intended it to be.

You and I are the fruit bearers of the kingdom of God. Everyday our life should bear some kind of fruit. What fruit are you bearing?

For the month of May and June, 2013, we will be looking at the different Fruit of the Spirit and how to bear good fruit.

God has made available to us the means for leading an effective, and fulfilling, powerful, rewarding, and fruitful life. Let us be fertile soil, pliable in God’s hands, to produce good fruit, not only for our own life, but for those we come in contact with.

Be looking for more on the “Fruit Of The Spirit” in the coming weeks. The first fruit we will be looking at is “Love.”

From one Fruit bearer to another,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com