FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT    1Thessalonians 5:16-22; James 1:22-25

  The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; those belonging to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather we are to reprove them. (Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 5:9-11. I encourage you to read all in context.)

  That which is not according to God’s Word is contrary to all goodness.

  Not living in the provision that God has revealed to us in Holy Scripture suppresses the fruit of His Comforter, brings weakness and loneliness with its companion fear.

  Without the Word-centered devotional life of reading, study, prayerful thought time, and seeking application in all facets of life, with implementation of His love regardless of our feelings, is to dwell apart from our John 1:12 kinfolk. Devoid of holy exercise (1Tim.4:7-9) we will not, nor will others by extension, enjoy familial fruit of the Spirit. (1Cor.7:14; Heb.4:12)

  Let us not hinder the Spirit of God is by seeking fulfillment in joining associations, societies, guilds, fraternities, clans, tribes, ethnic group, teams, troupes, troop, faction, gangs, support groups, corporations, charitable organizations, ministries, religions, churches, marriage, having children . . .  in the hope to fill a basic need to belong; all of which can never fully sate our hunger to actually belong for there is only one family that can do so.

  “I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me” is an absolute purchase specification for believers. (Rom.5:8-11) Fruitful familial fellowship is not so, for the strength of it depends on devotion in manner; godly practice in instance and event. Let us beware looking to God for heaven but to the world for fraternity; for in doing so we compromise our John 1:12 childhood.

  Join, yes, but as service extension of our identity in God’s family, “[Living] decent lives among unbelievers. Then, although they ridicule you as if you were doing wrong while they are watching you do good things, they will praise God on the day he comes to help you.” (GW 1Pet.2:12)  EBB4