THE SIGN OF
THE SPIRIT – FRUIT BEARING
Session 7 - Matthew
7:15-20; Gal 5:16-26
Introduction:
Three
Biblical principles of trees and fruit:
1. They are always used as illustrations of people and
their lifestyles.
2. They are always used to test a person’s authenticity.
3. Trees only bear fruit if they are nurtured and fed in
the right way.
“The way to
identify whether somebody is ‘full of God’,
is to see
whether they are ’full of fruit’.”
Three issues:
1.
What does good
fruit look like (or taste like)?
2.
How do you bear
it?
3.
What is it for?
1)
What does good, spiritual fruit look like?
|
Fruit |
In
relation to: |
Definition |
Attribute
of God |
Attribute
for Christians |
|
1. Love |
God |
Agape
– sacrificial and unconditional charity expressed towards others that is unmerited
and transforming |
John
3:16, Romans 5:8, |
1 Cor 1 Peter
1:22 |
|
2. Joy |
God |
Chara
– a sense of gratitude and appreciation to God independent of outside
circumstances |
Psalm
104:31, Luke 15:7 |
1 Thess
1:6, Dt 12:7 |
|
3. Peace |
God |
Eirene
– a disposition of character borne from a sense of deep security in Christ |
Isa 9:67,
John
14:27 |
Rom 5:1, Eph
2:14-17 |
|
4. Patience |
Others |
Matrothunia – the quality of putting up with others when tested to the extreme |
Joel
2:13, Romans 9.22 |
Eph 4:2, |
|
5. Kindness |
Others |
Chrestotes – treating others as God has treated you |
Rom 2:4,
Tit 3:4 |
1 Cor
13:4, |
|
6. Goodness |
Others |
Agathosme – generosity that springs from a realisation of what God has done for
you |
Psalm
31:19, Mark |
Rom |
|
7. Faithfulness |
Self |
Pistis
– a sense of duty, decency and trustworthiness |
Psalm
33:4, Heb 10:23 |
Luke
16:10-12, Tit 2:10 |
|
8. Gentleness |
Self |
Prautes
– humility of character that listens and strives to be inclusive |
Zec 9:9,
Mat |
Mat 5:5, |
|
9. Self control |
Self |
Enkrateia
– victory over sinful desires by choosing to die to self |
|
Prov
16:32, 1 Peter
5:8-9 |
2)
How do you bear good fruit?
·
·
If our sinful
nature is in control people will see it, and if the Holy Spirit rules okay
people will see the fruit of the Spirit.
·
The amount of
fruit we produce is determined by how submitted we are to Him.
M.O.T.
Check Point 21 – If we fully surrender our lives
to God and are open to the Spirit, we will produce spiritual fruit.
3) What
is spiritual fruit for?
·
Galatians 5:16,
“Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”.
·
The Battle Royal
in the Galatian church was all about freedom.
On the one hand were the legalists and the other libertines. Paul introduced a third way – the way of the
Spirit. And he said that by living by
the Spirit you chose to obey the law because you wanted to not because you had
to.
·
The person who
walks in the Spirit is a free person – against such a life there is no law.
M.O.T. Check Point 22
- Have we discovered the route to real freedom?
Reflections:
Look at the list in the table of the fruit of the
Holy Spirit. Take one or two each day
and pray that, by the Spirit, God will release more of this quality in your
life.