The Fruit of the Spirit – Part 1 Lesson 22
Galatians 5:22 - 23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Gal 5:22-23
“Fruitful character comes from a great devotion,
and the greatest devotion of all is the love of God.
A life that grows in loving God becomes like God”
Jerry Bridges
I. Introduction The “issues” or “conditions” of our present age
(1) For a Christian to produce the fruit of the Spirit is to be “normal”. (2) The fruit is real!
2 Peter 1:3-4
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
II. The Fruit of a Regenerated Tree
Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
A. There are many acts (works) {plural}; only one fruit {singular) with many characteristics
B. Bearing “the” fruit is your destiny
Rom 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, ….
1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
C. Fruit is not the same as “gifts”
1 Cor 12: 4, 7, 11
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
“The fruit of the Spirit should be distinguished from the gifts of the Spirit, but ought never to be absent from their exercise. For without love, and the humility which accompanies it … the purpose of the gifts of the Spirit is thwarted.” Sinclair Ferguson
D. How it is developed?
1. the life of our abiding - John 15:1-8
2. the object of our attention
Hosea 9:10 But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.
2 Cor 3:14-18
14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. …..
16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
“(Love) begets a likeness between the mind loving and the object beloved….. A mind filled with a love of Christ crucified … will be changed into his image and likeness.” John Owen, The Holy Spirit, p476
E. What motivates the effort? (Unacceptable / Acceptable)
1. unacceptable
a. our reputation
b. good feelings about ourselves
c. a moral ethic instilled in childhood
d. the discipline of God
2. acceptable love for Jesus
Matt 22:37-38
37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
John 14:15 If you love me, you will obey what I command.
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
III. Love Leads the List
A. The essence of God
1 John 4:8, 16b
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
16b …God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
B. The greatest Christian virtue
1 Cor 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
God’s love is:
1. Unmerited
Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2. Great
Eph 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ
3. Transforming
Rom 5:3-5
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
4. Unchanging
Rom 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
C. The Tie That Binds
Col 3:12-14
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love , which binds them all together in perfect unity.
1. As a gift
Rom 5:5 God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
2. As a command
John 13:34 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
IV. Love for God in Outward Expression of Love for Others
1 John 4:20-21
20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
A. A working definition
Love is the meeting of other people’s highest need, regardless of my own feelings or circumstances, sacrificially if necessary.
B. Paul’s definition 1 Corinthians 13
“Eloquence was greatly admired in the first century. The Corinthians were no exception to this, though they found little of it in Paul. (1 Cor 2:1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.) His reference to the “tongues (languages) of men and of angels” (1 Cor 13:1) was a hyperbole about eloquence. Without love, lofty speech might be momentarily electrifying – like a clash of a gong or cymbal – but then vanishing just as quickly. Love, on the other hand, produces eternal effects.” Dennis Fisher
“When love is tried as loved ones change,
Hold still to hope though all seems strange,
Till ease returns, and love grows wise
Through listening ears and opened eyes.” Brian Wren
C. The greatest example of giving at all cost
John 3:16 For God (the Father) so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers (and sisters).
D. True love will include the mind, will, and heart
Rom 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply , from the heart.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply , because love covers over a multitude of sins.
ektenos , "earnestly" (ek, "out," teino, "to stretch"; Eng., "tension," etc.), is used in Acts 12:5, "earnestly," RV, for KJV, "without ceasing" (some mss. have the adjective ektenes, "earnest"); in 1 Peter 1:22, "fervently." The idea suggested is that of not relaxing in effort, or acting in a right spirit. "intently, strenuously,"
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
E. How do we do it?
1. Immerse ourselves in the scriptures concerning love
2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to apply His word and empower it to grow in us
1 Thess 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
3. Obey love’s demands
V. Principles to Ponder in Perfecting Our Produce
1. There is only one acceptable motive for actions that please God – __________________
2. The only source of power available to us in generating the right motive is the Holy Spirit
3. The only source of power in renouncing sin and following Christ is the Holy Spirit
4. The responsibility for turning from my sin to His power is mine
5. The responsibility for renouncing my sin nature and asking for His character is mine
6. My holiness is dependent in large measure on the degree and decisiveness of my repentance
2 Tim 2:20-22
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble.
21 If a man (or woman) cleanses himself (herself) from the latter, he (she) will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
7. The Christian is to pursue Godly character by every means available
8. The conflict is ongoing and success is progressive
9. The Christian’s battles are waged from the perspective of victory
10. It is a great source of joy in the Christian life to contemplate, not how far we have to go, but by God’s grace, from whence we have come
TNBS Questions Lesson 22
Preparation for week 23
Read Galatians 5:22-26
1. What have you learned about the “fruit of the Spirit” that will make a difference in how you pray?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What have you learned about love that will make a difference in how you nurture relationships?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What have you learned about motivation that will make a difference in how you serve God and others?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Read John 15:9-11; 16:20-22
What is the difference between happiness and joy? How can you as a Christians always be joyful?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Read Romans 5:1, 8:6; Ephesians 2:13-16
Define “peace” according to these verses. Peace between whom? How does it occur?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Read 2 Corinthians 1:5-6; James 5:7-8; Revelation 1:9, 13:5-10
‘Patience’ is often translated ‘perseverance’. How can you carry out the requirements of these verses?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Under what circumstances have you been called upon to exercise Christ-like patience?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Should we be kind to self-indulgent, ungrateful people? Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Read Psalm 15 How does this Psalm help you in your desire to be a “faithful” person?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Read Matthew 11:28-30 Because Jesus is gentle, what do you experience in His presence? When do others experience the same in your presence? When do they not?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Philippians 4:8 How do you as a Christian bring your thought life under control?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1