Fruit of the Holy SpiritPage 1
Christian Churches of God
No. 146
Fruit of the Holy Spirit
(Edition 3.5 19951104-20000902-20070628-20130803)
Further to the paper The Holy Spirit (No. 117), we proceed to develop the concepts of the place of the Holy Spirit and its relationship in the Godhead. From an understanding of that position we might then be able to more correctly understand, from the biblical narrative, its purpose and hence its end product in the elect.
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Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Fruit of the Holy SpiritPage 1
Further to the paper The Holy Spirit (No. 117)we proceed to develop the concepts of the place of the Holy Spirit and its relationship in the Godhead. From an understanding of that position we might then be able to more correctly understand, from the biblical narrative, its purpose and hence its end product in the elect.
To understand the Holy Spirit one must also understand God and Christ and the relationships involved. This text simplifies, in part, the paper The Holy Spirit (No. 117). Other papers have been written on who God is and who Christ is and these should also be studied.
Briefly, God the Father:
*is the Supreme Deity of the Universe.
He is the Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens, the Earth and all things therein (Gen. 1.1; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 124:8; Isa. 40:26,28; 44:24; Acts 14:15; 17:24-25; Rev.14:7); alone is immortal (1Tim. 6:16).
*is our God and Father and the God and Father of Jesus Christ (Jn. 20:17).
*is the Most High God (Gen. 14:18; Num. 24:16; Deut. 32:8; Mk. 5:7), and
*is the One True God (Jn. 17:3; 1Jn. 5:20).
Jesus, the Son of God:
*is the first-begotten (prototokos) of the creation (Col. 1:15); hence the beginning (arche) of the creation of God (Rev. 3:14).
*is the only-born (monogene) Son of God (Mat. 3:17; Jn. 1:18; 1Jn. 4:9), conceived of the Holy Spirit and born to the virgin, Mariam or Mary (Lk. 1:26-35).
*is the Christ or Messiah (Mat. 16:16; Jn. 1:14), sent from God to be our Saviour and Redeemer (Mat. 14:33; Jn. 8:42; Eph. 1:7; Tit.2:14).
*is called the Son of the Most High God (Mk. 5:7).
The Holy Spirit:
*is that essence or power of God which Christ promised to send to the elect (Jn. 16:7).
*is the extension of the living power of God. The means by which we become partakers of the Divine Nature (2Pet. 1:4), being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17; Eph. 5:18), hence all Sons of God (Job 38:7; Rom. 8:14; 1Jn. 3:1-2) and co-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17; Gal. 3:29; Tit. 3:7; Heb. 1:14; 6:17; 11:9; Jas. 2:5; 1Pet. 3:7).
*is given by God to those who ask (Lk 11:9-13) and obey Him, dwelling in those who keep His Commandments (1Jn. 3:24; Acts 5:32).
*is the comforter that leads God’s servants into all truth (Jn. 14:16,17,26).
*confers the power to witness (Acts 1:8).
*administers gifts as recorded in 1Corinthians 12:7-11.
*has fruits as described in Galatians 5:22-23.
*is not given by measure (Jn. 3:34 RSV; Rom. 12:6).
*is the means by which God can finally become all, in all (1Cor. 15:28; Eph. 4:6).
*operates from before baptism and draws us to God through Christ (Heb. 7:25).
These Scriptures need to be studied carefully. Without a clear understanding of the God we worship, it is impossible to fully understand His will. Without understanding God’s will, it is impossible to please Him and we would then be unable to enter the Kingdom of God at the First Resurrection. The Holy Spirit is the means by which we are able to understand the Bible, and in the Bible God reveals His directions and plans for us.
God is spirit and has always existed. God alone is immortal (1Tim. 6:16). Christ says at Revelation 3:14 that he is the beginning of the creation of God. Christ was the first activity of the creation of God from his generation.All creation originated from God. The concept of time began from the relationship between two Beings; hence Christ is the beginning with the elohim. The generation of the elohim was the beginning of time. Jesus Christ was not the only Son of God before the foundation of the world; there were many of them (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Satan was one of the sons of God. With the other sons of God, Satan had access to the Throne of God on a continual basis. The Bible is quite clear that Satan was present at the trial of Job in the Throne room of God.
Neither was Christ the only Morning Star; there were many of them. All of them were the children of God, by and through the Holy Spirit (Lk. 11:9-13). The Holy Spirit is the power or essence by which God operates. When Christ said that he was in God and God in him (Jn. 17:21-23), it was through the Holy Spirit that this was possible. In the same way when we receive the Holy Spirit at baptism God is in us and Christ is in us, hence God will be all, in all (Eph. 4:4-6).
It is most important that we understand that there is only One God and Father of all.
Steps in receiving the Holy Spirit
Prior to baptism the Holy Spirit works with us, drawing us to God through Christ (Heb. 7:25). On repentance and baptism we receive the Holy Spirit in us, through the laying-on of hands by one of God’s ministers. The laying-on of hands does not of itself confer any authority. The process simply signifies that an official of the Church endorses the request of the individual to receive the Spirit. The Elder has no intrinsic power by and of himself; he simply requests that the Spirit acts. The Spirit then empowers the individual. This is the real beginning of our training. The understanding is simply that we qualify through baptism and receive the Holy Spirit to commence training. We are given the initial armament by which we can become a soldier of God. We are given our rifle in other words, or the system by which we can operate.
Many people have been under the misapprehension in the 20th century particularly, that once they are baptised and enter the Church, then their salvation is sure. They think they simply do not have to do anything else. In fact, some were discouraged from studying and ‘proving all things’. That is not the fact of the matter as we now realise. We receive the Kingdom of God through the Holy Spirit by grace and not by merit or works. However, we do not retain the Kingdom of God without effort or works through obedience. This is a critical distinction and mostly misunderstood. We are required from this point on to study the Bible and learn everything we can. Christ said that his meat and drink was to do the will of God and complete His work (Jn. 4:34); so too must ours be. Christ also said that we must live by every word of God (Mat. 4:4). The Bible then is our text book, a living oracle, which can only be understood through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit leads us to all truth (Jn. 14:17; 16:13; 1Jn. 4:6; 5:6), and by speaking the truth in all things so we grow more like Christ, our example and leader in all things. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14) and the Spirit of faith (2Cor. 4:13) that searches all things and knows all things (1Cor. 2:10-11; 12:3ff.) and is the means by which we become sons of God (i.e. elohim). Through Jesus Christ, our mediator, it allows Christ to help, teach and comfort us, enabling us to exercise the power of God, giving us the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). We are put together, each with particular skills and characteristics, in order to do His work, which we cannot do as effectively alone (1Cor. 12:7-31). We are baptised into the Body of Christ not into any denomination or sect. Christ is the head; we are the body. The Holy Spirit is the blood that keeps the body and the head alive and functioning as one whole.
As Israel followed the pillar of fire and cloud (the Angel of Yahovah or Jehovah) in the wilderness, so too we must follow Christ wherever he leads us. He is the elohim at our head (Zech. 12:8). If the church we are in is not preaching according to the Law and the prophets, Christ will not be there and we have a responsibility to seek him out and follow only him. We are called out of the world to a life of service and dedication. Many are called but few are chosen (Mat. 20:16; 22:14). The elect (those keeping all the Commandments of God) were chosen, as Christ was the chosen of God (Lk. 23:35).
The elect are chosen by Christ (Jn. 6:70; 15:16,19) under the direction of God (1Pet. 2:4). Thus God gives us to Christ and we are then given the Mysteries of God and the Kingdom of God (Mk. 4:11).
The Spirit makes God’s will known, being the mechanism by which we can talk to God in prayer through Christ. It opens our understanding to the Word of God and through faith allows us to become elohim as Christ is at our head (Zech. 12:8).
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
The Spirit is not simply an entity as suggested by some who espouse Christianity. Once we say it’s a third person of the Godhead we take away its operation within us. We somehow divorce it from God and we place ourself in a subordinate role to Jesus Christ in such a way that we are distinct from and never can achieve the position of son of God, which is not correct. The Holy Spirit is a power and an empowering attribute of God. God gives us His Spirit so that we can partake of His divine nature (2Pet. 1:3-4).
Peter says that:
2Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. (RSV)
Therefore, God called us to His own glory and excellence, making us partakers of His Spirit so that we might know Him. The Spirit thus enables us to partake of all things that pertain to life and godliness. In the same way it was the Holy Spirit that gave Christ the condition of godliness. The Spirit thus enables us to action. There must therefore be fruits of the Holy Spirit. These fruits are those worthy of repentance (Lk. 3:8). These are the fruits, or the fruit, of righteousness (Phil. 1:11). As Paul says, an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. There are set rules for the retention of the Holy Spirit. We cannot get our crown unless we follow those rules.
2Timothy 1:6-14 Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. 8 Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago,
The point is, God calls us into the Kingdom of God for His own purpose and not because of anything we are. We are called in to work. God puts us in to do a job. The way we keep our end of the bargain and our way of gaining the First Resurrection is to work once we are called and given the Holy Spirit. Also, it is necessary to produce the fruits of righteousness in the Holy Spirit by keeping the Commandments of God and the Testimony of the Faith of Jesus Christ. That is our qualification. The grace of God was given to Jesus Christ. He did not own the grace of God intrinsically in his own right.
10 and now has manifested through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Only God is immortal but it was Christ who abolished death by his actions and brought immortality to light. We are able to partake of immortality because of Christ. He qualified, and was then given immortality and that consequently went on to us.
11 For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.
In other words, the Holy Spirit guards the Mysteries of God until the Day of the Lord. What has been entrusted to Paul will not die. It will be kept by the Holy Spirit, and it was locked into the Bible. Nobody can destroy the Bible. It is an order of God. We have the inspired word of God
13 Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; 14 guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. (RSV)
Thus the first fruit of the Holy Spirit is the guardianship of truth. That is the primary aim and objective. The Holy Spirit is of power and love and self-control. The fruits evident from this text are given towards the first aim of the elect, which is the guardianship of truth as the first aspect of righteousness. Another fruit is mercy, which we shall see later (Jas. 3:17). The elect worship the Father in Spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:23-24). Truth is central to the worship of God. We cannot worship God unless we worship Him in the Holy Spirit in truth. The Holy Spirit is the means by which we guard the truth. The central fruit is our ability to first worship the One True God. The capacity of the Holy Spirit to show these fruits is centred on the capacity to worship God the Father. So the guardianship of truth is the guardianship of our capacity to work and worship. The testimony of the Spirit and of the prophets and hence the elect is true (Jn. 5:33). Only the truth can set us free (Jn. 8:32). Satan fell because he did not abide in the truth (Jn. 8:44).
John 8:31-47 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." 33 They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, `You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father." 39 They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God; this is not what Abraham did. 41 You do what your father did." They said to him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God." 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But, because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." (RSV)
The world resists the truth of God.They killed Christ and they seek to kill his disciples and followers. This is so because the carnal mind is enmity towards God (Rom. 8:7).
Romans 8:1-8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot; 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (RSV)