Gifts & Fruit 13: Fruit of the Spirit3: Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control
Galatians 5:22-26 & 2 Timothy 2:1-13
In the last two messages we have taken a closer look at the fruit of the Spirit. In the first week we talked about love, joy and peace. We said these concerned our attitude to God (first love, greatest joy, deepest peace). Last week we discussed patience, kindness, goodness. We said these concerned our attitude to others (we need infinite patience,total kindness & genuine goodness). This week we move into the final three parts of the fruit of the Spirit: faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Believer whether soldier, athlete or farmer is to be a living example that there is a better way. That there is God’s dunamis to help us be the people we were created to be. Writing about this very issue the apostle Paul said, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him (Colossians 2:6-10)”.This final trio concern our inward attitudes and our identity in Christ: they are a template for our conduct. What is happening deep down in our hearts will ultimately show itself. Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are things that others observe about us through our behaviour and hence become the credibility for our witness. The way we act is sometimes on display for others to see but let’s remember our whole life attitude and action on display to our Father in Heaven all the time!
Take for example someone who wakes up in the morning and gets ready for work. This person gets dressed, eats breakfast, reads the newspaper, gets in his car and drives to work. When he arrives at work, it gets stressful very quickly. There is a lot to do, people have called in sick, and he discovers his new employee has made a minor mistake. He slams his fist on his desk, calls the employee into his office and because of all the stress, yells at the new employee. As the employee leaves his office, he mutters an insult under his breath. In a second scenario, a person gets up in the morning and gets ready for work. He gets dressed and eats breakfast. However, this person takes time to read the Bible and pray in preparation for the day. He asks the Lord to take charge of his life and all the situations he encounters. When he arrives at work, it gets stressful very quickly. There is a lot to do, people have called in sick and he discovers his new employee has made a minor mistake. Yet, he remains calm. He calls the employee into his office, tells him about the mistake and calmly takes the time to explain the proper way of approaching the task. Even when he had a reason to be angry and could have yelled or thrown something or slammed his fist, he did not. He was faithful in committing his day to the Lord. He was gentle while correcting the employee. Throughout all the stress and difficulties that came his way, he maintained self-control.
This is an example of the behaviour exemplified in the last three fruit of the Spirit. Such behaviour that governs the way we approach any given situation. Do we act in a tantrum or do we approach stressful situations with a calm demeanour? Do we easily let go of our trust in the Lord during life changes or do we find security through our hope in Him? These are questions we must all face at one point in time or another. However, if we are filled with the Spirit and seek His fruit we will have the opportunity to maintain godlybehaviour. So let us explore these final fruits focusing on behaviour observable by others.
The first fruit in this triad is faithfulness. Faithfulness has several meanings in this context. First, the Lord is faithful to us. He guides and protects us without fail. Even if all our possessions are stripped away, the Lord protects our eternal lives. Another meaning is that of simple faith in God. Because He is faithful to us, in response, we are faithful to Him. We are faithful in serving the Lord because He has called us into relationship with Him. Through this relationship He has transformed our minds. He leads us to think like Him and to imitate Him.
We live in a Diet Coke culture where more often than not, things just aren’t the real thing. People let us down, go back on their word, break their promises etc But God is different. God is faithful .....
a. In temptation: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).
b. In protecting us from evil: But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
c. In forgiving us: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). That's why it’s called the table of mercy!
And why is faithfulness such an attractive character trait for you to cultivate? 1. Because it singles you out as a Christian – it is a sign that Christ lives in you and you have an assured future with him in heaven. 2. Because you will be entrusted with greater influence and responsibility by God and for God in the world. "His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23)In our reading: even when we are faithless, He is Faithful!Faithfulness also has a meaning of trustworthiness, reliability, and being true to one’s word. As a Pastor people have to trust me. They have to trust that I want to help them. They have to trust that I will provide them with sound counsel. They have to trust that what they tell me will be confidential. The same can be said about our relationships. Our friends, families and co-workers have to be able to trust us and rely on us. Scripture teaches us that we are to demonstrate faithfulness to all, even if we do not know them. 3 John 5-6 states, “Dear friend, you demonstrate faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers). They have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.” We are supposed to be trustworthy because that’s who we are as Christians and even to those who may not know we are Christians. If we are not trustworthy or reliable, we are not representing Christ, who is always trustworthy, always reliable and always true to His promises.
The next fruit is gentleness. In today’s society, the word gentle can be misconstrued to merely mean the person who never gets upset, never gives his or her opinion and always speaks in a soft tone. This is not a true definition of gentleness. It has to do with how we communicate our feelings, thoughts and opinion. Think if you will of something that makes you really frustrated. Maybe someone wronged you. Maybe a family heirloom that had special meaning to you was accidentally broken. Maybe someone that works for you is always late. Maybe it’s a friend who calls you for help but never reciprocates. Maybe a stranger closes the lift door just as you were about to step in. How do you react? Do you lose your temper? Do you keep quiet but seethe on the inside? If its people you know, do you talk about them behind their back? Do you try to make them feel guilty or do you require they say, “I’m sorry” first? Or, do you recognize the frustration but keep a level head? Do you gently address the person who frustrated you by explaining your feelings and asking for them to not repeat the action?
Divine gentleness is not some mamby pamby, limp wristed nauseating attitude. Divine gentleness is about being strong – it’s strength under control. EG: a. Divine gentleness means being submitted to God’s will. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29).
b. Divine gentleness means being teachable. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way (Psalm 25:9).
c. Divine gentleness means being considerate. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2; 1 Corinthians 4:21; 2 Corinthians 10:1)
So why is divine gentleness such an attractive character trait for you to cultivate? 1. Because gentleness will keep you looking good without plastic surgery! Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:3-4).
2. Because gentleness gives you greater influence. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).
Divine gentleness is available to everyone who clings to Jesus.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him ...... For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority (Colossians 2:6-10).
The final fruit is self-control. Where do you need divine help to be more self-controlled? Eating habits? Spending habits? Sexual habits? Work ethic? Parenting skills? Language? Thought life? Exercise? Spiritual habits (prayer, bible reading, service etc)? Temper? You will never make progress in any of these areas on your own – only the dunamis of God can produce the character of God.
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. 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. (2 Peter 1:3-8).Self-control is different from gentleness. Gentleness has a focus on how we respond to being upset or frustrated. Self-control has a broader meaning that requires we control not only our anger but also our passions. What are some things that you’re passionate about? Maybe it’s putting a lot of hours into your work, success in school, cooking or exercising or watching sports. Self-control is concerned with the amount of effort and time we put into those things that we enjoy. Procrastination can be an indicator of our passions. If you are prone to procrastinate, think about the activity you use to pass the time. Maybe you watch TV, call friends, work on a crossword puzzle or go shopping. Think about how much time is spent on these passions. Conversely, how much time do you take to care for yourself? Do you find you always have a task to complete or a goal to accomplish? Do you ever take time to relax? This may be an indicator of the areas in your life that need self-control. If you think about it, these seem pretty mild don’t they? Why is it then that Paul goes on to tell us that those who belong to Christ have had the flesh crucified with its passions and desires? He gives us such a strong warning because there are some passions and desires that are completely carnal in nature. We are to flee from sexual immorality. We are to avoid idolatry and witchcraft. As Scripture tells us in Colossians 3:5, “So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.” There is no middle ground here. In these instances, you cannot merely say they are fine in moderation. No, we are to run in the other direction.
Paul, after stating the nine fruits of the Spirit, then states that against these things there is no law. A law is set in place to maintain a morally acceptable society. The purpose of a law is to maintain the rights of the people in society while keeping order. When people choose to break the law, they interfere with the rights of others. However, there is no law against the fruit of the Spirit. We are to walk in them freely and with joy. We desire to act in accordance with the Spirit. To do so, we put aside our fleshly aspirations and we seek to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. Thus we rebuke our feelings of jealously, the desire to provoke, or to become conceited in the progress that we’ve made. We pray for the Lord to raise in us upright Christian character for all to see.
It has been a wonderful and thought provoking experience creating this series of messages. During this process I have purposely been more deliberate in looking for evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Some of you will know that since last Saturday we have had continuing problems with BT and our broadband! After the initial annoyance of what happened I had a choice. I could either get angry or I could demonstrate gentleness in order to keep my frustration in check. It has been amazing how the Lord was faithful to my prayers. He has kept me reasonably calm in the midst of it all. He gave me clarity of thought to be able to address all the things that needed to be fixed. I was able to find HS peace in the Lord versus the unrest the enemy would have preferred. I have even prayed for the various people in India I was speaking to, and the two BT engineers, one that came and the other that didn’t yesterday. This was not easy. I was tempted to fall into old ways of thinking. I knew if I let frustration get a hold of my thoughts, it would be difficult to overcome it. So I choose to not think about the problem but to see it as an opportunity to mature. Sometimes it takes a lot of prayer to come back to a place of peace, but it can be done. It’s not a one-time event but something we must dedicate ourselves to regularly, especially during difficult times. I pray we all are able, regardless of what we are going through, to be filled with the Spirit and to demonstrate Jesus’ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
It is God’s purpose for you to produce the fruit of the Spirit and so be just like his Son Jesus Christ.
It was purposed for you before you were born - Romans 8:29: "He . . . predestined [us] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son."
It is his purpose for you now - 2 Corinthians 3:18: "And we ... are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
And it is his purpose for you on that last day - 1 John 3:2: "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."
Pastor David
July 5th 2015.