Fruit Of The Spirit

Published on 26 February 2024 at 12:52

Good afternoon, Fruit of the spirit is an important topic. This is because as Christ children, we should be fruit bearers. If we're not showing fruit, then we're not reflecting Christ. It's necessary as we grow to show the fruits of Christ. Some fruits are easier to have than others.

Galatians 5:22-23
[22]But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23]Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Love is the first fruit mentioned. This is mentioned several times in God's word. One of which is:

John 13:34-35

[34]A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

[35]By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

When I teach this to children, I always ask them how they can show Christ's love to others. I'm going to bring this question to you as well. How do you show Christ's love to others?

The next is joy. This doesn't mean we have to be chipper all the time. However, we are to reflect joy even in the toughest of times. Think about it. If you're going through some stuff and you show anger and ugliness... Do you think someone witnessing this will say " Gee I want what he/she has" ? Not likely. If we in turn show joy during this time, others will see what we have in Christ. Then they might say " I want that kind of joy".

The next is peace. This is a hard one for a lot of people and use to be for me. There are a lot of peace robbers out there. Real true peace can only come from giving everything to God. When I notice my peace being thieved, I stop and pray. Communication with Jesus is the only way to restore it.

Now long-suffering, this can be difficult as well. It requires patience. When life hits you hard, do those around you see a person that can withstand the fire? I'm not just asking about endurance, I'm questioning if you maintain a Christ like attitude while in the fire.

Then we have gentleness. This isn't a difficult one for me. I'm typically a gentle person. However, there are those that are very matter of fact and come across as not being gentle. We can be straight to the point and still deliver it with gentleness.

Goodness, this requires us to be good to all. Yes even those we don't like or tolerate well. Being Christ like means being good to others. Think of some ways you can be good to someone this week.

Faith, faith is something we must have if we believe in Jesus as our Savior. Faith is also brought about in being faithful. Are you faithful in your commitments? Are you faithful in trusting and serving God?

As for meekness, there are several definitions in the Bible for meekness. Here we're talking about not having a need to be first. Putting others before your self. Christ put us first when He died for our sins. We can be meek in not having to be the center of everything, not having to be first, allowing others to receive blessings, letting someone else have a chance to serve Christ and serving others instead of being served.

Temperance is the last fruit mentioned and still very important. It's about self-control. Temperance comes from the Greek word egkrateia, meaning strength, not physical strength, but inward strength that helps us to make the best choices. This is also referring to being slow to anger, not easily riled up.

I know this is a lot to take in, but as His children it's so important to understand and strive to bare fruit. A dead fruit tree is of no good. Neither is a stale Christian.

#fruit #reflectchrist #bethperry #sharingthegospelofchrist #christinme sharing-the-gospel-of-christ.com

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Salvation Safety Service

14 Mar 2024 12:43

John 17:1-26[1]These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:[2]As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.[3]And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.[4]I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.[5]And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.[6]I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.[7]Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.[8]For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.[9]I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.[10]And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.[11]And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.[12]While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.[13]And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.[14]I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.[15]I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.[16]They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.[17]Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.[18]As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.[19]And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.[20]Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;[21]That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.[22]And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:[23]I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.[24]Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.[25]O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.[26]And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.