The fruits of the Spirit are s reflection of a persons relationship with Jesus. They are the things by which we can determine whether a person is known by Jesus or not known by Jesus. Jesus explains this as recorded by Matthew in his gospel in Chapter 7, verses 15-23;
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit,
but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree
bear good fruit. Therefore you will know them by their fruit. Not everyone who
says to me, 'Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will
of my father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders
in Your name? And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who
practice lawlessness!'
No need to panic here. This should not stress out anyone as to figuring out whether or not you are one of these. When Jesus said that the only people who shall enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the will of my Father in heaven, we can look at what Jesus said, as recorded in John's gospel, Chapter 6, verse 40;
"And this is the will of Him who sent me, that every one who sees the Son, and
believes in Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day"
I wrote about this in (Part 3) of this series, on those who Jesus never knew. It was simply because they never really believed and that was evident because they did not bear fruit. They were more than likely doing it for themselves rather than for Jesus. It is more about Salvation and souls and eternity rather than the temporary things that we can see.
When the Light sent into the world a human born of His Light, the Light now had a form. The Light sacrificed His own body, that WHOEVER would receive the work of that sacrifice, would in return receive Everlasting Life. Done. The work was complete. A person receiving and accepting the sacrifice of that work, has completed all their work requirement. Done. All we are required to do is live out that Salvation. We now have the Light of Eternal Life dwelling in us and He refers to Himself as Jesus (Yeshua). The Lord Our Salvation.
So why must we bear fruit? We don't bear fruit, the fruits are the characteristics of the Light, Spirit, Jesus, Who is now indwelling us. When we yield to the Spirit within us and let it come through us, the fruits of the Spirit become evident and are evidence that we have received the sacrifice that Jesus made and that He is indwelling us. We of ourselves have no fruit to bear, it is the Spirit of Jesus within us that shines the fruits through us. That's why Jesus said, "You shall know them by their fruits". Basically, showing whether they are of Jesus or have no place in Jesus.
To allow the fruits of the Spirit to come through us, we not only have to yield to the Spirit, but we must also resist the desires of our flesh that are in conflict with the Spirit. It is really like the cartons that have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. You have the choice to yield to which ever one you want to. To allow fruit to come through you, you must tell the little devil , who represents our desires of the flesh, NO. You and all of us at times will give into our fleshly desires, but the children of the Light will not make it their practice. When we give in to the flesh, that is sin. When that happens there is a simple remedy, there is no need for self condemnation. The apostle John told us what the remedy is, when he wrote this in his first book Chapter 1, verse 9;
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Jesus' blood cleansed us once and for all on the cross when He shed His blood on the cross. Our sins to Him are, "as far as the east is from the west', and "as white as snow". Please just acknowledge when you give in to the flesh and move on. Don't give satan a place to come in and try to get you to dwell on it and to the point where you begin to condemn yourself. That might be a sin too. "That which is not of faith, is sin". So you MUST heed the words of Paul and stand on it, where he wrote this in his letter to the the Romans in Chapter 8, verse 1;
"There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Before we move on to learning what the fruits of the Spirit are, we must first take a look at this battle that goes on between our flesh and spirit. We must look at what it takes to be successful in defeating our flesh and allowing the fruits to come forth. Paul continued in Romans Chapter 8, verses 2-14;
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of
sin and death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh,
God did; sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for
sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might
be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the
Spirit."
Paul will continue on with explaining the mindset of those who have been born again of above and now have the Spirit of God in them enabling them to have the ability to resist the flesh, verses those who have yet to be born of the Spirit and are still walking according to the sinful flesh.
"For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh,
but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set
on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the
mind set on the flesh is hostile to God; for it does not subject itself to the law of
God, for it is NOT EVEN ABLE TO. However, you are not in the flesh but in the
Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. And if Christ is in you, though the
body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if
the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised
Christ Jesus from the dead also will give life to your mortal bodies through His
Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are under no obligation, not to the
flesh, to live according to the flesh---for if you are living according to the flesh,
you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you
will live. For all who are being led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God"
Notice Paul says that those who are being led by the Spirit now dwelling in them are putting to death the deeds of the body. Our walk, until we leave this realm and are transferred into the kingdom of God, is always learning, as we grow in Jesus, how to yield to the things of the Spirit and resist the cravings of the flesh. The rest of our lives we are working to put to death the flesh. Our fleshly nature will not be totally dead until either our death or at the resurrection. As we learn to put to death the flesh, we are able to bear more fruit.
Paul tells us what things to watch out for and work on to distinguish between yielding to the flesh or yielding to the Spirit. Fruits of the flesh verses fruits of the Spirit. In Paul's letter to Galatians in Chapter 5, verses 16-25;
"But I say, walk by the Spirit , and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for
these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you
please. But if you are led b the Spirit, you are NOT UNDER THE LAW. Now
the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are; immorality, impurity, sensuality,
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions,
factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I
forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
When Paul says that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God, he is in a way telling people that they need Jesus to be their Savior, because living in the sin of the flesh, apart from the Spirit of God, is impossible not to practice these things. You can notice Paul said, "Those who practice these things", not, if you act out in one of these. A person who makes a practice out of these acts of the flesh are either, not yet born of the Spirit of God, or it could be a Saint stuck in sin. Our job is not to turn our backs on a fellow Saint stuck in sin, but instead do what James teaches in his 5th Chapter, verses 19 and 20;
"My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him
know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from
death,and will cover a multitude of sins."
Finally, what are the fruits of the Spirit? Galatians Chapter 5, verses 22-25;
"But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS,
GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL, against such
things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the
flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by
the Spirit."
Almost everyone would be willing to admit that we are not born with any of those characteristics. This is due to the fact that everyone of us have been born of the flesh in a sinful state, void of the Spirit of God where these fruits dwell and come from. This is why people who are able to shine these characteristics in their lives and behavior will be showing evidence of the Spirit of God within them. Remember, "You will know them by their fruit."
Take a glance back at the fruits of the flesh. It is easy to see why the new created being, within a believer, would have no need or desire for any of those fruits. The New Creation doesn't even think that way. A believer's soul has now received the life of the Light of God and is now a New Creation filled with the Spirit of the Living God, Jesus. As in our earthly existence in the flesh, our heavenly existence starts out as a new born baby also, but in the spirit. As the New Life grows within us, through the feeding on the Word of God and though basic trials of this life, a Saint should become less interested in the desires of the flesh and it should become easier to resist them. It is the flesh that desires and acts out in those fruits. The new being should begin to control the flesh and slowly put to death the flesh. This battle between our spiritual being and fleshly being is played out in our minds. The victor between the two is determined by each choice we make in either bearing fruits of the flesh or fruits of the Spirit in every circumstance in our lives. The one we yield to wins in that choice.
The apostle Paul gives insight to this, when he tells us this in his book to the Ephesians, Chapter 4, verses 21-24;
"if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is
being corrupted with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your
mind, and put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in
righteousness and holiness of truth."
We all, born in this flesh, are corrupt, because the flesh is corrupt. In our fleshly nature, our brains and minds are programmed by things we see, things we hear, things we learn, experiences we may enjoy in the flesh, but that is only until we don't. When we are programmed with fleshly things, we act out according to the flesh. The only way to be able to reverse that is to accept the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to make in us a New Creation. Becoming a new spiritual creation, we are now able to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. As we learn the truth that is in Jesus, reading the Word, reprogramming ourselves with the things of the Spirit, we are now able to war against the old things that programmed our minds according the the flesh, and with our renewed mind win the victory to yield to the spirit.
Paul wrote this in his book to the Galatians, Chapter 6, verse 8;
"For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the
one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life."
Even as saints, we still make the decision whether what we are doing is either programming the fleshly part of our minds and giving the flesh life, or programming the spirit of our minds giving power to our spirit.
Jesus gives a warning and encouragement, when He taught this, as recorded by John in his gospel, in Chapter 15, verses 1-11;
"I Am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does
does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it,
that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have
spoken to you. Abide in Me, ans I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine,
you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart
from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a
branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are
burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you; ask whatever you wish, and
it shall be done for you. By this is My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and
so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you,
abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as
I have kept My Fathers commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have
spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."
The way John writes this in the first two words reflects one of those gold nuggets we look for in scripture that reveals who Jesus is. These type of nuggets help us come to the true knowledge of who Jesus is. When John writes that Jesus said, "I Am the vine", he capitalizes (Am), making it a noun. Making I Am a name. Where have we seen that name? In the book of Exodus, Chapter 4, verses 13 and 14 Moses has this exchange with God about after discussing delivering Israel out of Egypt;
" Then Moses said to God. 'Behold , I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say
to them.' 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me,
'What is His name? What shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, 'I Am Who I
Am'. 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I Am has sent me to you.'"
I will have to do blog just on the nuggets, or maybe Jesus will stop me so you will seek out the nuggets. Jesus did say, "seek and you will find". We will have to see if He will let me help.
Anyway, back to the Vine and branches and bearing fruit. Very simple, branches that dwell in the vine, that don't bear fruit, are taken away, out of the tree. Branches that bear fruit, He prunes. Farmers prune branches for the purpose of getting more fruit the following year. A branch that bears fruit, will not bear fruit again on the same branch. Where the fruit was, the branch is clipped and what usually happens is that two more branches grow out from that spot. This way it produces twice the fruit.
One reason why the branch (Saint) is pruned is so they can bear more fruit. Another might be so that the one who bears fruit can't just be content on the fruits they have already produce, since the evidence of them are gone. Jesus wants us to continue to bear fruit more and more every year until we see Him face to face. It should be easy for a saint to bear fruit if they are yielding to the Spirit, because it is not us doing it. Jesus said that no one can bear fruits of the Spirit unless they abide in Him. Everyone who abides in Jesus and Jesus in them, will produce much fruit, because apart from Jesus we can do nothing.
Abide means to dwell in. Jesus gives a warning to those who don't dwell in Him. The ones who are not dwelling in Jesus are those who have not yet come to believe. Jesus will do many things between now and His coming to give people a chance to come to the love of the truth to be saved. Not receiving the love of the truth is the only reason people will perish and it will be their choice. Paul taught this in his 2nd letter to the Thessalonians, in Chapter 2, verse 10;
"and with all deception of wickedness, for those who perish, because they did not
receive the love of the truth so as to be saved."
The ones that are taken away from the tree are those who were in the tree, but didn't ever bear fruit. These are those of the house of Israel that did not receive Jesus as their Messiah, Savior. They where taken away because of their unbelief. Notice they were not thrown away, dried up, put in the fire and burned up. Since they didn't believed, they were removed some that the Gentles, who would come to believe, could be grafted in. Israel's unbelief resulted in riches for the Gentles. Paul teaches this in his letter to the Romans, in Chapter 11, verses 11-25;
" I say then, they did not stumble as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their
their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them Jealous. Now
if their transgression (rejecting their Messiah, Jesus) be riches for the world and their
failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! But I am
speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I
magnify my ministry, if somehow i might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and
save some of them. For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will
their acceptance be but life from the dead? And if the first piece of dough be holy, the
lump is also; and if the root be holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches
were broken off, and you, being an wild olive, were grafted in among them and
became partakers with them in the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant
toward the branches; but if you are arrogant remember that it is not you who supports
the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so
that I may be grafted in." Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you
stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear, for if God did not spear the natural
branches, neither will He spare you. Behold then the kindness and severity of God;
to those who fell severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness;
otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their
unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were
cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature
into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches
be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be
uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that the partial
hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come in."
Jesus told us how we stay in tree when He said, " If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love". Jesus told us what His commandment is, " that you love one another, just as I have loved you. In the gospel written by Matthew, in his 22 Chapter, verses 37-40, Matthew recorded Jesus stating this;
"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with
all your mind'. This is the greatest and foremost commandment. The second is like it,
'You shall love you neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the
whole law of the Prophets."
Our final destination for all eternity is nothing to play with. If we receive Jesus' free gift of eternal life, that he made possible through His shed blood and death on the cross, as long as we want to stay in Jesus hand, there is nothing that can take us out of it. Jesus spoke this as recorded in Matthew's gospel, in Chapter 10, verses 27-30;
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal
life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one is able to snatch them out of the
Father's hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater that all; and no one
is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE."
Another gold nugget.
We love Jesus with all our heart, by giving Him our heart to dwell in. We love Jesus with all are soul, as we yield to the Spirit now dwelling in our souls, so that He can bear fruit through us. We love Jesus with all our minds, as we desire to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, through the reading of the Word and coming to the true knowledge of Jesus. Then we can, with our minds, love and desire the things of the Spirit more than the things of the flesh, so that we can bear much fruit.
LOVE...JOY...PEACE...PATIENCE...KINDNESS...GOODNESS...FAITHFULNESS...SELF-CONTROL
With these attributes given to us from above as fruits, I am sure that is easy to LOVE your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus, love, joy peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, be with you in abundance.
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