The Fruit of the Holy Spirit: Part 3
Memory Passage
You, however, are controlled not by the
sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone
does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is
in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of
righteousness.
Romans 8:9-10
Scripture Reading: John 15
Please refer to your Bible.
Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:22-25
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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Insights
"But the fruit of the Spirit, Paul tells us, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...First, it is love, joy and peace.
"Secondly, (it is) our relationship with others: 'patience, kindness, goodness'.
Here is the patience which bears rudeness and unkindness from others and
refuses to retaliate; the kindness which goes beyond the negative toleration of
not wishing anybody any harm to the positive benevolence of wishing
everybody well; and the goodness which turns wish into deed, and takes the
initiative to serve people in concrete, constructive ways." -John Stott, Baptism
and Fullness
Consider this!
Understand this very important truth. It is not by trying harder or ignoring
offenses that we are changed inwardly by the Spirit in our responses to others.
We must acknowledge our own inability to exhibit the Spirit's qualities of
patience, kindness and goodness. As we more and more grasp the
significance of what God in Christ has done for us personally and know and
experience His patience, kindness and goodness to us that we will in turn
desire to show forth these qualities to others.
Personal Reflection
- Have you ever prayed for more patience or kindness thinking that you need to
work on these areas after a difficult encounter with someone? What were you
hoping the Holy Spirit would do with you?
- In your knowledge of both the Scriptures and your relationship with God, write
down key thoughts or verses that would help you remember God's patience
and kindness and goodness to His people, and specifically to you personally.
- How does this help you as you view others?
- Pray, not to be better at these things, but to better understand God's heart for
you in these areas. Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to impress you
with God's heart for you, and give you living examples from other believers how
these attributes are lived out in everyday life.
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