Fruit of HS – Beneficence/Doing Good  © 2016 WF Cobb Truthbase.net DailyTruthbase.Blogspot.com

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, chrestotes/gentleness-kindness/beneficence, goodness, faithfulness

1. Dynamic of Dependence/Abiding: Spirit of God (Truth) uses the Word of God (Truth) to produce in us the Mind of Christ (Jn 14:6)

    We glorify God by submitting to His plan for us to be fruit bearing disciples  alternative is fruit of flesh resulting in shame/loss -1Cor 3

2. Fruit is always the result of seed  (word of God), soil (fertile heart), and cultivation (Spirit -light, water, weeding, time/maturity).

I. Beneficence is a decision to deny oneself to bless others/(enemies) by doing the good that is in their best interest, profiting them and us

gentleness^v23 kindness benignity^DR  goodness/integrity/useful/profitable/serviceable; loan^v; worker bee; wound; noble farm;  Cicero^avarice

II. We should mirror God's beneficence in doing good to others, blessing them by meeting their real needs so they are profited. 

Mt 11:30  For my yoke is  beneficent/useful/profitable and my burden is light. 

Lk 6:35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is  beneficent to the unthankful and evil.      Lk 5:39  old wine is better 

Titus 3:4  But when the beneficence and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in/by his beneficence toward us thru Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved thru faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

Rm 2:3 escape the judgment of God? 4 do you despise the riches of His beneficence, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the beneficence of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in acc with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 self-seeking...wrath

Rm 3:12 “They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." Ps 14:3

III. Being fruitful in doing good to those who reject God and our beneficence requires drawing on the HS motivation and power Phil 2:13

1Pt  2:1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is beneficent.

2Cor 6:1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers/servants of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by beneficence, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right and on the left

Col 1:10 walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work Eph 2:10  & increasing in the knowledge of God

Col 3:12 T as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on compassion, beneficence, humility, meekness^F, longsuffering^F; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be beneficent to one another, tenderhearted/compassionate, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

1Cor 15:32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" 33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts beneficent  habits." 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. Phm 11

2Tim 2:21 if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work

TDNT 9: books.google.com/books?id=7Ycvj-OJclsC&pg=PP11&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q=483&f=false

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. Think of someone who you consider nice, kind and gentle? Why are they like that? What role did the HS play in producing them? 

2.How can you make yourself more useful to God and more profitable to others in serving them? What should be the result?

3. Why is it difficult to serve and benefit others when they are ungrateful or even evil toward us? How/why does God do it?

4. Why are we tempted to not be kind/gracious/beneficent to others? (Hints: self-centered, vengeful/malice, unforgiving, see Eph 4:30). 

5. How can you embrace the work the HS wants to do in your life by using His Word to produce in you the beneficence of Christ toward others?