Fruit of the Spirit: Summary

© 2018 WF Cobb Truthbase.net DailyTruthbase.Blogspot.com

Gal 5:22  the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, beneficence, goodness, faith-fullness, 23 meekness, self-control 24 those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also march by the Spirit. 26 not...

 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).

 3. HS at work in us to will & do God's pleasure (glorifying fruit) Phil 2:13; Filled w/ HS = Word of HS dwelling richly in us Eph 5:18; Col 3:16

I. LOVE Agape=God's love for man  (Jn 3:16) self-sacrificially doing what is in another's best interest. cf: philos, storge, eros.

Phil 1:9 I pray your love may abound still more and more by means of epi-knowledge and all discernment,  (remember: Jn 15 abide)

1Pt 1:22 purified ur souls by obeying the truth thru the Spirit eis sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently w/ a pure heart 2Pt 1:7

Gal 3:13 called to liberty...not opportunity for the flesh, but thru love serve one another. 14 law is fulfilled "love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware...16 Walk by the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 6:1

A. Loyalty: Hesed (covenantal faithfulness) to God's reputation (glory) and agenda, depending only on Him for our needs and desires

Obedience: we can't have a rlshp with God apart from total obedience to His will, which leaves no room for indulging our desires.

Volitional Valuing: we must choose (synthetic happiness) to value what God values as our highest good and action/attitude determiner 

Exclusive Emotional Intimacy: we are unfaithful when we seek our needs from, or set our affections on. anything created/temporal

B. Loyalty to others flows out of God's Hesed (loyal love & forgiveness) toward us Col 3:12 put on compassion, goodness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 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 above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Jn 15 Rm 12:10

Other-centeredness  Phil 2:3 do nothing thru selfish ambition or vainglory, but in humility let each esteem others better/more important than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Eph 5:29 nourish cherish

Volitional Valuing: we must choose to value what God values as our highest good and action/attitude determiner=the benefit of others

Edification Rm 14:19 15:2 each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification 3 as Christ did not please Himself Heb 10:24-25

Eph 4:15 speaking the truth in love may grow..16 edify itself in love 25 speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another cf Body 

Serving and Sharing Gal 5:13 thru love serve one another.  1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth

1Jn 4:7 let's love one another 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 11 if God so loved us, we ought also love...

16...God is love, have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. 

20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

II. JOY is a result (filtered response to filtered perception) from choosing what is best. Love is a choice to do what is in another's best interest

Ps 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me...not moved 9 my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. 11You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Jn 15:11 things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 commandment, love one another as I have loved you 15:13 16:22 1Jn 1:4 these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 

A. Choosing to view trials with the perspective that temporal loss is the path to eternal gain gives meaning and joy to suffering

2Cor 4:17 For our momentary light affliction is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 not look at...

B. Faithful endurance in the expectation of realizing Eternal benefit/blessing is the key to transforming trials into triumph

Js 1:2 count/esteem it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing/refining of your faith produces endurance. 4 But let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.12 Blessed is the man who endures trials; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Js 5:11

III. PEACE is wholehearted unity with God’s perspective, which opens the door to freedom from anxiety and harmony with others

Isa 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, for... 

A. Peace w/ God is found in believing and humbly accepting God's provision for our sin thus bringing us into proper rlshp w/ Him

Rm 8:5 live acc the HS, set mind on the things of the Spirit. 6 Carnally minded is death, spiritually minded is life and peace  Phil 4:6-9

B. Peace with others is found in unity-joint submission to God's perfect will, as we walk in/acc to the Holy Spirit (Js 3:14-18)

Lk 12:51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.

Rm 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Pr 16:7 man's ways please the LORD...  Pr 29:9

C. Path/Process to Peace  Produced by HS as we align our thots, values/emotions, will, actions with His Word and Will Rm 12:1-2

2Tim 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Ps 34:14

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. How do you think God would rate the fruit of your life? Do you need some pruning/removal of temporal things to bear eternal fruit?

2. What do you think is the key to bearing each fruit? Can you manifest Biblical love or experience Biblical joy without obedience? 

3. What can you do in the following weeks to sow and pursue the above fruit? If you don't do anything different will you bear fruit?