Seeing Things New (Part 2)
Read: Galatians 5:22
Last week’s post went as far as the first two fruits of the Spirit. We also established the concept of progression - that is, as the child of God grows in experiencing some of the fruits of the Spirit, this paves the way for other fruits to begin to manifest themselves.
The fruit of peace
So now we are looking at the third fruit listed - peace.
There is no doubt in my mind that both love and joy contribute much to the fruit of peace. These two fruits provide the beginning foundation of a soul at rest, or at peace.
The Hebrew word for peace is “Shalom,” and it means much more than just a ceasing of activity. Rather, this word could imply that because we have experienced the unconditional love of God and find ourselves as people who are rejoiced over by God Himself, that a sense of well-being or wholeness is the consequence.
Peace leads to patience
If we are at “peace,” it is much easier to manifest the fruit of patience, which will enable the believer to “wait” with both anticipation and expectation. Let me share a couple of scriptures that will add some depth to the fruit of patience.
Psalm 27:13-14, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”
Isaiah 40:31, “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
The lack or absence of patience fosters despair and anxiety. The lack of patience also may lead us to do things our own way, or become short-tempered towards others.
In the scripture from Isaiah, we discover incredible benefits of waiting on the Lord. And waiting, or exhibiting patience, is not just doing nothing, but rather actively trusting in the One who does all things well.
The fruits display the character of Jesus
Now let us look at the next four fruits of the Spirit, because they are inexorably linked together.
Here they are: kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness. Can you see the link here?
These fruits or attributes allow us to really display the character of Jesus. When men, women, and children encountered the Son of Man, these attributes distinguished Him not only from sinners, but also from those who had a form of religion or spirituality that drove others from God, rather than drawing them to the Father.
When we exhibit these fruits, we are not “doormats,” or people with no courage or integrity. No, no, no. In fact, we are demonstrating that we are being conformed to the image of Christ.
I have said it recently, but it is important to say this again - the fruits of the Spirit in our lives demonstrates the character of Christ, and allows others to see that we have been gloriously redeemed and are seeking first the kingdom of God!
Self-control next week
I would like to save the last fruit of the Spirit listed for next week. Self-control is, for most of us, one of the most challenging character attitudes to achieve. Therefore, I want to devote an entire post to it.
So, Lord willing we will do one more post from Galatians 5.
Blessings and prayers,
Pastor Gene
Last week’s post went as far as the first two fruits of the Spirit. We also established the concept of progression - that is, as the child of God grows in experiencing some of the fruits of the Spirit, this paves the way for other fruits to begin to manifest themselves.
The fruit of peace
So now we are looking at the third fruit listed - peace.
There is no doubt in my mind that both love and joy contribute much to the fruit of peace. These two fruits provide the beginning foundation of a soul at rest, or at peace.
The Hebrew word for peace is “Shalom,” and it means much more than just a ceasing of activity. Rather, this word could imply that because we have experienced the unconditional love of God and find ourselves as people who are rejoiced over by God Himself, that a sense of well-being or wholeness is the consequence.
Peace leads to patience
If we are at “peace,” it is much easier to manifest the fruit of patience, which will enable the believer to “wait” with both anticipation and expectation. Let me share a couple of scriptures that will add some depth to the fruit of patience.
Psalm 27:13-14, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”
Isaiah 40:31, “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
The lack or absence of patience fosters despair and anxiety. The lack of patience also may lead us to do things our own way, or become short-tempered towards others.
In the scripture from Isaiah, we discover incredible benefits of waiting on the Lord. And waiting, or exhibiting patience, is not just doing nothing, but rather actively trusting in the One who does all things well.
The fruits display the character of Jesus
Now let us look at the next four fruits of the Spirit, because they are inexorably linked together.
Here they are: kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness. Can you see the link here?
These fruits or attributes allow us to really display the character of Jesus. When men, women, and children encountered the Son of Man, these attributes distinguished Him not only from sinners, but also from those who had a form of religion or spirituality that drove others from God, rather than drawing them to the Father.
When we exhibit these fruits, we are not “doormats,” or people with no courage or integrity. No, no, no. In fact, we are demonstrating that we are being conformed to the image of Christ.
I have said it recently, but it is important to say this again - the fruits of the Spirit in our lives demonstrates the character of Christ, and allows others to see that we have been gloriously redeemed and are seeking first the kingdom of God!
Self-control next week
I would like to save the last fruit of the Spirit listed for next week. Self-control is, for most of us, one of the most challenging character attitudes to achieve. Therefore, I want to devote an entire post to it.
So, Lord willing we will do one more post from Galatians 5.
Blessings and prayers,
Pastor Gene
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