EPSIODE 30
The fruit of the Spirit
Episode 30 of your favorite podcast picked up the conversation from EP 27, where we examined the ongoing battle between the Spirit and the flesh.
Our focus for this episode was on the Fruit of the Spirit, as recorded in Galatians 5: 22-23a. It is often misunderstood but quite essential to note that this is one Fruit with many characteristics or, one could say, one Fruit with nine flavors.
Summary
This Fruit that the Holy Spirit begins to produce in us when we receive Jesus Christ as our risen Lord and Savior is the outward expression of the change within us–evidence that we are believers in Jesus Christ.
Each host took turns leading a segment of the show, digging deep into the flavors of this reinvigorating Fruit that grows within us gradually as we walk by the Spirit.
In this episode…
— Brother Wiley expounded on the following flavors of the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, and peace.[10:12]
- Love – as instructed in 1 Corinthians 16 verse 14, believers in Jesus Christ should “do everything in love” because love is the foundation of the Gospel of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 1st John 4:8 tells us that “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Need we say more?
- Joy – a vital attribute of the Spirit because our spirits can be broken without it–which invariably affects our natural bodies; see Proverbs 17:22. Also, Philippians 4:4 tells us to “rejoice in the Lord, always.“
- Peace – this flavor is the calming assurance we receive from Holy Spirit that illuminates our spirits and fortifies our minds in Christ Jesus, our risen Lord, and Savior. We find this Verity in Colossians 3:15 and Philippians 4:7.
— Brother Arthur expounded on the following flavors of the Fruit of the Spirit: patience/long-suffering, kindness, and goodness.[26:48]
- Patience/Long-suffering – as opposed to seeking revenge and the need to vindicate ourselves, 1 Peter 3:14-16 instructs believers in Jesus Christ to endure suffering.
- Kindness – which we could also consider as rendering service to others. Titus 3:4-5 tells us, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
- Goodness – this flavor of the Holy Spirit that creates a disposition within us to hurt no one, moving beyond simply being a “good” person to proactively seeking to do good to others..
— Brother Reme expounded on the following flavors of the Fruit of the Spirit: faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. [39:50]
- Faithfulness – as believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to be faithful to God, trusting that He is Who He says He is, and regardless of the impulses of life, we hold tight to that Verity because “the just shall live by faith,” Habakkuk 2:4b.
- Gentleness – Proverbs 15:4 says that “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” Our speech and action give life when we speak and act gently towards all of God’s children. Even when we are to bear the burdens of other believers, Galatians 6:1 instructs us to do so “in a spirit of gentleness.”
- Self-control – a significant proof that the Holy Spirit is working within us is our ability to control our thoughts, words, and actions. Other areas of self-control also include what we watch and even what we eat. When we allow Holy Spirit to grow us in this flavor, we can say no to things of this world and its prince, and yes to the things of our risen Lord and Savior. “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” ~ 2 Timothy 1:7
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