Spiritual fruit: What is it? Christ used parables to help the people of His time understand His teachings. Farming was a common choice for Jesus since most of the people He taught were familiar with farming. If you were growing an orchard, the trees in your orchard would produce a specific kind of fruit. As a Christian, you are in a since like a tree in an orchard. As a believer in Christ you are expected to produce certain fruits, i.e. works, actions, attitudes. . . a lifestyle.
Lets look at it like this; if you were a tree that could produce any kind of fruit you chose to produce and when you became a Christian God planted you in His orchard; He would expect you to produce the kind of fruit that He wants. Now, for the sake of this discussion, lets say God wanted apples. Apples were the fruit that would be pleasing to God. As a tree in God’s orchard, if you want to please God you would need to produce apples, not oranges, lemons, pears, etc. We have a tendency to think we can do anything we want and still please God. This is not true.
If we are discussing the fruit that we produce, then the obvious question would be; what fruit? In Galatians 5:19-24Galatians 5:19-24
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties,
21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.
24 And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.
we see the different kinds of fruit we produce; both good and bad.
Gal 5:19Gal 5:19
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
Gal 5:20Gal 5:20
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties,
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
Gal 5:21Gal 5:21
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22Gal 5:22
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23Gal 5:23
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Some of you have read this before. The question now is; do you know what each of these mean? If you don’t know what some of these terms mean, how can you stop doing them or start doing them? We are going to take some time here and define some of the less obvious ones for you as quickly and briefly as I can and still make them clear to you. Please take the time to look at these terms. This information could save your life. Yes, it is that important.
Deeds (fruit) of the Flesh
immorality: illicit sexual intercourse; adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.; sexual intercourse with close relatives; sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman;
impurity: uncleanness; physical; in a moral sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living; of impure motives
sensuality: unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence
idolatry: the worship of false gods, idolatry
sorcery: the use or the administering of drugs; poisoning; sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it; metaphorically the deceptions and seductions of idolatry
enmities: enemies, hostile, hostilty
strife: contention, strife, wrangling
jealousy: Suspicious fear or apprehension; Suspicious that we do not enjoy the affection or respect of others, or that another is more loved and respected than ourselves. Emulous; full of competition.
outbursts of anger: passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again
disputes: rivalry, arguments, heated disagreements.
dissensions: Disagreement in opinion, usually a disagreement which is violent, producing warm debates or angry words; contention in words; strife; discord; quarrel; breach of friendship and union.
factions: Tumult; discord; dissension.
envying: Feeling uneasiness at the superior condition and happiness of another. Mortification experienced at the supposed prosperity and happiness of another. Ill will at others, on account of some supposed superiority.
drunkeness: Duh! what else could it mean.
carousing: a carousal (as if a letting loose): - revelling, rioting.
Fruit of the Spirit
love: In a general sense to be pleased with; to regard with affection, on account of some qualities which excite pleasing sensations or desire of gratification.
Joy: cheerfulness, calm delight: - gladness
peace: peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord; of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.
patience: endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance; forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs.
kindness: usefulness, moral excellence (in character or demeanor): - gentleness, good (-ness), kindness.
goodness: The state of being good; the physical qualities which constitute value, excellence or perfection; as the goodness of timber; the goodness of a soil. The moral qualities which constitute christian excellence; moral virtue; religion. Kindness; benevolence; benignity of heart; but more generally, acts of kindness; charity; humanity exercised. I shall remember his goodness to me with gratitude.
faithfulness: persuasion, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession.
gentleness: mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness
self-control: (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites)
Sorry, had to be done but all of the terms needed to be defined. Now you should be able to tell what each one means. If you still aren’t sure look it up in a different source but find out. Why? because this is important to know. How can you make the changes to your life that need to be made if you don’t know what is wrong or right about your life? If you don’t know the differences between apples and oranges; how will you grow apples if that is what is pleasing to God? The Bible is specific about one point; those who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the Kingdom of God. That sounds like an important piece of information, don’t you think?
Another point; if you are constantly displaying the deeds of the flesh and profess to be a Christian? ….. there’s a problem.
2Co 5:17 So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Like 2 Corinthians 5:172 Corinthians 5:17
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
17 Wherefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.
says, “…if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature;….” i.e. recreated in spirit, a new creature. Looking back at what God has created in the past, we know that what God creates, He creates perfect. The earth and all the creatures, including man, were all created perfect. Even Lucifer was created perfect in every way until iniquity was found in him Eze 28:15Eze 28:15
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till unrighteousness was found in thee.
. So, if everything God creates is perfect, what are you when you become born again? You are a new creature, a perfect creature in Christ. Perfection in this sense comes from Christ and not of anything you do. Our job? Serve God with all we have and all we are. If you do this you will produce the right kind of fruit.
In order for us to serve God like we need to; we must know Him and what He expects of us. We find this information in His Word. That’s right, you gotta read the Bible! It’s the only way. Your relationship with God is your relationship. Nobody else can do it for you. You can’t ride someone’s coat tails to a productive Christian life and right relationship with God. You gotta do it. You! God isn’t going to make you. He didn’t create puppets but people who are free moral agents, able to choose for themselves. His desire is for you to choose to have a relationship with Him on your own. You will ask just about anyone to be friends with you on myspace but trip all over yourself when it comes to God. Having Him as your friend is much quicker and easier, not to mention more beneficial.
Now that you understand what fruit is and what the terms mean, it is time to make your choice. Do you serve and love your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might or do you continue to bump along defeated and in bondage to sin and the devil.
Deu 6:5Deu 6:5
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
5 and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Deuteronomy 6:5Deuteronomy 6:5
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
5 and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
is how it is done. This is how you produce the right kind of fruit. Total sell out to God in every part of your life, no holding back anything.
What fruit does your tree produce? Check it carefully what you find might save your life.
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