LIFE BYTHE SPIRIT—CHAPTER 2--GOD’S PERSONALITY

Last week I introduced a series of post I titled LIFE BY THE SPIRIT. I trust you have had the opportunity this past week to examine Galatians 5:16-21 and have received confirmation that you have indeed walked away from those things listed there. This week I’d like to draw your attention to Galatians 5:22-23. This is a very familiar verse to a lot of us. There are nine elements listed here which are as a group called the fruit of the Spirit.


22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.


These are two very special incredible verses that tell us that God the Father wants to transmit and impart nine specific fruits of the Holy Spirit into our personalities. We as Christians often try and measure our spiritual condition by the manifestation of these nine elements in our daily lives. We often are pleased when we find evidence that any one of these elements has altered the way we respond in certain trying situations. That is not a bad thing but I’m afraid many of us miss the real implications of what these fruits represent.


Before we can examine these nine fruits in detail I’d like for us to consider what these fruits represent. Geneses 1:26 tells us that we are created in the image of God. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and verse 27 says So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. We were indeed created in God’s image. We also know from scripture and from our own personal experience that our salvation was also a creative act of God. When we placed our faith in Jesus as our Savior we became a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!


So you ask, “What has being created in the image of God got to do with the fruit of the Spirit?” It has everything to do with it because the nine elements listed in our focus verses are each an attribute of God. They are descriptive of God’s personality. When we placed our faith in Jesus we were once again created in the image of God. Our focus in this series is to understand what God wants us to “put on” and what God wants us to try to “put away”.


In our focus verses God has purposely isolated and spelled out nine qualities that come directly from the Holy Spirit. While there are similarities between these attributes they are different from the Gifts of the Spirit; the Gifts of the Spirit equip us with supernatural abilities for the purpose of building up the church. I believe since God has purposely isolated and spelled out these nine attributes of His image He is letting us know the extreme importance of these fruits.


22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.


Before we get into a discussion on each individual fruit lets notice a couple of things about verse 22.

• The word “Spirit” is with a capital “S” – which means these 9 fruits are coming directly from the Holy Spirit, not from us. While we were certainly able to exhibit these personality traits before we were saved they were void of the power of the Spirit.


• What this means is that God’s love, God’s peace, God’s joy and God’s goodness can be transmitted into our personality. These are His attributes and personality qualities that move into the core of our personality.


• Think about the ramifications of this – that God the Father Himself is allowing us to share in a part of His divine nature by allowing His Holy Spirit to transmit and impart these nine divine qualities into our soul and personality!
  

This is why God the Father is specifically telling us in this verse that these nine fruits are coming directly from His Holy Spirit – so that we can all fully appreciate the magnitude of such an experience.

Jesus has already told us that He is the vine and we are the branches. The branches draw their life from the vine, not vice versa. Just as the branch draws its life from the vine, so too must we draw our life directly from Jesus. Jesus will release His life directly into us through the Holy Spirit in the exact same way that the vine will release the life of the tree into the branches.
In one short, but incredibly powerful Scripture, God the Father is giving all of us an incredible revelation on what can go on behind the scenes in the spiritual realm for those who are willing to walk away from the things listed in verses 16-21 and allow Him, through the work and power of the Holy Spirit, to change our personalities by living LIFE BY THE SPIRIT.
To be continued….
Tommy—one counted among the redeemed

LIFE BY THE SPIRIT

When Daniel Clark and I met in early July of this year to discuss a theme for our Honduras 2011 mission team, the testimonies of our share night in the dining hall of the mission home in Nicaragua were still very fresh on our mind. While we call these testimonies, they might better be described as confessions. Confession is the correct and only response to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. And the common confession from our NIC2010 team was that we serve our Lord differently on a mission trip than we serve Him the rest of the year.

I’m sure you will agree with Daniel and I that the proper response to conviction is confession, but it can’t stop there. Confession must lead to repentance. Repentance is best defined as a change of direction. Our confession was that we do not serve our Lord at home, in our churches, on our jobs, in our schools or even in our families with the same fervor as we serve Him the week of a foreign mission trip. So repentance should cause each of us to serve our Lord with more fervor the other 51 weeks of the year.

The purpose of our 51+1 theme is to remind us of the fact that we have confessed and repented. So what should our repentance look like? Or maybe a better question might be; how is your repentance being demonstrated?

I’m going to start a series of post that digs into Galatians chapter five. I’m going to title this series of post LIFE BY THE SPIRIT. These series will not be posted on consecutive weeks; we will continue to post testimonies and articles from those of you that want to share.

In Galatians 5:16-25 Paul tells us what life in the Spirit should look like. Please note as you read these verses below that Paul, in verses 16-21 first presents life in the Spirit in the negative and then in the positive in verses 22-26.

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Since I was one of those that became convicted on the 51+1 necessity, my repentance has led me away from those things in verses 16-21. Now that’s not to say I don’t still have a problem with some of them, just that my repentance forces me to walk away from those things and toward the positive things in verses 22-26. Before us as a group and in particular, you as an individual can walk away from the negative (sin) and toward the positive (fruit of the Spirit) there has to have been a time of confession and repentance.

I’m asking that during this next week you find time to get alone with God and use verses 16-21 to examine your direction. I’d suggest that you do this in an audible voice by speaking aloud questions to God. For instance as you look at verse 17 you might ask God this question; “Father do I desire what is contrary to the Spirit or what is contrary to sin?” You get the idea, go through each of these verses and ask as many questions as needed till God convinces you that you have walked away from each thing listed in verses 16-21.

I also encourage you to share comments and give encouragements by using the comments tab on this blog. It would be nice for all of us to hear what God is speaking to you as we experience LIFE IN THE SPIRIT.

Tommy--one counted among the redeemed

NOT A CAMPER, BUT A HAPPY CAMPER

No, I don’t like camping or “roughing it….yes, I grew up in the country and am used to gravel roads and without some of the city conveniences, but me…on a mission trip in a foreign country---sign me up!
When Tommy asked me about 7 years ago to go on an international mission trip, I thought, “why not!” The first trip was a real eye-opener…bathrooms not quite like home, shower bags to take a shower and sleeping under a mosquito net on a 4 inch mattress on a concrete floor. Sounds like fun, huh?
Well, I will admit mission trips are not for everybody. You have to be in good health and be willing to make a few “adjustments”. No air conditioning, no running water, no electricity (except via generators) on occasions. No biscuits or baked goods, either!
But when I think of how our Lord and Savior suffered, bled, and was crucified for me… one week is nothing compared to what He endured…for me.
Once I started going on these Medical/Dental Mission trips with BMDMI, I have to admit I was “hooked”. I received the greatest blessing ever---a smile, a hug, and people coming to know Jesus. I may not speak their language, but smiles and hugs are universal. Your life is never the same!
We are blessed beyond measure here in the USA. We have access to medical and dental clinics, pharmacies, clothing/shoe stores, transportation, electricity, water plumbing facilities. In Central America, most families live in houses smaller than a garage with only dirt floors, rough, dirt roads, a river to wash clothes and bathe in. However, they are some of the happiest people you will ever meet and they need to know Jesus lived and died for them too. They often walk 4-8 hours in the sun or rain just to receive medical or dental help or receive medicines or clothing. We often complain if we have to wait an hour at the doctor’s office, park far away at the shopping mall or wait 15 minutes in line at Wal-Mart. Moms will walk for hours with small children in tow just to receive help. Aren’t we spoiled here?
Won’t you consider giving one week to share the Gospel with someone who needs Jesus? Won’t you give up a week without the modern conveniences, to see the beauty of the countryside and the peace and quiet (no cell phones, computer, schedules/deadlines to meet)? Get alone with God and see what he created and how blessed you are. Thank Him for saving you and providing for you…you will never be the same.
Now if you cannot travel to Central America, you can still be an important “non-traveling” team member. Volunteers are needed to assist with donations (clothing, shoes, toys for children, money to purchase supplies), assist with pill packing (packing meds for dispensing in mission pharmacy), packing supplies for shipping. Most of all, we need your prayer support as without God’s protection, guidance, wisdom this is not a mission trip. Pray for the people of El Maguelar, Honduras.
Won’t you be a part of 51+1? Ask God what He would have you do. “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I send Me” (Isaiah 6:8).
LaDonna Harris

Thank You "Lil Blessings"

In last week’s posting Daniel Clark encouraged us to read the book RADICAL by David Platt. I have completed that assignment and can tell you it was well worth the few hours I spent reading it. I too encourage you to get a copy and read it within the next couple of weeks. It will radically change the way you view our Lord’s command to make disciples.

As many of you know the “Lil Blessings” fall consignment sell was once again a great success. This twice a year event has been and continues to be a great ministry to many people in our community. The men and women that have organized and conducted this ministry spend countless hours working to provide this ministry. “Lil Blessings” donated 2800 items of clothes and shoes to be distributed to the people of Honduras during our 2011 mission trip. In addition to that clothes were donated to the thrift store in Olive Branch and to a crisis pregnancy center. Also “Lil Blessings” will contribute thousands of dollars from this event to the mission budget of FBCOB. But the benefits of this event cannot be measured only in what is given at the conclusion of the sale, the real benefit is in the ministry to the families and children that need a place to purchase quality clothes a remarkably low cost. As I worked one of the check-out stations I saw countless families that were able to buy multiple articles of clothing for their children and grandchildren for the price of one piece in a retail store. Many times during the half price sale I saw apparently needy people purchase 20, 30, and even 50 items for about $1 each. There were a couple of ladies that were shopping together that were completely giddy about the bargains they had gotten. One of them said something like, “I just bought all the clothes my child will need for school for less than $30.” Please join me in thanking all those involved in this ministry.

Tommy--one counted among the redeemed.