Part 13 Fruit of the Holy Spirit

P.M. Sermon

Spring Hill, TN

4/22/07 p.m.

Series: “Discovering the Holy Spirit” (Pt. 13)

Text(s): Galatians 5:16-26

Summary: In PART 13, spiritually minded people are known by their actions. A person who truly has been born of the Spirit bears the fruits of the Spirit in their life.

“The Fruit of the Spirit”

Introduction:

A. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

1. Previously in this series, we have established that the Bible affirms that the Holy Spirit personally dwells within the Christian today in a non-miraculous, non-leading way.

2. Christians are to live lives that are spiritually focused and “lead by the Spirit.”

B. A Spiritual Transformation

1. When we are “born of water and the Spirit” there should be a dramatic transformation of life that occurs in the life of a new convert to Christ.

2. If we follow the direction of the Spirit in the Bible and are truly striving to be spiritual minded, there is a definite change of behavior and life that is evident to all.

3. Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16). By this Jesus is explaining that our actions often betray what is really within our hearts.

4. Worldly behavior demonstrates a worldly minded person.

5. Spiritual behavior however, often demonstrates a spiritually minded person.

6. In this lesson we will explore Paul’s teaching in Galatians 5:16-26 about the “Fruit of the Spirit.”

I. THE SEED AND THE FIELD

A. The seed is the word of the Spirit

1. The natural produce of a spiritually minded person is presented in the agricultural image of being “the fruit of the Spirit” by Paul.

2. Fruit comes from seeds and in additional passages it becomes evident that the Spirit produces fruit in a person’s life when the seed of the Spirit takes root and sprouts in his life.

3. In the parable of the sower (Luke 8:11), we find that “the seed is the word of God.”

4. Since the words of the Bible are the words of the Spirit (cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21), when one is “led by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:18), he is following the directions of the words of the Spirit found in the Bible.

B. The field is our hearts

1. This seed is sown upon the hearts of people and therefore the words of the Spirit (the gospel) falls upon different types of hearts.

2. Some immediately reject the word when it first comes to their hearing (Luke 8:12).

3. Others will first receive it with joy but will fall away when they encounter trial and temptation (Luke 8:13).

4. Still others will receive it, but the worries, riches, and pleasures of life will soon take priority and choke the Spirit out of their life.

5. But the words of the Spirit will fall upon some “honest and good hearts” and the message takes hold and bears fruit in their lives (Luke 8:15).

C. Following the Spirit’s lead

1. Those good hearts that allow the words of the Spirit to take root and grow will become increasingly spiritually minded as they meditate upon and live by those words.

2. This person’s focus moves away from worldly pleasures, priorities, and desires and begins to concentrate upon spiritual matters.

3. Paul states it this way, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).

II. THE WORKS OF THE FLESH

A. The “natural” desires of the flesh

1. Most hearts in the world do not choose to allow the Spirit’s message to take root in their heart.

2. Most tend to take the easy route and simply follow their “natural” desires (cf. Matt. 7:13-14).

3. But the desires of the flesh stand in direct opposition to the Spirit; one cannot claim to follow the Spirit and yet continue in the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:17).

4. Rather than purge the field of the heart and allow the seed of the Spirit to sprout, most will just let the weeds of wickedness naturally grow and overtake their lives.

B. The “works” that we do

1. Scripture describes the natural desires of the flesh in terms of being “works” (Gal. 5:19).

2. The desires of the flesh are behaviors and activities that man tends to naturally pursue including: “repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community” (Gal. 5:19-21, The Message).

C. The payment for our works

1. When we “work” at these types of behavior in life, we “earn” the payment that we deserve: “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21).

2. The “wages” that are paid for the “work” of sin is death (Rom. 3:23).

3. Man must be warned to avoid these behaviors; there is a need for “Law” from God to warn us not to do these things.

4. But the problem with “Law” is that it seems to be our nature to do the very things that we are told not to do.

5. This is why “law-keeping” is so enslaving and why Christ came to “set us free” from this vicious cycle (Gal. 5:1).

III. BORN OF THE SPIRIT

A. The sprouting seed in the heart

1. The sacrifice of Jesus is persuasive, motivating and transforming.

2. True Christians that have been persuaded by Jesus’ self-sacrificial love are “led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law” (Gal. 5:18).

3. Those who dutifully try and keep God’s law out of a sense of fear or obligation soon come to resent it. One cannot be saved by perfect law-keeping.

4. What is needed is a transformation of life.

5. When the seed of the Spirit is planted within a person’s heart and it sprouts it transforms the honest heart into a new person.

6. This is what Jesus called being “born of water and the Spirit;” we must be spiritually reborn (John 3:3, 5).

B. Spiritual transformation

1. We must stop “seeking to be justified by law” or by our own “works” as though we can earn our way to heaven by keeping all the commands.

2. To do so is to fall from grace (Gal. 4:4).

3. Rather we must allow the Spirit to transform our lives, we must open our hearts and let God’s grace permeate our hearts and change us.

4. A person who has been transformed by the Spirit no longer “works” for Satan by continuing in the desires of the flesh.

5. A person changed by God’s Spirit is so overwhelmed with thanksgiving and gratitude that he naturally lives a life that is characterized by “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6).

C. The “fruit” naturally bears

1. It is interesting that Paul calls sin the “works of the flesh” but he calls the life of righteousness the “fruit of the Spirit.”

2. Paul contrasts “flesh vs. Spirit” and “works vs. fruit.”

3. A person that is following the flesh does “works” of wickedness.

4. But a person that is in the Spirit bears fruit; naturally this person automatically bears fruit of the Spirit because of the transformation of life he has undergone.

5. But notice that the fruit of the Spirit are not miraculous abilities such as tongues, miraculous healing, and prophecy.

6. Rather, the fruit of the Spirit is a transformed life characterized by “love, joy, peace…etc.”

IV. FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT (Gal. 5:22-23)

A. Love—It is likely not by accident that love is first on the list. Everything that a spiritual person does must spring forth from the motivation of love. Love is patient with others, it sacrifices for others well being, and it bears others burdens. Spiritually minded people will be people who love, because God is love.

B. Joy—Romans 14:17 says we should have “joy in the Holy Spirit.” Christians should not be people walking around with stoic frowns on our faces. Christians should be people who are filled with joy and that joy should radiate from our personalities.

C. Peace—Christians have an inner contentment, not worrying about what might happen tomorrow. We are not consumed with how our necessities will be provided. In every situation and circumstance, the Christian has an indescribable peace from God that is draped over his entire demeanor.

D. Patience—With a confidence and peace that overshadows the Christian’s spirit comes a patience in dealing with others. When others are short tempered and impatient with others, the Christian is long suffering.

E. Kindness—Kindness is extended from the spirit of the Christian toward all others. Kindness will not allow us to say to another “depart in peace” without doing something to help the hurts and grief of others.

F. Goodness—Jesus was known as a man who went about doing good (Acts 10:38). A person transformed by the Spirit will automatically be a person who goes about finding good things to do to help others.

G. Faithfulness—When we realize the dramatic change of life that the Spirit performs and the soul saving act Jesus provided for us, the truly converted person has an undying loyalty to Jesus and to his cause. No one can question the loyalty of the one who truly bears the fruit of the Spirit.

H. Gentleness—Too many Christians act judgmental and critical toward others. Under the guise of “defending the truth” some are actually contributing to the work of Satan by their poor attitudes. The one who is born of the Spirit bears the fruit of gentleness when dealing with others—even those who are ensnared by false teaching (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25).

I. Self-Control—The one who is truly bearing the fruit of the Spirit is striving to exercise self-disciple over themselves. The born again Christian does not give in to outbursts of anger, lustful indulgence, or harmful and controlling addictions. The one who has allowed the Spirit to rule his life has “crucified” the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:24).

Conclusion:

A. Just because a person has one or more of the above behavioral traits does not mean that they have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them.

B. Even the worldliest people are often kind to their children and demonstrate love toward their spouses.

C. However, the person who really has the Spirit dwelling within them WILL have these behavioral traits.

D. Let us all rejoice in the Spirit dwelling within us and let us focus on spiritual things that the Spirit might bring forth fruit in our lives.