The Fruit of the Spirit Part I

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The Fruit of the Spirit Part I

• Galatians 522-24

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The Fruit of the Spirit

• Contrasted with the works of the flesh in Gal.
  519-21.
• We must make the decision as to which path we
  will walk
• In the flesh (which is darkness)? (John 812)
• In the Spirit? (Gal. 225)
• In this lesson we are going to learn what it
  takes to bear the Fruit of the Spirit.

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The Fruit of the Spirit

• The word used in Gal. 522 is singular, not
  plural (compare Luke 38)

NOT
Why Does This Matter?
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The Fruit of the Spirit
For our fruit to be complete, it must have all of
its components.

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Longsuffering
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-control

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The Fruit of the Spirit

• When we remove one or place greater importance
  on another, our fruit is no longer complete.

Becomes
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The Fruit of the Spirit

• As we strive to attain each individual
  characteristic, we must see the need to strive
  for all of them together.
• Do not say, I have love, I dont need
  gentleness.
• Or I am trying to learn how to love, I cant be
  kind right now.
• For it is impossible for us to have one of these
  characteristics without the others.
• I.e. One cannot be loving without also being
  kind.
• And one cannot be faithful without goodness.

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The Fruit of the Spirit

• This fruit is not something we can attain by
  human wisdom.
• We cannot learn these characteristics through
  self-help books, personal philosophy, counseling,
  listening to the preacher without considering the
  scriptures.
• Why?

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The Fruit of the Spirit

• This fruit is not of this world it is not the
  fruit of men, but the fruit OF THE SPIRIT.
• It belongs to the Spirit, it originates from Him,
  it is defined by His character.
• Men who walk after the way of the world have no
  understanding of these things or how to apply
  them in a godly manner (1 Cor. 213-16).
• The only way we can bear this fruit is if we are
  seeking the things of the Spirit.
• It is the fruit (the result, the product) of our
  living in the Spirit (Gal. 525).
• How does this work?

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The Fruit of the Spirit

• Living in the Spirit is not an emotional state
  that we put ourselves in by thinking happy
  thoughts.
• Not, While I was praying I felt the Spirit
  moving me.
• We do not swim in the Spirit as in a pool of
  water.
• Living in the Spirit means practicing, talking,
  walking, and living the way the Spirit directs
  us.
• How does He direct us?
• Through the Holy Scriptures!

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The Fruit of the Spirit
According to the Flesh
In the Spirit
Self
Walk/Obedience
Word/Law
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The Fruit of the Spirit
Spirit
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The Fruit of the Spirit

• The only way we can bear the fruit of the Spirit
  is by filling ourselves with the Spirit.
• Not by emotionalism,
• But by filling ourselves with His word.
• When we fill our minds with the Scriptures, when
  we do things the way God tells us to do them,
  then we are going to find that this fruit will
  come as naturally as when you get apples after
  planting an apple tree or cherries after planting
  a cherry tree. --Hitchen

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The Fruit of the Spirit

• How fully we bear this fruit in our lives serves
  as a meter for how fully the Spirit is dwelling
  in us.
• Our goal must be for this fruit to be ever
  growing and increasing in our lives.
• This increase can be seen in the way we think,
• In the decisions we make,
• And in the way we respond to hardship as well as
  prosperity.

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Bearing the Fruit of the Spirit

• Are you striving to bear the fruit of the Spirit
  in your life?
• To do so we must first be living in the Spirit.
• The first step is to obey the gospel.
• Believe,
• Repent,
• Confess,
• Be baptized,
• Walk in the Spirit by continued faithfulness.