IS IT IN YOU?

BIBLE PASSAGE: GALATIANS 5:16-26; ROMANS 8:1-14

• Picture taken from Google
• Lesson Prepared by: Krisha of Solomon’s Wisdom FB page
• Lesson ideas taken from: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/

OCTOBER 02, 2022

 

KEY VERSE

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

EPHESIANS 1:13-14

 

INTRODUCTION:

At the beginning of creation, man was at one with God, walking in His Spirit.  After the fall of Adam and Eve, man’s nature reflected the sin that entered the world. We continue to experience the results of that sin and flesh nature in our society. I remember yesterday when I went to wet market, there were two “kumares” talking and the first woman said, “Oh, wow your baby is light-skinned, she didn’t get from yours, how come?” The second woman said, “You know she was conceived with ‘white smoke’ (talking about smoke of the cigarette) that was she got it” and they both laughed. I just whispered to myself why this woman doesn’t know the effect of smoke to her baby. She still was smoking while carrying her. People in the world can recognize what is wrong and what is not.

 

 Let me ask some of the changes happen to you when you accepted Christ into your hearts? (Wait for audience reply and short testimony)

From your given short testimonies, we can see the changes happened in your inner self. How about when a person doesn’t experience any changes? That’s the big problem. In Romans 8:9 says,

 

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

 

TAGALOG: Ngunit hindi na kayo namumuhay ayon sa laman, kundi ayon sa Espiritu. Sa katunayan, naninirahan sa inyo ang Espiritu ng Diyos. Kung wala sa isang tao ang Espiritu ni Cristo, hindi kay Cristo ang taong iyon.

 

Let’s check ourselves. Bible says in Ephesians 1:13-14

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

TAGALOG: ¹³ Sa pamamagitan ni Cristo, kayo rin na nakarinig ng salita ng katotohanan, ng Magandang Balita na nagdudulot ng kaligtasan, at sumampalataya sa kanya, ay pinagkalooban ng ipinangakong Espiritu Santo bilang tatak ng pagkahirang sa inyo. ¹⁴ Ang Espiritu ang katibayan na makakamit natin nang lubos ang lahat ng pangako ng Diyos sa atin, at sa gayon ay pupurihin ang kanyang kaluwalhatian.

 

Let’s read again Galatians 5:22- 23 - ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

Before I have confusion between works of the Holy Spirit and Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Let me share from the lesson of Firstbaptist.com. There is a big difference between works and fruit. Work is something you do while fruit is the result an action. In verses 19-21, Paul spoke of the works of the flesh. These works are desires/impulses of the flesh that are sinful. Those who are born again (John 3:3) have the Spirit of God within them. We must not confuse the Fruit of the Spirit with the Gifts from the Spirit. Spiritual Gifts are given by God “for the common good” (1 Cor 12:7). Romans 12:6 tells us that we each have “gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” Spiritual gifts are given by God and they vary amongst His children. Some Christians are gifted teachers and/or preachers. Some Christians are especially gifted in service or exhortation or discernment. The Fruit of the Spirit is similar but different than Spiritual Gifts. Whereas, different Christians are gifted differently, every Christian has the Fruit of the Spirit. It is called “Fruit” because it is the result of the action that is taken by God in giving us the Holy Spirit. Therefore, number one point is…

 

LESSON OUTLINE:

1.  ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN PRODUCE HIS FRUIT.

 

We cannot produce the fruit of the holy spirit in our life. Only the Holy Spirit can produce it. We notice ourselves that people in the world strive to be good to inherit eternal life and some people say “ang bait niya  talaga or he’s  really good.” But no matter how good a person is in the eyes of men, people are sinful. Many people may say…I’m not a murderer! I’m not an adulterer! I never delved into witchcraft! Do you realize that Jesus said that if you hate someone that you’ve already planned murder in your heart? Do you realize that lusting doesn’t have to be over another person’s spouse, that it can be for more and more money? Have you realized that by reading the Horoscopes and following the star charts and believing in the works of Horoscopes that you are delving into the realm of witchcraft and the occult? Even certain games have elements of evil, especially video games.

So, what’s the point here? Well, the point is not to tell you all what you’re doing wrong. It is to show you that when Jesus comes into your heart and the Holy Spirit takes up residence in you, the sour fruit of your soul becomes sweet; the rotten fruit of your spirit becomes fresh again; the unattractive fruit turns beautiful, and the dead fruit is resurrected to new life! ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN PRODUCE HIS FRUIT.

 

 Jesus said that fruit identifies plants and people. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20) The Bible clearly states, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) When the Holy Spirit regenerates a person, he makes definite changes in his life. He also begins producing His fruit. Lack of the fruit of the Spirit may indicate lack of true salvation. Again Warren Wiersbe points out, “It is possible for the old nature to counterfeit some of the fruit of the Spirit, but the flesh can never produce the fruit of the Spirit.” (Ibid. 1:720) When the Holy Spirit produces the fruit, He gets all the glory.

The Holy Spirit within us makes life real; life comes alive. When we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer, Holy Spirit indwells in us. The Holy Spirit is the evidence of true salvation. Romans 8:16 says,

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

Tagalog: “Ang Espiritu ang nagpapatotoo, kasama ng ating espiritu, na tayo'y mga anak ng Diyos.”

 

When the Holy Spirit takes over, we begin to grow. The Holy Spirit becomes our power source behind this growth so that eventually it will become evident. 

The Holy Spirit is the divine enabler who produces growth in us. Every time we try to grow independently of God, we are working against Him. Many of us spend much of our time shutting God out. We are trying to produce those fruits on our own. However, God does not need our help to grow us.

2.  CHRISTIANS HAVE TWO NATURES WITHIN.

Christians have two natures within; the old nature known as the flesh and the new nature governed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. These natures pull us in opposite directions. The flesh pulls us into sin. The Spirit pulls us to righteousness. If we follow the Spirit’s leading, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. He will keep us from sin.  The fruit of the Spirit is opposite of the works of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21 say,

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

TAGALOG: ¹⁹ Hindi maikakaila ang mga gawa ng laman: pakikiapid, kahalayan at kalaswaan; ²⁰ pagsamba sa diyus-diyosan, pangkukulam, pagkapoot, pag-aaway-away, pagseselos, pagkakagalit at kasakiman, pagkakampi-kampi at pagkakabaha-bahagi, ²¹ pagkainggit, [pagpatay]^[a] paglalasing, walang habas na pagsasaya, at iba pang katulad nito. Muli ko kayong binabalaan: ang gumagawa ng mga ito ay hindi magkakaroon ng bahagi sa kaharian ng Diyos.

Both natures reside in every believer, causing a constant internal war between flesh and Spirit. In Galatians 5:16-17 gives us the strategy of how these two natures - flesh and Spirit – can co-exist.

¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

 

Apostle Paul doesn’t call us to stop the desires of the flesh so we can walk in the Spirit. Rather, he is saying that walking in the Spirit will cause God’s will to override the desires of the flesh.

 

3.  THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FRUIT

In our text, the fruit that Holy Spirit produces in a Christian’s life has nine parts. These are not called “fruits” but “fruit,” perhaps because they grow together as a cluster of grapes. They are all of equal importance. If one is missing, the fruit is incomplete. The fruit appears to be listed in three categories.

a)   The first three are habits of the mind

·          Love (agape)
This love is a sacrificial choice to meet the needs of another expecting nothing in return. It is motivated by the Holy Spirit, not by feeling or emotion. Christians are commanded to love (agape), but they cannot do it without the help of the Holy Spirit.

·         Joy
Constable calls this “deep seated gladness regardless of circumstances.” It is a deep and abiding inner rejoicing. This joy is impossible apart from the Holy Spirit’s aid.

·         Peace
Peace is an inner rest or quietness even in the face of bad circumstances.
This quality is a fruit of the Spirit and cannot be understood by unbelievers. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Php 4:7)

b)   The next three are attitudes toward others

·         Longsuffering
Longsuffering is patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, slowness in avenging wrongs. God champions this quality (Ps 86:15). Kenneth Wuest describes it as, “Patient endurance of wrong under ill-treatment, without anger or thought of revenge.” (Word Studies, Galatians, p. 160)

·         Gentleness
In the KJV this word is translated, goodness 4, kindness 4, good 1, gentleness. It portrays the idea of moral goodness, integrity, or kindness. Albert Barnes defines it as “gentleness of manner, of temper, and of spirit.” Maintaining a gentle manner of kindness when aggravated requires the Holy Spirit’s enabling.

·         Goodness
This quality describes active goodness or virtue. It is the quality of a person who is ruled by and aims at what is good (Wuest). Goodness is the fruit of the Spirit during temptation to be bad or when reaching out to others that not deserve it.

 

c)   The last three are graces that guide conduct

These are general or public disposition of God’s presence. These attribute is special as it tends to interact with a larger number, group or set.

·         Faith
Most commentators identify this fruit as fidelity or faithfulness rather than an act of faith. Truly, we need the Holy Spirit’s aid to be faithful in our stand for Christ and in our character. It may simply mean confidence in God and in all his promises even when circumstances turn against us.

·         Meekness (controlled power)
Eadie states, “The meek man bears himself mildly – submissively – in all things, ‘like a weaned child’; neither arraigns God, nor avenges himself on man.”  Meekness is submissiveness to God and tenderness toward others under your authority.

·         Temperance (controlled passions)
This word speaks of self-control. It is the holding in of one’s passions and appetites. (Eadie)
We cannot master our fleshly desires without the aid of the Holy Spirit.

 

CONCLUSION:

Go through the list of the Spirit’s fruit again and honestly ask yourself which ones are often present. (Read list). If any are missing, we must yield more to the Spirit.

We would all agree that we need every part of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The fact that fruit is often lacking, is because we are not cooperating with the Holy Spirit as we should. Only He can produce this fruit, but we must walk in the Spirit by proving or testing all that we do and saying no to all that fails the test. Every waking moment, we must be submitted to his leading.

If you have not been consciously submitting every thought, activity, word, and attitude to the Holy Spirit’s evaluation, you need to seek his forgiveness and begin tonight.