MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
September 11, 2011
The Third Person of the Godhead Series – Part 27
RECEIVER BEARS TEN KINDS OF FRUITS AND ‘BY THEIR FRUITS YOU SHALL KNOW THEM’
In Luke 11:9-13 (KJV) Christ repeated His promise of the Holy Spirit ten times, including it when He taught His disciples the definitive “Lord’s Prayer,” which He first revealed as part of His comprehensive Sermon on the Mount declared at the outset of His public earthly ministry when and where He introduced to the multitudes gathered there the spiritual nature of the kingdom He was to establish on earth. It was and is definitely unlike any kingdom, nation, empire of man and the earth, past, present, and future. So that He compared and illustrated its inception, growth, and progress “like a mustard seed.” See Matt. 17:20.
He likewise armed His disciples, then and now, by equipping them with a spiritual detector to discern and expose the true and truth from shiny “deep fakes,” look-alike counterfeits; His true messengers and servants from the fanatical, zealous yet spiritually immature, naïve, and unlearned, as well as hard-core charlatans, deceivers, and impostors—-verily “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
In one fell swoop as it were, He laid down this second fool-proof principle and test: “By THEIR FRUITS ye shall know them.” See Matthew 7:15-20.
The first one was enunciated by the prophet in the Old Testament, “To the law and testimony [‘It is written’ and ‘Thus saith the Lord’]; if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them.’ Isa. 8:20.
And where the Holy Spirit, His office work, Person, and Presence is specifically and especially concerned, apostle Paul instructs God’s faithful followers and co-workers how to test, try, and “prove all things” by referencing thoughts, words, and deeds by a definitive list of the “fruits of the Spirit.”
NOTE: The “fruits of the Spirit” are not the same as the “gifts of the Spirit.” 1 Cor. 12: 1-31, then, 13:1-13. The former results from a faithful and wise use of the spiritual “gifts” of God-given talents, particularly time, exclusively for God’s glory, gospel work, and kingdom of righteousness.
There are nine “fruits of the Spirit” that Paul identifies in Galatian 5:22, 23. We don’t do any violence to this glorious truth when we add, as adjuncts, the following: “righteousness and truth” (Eph. 5:9; cf. James 3:18), and “the Spirit of “wisdom and revelation, and knowledge of Him” (Eph. 1:17, 18).
Humbly aware that “spiritual things can only be spiritually discerned,” i.e., by the Holy Spirit; that “the carnal mind is at enmity with God’s law;” that “the wisdom of man is foolishness with God” and vice versa; that God’s thoughts and ways are not like that of fallen, finite, sinful mortals, then we are better prepared to accept and understand the spiritually-magnified meaning of each of the nine fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22, 23.
Their unforced, unfeigned, and unconscious manifestation in the words, actions, and lifestyle are the “fruit” and “fruit-bearing” evidences and living testimony of an indwelling Holy Spirit and the infilling of divine grace with its enabling power in the believer’s life.
We will take up the Spirit’s fruits of Love, Joy, Peace, Long suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, and Temperance, Righteousness, and Truth “against such there is no law” for they are simply also the unmistakable evidences of loving—not coerced, enforced, legalistic, performative and mercenary obedience—to God’s immutable law of righteousness, the transcript of His character, and foundation of His everlasting throne.
To be continued next MWM, God willing. Bless all, NMF.