Living the Fruits of the Spirit Daily

The supreme example of long-suffering of course is our Blessed Lord Himself look at his treatment of the men like Judas Iscariot how patient he was with him though he knew exactly what was going to happen how patient he was how long-suffering how he bore the contradiction of sinners against himself as Hebrews 12 puts it and as we see so clearly in the pages of the four Gospels. [00:16:42]

For even hereunto where he called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that he should follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. [00:18:16]

It's only the spirit that can enable us to be like this nothing else you can resolve and decide as much as you like but the moment you are confronted by the trial you forget all your resolutions your native spirit takes charge and you've lost all your patience you long suffering irritable and you fall but the spirit can enable us to do this. [00:19:17]

Do you find it in yourself when your concern perhaps with relatives who are not Christian and who can be very irritable who are irritable because you've become a Christian and Christ has come before them in your esteem and they're sensitive and they hate him because of it and they hate everything you do with respect to him how would you bear with while your long-suffering are you patient the fruit of the Spirit is long-suffering. [00:21:43]

Kindness in other words as Christians we've not only got a bear with people and put up with them and to put up with a lot of wrong and injustice and misunderstanding in persecution and so on it doesn't end at that let's say there is something which is really ultimately negative about long-suffering but here's something positive kindness gentleness this means that not only do we not hit back but that we handle them gently. [00:22:14]

There is all the difference in the world between contending for the truth with strength with vigor with clarity and with power and personal handlings and dealings with people it's a very difficult point some people never seem to have grasped it there are some people who can't defend the truth without attacking persons that seems to me to be a denial of the New Testament teaching we must be angry and sin not that's it. [00:27:00]

Goodness with respect to them he means by that that we desire their good that we are well disposed toward them in spite of what they are in spite of what they're doing and in spite of what they're doing to us that our greatest desire with respect to them is to help them and if we get an opportunity of doing them a good turn or a conduct we jump at it and we are always ready to do it that's what he means my goodness. [00:29:38]

Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you that you may be the children of your father which is in him for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust sorry if you love them which love you what reward of you do not even the publicans the same. [00:31:45]

Faith well now here again unfortunately is a not the right translation at all it doesn't mean faith it means faithfulness he's not talking about faith there in the sense that he talks about faith is one of the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12 you will find there in 1 Corinthians 12 in the list of the gift of the spirits he says the gift of faith and that of course means the kind of gift that was given to a man like George Muller or Hudson Taylor. [00:33:37]

The Spirit produces stability well liability he produces a settled conditional he produces such gifts in the character that there's something solid and you're dependable and reliable you know where you're going to find this man you know what he's going to be like you can always be certain about it now again let's bear in mind that this is something very positive there is a natural kind of person who is more or less always the same. [00:35:13]

Temperance avoidance of evil keeping away from all which is harmful oh that's abscess of mice of strength and power and ability and everything that enables me to manifest for theists glory and his praise temperance disciplined life order regulated life all right let's listen to the Apostle once more he writes to a men like Timothy and he says in 2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love. [00:43:43]

The true Christian is able to control himself the spirit enables him to control himself he controls his temperament the temperament is not changed our templates are not taken away from us we don't become negations we don't become a series of purses postage stamps no no your temperament your personnel it is left to you but the Spirit enables you to control it and then it can be used to the glory of God but it's under control. [00:45:12]