Living the Fruits of the Spirit Daily

 

Summary

In our journey of faith, we are called to embody the fruits of the Spirit, which include love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and temperance. These virtues are not just abstract ideals but are meant to be lived out in our daily interactions and relationships. The Apostle Paul provides us with a profound understanding of how these fruits manifest in our lives, especially when we face trials and challenges.

Long-suffering, or patience, is a testament to the depth of our love, joy, and peace. It is the ability to endure provocations and injustices without losing our inner tranquility. Our Lord Jesus Christ exemplified this through His interactions with Judas Iscariot and others who opposed Him. Despite knowing the betrayal and suffering that awaited Him, He remained patient and long-suffering, setting an example for us to follow. This patience is not passive but is a powerful expression of love and trust in God's justice and timing.

Gentleness, or kindness, goes beyond mere tolerance. It is an active expression of love that seeks the well-being of others, even those who oppose us. It is not about being agreeable to everything but about handling others with grace and forgiveness. This kindness is rooted in strength and conviction, as seen in the life of Jesus, who was gentle yet firm in His denunciation of hypocrisy and falsehood.

Goodness involves a proactive desire to do good to others, even those who may harm us. It is about reflecting God's unconditional love, as He sends rain on both the just and the unjust. This goodness is a call to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, embodying the perfect love of our Heavenly Father.

Faithfulness is about being dependable and reliable in our walk with God. It is the consistency of character that reflects a life transformed by the Spirit. This faithfulness is not about perfection but about a steadfast commitment to God's truth and purposes.

Finally, temperance, or self-control, is the discipline to live a life that honors God. It is about harnessing our passions and desires under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to live a life of order and purpose.

Key Takeaways:

1. Long-Suffering as a Reflection of Inner Peace: True patience is a reflection of the depth of our love, joy, and peace. It allows us to endure provocations without losing our inner tranquility, as exemplified by Jesus in His interactions with Judas Iscariot. [16:09]

2. Gentleness Rooted in Strength: Kindness is not about being agreeable to everything but about handling others with grace and forgiveness. It requires strength and conviction, as demonstrated by Jesus in His firm yet gentle approach to truth. [23:06]

3. Goodness as Active Love: Goodness involves a proactive desire to do good to others, even those who may harm us. It reflects God's unconditional love and calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. [32:05]

4. Faithfulness as Consistency of Character: Faithfulness is about being dependable and reliable in our walk with God. It reflects a life transformed by the Spirit, marked by a steadfast commitment to God's truth and purposes. [35:13]

5. Temperance as Spiritual Discipline: Self-control is the discipline to live a life that honors God. It involves harnessing our passions and desires under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to live a life of order and purpose. [45:12]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [15:07] - The Fruits of the Spirit
- [16:09] - Long-Suffering and Inner Peace
- [17:21] - Patience in Injustice
- [18:35] - Christ's Example of Suffering
- [19:06] - The Role of the Spirit
- [20:00] - Apostle Paul's Long-Suffering
- [21:43] - Patience with Non-Believers
- [22:14] - Transition to Gentleness
- [23:06] - Understanding True Kindness
- [24:29] - Gentleness vs. Tolerance
- [25:46] - Contending for Truth
- [27:00] - Righteous Indignation
- [28:52] - Opposing Error with Kindness
- [29:38] - The Call to Goodness
- [31:45] - Loving Your Enemies
- [33:37] - Faithfulness and Dependability
- [38:29] - Meekness and Humility
- [43:43] - The Importance of Temperance
- [45:12] - Discipline and Self-Control

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
2. Matthew 5:43-48 - "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven..."
3. 1 Peter 2:18-23 - "Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward..."

Observation Questions:
1. How does the sermon describe the relationship between long-suffering and inner peace? [16:09]
2. What examples from Jesus' life were given to illustrate gentleness rooted in strength? [23:06]
3. According to the sermon, how is goodness defined in the context of the fruits of the Spirit? [32:05]
4. What does the sermon say about the role of the Holy Spirit in enabling us to exhibit self-control? [45:12]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon suggest that long-suffering is a reflection of one's love, joy, and peace? In what ways does this align with the example of Jesus? [16:09]
2. What does the sermon imply about the difference between kindness and mere tolerance? How does this distinction affect our interactions with others? [23:06]
3. How does the sermon interpret the call to love our enemies in Matthew 5:43-48? What does this reveal about the nature of goodness as a fruit of the Spirit? [32:05]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that faithfulness is more about consistency of character than perfection? [35:13]

Application Questions:
1. Think of a situation where you find it difficult to be patient. What steps can you take to maintain inner peace in that situation? [16:09]
2. Identify a person in your life who challenges your ability to be gentle. How can you approach interactions with them in a way that reflects strength and kindness? [23:06]
3. Reflect on a time when you had the opportunity to do good to someone who may have wronged you. How did you respond, and how might you respond differently in the future? [32:05]
4. Consider your daily routine. What is one area where you can practice more self-control to honor God? [45:12]
5. How can you demonstrate faithfulness in your commitments this week, even when it is challenging? [35:13]
6. Choose one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit to focus on this month. What specific action could you take to cultivate it as part of your interactions with your family? [47:39]
7. Is there a specific distraction in your life preventing you from focusing on Jesus that you want to change? How can you minimize that distraction this week? [46:28]

Devotional

Day 1: Patience as Inner Strength
In the journey of faith, patience is not merely a passive waiting but an active reflection of inner strength and peace. It is the ability to endure provocations and injustices without losing one's tranquility, as demonstrated by Jesus in His interactions with Judas Iscariot. Despite knowing the betrayal and suffering that awaited Him, Jesus remained patient and long-suffering, setting an example for us to follow. This patience is a powerful expression of love and trust in God's justice and timing, allowing us to maintain our inner peace amidst external chaos. [16:09]

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!" (Psalm 37:7, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a situation where you feel wronged or provoked. How can you actively choose patience and trust in God's timing today?


Day 2: Kindness as a Form of Strength
Gentleness, or kindness, is not about being agreeable to everything but about handling others with grace and forgiveness. It requires strength and conviction, as seen in the life of Jesus, who was gentle yet firm in His denunciation of hypocrisy and falsehood. Kindness is an active expression of love that seeks the well-being of others, even those who oppose us. It is rooted in strength, allowing us to stand firm in truth while extending grace to those around us. [23:06]

"Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand." (Philippians 4:5, ESV)

Reflection: Consider someone you find difficult to deal with. How can you show them kindness and grace while remaining true to your convictions?


Day 3: Goodness as Unconditional Love
Goodness involves a proactive desire to do good to others, even those who may harm us. It is about reflecting God's unconditional love, as He sends rain on both the just and the unjust. This goodness calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, embodying the perfect love of our Heavenly Father. It challenges us to rise above our natural inclinations and respond with love and compassion, even in the face of adversity. [32:05]

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil." (Luke 6:35, ESV)

Reflection: Identify someone who has wronged you. How can you extend an act of goodness towards them today, reflecting God's unconditional love?


Day 4: Faithfulness as a Steadfast Commitment
Faithfulness is about being dependable and reliable in our walk with God. It reflects a life transformed by the Spirit, marked by a steadfast commitment to God's truth and purposes. This faithfulness is not about perfection but about consistently aligning our actions with our beliefs, even when faced with challenges. It is the consistency of character that demonstrates our trust in God's promises and our dedication to His path. [35:13]

"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." (1 Corinthians 4:2, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you struggle with consistency. What steps can you take to demonstrate faithfulness in this area today?


Day 5: Self-Control as Spiritual Discipline
Temperance, or self-control, is the discipline to live a life that honors God. It involves harnessing our passions and desires under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to live a life of order and purpose. This self-control is not about suppressing our desires but about aligning them with God's will, enabling us to pursue a life that reflects His character and values. [45:12]

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age." (Titus 2:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a specific area where you struggle with self-control. How can you invite the Holy Spirit to guide you in exercising discipline in this area today?

Quotes



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]

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Transcript
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