The
Fruit Of The Spirit Study Course
The
Fruit Of The Spirit Study Course
Lesson One: An Inward Revival – The Foundation Of The Fruit Of The Spirit
Let me make a bold statement: the church at large is not changing society around it. We have a lot of activity without much emphasis on inward renewal that so many of us need. From the day we are born again we then embark on a journey toward spiritual maturity and perfection. This is not an easy journey, for when all of us are saved there is still a great deal of the world system still inside many of us. There are NO exceptions to that! Anyone thinking that salvation zaps them into instant perfection are gravely mistaken and are positioning themselves for a great fall.
There is only one foundation we can lay and that is CHRIST JESUS. The judgment of the saints will be based upon how we build upon that foundation. We ALL must stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Many will spend years and years “working” for the kingdom only to see their works burnt at the bema bar of Yeshuah. The reason their works will burn is because they never took the time to develop the most important aspect of our Christian experience – the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit cultivated in our hearts.
1 Cor. 3:11-15 - For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; [13] Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. [14] If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. [15] If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
For our spiritual house to be in “order” we must possess and cultivate the FRUIT of the Spirit. There is much teaching on the gifts of the Spirit, yet very little preaching and teaching takes place on the FRUIT of the SPIRIT. The fruit of the Spirit is what makes us CHRIST-LIKE. It’s the nature of Jesus in our hearts that truly produces revival – both inwardly and outwardly. All the hoopla in the world in our churches will never substitute for a true move of God’s Spirit in our hearts. The series of revival meetings we hold may bring in the numbers, but only a move of God will change us. When WE are changed, then society will change. We will then see a difference in our homes, our churches, our places of employment, our marriages and our ministries. We all are ministers. Not all have the same ministry “gifts,” nor do all have a call to stand behind a pulpit and teach others. But we ALL are ministers of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are all called to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God. [1]
John 15:10-16 - If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. [11] These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. [12] This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. [13] Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. [14] Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. [15] Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. [16] Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
There is a direct correlation between bearing the fruit of the Spirit and being HOLY. Unfortunately, for most, the word “holiness” means being only separated from sin. Many emphasize this part of that teaching without emphasizing the true power of inward holiness – LOVE. Holiness means to be “set apart,” unto something. We can be “separated” FROM sin, but unless we enjoin ourselves to Jesus – the source of all fruitfulness – we will wind up in legalism. On the other side of that coin, if we just emphasize all love and never address things that are hindering our growth and walk with the Lord, then we usually wind up in corruption.[2]
To state it simply – Jesus IS our holiness!
1 Cor. 1:30-31 - But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: [31] That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord. <emphasis mine>
The word sanctification here in 1 Corinthians is the same word stated “holiness,” in Hebrews 12:14
Hebrews 12:14 - Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: <emphasis mine>
The only way true holiness will be part of our Christians lives is when Christ is formed within us. That was the prayer of Paul for the Galatians:
Galatians 4:19 - My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
The word formed comes from the Greek word “morphoo” which signifies “external for” or “outward appearance.” It is related to a noun which speaks of the “internal reality; a change of character, becoming conformed to the character of Christ in actuality, not merely in semblance.”
Most people proclaim their holiness while resembling the devil in their actions, words or attitudes. Jesus was the most holy man who ever lived, yet He was not legalistic in His approach to humanity. Jesus was a “friend of sinners,” while never being tainted by their sin. Many emphasize the ritual and form of righteousness instead of cultivating an inward revival of true character and holiness. The only way this is truly created is by cultivating the fruit of the Spirit.
The Pharisees were prime examples of people who developed outward appearances instead of cultivating inward purity and holiness. They originated after the Maccabean wars. The Maccabees were a family of godly priests, who were loyal to the Mosaic Law and vigorously and successfully fought against pagan influences and occupation in Israel. The Pharisees were the priestly descendants of the Maccabees and for nearly 200 years bore the high Maccabean standards of separation from paganism.
The word “Pharisee,” actually means “separate.” Until the time of Christ’s birth, they were actually some of the noblest men in Israel. They were very righteous, bold and upon occasion, martyred for their faith. Paul may have very well had them in mind when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 13 that even if we give our bodies to be burned and lack the attribute of LOVE – then our sacrifice is in vain. Their noble beginnings degenerated over time into an arrogance that produced a feeling they were to be the “heirs” to the Kingdom of God foretold in scripture by the prophets. They looked upon their fellow man as “common,” “unclean,” and “sinful,” in comparisons to themselves. That was the beginnings of a deception that led them to crucify the Lord out of a darkened religiously hardened heart. They, along with the help of the Roman government, decreed their own judgment when they said, “His blood be on us and our children.”
They were not motivated by love and compassion for God. Their concept of separation from sinners became more important than their own hearts and lives. They would interact superficially with the rest of Jewish society, however their customs and religious tradition (and their dress) kept them distanced from their brethren. They considered themselves too holy to be involved with the common aspects of daily living. In spite of this they were the most law-observing, tithing, Sabbath-keeping people you would have ever wanted to meet. They kept Deut. 6:8 to the letter binding the very scriptures of the Torah, in boxes (or phylacteries) and strapping them to their arms and foreheads:
Deut. 6:8 - And thou shall bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
They believed in the resurrection, angels and spirits and they refused the company of apparently bad or immoral people. These things made the Pharisees blind to what God was truly looking for – justice, mercy and faithfulness:[3]
Micah 6:8 - He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
The Characteristics Of The Pharisees
1. They demanded respect as a teacher of actions they did not perform themselves. They preached something they did not practice (Matthew 23:2-3)
2. They sought praise from men, not from God, and paraded their religious piety (Matthew 23:5-6)
3. They gloried in personal attention and titles (Matthew 23:7-11)
4. Their legalistic dogma robbed people of the truth and life that the people could find in Christ (Matthew 23:13)
5. They took advantage of widows (Matthew 23:14)
6. They were zealous to win men to their sect, but not to God (Matthew 23:15)
7. They professed to be the only guide to religion and God, but were blind to practical truths and the fundamentals of Christianity (Matthew 23:16-22)
8. They used the gospel of the kingdom to get personal gain and honor while exempting themselves from personal responsibility (They wanted others to be accountable to them, while they themselves were accountable to no one) (Matthew 23:16-22)
9. They strained at gnats to swallow camels. They stressed minor details and omitted the fundamentals of the faith. (Matthew 23:23-24)
10. They preached an outward body cleanliness while living in moral filth (Matthew 23:25-26)
11. They were self-deceived (Matthew 23:28-33)
This spirit is alive and well in modern times just as it was in the days of Jesus. The Pharisees held tighter to their doctrines than they did to God. They were more concerned with religion than with truly following Jesus. Jesus referred to this in His scathing words to them in John 5:
John 5:38-44 - And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. [39] Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they that testify of me. [40] And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. [41] I receive not honor from men. [42] But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. [43] I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. [44] How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?
Jesus warned us that our righteousness must EXCEED the righteousness of the Pharisees or we would not see the Kingdom of God. Their righteousness was based on a series of rules and regulations. Our righteousness must be based on the love of God (Matthew 5:20). Sad to say, many in the Body of Christ only know God through their practice of religion. God has become nothing more than an argument. When we are busy cultivating the fruit of the Spirit, God becomes more than an argument. His nature is birthed inside of us and we become like His Son, Jesus Christ. Make no mistake about it. There is only ONE thing that pleases God and that is HIS SON. The MORE of JESUS He sees in our lives, the more pleased He will be with us. We can think all of our activity is pleasing Him, but He is not looking for “things,” or “accomplishments.” He is looking for CHRIST!
D. The Believer As A Fruit-Bearing Tree
Matthew 12:33 - Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
James 3:12 - Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Jesus used the relation to our spiritual condition to that of a tree. He made it clear that a tree bears only ONE KIND of fruit. It was the Fruit of THE SPIRIT that produced the power and virtue of our Lord Yeshuah. It was NOT a religious spirit. If we say we are “filled” with the Spirit of God, then we should be producing the characteristics of the Holy Spirit.
Notice the verb in Galatians 5 states that the fruit of the Spirit IS. This denotes a SINGULAR action or verb in action with a SINGULAR noun. The fruit of the Spirit is not a “list” of things we have. It is a NATURE that abides within us when we are born again by the Spirit of God. This nature needs to be cultivated with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.[4]
The Planting Of The Lord
Isaiah 61:3 - To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
Isaiah calls us the “planting of the Lord.” If God plants us, then our trees will bear HIS FRUIT. The reason is simple. Our seed is SPIRIT, not flesh. When are seed is of the flesh we will produce the works of the flesh:
Galatians 5:19-21 - 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.
A tree is known by its fruit. Its fruit also reveals the nature of the Holy Spirit. A person who has the Spirit of God in control of their lives will produce Spiritual traits, not those of the flesh. If we are just practicing religion, then we will not produce fruit, but things of religion.
Religion is its own god. The “whore church,” of Revelation 17 is alive and well today through the many isolated camps of people calling themselves “the separate.” The spirit of division today rivals ANYTHING the Pharisees did in the days of Jesus. The true church may be in different buildings, but we are united in TRUTH and LOVE with one another BY THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Religious people care for things and doctrines. Spiritually fruitful people care about the things the heart of Jesus cares for – PEOPLE! When people see the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT on our “tree,” we will not have to take a WWJD bracelet to work with us to let people know we believe in Jesus. They will SEE HIM IN US and want more of HIM!
1 Peter 3:15 - But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
People must be led to YESHUAH, not our church. If our love for Christ is genuine we will witness about HIM, not our church. Jesus wants to reach people, not drive them away. The only true source of power that produces a love and passion for Jesus is the seed of the Holy Spirit that is imparted to us at salvation. That is our foundation. It is now in our hands on how we build on this foundation.
We can learn religion or we can allow the Lord to water the seed with His Word and help us produce the character of Jesus in our hearts. The principle of the believer and the fruit tree is simple. The power of the tree to produce fruit is in the power of the SEED. When the seed produces fruit, the fruit must be MATURE and SWEET before others may partake. The fruit we must display comes from the same principle. Yeshuah is the TREE OF LIFE. If we are His, we have been “planted,” in His likeness and His “seed,” lives inside of us:
1 Peter 1:22-23 - Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: [23] Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever. <emphasis mine>
Holiness is a life filled with love, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. It’s not a lifestyle filled with strict rules and regulations. Isaiah portrayed the lifestyle of holiness as a highway:
Isaiah 35:8-10 - And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. [9] No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: [10] And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Religion, not God, has made holiness a life of strict, joyless rules surrounding one’s life. These are not images painted in the word of God. The highway to holiness is a way to GOD. Isaiah said, “no unclean, no lion, no vicious beast, will be found there.” When we are walking in the Spirit, no demonic force will ever conquer us. Those who walk this highway are “redeemed,” and “ransomed.” Those who walk this highway experience three things:
· Joyful shouting
· Everlasting joy upon their heads
· Gladness and joy[5