Good Morning Love,
Seems like there is such an emphasis on spiritual gifts but none for spiritual fruit? Many people want the power and manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit but there is not a high priority to the call of living a holy life.
Matthew 6:33 NLT: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Spiritual gifts are given while spiritual fruit is developed. The fruit of the Spirit is the display of the character of Jesus Christ. His presence within us, enables us to develop spiritual fruit in our lives.
Whenever I want to know if someone is truly about their father's business-I immediately look at their fruit. You can tell me that you love Jesus all day long but if your behavior does not exemplify that, then I am left to believer that either you are a new believer, a back slider, or not who you say you are. There is a difference between having a bad day, or even a bad week;missing the mark from living a lifestyle opposite of God's word. It is God's will for you to bare spiritual fruit.
John 15:5 &16 NIV: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; 16: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
If you want to produce spiritual fruit then you must reject sin. There is a saying that implies the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Well I believe the way to God's heart is by your fruit. Please do not be fooled. Just because someone can pray in the spirit (speak in tongues) does not mean that they reject sin. We all know that there are many spirits other than the Holy Spirit operating in this world today. Bearing fruit is a supernatural process: Jesus produces the fruit, we bare the fruit and God, the Gardner, supervise the process.
John 15:1-2 NIV: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
He cuts off...meaning God prunes us so that we can bare fruit! Every trial, tough situation, or difficult circumstance that you face does not mean the Devil is attacking you. We give Satan way too much credit . (Amen, that's for another day and another blog.)
Galatians 5:22&23 KJV: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
LOVE, JOY, PEACE - The first three fruits focus on your relationship with God.
LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS - Next 3, focus on your relationship with others.
GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS - The final three fruit focus directly on you (individually).
So, how can I discern who's who?
Matthew 7:17-20 NLT:You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
Why I prefer spiritual fruits over spiritual gifts? Well, the gifts will cease 1 Cor. 13:8-10. However,
2 Peter 1:4-10 sums it up...
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
NKJV:
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
NLT:10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Baya...that Godly Diva
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