For the last few months the Lord has been teaching me about the Fruit. If I was honest with myself I would admit that I wish I had spent more time in the Word. If I had then I could have avoided the pain and hurt I feel right now. I knew that I should not have been where I was, but I kept my rose colored glasses on, refusing to see what I was being shown.
I believe that God shows us what we need when we needed it. Trick is, WE HAVE TO LISTEN!!
The fruit is not only about how we are to behave ourselves, but also what we are to look for in those we let close to us.
Don't get me wrong, this does not mean that we should turn our backs on Christians who are trying to do the right thing, but rather those who are consistantly following the flesh. Especially those in the ministry. There is a difference between wanting to do the right thing and failing; and not caring or trying.
Paul had this to say:
Romans 7:
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.
17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
This is how I feel right now!
It continues in Romans 8:
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Praise God for His Grace.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
Every day that we spend in prayer and the Word, we get stronger and it gets easier to do the right thing. Will we ever be perfect?? No!! I believe that it is the intent of our hearts that matter. Do we follow after the flesh or do we follow after the Spirit??
It says that we are "putting to death the deeds of the body"
It is a daily struggle and not something that is automatic, but struggle and work is what we are commanded to do every second of every day.
Biblical Knowlege does not equal maturity. Maturity can only come from time working, learning, praying, and spending time in the Word and spending time just listening to the Spirit.
In this first bible study we will be examining both the Fruit of the Spirit as well as the Fruit of the Flesh.
I will admit that this is personal. See, for the last few months the Lord has been teaching me about the Fruit. If I was honest with myself I would admit that I wish I had spent more time in the Word. If I had then I could have avoided the pain and hurt I feel right now. I knew that I should not have been where I was, but I kept my rose colored glasses on, refusing to see what I was being shown.
I believe that God shows us what we need when we needed it. Trick is, WE HAVE TO LISTEN!!
The fruit is not only about how we are to behave ourselves, but also what we are to look for in those we let close to us.
Don't get me wrong, this does not mean that we should turn our backs on Christians who are trying to do the right thing, but rather those who are consistantly following the flesh. Especially those in the ministry. There is a difference between wanting to do the right thing and failing; and not caring or trying.
Paul had this to say:
Romans 7:
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.
17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
This is how I feel right now!
It continues in Romans 8:
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Praise God for His Grace.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies R365 with our spirit that we are children of God,
Every day that we spend in prayer and the Word, we get stronger and it gets easier to do the right thing. Will we ever be perfect?? No!! I believe that it is the intent of our hearts that matter. Do we follow after the flesh or do we follow after the Spirit??
It says that we are "putting to death the deeds of the body"
It is a daily struggle and not something that is automatic, but struggle and work is what we are commanded to do every second of every day.
Biblical Knowlege does not equal maturity. Maturity can only come from time working, learning, praying, and spending time in the Word and spending time just listening to the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:1-4
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men?
OUCH!!!
SO lets work on this together so that we may all bring Glory to Chrrist.
