공동체와 양육

The Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)

2009.05.17Andres Bisonni

The power of the Holy Spirit must be joined by the fruit of the Spirit, which Jesus looks for in our lives. That fruit grows as we are filled with, abide in, and walk in the Spirit, and as we crucify the desires of the flesh.

Power alone will not last, so we need the Spirit's fruit

We need the power of the Holy Spirit to be effective witnesses of Jesus, but power alone will not keep us faithful over the long run. We need the fruit of the Spirit as well, and we need both in our lives. Jesus does not look first at the size of our ministry, our gifts, or the amount of power we have. He looks for fruit. John 15:8 says that the Father is glorified when we bear much fruit and so show that we are his disciples.

Love, joy, and peace are produced by the Spirit alone (vv. 22-23)

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The first sign of a person filled with the Holy Spirit is love for others, and the greatest sign of revival is the love seen among God's people. Joy is different from happiness, because happiness depends on circumstances while the joy the Spirit gives remains even in the hardest times. Peace is something money, alcohol, drugs, or financial security cannot give. This fruit cannot be forced by our own strength; only the Holy Spirit can produce it in us.

Be filled, abide, and walk in the Spirit

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a one-time experience but a continual need, like drinking water or breathing air. Like the thirsty crowd at the feast, we must be thirsty for his presence, because he fills those who hunger for him. Abiding in the Spirit means entering his presence and having fellowship with him, as a branch abides in the vine. Walking in the Spirit means coming into agreement with him, because two cannot walk together unless they agree. Like a father who lifts up a child who has fallen while learning to walk, God lifts us up when we fall.

Sow to the Spirit, renew the mind, and crucify the flesh

Galatians 6:8 says that whoever sows to the flesh reaps corruption, but whoever sows to the Spirit reaps everlasting life, so we must examine where we invest our time, talents, and finances. The greatest enemy we face is not the devil but our own flesh, which is like a black dog fighting a white dog inside us, and the one we feed grows stronger. We feed the Spirit with the Word of God and worship, and we control what enters our minds. We must also crucify the flesh by cutting off what causes us to sin.

Resist the enemy by submitting to God

There is a real spiritual battle, and the enemy seeks to steal our joy, our peace, our dreams, our health, and our faith through heaviness, despair, fear, and sickness. Everything that is contrary to the fruit of the Spirit comes from the enemy, who comes to kill, steal, and destroy. James 4:7 says to submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from us. We must first submit our lives to God, walking in holiness, and then resist the enemy and reject his works in the name of Jesus. Jesus came to give us life and life abundantly.

Choose the Father's glory and surrender to Jesus today

Jesus humbled himself, died on the cross, and shed his blood so that we may receive forgiveness, eternal life, fellowship with him, and a relationship with the true living God. To receive this, we must repent of our sins, crucify the desires of our flesh, and decide what matters most: satisfying our flesh or satisfying our Father in heaven, bringing glory to his name or to our own. Lifting our hands in surrender expresses that it is not by our power or might but by his Spirit that we are transformed and bear fruit. The message calls us to pray and ask Jesus to cleanse us and fill us with his Holy Spirit.

Apply to Life

  • Let us seek the fruit of the Spirit in our lives more than the size of our ministry or our gifts.
  • Let us thirst for the presence of the Holy Spirit and come to Jesus again to be filled.
  • Let us abide in the Spirit every day and walk in agreement with him by obeying what he tells us.
  • Let us feed our spirit with the Word of God and worship, and crucify the desires of the flesh.
  • Let us submit to God and resist the devil in the name of Jesus.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

← 영어 예배(English Service) 목록