Galatians 5:22-23
The Fruit of the Spirit

Paul has told us what the flesh without rule can come to.  Now he tells us what
the flesh under the rule of the Holy Spirit may become.

The Scripture testifies that mankind has the ability to sink to great depths or
rise to great heights, depending on our relationship to God by the Holy Spirit.
This very text proves the range to which flesh can go.

    I. Consider the flesh.
        A. Everything that is called flesh is both pliable and weak.
        B. By pliable, I mean easy to influence.
            1. We all know how easily one person can influence another.
            2. Any person can be just as easily influenced by unholy spirits.
               (Eve; Peter ("Get thee behind me, Satan;") Judas)
            3. Once saved and surrendered to the Holy Spirit, a person can be
                influenced wonderfully by Him.
        C. By weak, I mean not capable of doing right for long without an
            influence.
            1. Because of our Adamic sinful desire, we sink downward.
            2. The only solution is regular, reviving fellowship and surrender
                to the Holy Spirit.

   II. Consider the heights we can attain.  Most in tonight’s fellowship will be
        familiar with this list.
        A. Love - The selfless sacrifice for another (Stephen)

Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends.

        B. Joy - Happiness in the spirit (Paul and Barnabas)
        C. Peace - At rest within, at rest without, and at rest with God
            (Joseph - against God)
        D. Longsuffering - The ability to endure all things (Joseph, Job,
            Jeremiah, Paul)
        E. Gentleness - The ability to handle all things kindly (Paul before
            High Priest, Abigail)
        F. Goodness - Doing the right thing the right way (Joseph)
        G. Faith - Seeing as God sees (Elisha)
        H. Meekness - The sparing use of power and authority (Moses)
        I. Temperance - Control over the flesh (body and mind)

1Cor 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by
any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

   III. It is God’s desire that we have these characteristics.
         A. Man’s ability to have all or all has been limited by sin.
             1. God intended that we have all.
             2. Dependence upon the Holy Spirit secures all.
         B. The Bible, and thus our Lord, assumes a dependence upon the Holy
             Spirit so that we may manifest His fruit.
             1. The supernatural spiritual filled qualities of the Bible are
                 only possible by a dependence on the Holy Spirit for His fruit.

Luke 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate
you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil,
for the Son of man’s sake.
23  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy:

Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye
have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig
tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou
cast into the sea; it shall be done.

1Cor 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things.
8 Charity never faileth:

            2. Likewise the daily commandments God also expects to be obeyed
                by the Holy Spirit’s influence on our life.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your
wrath:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching.

   IV. \\#24-26\\ How do we reach these heights?
        A. \\#24\\ We must be Christ’s.
        B. We must walk in the Spirit.
            1. Step by step surrender to Him.
            2. \\#24\\ It involves crucifying what the flesh wants and loves.
            3. \\#26\\ We must not seek after the glory that is vain (fleeting).
        C. \\#22\\ We must allow the Holy Spirit to produce fruit.
            1. To have fruit, someone must do a work.
            2. In this case, it is not us but the Holy Spirit.
            3. Our job is to simply be the field He works within.

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