Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Part VI: Fruit of the Spirit - The Purpose of the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit


Part VI: Purpose of the Holy Ghost/Spirit

 

 

Fruit of the Spirit


 

Part VI: The Purpose of the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost


 

Fruit of the Spirit

The power that we are endued with upon receiving the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit will yield good fruit.  The good fruit is the Fruit of the Spirit which is obtained by faith through Christ Jesus.  Remember, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter and he is the Spirit of Truth.  When he dwells in you, the manifestation of Christ in your life will be evident by the fruit that you bear.  Your life will reflect the life of Christ. 

In the life of a believer, the fruit is the product/result of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. 

Galatians 5:22-26 (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

The fruit of the Spirit is:

  1. Love
  2. Joy
  3. Peace
  4. Long-suffering
  5. Gentleness
  6. Goodness
  7. Faith
  8. Meekness
  9. Temperance

The seed is the Word of God, which is planted on good ground and it brings forth fruit.  Each tree when it is planted starts off as a seed and grows into a tree.  It takes time for the tree to grow and mature to the point that it produces fruit.  It’s the same with the Holy Spirit, as a believer you must grow and mature and bring forth fruit.

Jesus’ character manifests the “Fruit of the Spirit” and we are to become Christlike in manifesting the “Fruit of the Spirit”.   The “Fruit of the Spirit” is singular, it is not plural.  (To help you understand this, look at the fruit: kiwi.  It is small, oblong shaped, brown skin/peel with fuzz, green texture inside, soft but firm, black seeds inside, the seeds are in a circular shape inside the kiwi, and the seeds also have a particular shape.  Then there’s the taste of the kiwi fruit.  This characteristic description describes one fruit.) 


Love is the Core or Center of the Fruit of the Spirit




Let’s briefly look at the nine characteristics of the “Fruit of the Spirit”:


 

Love:  love is the sacrificial will to give oneself for another

 
  1. I Corinthians 13 gives an excellent description of love
  2. Jesus said and demonstrated: There is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friend: John 15:13 and we are also commanded to love our enemies: Matthew 5:44.


  • Love is not a feeling, it is an action.
    • For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son.
    • Christ loved us he laid down his life.
    • Jonathan loved David as his own soul, he risk his life for him as his friend.
    • We show God we love him when we keep his commandments.
       

Joy: gladness of heart; rejoicing

 
  1. Acts 13:52
  2. Romans 5:11; 14:17
  3. Nehemiah 8:10  (joy of the LORD is your strength)
  4. Esther 8:16-17 
  5. Psalm 16:11; 21:1; 126:5; 132:16
      • We should have joy because of what Christ has done for us.
      • His word should give us great joy!
         

Peace:  free from worry and fear, tranquility of mind

 
  1. Mark 5:34; Mark 9:50; Mark 14:61*
  2. Luke 1:79  Jesus came to guide our feet into the way of peace. 
  3. John 14:27  (Jesus gives us peace)
  4. John 16:33  ( Because of the spoken word we have peace)
  5. Acts 35-36
  6. Romans 5:1  (We have peace with God through Christ)
  7. Romans 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
  8. Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
  9. I Corinthians 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
     
     

Long-suffering:  is patience in the midst of opposition

 
  1. Ephesians 4:1-3 (KJV) I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
  2. Colossians 3:12-13 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any:  even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  (The key to longsuffering is forgiveness.)
     

Gentleness:  kindness, showing care, considerate, reasonable, fair.

 
  1. I Thessalonians 2:7  But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
  2. 2 Timothy 2:24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging to the truth;
  3. Titus 3:1-3  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
  4. James 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
     

Goodness:  Generosity, beneficial, morally honorable, pleasing unto God

 
  1. Romans 2:4  Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
  2. Romans 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God:  on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shall be cut off.
  3. Ephesians 5:9  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
     

Faith:  Dependability: faithfulness; trust-worthiness: the duty of fulfilling one’s trust.  Faith is the result of teaching (Romans 10:14-17). Knowledge is an essential element in all faith, and is sometimes spoken of as an equivalent to faith (John 10:38; 1 John 2:3 (faith here is not the faith to be healed, it is the faith to believe in the life of Jesus Christ being transformed into his  image: your character looks like Christ character: Christian= obedience to the Word of God)

 
  1. Galatians 3:26-28 KJV  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
  2. Matthew 23:23  …for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
  3. Matthew 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
  4. Acts 6:5  … and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost…
  5. Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith (Christ), and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 
  6. Acts 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.  (belief in Christ)
  7. Acts 16:15 ….If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there….
  8. Romans 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith (Christ) among all nations, for his name:
  9. Romans 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
  10. Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into his grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
  11. Romans 9:30 … have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.*
  12. Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.*


Romans 12:2-4 (KJV)


2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

Ephesians 4:4-6 (KJV)


4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

There is much to be said of faith as a characteristic of the “The Fruit of the Spirit”, much prayer and study of the Word must be given on this topic. I pray the above scriptures help guide you as you study the Fruit of the Spirit.  Remember this is an introductory study.

Meekness:  Gentleness, courtesy and consideration in relation to others

 
  1. Galatians 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
  2.  Zephaniah 2:3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.
  3. Ephesians 4:1-3 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
  4. Colossians 3:12-13  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
  5. 2 Timothy 2:25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
  6. 1 Timothy 6:11  …and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
  7. Titus 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be now brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
  8. James 1:21  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
  9. 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:
     

Temperance: self control of one’s passions and lust

 
  1.  2 Peter 1:5-7    And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
  2. Identify people in the bible that demonstrated Temperance.


Galatians 5


13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 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.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

There is no law against the Fruit of the Spirit. Either you will manifest the Fruit of the Spirit in your life or you will manifest the Works of the Flesh.  Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you. As he, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you will grow as long as you obey his teachings because he is the Spirit of truth. What is truth: the Word of God.  As you obey the word of God, you will grow into the image of Christ, thereby manifesting the Fruit of the Spirit.

Next week we will conclude this introductory study on the, “The Purpose of the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost”. 


 

Remember this is an introductory bible study on the Holy Spirit.  Take time to study the word in depth on this subject, or feel free to contact me for an in-depth live bible study in your home, church, or organization.  The Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit is vital in your Christian walk, without him, you cannot live this Christian life.  He is your comforter, he is the Spirit of Truth, he is a gift giver and he has his own language.  He is Power from on high.

Father we thank you for blessing us to see a new year.  Help us in this new year of 2015, to grow in Christ manifesting thy righteousness, thy will and thy ways Lord.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

 

Churches, Bible Study groups, etc., that would like Evangelist Waters to speak at your church, bible study, conference, women’s ministry, special program, etc.  Please contact Minister Waters on her website listed below, on the


 

Contact Evangelist Waters:
www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistries.com

Follow my Bible Study Blog: 
www.PureGoldMinistries.blogspot.com

Follow the Weekly Prayer Blog:
www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistriesPrayer.blogspot.com

 

 


 

 

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Part V: Gifts of the Spirit: Purpose of the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit


Part V: Purpose of the Holy Ghost/Spirit

 

 Gifts of the Spirit


 

Part V: The Purpose of the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost


 
Gifts of the Spirit

Have you ever asked someone whether they are a Christian or what church they attend and their response was, “I’m spiritual.”  In actuality, you cannot be spiritual without the Holy Spirit dwelling within you.  Jesus told us he would send us a comforter who would lead and guide us into all truth, because he (Holy Spirit) is the Spirit of Truth, who gives us power to live this Christian life. This is the very power the Book of Acts states, “we would be endued with power from on high: the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit.”   The Holy Spirit also gives spiritual gifts.

Spiritual gifts in the Greek pneumatikon “spiritual”, always connotes the ideas of power and of invisibility.  It is an after-Pentecost word, which originated with God: His character and His law (Romans 7:14). 

1 Corinthians 12 (KJV)


12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (Did you realize you cannot say, “Jesus is Lord”, but by the Holy Ghost.  As we previously learned, you must be born again, of the water and of the spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.  A true worshiper can only worship in Spirit and in truth, without the Spirit abiding in you, you cannot say Jesus is your Lord nor can you worship him.)

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. (God gives a variety of gifts through the Holy Spirit, he gives different administrations through Jesus Christ and there are divers (many) operations that all come from the one and only true God.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.*

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; The ability to speak wisely and with knowledge that only come through the Spirit: this is supernatural.  Example of Word of knowledge:  God gave Joseph knowledge a coming famine as he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. Wisdom is demonstrated in the judgment call that king Solomon made between two mothers, both claim the live baby to be hers. In the Greek: logos sophias and logos gnoseos.    

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; Here the Gift of Faith is a special empowerment of faith to accomplish a specific task.  Gifts of healing is also the empowerment of divine healing. 

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: Working of miracles:  Jesus turning water into wine.  Discerning of spirit: only by the Holy Spirit can one discern in the spiritual realm.  Divers: which means different kinds of tongues.  Just like in our humanly languages one may be bilingual.  Spiritually you can be bilingual also. Only through the spirit can one interpret a tongue.

Prophecy:  is the ability to communicate special revelation from God.  It is speaking the words that God tells you to speak.  You are his ambassador, simply relaying what God has said.   Greek: propheteia.

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.**

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 

28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

God has placed in the church each of these offices to edify the church.  This is how God’s church is set up; does your church operate in the above gifts?  If not, some changes need to take place, if you are part of the body of Christ.

29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? Do not take the scripture out of context, this chapter is speaking of gifts of tongues, not the tongues that every believer speaks with as stated by Jesus in Mark 16:17 and Paul where he states speaking in tongues edify you: I Corinthians 14 review Lesson 2.

31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Remember this is an introductory bible study on the Holy Spirit.  Take time to study the word in depth on this subject, or feel free to contact me for an in-depth live bible study in your home, church, or organization.  The Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit is vital in your Christian walk, without him, you cannot live this Christian life.  He is your comforter, he is the Spirit of Truth, he is a gift giver and he has his own language.  He is Power from on high.

Father we thank you for blessing us to see a new year.  Help us in this new year of 2015, to study to show ourselves approved unto you God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  Give us a hunger and thirst for thy word, thy righteousness, thy will and thy ways Lord.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

 

Churches, Bible Study groups, etc., that would like Evangelist Waters to speak at your church, bible study, conference, women’s ministry, special program, etc.  Please contact Minister Waters on her website listed below, on the


 

Contact Evangelist Waters:
www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistries.com

Follow my Bible Study Blog: 
www.PureGoldMinistries.blogspot.com

Follow the Weekly Prayer Blog:
www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistriesPrayer.blogspot.com