Christian Family Fellowship. PDO Muscat
The Fruit of The Spirit (Christian Character Traits) Gal 5:22-23
Background: being Born-again is not just an experience, rather it is receiving the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit, a Divine Personality, who comes to make His home in us. Christ’s purpose in sending the Holy Spirit was so that the Holy Spirit, a Divine Personality might come to live in us and be in us. — I Cor:3: 16, 6:19, 11 Cor 6:16, Jn 14:17,1 Jn 4:4
The Holy Spirit within results in the Fruit of the recreated human spirit. It is significant to notice in the scriptures that there are two groups of nine in connection with the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
a) The nine gifts of the Spirit which are a result of the Holy Spirit infilling power.
b) The fruit of the Spirit(not fruits) made up of nine parts which are as a result of the Holy Spirit indwelling Presence. - Gal. 5:22-23
Discussion Questions:
1. Jn 15: 1- 5, Who is responsible for the production of the fruit?
What role does the branch play?.
Do we consider abiding in Christ a command or an advise? Discuss.
What do we understand by pruning in vs 2? Do we need it? Col 3:5, 12
What is abiding?
2. Gal 5:22-23.
True or False the fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the recreated human spirit. Discuss. Can we draw a boundary around this statement in the light of Jn 15:5?
3. Luk 24:51-53. What did the disciples experience?
Was this before or after the day of Pentecost?
Can we infer then that this experience was not as a result of the baptism of the Holy
Spirit.? Please do a personal study on this.
4 Ps 1:2-3, Josh 1:8, Luk 6: 43-49, Ps 119: 11, Prov 4:20-22, Jam 1:22-25
What role is expected of me from these passages in order to bear fruit?
What are the steps for bearing the fruit of the Spirit? Discuss
Can I have abundance of the fruit of the Spirit? II Thes 1:3, II Cor 9:8, II Pet 1:2-4
4. Col3:12-16, Eph 4:2-3, 32, Jam 3:17,11 Pet 1:5-7
What are the other character traits that are in these other passages?
Each aspect of the fruit that is manifested each time depends on the situation , True or False? Explain
Is it possible for a Christian to manifest this fruit of the Spirit in short supply, or even not to bear fruit at all?
5. Read the meaning of each aspect of the fruit, and prayerfully rate yourself on a scale of0 — 10.
Meaning of each part of the fruit of the Spirit:
Love (agape) — divine love. A strong, ardent, tender, compassionate, devotion to the well being of someone. Joy (chara) — the emotional excitement, gladness, delight over blessings received or expected for self or others.
Peace (eirene) — the state of quietness, rest, repose, harmony, order and security in the midst of turmoil, strife and temptations.
Longsufferlng (mukrothumus) - patient endurance, to bear long with the frailties, offences, injuries, and provocation of others, without murmuring, repining or resentment.
Gentleness (chrestotes) — a disposition to be gentle, soft-spoken, kind, even-tempered, cultured, and refined in character and conduct Goodness (agathosune) - the state of being good, kind, virtuous, benevolent, generous, and God-like in life and conduct
Faith (pistis) the living, divinely implanted, acquired, and created principle of inward and wholehearted confidence, assurance, truss and reliance in God and all that he says.
Meekness (praotes) - the disposition to be gentle, kind, indulgent, even-balanced in tempers and passions and patient in suffering injuries without feeling a spirit of revenge.
Temperance (enkratera) — self control, a moderation in the indulgence of the appetites and passions
Conclusion
Let us look at them in clusters of three:
Love, Joy and peace — they speak of our Godward relationship with outward results others can see.
Longsuffering, gentleness and goodness — they speak of our manward relationship. The kind of Christians we are in our outward relationships. If we are short-tempered, unkind and rude, we lack the second cluster of the fruit of the Spirit.
Faith, meekness, temperance - speak of our inward relationship, the attitudes and actions of the inner self. Faith here is not faith exercised by the Christian, but rather to faithfulness or fidelity, produced by the Holy Spirit in a yielded Christian’s life.
These three clusters, are all related to each other, and all should characterize our lives. And all will characterize our lives when we abide in Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in us.