9 Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

As a church planter, you are well aware that there are many religions in the world. You know people who follow Islam. You know people who are idol worshippers.  You may know people who are Buddhists or Hindus.  You probably know people who have some Christian beliefs but follow many teachings not supported by the Bible.  So, what is the difference between biblical Christian faith and the other religions of the world?

All religions teach people how to live their lives.  All religions work to teach people about right and wrong, good and evil, truth and deception.  The Bible teaches us in Isaiah 30:21, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”  But other religions make similar claims.  What is the difference between those religions and biblical Christianity?

The difference is that in Christ, we not only receive instructions about how we are to live, we receive power to live according to God’s plan. The power we need to live according to the will of God comes from his Holy Spirit living within us.

God has given his children a wonderful promise in Galatians 5:22-25. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

In this passage, Paul compares the Holy Spirit to a very special fruit tree, a fruit tree that produces nine kinds of wonderful, beautiful fruit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  This fruit of the Spirit is expressed in the behavior and lifestyle of those who walk in step with the Spirit.

To walk in the Spirit or to keep in step with the Spirit means to be attentive to the Holy Spirit’s voice. To walk in the Spirit means to enjoy fellowship with the Holy Spirit, day by day as we walk through life together with Him. To walk in the Spirit means to listen to his voice and to be led by him.

And here is the good news: The power we need to live according to the will of God comes from his Holy Spirit living within us.

Because the Spirit is at work in the children of God, we love God and love our neighbors. Because we live daily in fellowship and communication with the Holy Spirit, we experience and express joy and peace and patience.  Because the Holy Spirit lives in us and energizes us, we show kindness and goodness to others, we faithfully keep our commitments, we show gentleness, and we exercise self-control.  The power we need to live according to the will of God comes from his Holy Spirit living within us.

So teach the new believers in your church to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Help them learn to pray throughout the day. Teach them to meditate on the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God.  As we walk in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit will produce his fruit in our lives and bless those around us.

This has been Multiply, and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?”

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #WalkInTheSpirit #FruitOfTheSpirit