Holy Spirit: Life

Disciples

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).

Since Pentecost Sunday I've heard people, and particularly Christian leaders, saying things like: "without the Holy Spirit people cannot pray right, cannot minister right, cannot live right". Their clear desire is to see more discipleship in Jesus' ecclesia, His gathered ones (Matthew 28:19).

"live" and "life" are very big words, they include so much. Once we are saved our lives are being "brought to fullness" in Jesus (John 10:10; Colossians 2:10). "Fullness" is one of my favourite Bible words, I see it as including "complete, active, transparent, clean, precious", and that would be a lovely place to be. Certainly all the "fruit of the Spirit" words would be included in such fullness of life.

When we are "baptised with the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5), our relationship with our God moves from our outside, from being something external that we can put on and take off, to being internal, that is, a part of us all the time. No wonder the Bible describes us as a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This is a radical change and will bring us much more into the nature of the "image and likeness" of Elohim God that we were created to be (Genesis 1:26), and more into "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13) that Jesus has planned for us all (Philippians 1:6).

"And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high". "For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:5 Jesus speaking).

Jesus promises us "power"; we see that that power comes when Jesus baptises us with His Holy Spirit. Our capacity to follow Jesus (Mark 1:17) and play our part in His work (Matthew 5:16) is multiplied and we are grateful: "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20).

I often think about Adam and Eve in their early years, that lovely time before they believed Satan, sinned and fell so terribly (Genesis 3:7-19). Humankind were the last element of the Creation. Everything else was created so that we would have a really great place to live the "fullness" that God planned for us.

Like Adam and Eve, Trish and I are a "garden" family, Trish is a creative and very enthusiastic gardener and our place is always beautiful. The birds and bees love it too. Many of our children and daughters-in-law have caught this passion and their gardens too are full of life and colour.

Adam and Eve will have had a "full life". God put them together, I cannot imagine a better matchmaker; theirs will surely have been a "marriage made in Heaven"! Good marriages are one of those "greater-than-the-sum-of-their-parts" things we sometimes encounter. More than Adam and Eve enjoying just one another, God was their intimate friend and they spent time with Him every day. Family was a reality too, God made it clear that the couple would have babies and become a big family, even that they would "fill the Earth" (Genesis 1:28). They had work, to care for the Creation and to name every kind and species of life; we know that work is good for us, we wither without something meaningful to do.

In every culture we enjoy our food, regardless of where in the world we live; people love to get together around a table and share meals; Adam and Eve will have been the first to be blessed by the bounty of nature in this way, they had (almost) the whole garden to select from. Their climate must have been special too, (they were before the Flood of Noah's time; the weather we know is post Flood); Adam and Eve needed no clothing, neither did they feel any lack. A great marriage and a great life!

Time and again the Bible gives accounts of full lives of God's people when they follow His way. As we grow in Christ likeness (Ephesians 4:11-13) we also will be blessed (Luke 12:37).

Fruit

When Trish and I were new Christians we knew "Life In The Spirit" classes where the baptism in Holy Spirit was explained in Biblical terms, and also its impact on the believer, and the church, (and the world). The classes were frequently offered and brought understanding and much joy to many.

We also learned that our God is looking for obedience in us, and that obedience yields the fruit of faithfulness. The Christians we know are distinctive for the Holy Spirit fruit we see in them (Galatians 5:22-23), fruit which comes from living with, and for, the God of all Creation.

The world has no good explanation for any of the "fruit of Holy Spirit", but these fruit are seen everywhere in Scripture because they add such quality to our lives. I think of these nine words as "God's words". Atheists and others use them extensively, as though they are their own, but no, these words, and everything they represent, come from God alone.

Here are some Scriptures about our "full life" when Holy Spirit comes to us; nine big "fruit" words:

Love - "I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:26 Jesus' words to our Father).

Joy - "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).

Peace - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).

Patience - "And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him" (2 Peter 3:15).

Kindness - "In the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7). 

Goodness - "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another" (Romans 15:14). 

Faithfulness - "It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it" (3 John 1:3).

Gentleness - "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:5).

Self-Control/self-restraint/temperance - "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin" (Romans 7:14).
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7).

Thank you Jesus for your great love for us, each one.

As Jesus' people we can know that we are close to God, trusting Him, even so close that we can call Him "Abba Father" (Romans 8:15).

Because Jesus is in us (Colossians 1:27) we are equipped to be in great relationships within our community, and have the gifts and the fruit to rejoice in worthwhile work for our lovely Lord forever (Ephesians 2:10).

Praise Jesus. Amen.

Favourite Scriptures

"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority" (Colossians 2:9-10).

"Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). 

"We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,  but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,  beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;  by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;  by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;  through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;   as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;  as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything" (2 Corinthians 6:3-10).

"But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good - crucified. Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives" (Galatians 5:22-25 Message).

"But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-25 Amplified).

Bless Jesus.

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Amen.