The Stream of the Spirit
This study is from chapters 8 and 9 of the book "Living Beyond Your Capacity" by Paul Chappell.
The results of allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work
within our lives is the fruit, the “evidence” – what other people see in us
about being a “fruitful” Christian. The
Christian life all started in the fertile soil of a soft heart, seeded with the
Word of God, and then nourished with the watering presence of the Holy
Spirit. Our spiritual lives are designed
to grow from these three elements working together, and as we are exposed to
the right spiritual nutrients, we will see a supernatural process of being
transformed and bearing fruit.
We all know it is possible to sometimes become discouraged,
distracted and disinterested with the things that are in our life, but when we
allow ourselves to continue to be properly nourished by God’s Spirit, our lives
will remain full and fruitful, and we will be able to overcome these things.
In John 15:1-4, Jesus states, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit
he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may
bear more fruit. Already you are clean
because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As
the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither
can you, unless you abide in me.”
This passage shows us that all fruitfulness begins with
Jesus who is our source of helping us to grow and become more fruitful. He wants us to continually move forward in
life and bear fruit that honors and glorifies Him.
The only thing that is good about us is the fact that we
have an intimate personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy
Spirit wants to work in us daily to produce a fruitful impact in this world
reflecting who Jesus is. Apart from
Him, we can do nothing of any real value.
In our own selves, “spiritual” fruit does not grow naturally, weeds grow
naturally. But when we strive to
maintain a daily, dependent, abiding relationship with the Lord, then our lives
will take on the supernatural growth cycle.
Matthew 7:20 states that by our fruit, we will be recognized. People will see Jesus in us when we choose to
live a life that honors Him and allow the Holy Spirit to produce this
God-honoring fruit in our lives that is designed to reach out to others.
Fruit is the outward sign of the presence and power of
God. It is what will convince a lost
world that your relationship with God is genuine and will cause others to see
God’s unquestionable power in your life!
Christians who live in the power of the Holy Spirit can be
an awesome influence to this secular world through their joy, their sincerity,
their humility and their peace. This
fruit of the Spirit is the supernatural product of a nourishing relationship
with the Holy Spirit of God. As we choose
to abide in the Vine, the fruit in our lives will flow forth in a progressive
manner.
The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is
no law.”
Note that this verse states “fruit” not “fruits” of the
Spirit. They come together as a singular
result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This has nothing to do with someone's personality traits. It has to do with the way that the Lord wants us to be in every area of our life.
1. The Holy Spirit Produces Love
This is the first fruit that is mentioned in that
passage. In this culture we live in,
people are starving for love, but unfortunately, they are looking for it in all
the wrong places. The only way to
experience true love and to show true love is through the Holy Spirit.
Our flesh will inevitably produce weeds, like impatience,
unkindness, boastfulness, arrogance, rudeness, selfishness, irritability,
dishonesty resentfulness and so much more.
Yet when we allow ourselves to be controlled and empowered by the Spirit
of God, then we will no longer produce those weeds. Instead, we will produce the following fruit
as shown in I Corinthians 13 – which is one of the most well-known passages
about love.
It summarizes love in the following ways (verses 5-8): “Love
is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does
not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never
ends.”
2. The Holy Spirit Produces Joy
The definition is the word joy is “a feeling of great
pleasure and happiness.” It is a
feeling, an emotion and a positive uplifting way we experience good things in
this life. On the other hand, a lot of
people experience sad, discouraging and depressing things in this life.
In search of joy in this world, people may become obsessed
with money, possessions, fame, power or painkillers. But unfortunately, all of these things can
leave the heart destitute and disappointed.
The unique thing about the Holy Spirit’s fruit of joy is that is run so
deep, that we can experience it even through the midst of our own suffering. That is a miracle! Even when we are suffering, God can give us a
sense of joy!
I Peter 1:5-8 says those “who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a
little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that
the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes
though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and
honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love
him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy
that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”
3. The Holy Spirit Produces Peace
According to recent studies in history, the world has known
only 292 years of peace since 3600 B.C.
Since then, there have been 14,351 wars in which 3.64 billion people
have died. The world longs for peace,
world peace, peace of mind and inner peace.
Many people turn to yoga, transcendental meditation and every form of
religion to find that sense of peace. Peace is not being where there is no
storm or difficulty. Instead, it is
being in the midst of all those things and remaining calm in your heart.
Philippians 4-6-7 states, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The word “worry” is from the German word “wergen” which means to choke. When we are worried or stressed, it chokes
out our ability to concentrate, to serve and to make the right decisions. The Holy Spirit can produce peace within our
hearts no matter how great the pressure may be in your life. Sometimes that pressure pushes us closer in
the right direction – to the Lord – to trust Him to help get us through those
difficult times.
Isaiah 26:3 says, “You
keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
(ESV)
Colossians 3:15 tells us to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were
called in one body. And be thankful.” (ESV)
The peace we find in the Holy Spirit is a peace that does
indeed rule over the soul. When your
soul is burdened down with agitations, overwhelmed with stress, or tired from
worry, then the peace of God will preside over you with a sense of
calmness. Someone once said, “Sometimes
the Lord rides out the storm with us and other times He calms the restless sea
around us. Most of all, He calms the
storm inside us in our deepest inner soul.”
4. The Holy Spirit Produces Longsuffering
The word “longsuffering” comes from two Greek words which
mean slow to wrath. This is a Spirit
developed quality of endurance that patiently waits out without becoming angry.
In this culture, we live with an attitude of “quick
fixes.” From text messages and email, to
Fed-Ex and fast food, ATM machines, online bill pay, etc. We just don’t want to have to wait for
anything anymore – especially things or people that frustrate us. We don’t like to be patient and wait, but we
need to be willing to trust the Lord to help us wait for whatever it is we need
in our lives.
Sometimes we experience overwhelming times of anguish when
we can do nothing but wait and endure.
But the Holy Spirit can give us the fruit of longsuffering. We may not always understand the purposes of
trials and hardship, but we can always know the work of the Holy Spirit during
such times.
So are you displaying the fruit of love, joy, peace and
longsuffering? Before we were ever
saved, these qualities would not have naturally flowed from within us. Thankfully the stream of the Holy Spirit can
begin to cultivate these things in our lives into what will eventually become
an abundant harvest!
5. The Holy Spirit Produces Gentleness
The definition of the word “gentleness” is being generous
and kind. When some people use the term
“gentle” they may be referring to mothers who have a way of being sympathetic
and encouraging when things are rough and express compassion and comfort. It’s not just
a personality trait – it’s how we can become in our nature as we yield
to the Holy Spirit.
I Thessalonians 2:7 – “But
we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own
children.” It was not part of Paul’s
personality to be a gentle person, but as he ministered to new believers in
Christ, through the Holy Spirit’s help, he displayed a sense of being a
compassionate servant to them.
Many people have a distorted view of God – limited only to
His wrath. Yes God does hate sin, but He
also loves people. He is the ultimate
expression of love, longsuffering and gentleness. He is the perfect Father, and He desires for
His perfect qualities to flow from your life.
We need to seek to display God’s gentleness in all of our
relationships in four ways:
- Sensitivity
– which sees and experiences life from the emotions and feelings of
others. It considers other and seeks to
patiently identify with and understand what they are going through.
- Sympathy
– this feels what others feel and acknowledges those feelings. It bears the burden and feels the hurt. It
rejoices with those that rejoice and weeps with those that weep.
- Straightforwardness
– this speaks the truth in love. It does
not avoid uncomfortable conversations, but it seeks to deliver them with
kindness and care.
- Spontaneity
– this is thoughtfulness in action. It
seeks to express gentleness in small accessible ways. It is always looking for some way to serve or
give care.
We
will always have a tendency to be gentle or grumpy. It’s our call. In your natural state, grumpy will usually be
the order of the day, especially when things don’t go your way. By His Spirit, gentleness will be one of your
most attractive qualities.
6.
The Holy Spirit Produces Goodness
In
every relationship there are toxins or potential elements with destructive
capacity. Yet God, through the Holy
Spirit, has provided a cleansing agent for restored vitality in your
relationships – the attribute of goodness.
Ephesians
5:8-10 states “For you were once
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the
fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find
out what pleases the Lord.”
The
spiritual fruit of goodness is defined as “uprightness of heart and life;
virtue equipped and ready at every point.”
Galatians 6:10 says, “As we have
therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who
are of the household of faith.” A
Spirit-filled Christian naturally desires to do good for others. BEING good is what you are on the INSIDE and
DOING good is what people see on the OUTSIDE.
7.
The Holy Spirit Produces Faith
There
is a short supply of faith and faithfulness in our world today. In many circumstances, we give up too
soon. Commitment is rare and
perseverance is almost non-existent. We
often choose the path that promises immediate gratification, but in God’s
strength, the right path is always the one that grows in faith and persists in
faithfulness. It’s the path of no retreat, and it’s always the path of greatest
reward.
For
some of us, it seems to be almost easier to stop pressing forward in faith due
to the spiritual oppression we may be experiencing. But the Spirit of God continues to compel us
to move forward and to continue expressing faith and living faithfully. As we choose to yield to the Holy Spirit
rather than our own flesh, we will grow in faith and as a result, we will
persist with faithfulness in all of the right areas of life. Our faithfulness as a Christian is of much
more value to God than our talents, abilities or skills. And through His Spirit, He offers to make you
a person of faith and faithfulness.
8.
The Holy Spirit Produces Meekness
Matthew
5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.”
Meekness
is being humbly patient, submissive and teachable. A description of this is having or showing a
quiet and gentle nature; not wanting to fight or argue with other people. In this culture, it is not typical of people
to want to be meek. Many are determined
to be more assertive, self-promoting, self-gratifying and self-obsessed. Basically selfish and prideful. The natural man is opposed to the virtues of
being humble and meek. They are often
all about “my rights, my image” and looking out for “number one.”
Yet
when the Holy Spirit’s stream is flowing – He will always grow the fruit of
meekness which is directed first towards God and then towards fellow man. Meekness is NOT weakness. It’s actually
strength under control – power under the influence of restraint. Jesus is the
perfect example – he was meek and yet He had all the power and constantly
humbled Himself.
2 Timothy 2:25 - " In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth."
Titus
3:2 - "To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men."
Our
flesh often desires to fly off the handle and speak its own mind. Our flesh
will compel us to fight for yourself in every situation. But the Holy Spirit will produce a different
set of responses. Meekness is the
strength to back away from a fight you could win. It is the ability to handle
hurt without overreacting.
9.
The Holy Spirit Produces Temperance
Temperance
is defined as “self-control, discretion and discipline.” In I Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul describes the
Christian life to an athlete running a race – one whose life is characterized
by discipline and self-control. When we
yield to the Holy Spirit’s power, temperance will show up in three primary
areas:
- A
Disciplined Physical Life – A person filled with the Holy Spirit has the power
of God to say “no” to things that are not best for his mental and physical
well-being.
- A Disciplined Speech – Those bearing the
fruit of temperance will know what to say and what to refrain from saying. Ephesians 4:29 says “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what
is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit
those who listen.”
- A
Disciplined Mind – Temperance is also manifested by controlled thoughts.In II Corinthians 10:5 it says, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion
raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey
Christ.” Our thoughts can become so
messed up if we choose to be controlled by our flesh rather than the Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit is motivating in two ways: First, it represents nine attractive
qualities that we all desire. It is the
display of Christ-like character with sincerity and humility. Second, this fruit is evidence of a right
relationship with God. The absence of
fruit is convicting because is reveals the lack of a faithful, private walk
with Christ.
Also, the fruit of the Spirit can be frustrating in two
ways. First, bearing fruit takes time
and growth. It’s easy to become
impatient and wish the process was faster.
Second, the fruit cannot be manufactured artificially. Genuine fruit requires a genuine walk in the
Spirit. Trying to produce this fruit apart from the Spirit is frustrating
because it is literally impossible.
So many children want to become like their parents. They are entertaining at times to watch as
they try and imitate what their parents say or do. The cool thing is that we CAN become like our
Father because the Holy Spirit desires to transform us into the image of
Christ, and ultimately, as a result, we will bear a striking resemblance to our
Heavenly Father. We should want people
to see Jesus in us and since the Holy Spirit resides within us, His fruit makes
it all possible.
