By: Monique Smith
Raise
ya hand in the air if you like a good old in dept Sunday school lesson? I know
I sure do! Wasn’t too fond of it growing up and didn’t get into it until about
three years ago, but I now appreciate the foundation Sunday School has given
me.
The following is a very interesting
breakdown of the fruit of the Spirit that really blessed me. Hope y’all enjoy!
The following is an excerpt from the
Free Will Baptist Press Foundation Sunday School books distributed at my
church.
Paul
lists nine specific virtues the Spirit is able to produce through the lives of
true believers, and this list can be further broken down into three distinct
groups.
First
of all, love, joy, and peace are the inward fruit, so called because they
directly affect the life of the believer. When we know Jesus Christ as our
personal Lord and Savior, we possess a love that was not present before our
conversion. This love is, first of all, directed toward God, for He was the one
who loved us when we were unlovable (see 1 John 4:19). But it does not stop
there, for we also have a special love for other believes who are our brothers
and sisters in Christ. Jesus said that others will know that we are His
disciples by the love we show one to another (see John 13:35). But even this is
not the extent of our love, for Christ commands us to also love and pay for our
enemies (see Matthew 5:44).
As
love fills he heart of true believes, so does joy and peace permeate our very
being. The Apostle Peter said His joy is “unspeakable and full of glory” (1
Peter 1:8), and the Apostle Paul said His peace also “passeth all
understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Those
who trust in the world to give peace and joy will find themselves lacking, for
anything the world has to offer is both temporary and inferior. But to know Christ and to faithfully serve
His is to experience joy and peace in abundance. His joy will brighten the
darkest of nights, and His peace will calm the severest of storms.
Second
of all, longsuffering, gentleness, and goodness are the outward fruit, so
called because they have an impact upon those with whom we come into contact.
As the first three fruits have a direct affect upon the life of the believer,
the next three have an effect on others. To be longsuffering is to be both
patient and tolerant, and to show gentleness and goodness is to be kind and
compassionate with others. Every
Christian knows of people who are difficult, obnoxious, and rude, and while it
may be tempting to treat these people the same way they treat us Scripture
commands us to give sweet for bitter, good or bad, and love for hatred. As we live for Christ and allow His Spirit to
influence our lives others will see the difference He has made.
Finally,
faith, meekness, and temperance are the upward fruit, so called because they
are directed toward almighty God. Faith is not only the means of our salvation,
but it is also the motivating factor of our lives. We are to daily walk by faith in order that
we might please God in all things. Likewise, we are to be meek (tamed or
controlled) in order that we might be submissive to His perfect will, and we
are to be temperate (moderate, restrained) in all things. As we allow these
three types of the fruit of the Spirit to control our lives we will be fully
surrendered to God in all areas of our existence.
Prayer: God, thank you for the fruit of the Spirit! Continue
to help me cultivate these things in my heart and in my spirit. In Jesus name,
Amen!
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