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WE ARE GOD’S GARDEN
In what "certain ways" are we "like God’s garden?" Remember we must compare spiritual things with spiritual. Answer:
"My Father is the Farmer… "I [Jesus] am the grape vine. You [that’s us] are the branches. He who is remaining in Me, and I in him, this one is BRINGING FORTH MUCH FRUIT" (John 15:1 & 5).
Isn’t this easy when we stop fighting God’s Word with our own preconceived doctrines? And trust me; this is as hard as it get, if we will just allow God’s spirit to TEACH US spiritual things!
Now then, WHAT KIND of fruit are we talking about—apples and grapes? Let’s again, compare spiritual things with spiritual. Answer:
"But the FRUIT of the SPIRIT [in God’s spiritual garden, which we are] is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self control" (Gal. 5:22-23).
All of these character traits from God’s Spirit are invisible and they are SPIRITUAL. But does that mean that they are not real? Of course not. In fact, we can SEE the results of these invisible, spiritual character traits of the spirit just as Jesus told us we can see the results of the invisible wind.
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And never confuse GIFTS of the Spirit, with "FRUIT of the Spirit." For the FRUIT of the Spirit is higher than the Gifts of the Spirit than the heavens are higher than the earth. For all of the "GIFTS of the Spirit" are of the earth, EARTHY, whereas the "FRUIT of the Spirit" is truly HEAVENLY.
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Gal 5:22-23
The Fruit of the Spirit love
joy
peace
longsuffering
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
meekness
self-control The metaphor ‘fruit’ here is translated in many Bibles as light, instead of Spirit. It means divine influence, as in Ephesians.
Eph 5:9 For the fruit of the light consists of every form of goodness, righteousness, and truth.
John 15:5 `I am the vine, ye the branches; he who is remaining in Me, and I in him, this one doth bear much
fruit, because apart from Me ye are not able to do anything;
John 15:8 `In this was My Father glorified, that ye may bear much
fruit, and ye shall become My disciples.
John 15:16 Ye did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear
fruit, and that your
fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.
Rom 7:4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear
fruit for God.
Col 1:10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing
fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Psalms 1:2-3 Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the LORD, and they study it day and night. They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear
fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.
LOVE: The first fruit and the reigning principle. Love will bind all the others together and render the system complete and solidify the whole.
Col 3:14 And above all these put on
love, which
binds everything together in perfect harmony.
'Love' is the bond which knits and cements us together, so that we are perfectly joined together and are of one mind and one heart.
Eph 3:19 I want you to know all about Christ's
love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.
JOY: This ‘joy’ arises from an comprehension of Christ in you, and is certainly with those who have the Spirit.
1Peter 1:08 You love Him, although you have not seen Him, and you believe in Him, although you do not now see Him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious
joy which words cannot express,
PEACE: The calm, quiet, and order that comes from the indwelling of Christ.
James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in
peace for them that make peace.
Mat 5:9 Blessed are the
peacemakers! For they shall be called the sons of God.
LONGSUFFERING: This is long-endurance or patience, it is that quality which enables a person to bear adversity, injury, and reproach.
James 1:3-4 knowing that the proving of your faith works
patience. But let
patience have its perfective work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Luke 8:15 "But the [seed] in the good ground, these are such who with an upright and good heart, having heard the word, hold [it] fast and bear fruit with
patient endurance.
KINDNESS: Also gentleness, it is a mildness of temper and calmness of spirit. An unruffled disposition and a desire to treat all with politeness and courteous.
Pro 19:22 That which maketh a man to be desired is his
kindness; And a poor man is better than a liar.
FAITH:
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=5417.0 -- Now you all understand that in the Bible when it talks about believe, that’s the verb. Faith is the noun. Faith and believe are the same Greek word, they’re the same. What is faith? It means to believe. If you believe, you have what? Faith. They are both the same word, one is a noun, one is a verb, that’s the only difference.
Eph 2:08 for by grace (a gratuitous gift - divine influence upon the heart) are you saved through faith(believing and doing God‘s will); and that (faith) not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
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Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;
v. 5 one Lord,
one faith, one baptism,
v. 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in you all.
Heb 12:2 We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our
faith complete…
MEEKNESS: Not easily provoked, a softness of temper, gentle, submissive, and having self-control.
1Peter 3:4 but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, the
meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God.
2Cor 10:1 Now I Paul myself entreat you by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:
SELF-CONTROL: Temperance and self-restraint over the stronger passions and the natural appetites, as in eating and drinking, so as not to be excessive.
1Cor 9:25 And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth
self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
2Tim 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and
self-control.
Just wanted to share this as it is timeless and good to meditate on.
mercy, peace, and love
Kat