Sermon Tone Analysis

Core Seminar

How to Grow

Class 11: Cultivating Spiritual Fruit (Part 1)

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I. Introduction

Welcome to week 11 of the Spiritual Disciplines core seminar.

Today we are beginning a two-week look at how the spiritual disciplines flow out of our biblical spirituality.

As we exercise the spiritual disciplines in our lives for the purpose of godliness the very godliness that we strive for manifests itself in what the Bible calls, “fruit of the Spirit.”

We’re going to begin by considering the context of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians.

Then we will begin to consider how the spiritual disciplines help cultivate fruit of the Spirit.

II.

Overview of Galatians and Paul’s Approach to Works

A. Paul’s Message is Based of the Gospel’s Power to Save from the Present Evil Age

Paul’s letter to the Galatians begins with a greeting that is gospel-centered.

In he first mentions that he was sent by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead.

Look at 1:3-4.

Here Paul declares grace and peace to them from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, “who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

It is on the basis of the statement that it is, “through the gospel that they were rescued from the present evil age,” in verse 4 that Paul is able to write what follows in Galatians.

B. Justification is by Faith in Jesus Christ, Not Works!

Paul lays out the grounds for how they could truly be Christians.

Look at 2:16:

[K]now that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

If any of us would be justified before God it is our faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by our works.

Paul makes a profound statement here that if righteousness could be gained through the law then Christ died for no purpose:

20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

III.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

A. Are You Trying to Attain “Your Goal” by Human Effort?

Consider this question: “Does the fruit come as a result of our efforts or solely as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit?”

As the Holy Spirit works in our lives good works are borne.

As we strive to glorify God in our lives these works that come solely from the Spirit’s work in us bears fruit in our lives:

2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish?

After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

Paul doesn’t tell us to just to sit back and be lazy.

B. The Goal

What is the goal that Paul is talking about in this verse?

Let’s look at some of Paul’s other letters for help.

In Philippians Paul describes that his goal is the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ ().

What is the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ?

He makes this explicit in by describing his prize, saying:

10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul understands that his pursuit of this goal is empowered by Jesus Christ alone because it is Jesus who first made Paul His own ().

Andrew Nichols has described how we strive to cling to Christ in a very similar way by saying, “Clinging to Him is our duty, but it is His work.”

The Holy Spirit is working through Paul as the Spirit works through us ().

C. Our Upward Call

This is our upward call.

Spiritual fruit evidences His presence within us.

We are now motivated by the relationship we have with Christ, and God’s promise that we are being progressively changed more and more into Christ’s image (; ).

With this framework in place let’s turn to the fruit of the Spirit:

16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.

They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.

Against such things there is no law.

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

IV.

Fruit of the Spirit

Fruit is an image that we are all familiar with.

The kind of fruit that a tree bears says something about the tree and all of the conditions that have combined to contribute to its growth.

Here’s a succinct way to think about fruit:

“Physical fruit grows because it is produced by a living plant; it may even grown when it is unattended.

The analogy for the Christian life cannot be pressed.

The Christian is a new creature, a branch on the vine; yet he is responsible for taking an active part in the producing of fruit.

The Bible knows nothing of wild fruit in the area of Christian sanctification.”

Everyone bears fruit, the question is, “are we bearing fruit of the flesh or of the Spirit?”

Let’s turn to the first aspect the fruit of the Spirit, Love.

V. Love

A. What Love Is Not

First, let’s consider what love is NOT.

Love is not what our culture often defines as tolerance.

“Live and let live even if the way one chooses to live leads to eternal death.”

Love in this list is not isolationism; it’s actually both how we approach others and how we approach God.

We often try to redefine love by what our thoughts and tendencies are.

Praise God that love is not defined by our character!

Listen to how Paul defines love:

4 Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

First, Paul says that love is not envious.

This can also mean it is not jealous for what does not belong to you.

It is not covetous.

Second, love does not boast and isn’t prideful.

Do you boast in anything other than the Lord?

What kind of things do we boast in?

Ask yourself how that boasting is showing love to God, and to others.

John describes the boasting and prideful attitude of the world by saying:

For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.

Third, love is not rude or impolite.

Ask yourself these questions: Are you considerate?

Do you consider the feelings of others?

Are you selfish?