What is the Fruit of the Spirit??
The Fruit of the Spirit is the evident, obvious results (aka “fruit”) of the supernatural, powerful work of the Holy Spirit in someone’s life!
The Fruit of the Spirit begins first and foremost with LOVE. Because of God’s LOVE for us, we can rest secure in His LOVE … and as a result … the Holy Spirit will cause God’s LOVE to flow through us to others.
Because we rest securely in God’s LOVE, we can have JOY in who God is … who God has made us to be … and in God’s Sovereignty over the world.
Because we rest securely in God’s LOVE, we can be at PEACE. God covers and protects our hearts with His supernatural PEACE; and the Holy Spirit allows God’s PEACE to flow through us to others.
As we begin our look at PATIENCE, let’s keep in mind that the Fruit of the Spirit begins first and foremost with LOVE … everything flows out of LOVE!
1 Corinthians 13:4 – “LOVE is PATIENT.”
Or perhaps we could state it this way: LOVE has a long fuse!
Our background photo today is a lit fuse! This is what our world looks like nowadays! Just about everyone everywhere has their fuse lit!
And we realize that just about everything we see, hear, or read nowadays is specifically geared to “light our fuse!” … to incite impassioned emotions, and stir us up to anger & rage over a particular cause!
The Bible speaks to this very thing:
* “Mockers stir up a city.” -Proverbs 29:8a
* “A hot-tempered person stirs up dissension.” -Proverbs 15:18a
* “When wickedness comes, so does contempt.” -Proverbs 18:3a
* “Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;” -Proverbs 17:19a
* “Every fool is quick to quarrel.” – Proverbs 20:3b
The bombardment is constant; relentless.
It is helpful to realize that: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.”
– Ephesians 6:12-13
How can we have a long fuse??
The Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) will produce the Fruit of the Spirit PATIENCE.
* The Fruit of the Spirit PATIENCE is a weapon of spiritual warfare! … defensively shielding and protecting us from quarrels, fights, conflicts.
(“Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” -James 1:19-20)
* The Fruit of the Spirit PATIENCE is a weapon of spiritual warfare! … offensively responding in PATIENCE to diffuse Satan’s conflict, hatred, anger, rage, slander, etc..
(“Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.” -Proverbs 17:14 / “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” -Proverbs 26:20)
LOVE is PATIENT!
LOVE has a long fuse!
