The Fruit of the Spirit, Part 1

we want to come back to Galatians chapter 5 Galatians chapter 5 for another look at walking by the spirit walking by the spirit we've slowed down a little bit here and that's justified because this is so very foundational to our Christian lives chapter 5 and verse 16 we'll read down through verse 25 begins and ends with the command to walk by the spirit verse 16 says I say walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh for the flesh sets its desire against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these are in opposition to one another so that you may not do the things that you please but if you are led by the spirit you're not under the law now the deeds of the flesh are evident which are immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorcery can relate to drugs as well pharmakeia is the word enmities or hatred strife jealousy outbursts of anger disputes dissensions factions envying drunkenness carousing and things like these of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God but the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control against such things there is no law now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires if we live by the spirit let us also walk by the spirit now we're fairly deeply into this portion of Scripture but I wanted to read it all just to set it in your mind there is a command in verse 16 that's repeated in verse 25 and so it brackets the section walk by the spirit that is a command we're commanded to walk by the spirit walk in the spirit or in Ephesians be filled with the spirit that is to say we are to yield the control of our lives to the Holy Spirit this is not easy the command is followed by recognition of a conflict back in verse 17 the flesh which still remains because we haven't been glorified we're still human so we have remaining flesh even after our conversion and transformation the flesh sets its desire against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these are in opposition to one another so that you may not do the things that you please that's the conflict we talked about that we are simultaneously righteous and sinful we have a new nature a new creation created in Christ Jesus unto good works but it is incarcerated in our remaining humanists and so there's a battle going on we desire to walk in the spirit but the flesh fights against that and the spirit fights against the flesh verse 17 says and because the Spirit is opposed to the flesh we don't do the things that we please means by that that our fleshly desires are restrained by the Holy Spirit so we have a command to walk by the spirit in fulfilling that command we have a conflict which is a formidable conflict between our remaining sinful flesh and the indwelling Holy Spirit now how do we know what's what how do we know when the flesh is in control or when the Spirit is control is in control it's nothing mystical it's flatly clear it has to do with the attitudes and actions of our lives when the flesh is in control you get what's in verses 19 to 21 these are the deeds of the flesh and they're evident they're obvious they're manifest they're clear immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorcery hatred strife jealousy outbursts of anger to it's dissensions factions envying drunkenness carousing and that's not an exhaustive list so he adds and things like these which is kind of an etcetera these are the kind of things that mark people who don't inherit the kingdom of God these are non beleivers behaviors these are unregenerate sinners behaviors but we still have the propensity to those things in our unredeemed flesh and our flesh will not be redeemed until we receive our heavenly home and a glorified body then we'll have no dealings with the flesh forever but we are then faced with fulfilling this command and running right into a war which is in us Paul talks about it a lot in Romans 7 as we already said now we had looked at the contrast between the deeds of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit last time - two weeks ago we talked about the deeds of the flesh we kind of went through them detail by detail it's an ugly disastrous listing of the things that destroy life and relationships in a very devastating way those are the things that essentially dominate the life of an unsaved person that's where they live there may be glimpses of light in the middle of it there may be some human good done but basically the flesh can only produce these kinds of things it produces them if not in reality it produces them in thought and there are many more that could be added to that that's the stuff that the flesh produces but on the other hand looking at the other side of the contrast I want us to come to the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22 and 23 the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control against such things there is no law now here we have the fruit that the Spirit produces in your life so if you look at a believer you might see sin on some occasion but you will inevitably see these virtues as well and as sanctification takes place and as you grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ and become more like Christ you see more the fruit of the Spirit then you do the deeds of the flesh the whole idea of sanctification is the decreasing frequency of the list in verses 19 to 21 and the increasing frequency of the list in verses 22 and 23 life lived in the flesh even under the law life lived in the flesh under the law produces the vices of verses 19 to 21 life lived in the spirit produces the virtues of verses 22 and 23 and we have come to the virtue side walking by the spirit has then a negative and a positive impact negatively it restrains the flesh that is what it says in verse 17 that the spirit who is in us stops us from doing the things that we please the things that the flesh naturally desires so when you walk in the spirit there's restraint against the things of the flesh not only a negative but a positive impact as well walking by the spirit has the positive effect of producing the fruit listed in verses 22 and 23 this is so essential because these are the things that mark a true Christian you may be familiar with these things I'm quite confident you are but I want to take a little time to unpack them because I want to embed them deeply in your conscious thought now let me make some observations just on the broad level the deeds of the flesh are plural deeds in plural there's a list as this you saw in verses 1921 not everybody does all of those things all the time that that's a list of sins you can choose from we often say that that sinners are not free they're bound they're bound by their sin but they you have the freedom to choose their sin they can pick their poison let's put it that way and not everybody does all of those things all of the time that would be virtually impossible then there are some people who never do any of those things there are there are some people who never get drunk who never carouse that's just not part of their sinful agenda so these are sins that you can choose from and there are many many more that could be added to the list however on the other hand the fruit of the Spirit is singular the fruit of the Spirit is singular because while well you choose you pick and choose sins when you're operating in the flesh when you're operating in the spirit you don't pick and choose fruit it all comes it's a package deal when you walk by the spirit the fruit of the Spirit is multiple as its listed here the fruit of the Spirit is put in the singular because virtue listen carefully virtue is not a list from which you pick you don't say well today I'm going to I'm gonna show joy next Tuesday I may show gentleness a couple days after that I may try to love somebody it doesn't work like that this is not a list you can do that in your sin you can say tomorrow I'm gonna be impure and then I'm gonna go to a wild party and then I'm gonna get drunk I mean you can plan your sin that comes in bits and pieces but when you walk in the spirit it comes as a package the fruit of the Spirit is the combination of all these virtues and more because it also says at the end of verse 23 such things against such things things like these which means there are more these are a very very important sampling of the most important virtues so sin is a list to choose from but virtue is produced collectively and by the way it's not that these are laid out in some sequence that Lovejoy piece kind of follow each other people have tried to outline these a lot of ways I find that not very productive it's really impossible to make a sensible outline out of it and I think the reason for that is it's not intended to be presented as if it's some line of things that you sort of work your way through or choose from but rather the way to see these nine virtues here is like a bouquet of the most beautiful flowers it's a collective bouquet and it's it's beauty is composite beauty it comes as a bouquet it doesn't come as isolated things side by side in a row fruit is a beautiful bouquet of virtue that's what the holy spirit produces in someone who walks by the spirit and you will see them all you will see them all on display now I need to talk a little bit about this idea of fruit because it's very important and it's it's referred to much in the New Testament even in the Old Testament as well in fact in Hosea back in the Prophet Hosea chapter 14 verse 8 God says from me comes your fruit from me comes your fruit so God is the source of all virtue fruit is seen as a metaphor for virtue like a tree produces fruit or a vine produces fruit or a plant produces fruit the life of God in the believer produces spiritual fruit so that's the word picture here in someone we have another picture of fruit I think a memorable one how blessed is the man doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night he will be like a tree planted firmly by streams of water which yields its fruit in its season that spiritual fruit being produced in a righteous life so that is not just a New Testament concept it's in Old Testament you find couple of times is in proverbs proverbs 11 proverbs 12 when we talk about fruit then we're talking about righteous virtue righteous virtue there's a kind of a general look at it in Matthew 13 where our Lord says the Word of God is like seed that's planted and when it finds good soil it brings forth fruit some thirtyfold sixtyfold a hundredfold and by that he means spiritual virtue spiritual results in Romans chapter 7 and verse 4 it says Christ was raised from the dead in order that we might bear fruit for God again a very general reference to the fact that Christ died and rose again to empower his people to bring forth fruit unto God seasons 5 9 the fruit of light that is spiritual light is all goodness and righteousness and truth so fruit is that which is good and righteous and truthful Philippians 1:11 the fruit of righteousness comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God Colossians 1:10 walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects bearing fruit in every good work so these are just general statements about fruit being good work being righteous behavior and then James 3:17 the wisdom from above is full of good fruits the wisdom from above is full of goods fruits so the idea is that God desires us to bear fruit and go back with me to John 15 let's look at a very seminal portion of Scripture because of the words of our Lord here John 15 he talks about himself being divine and his father the vine keeper he says every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit he takes away in every branch that bears fruit he prunes it so that it may bear more fruit I think he has Judas in mind here Judas has a superficial connection to him but it's fruitless and he will be cut off and burned cuz of it every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit he takes away every branch that bears fruit he prunes it so that it may bear more fruit so when your fruit bearing the Lord will bring into your life those kinds of pruning experiences that make you more fruitful you are already clean because of the word which I've spoken to you now he says abide in me and I in you we talked about that right we're in Christ Christ is in us and in that union the branch begins to bear fruit as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine so neither can you unless you abide in me I am the vine you're the branches he who abides in me and I in him he bears much fruit he bears much fruit for apart from me you can do nothing if you're connected to Christ there's going to be much fruit much fruit if anyone does not abide in me he's thrown away as a branch dries up gathered thrown into the fire and burned like Judas if you abide in me and my words abide in you ask whatever you wish will be done for you and then this my father is glorified by this that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples how do you know when someone is a follower of Christ they have much fruit much fruit that fruit may be a hundredfold it may be 60 fold it may be 30 fold it will be much fruit because Christ was raised from the dead so that we might receive life and that that life would produce fruit for God and the fruit is all goodness all righteousness all truth all good works we are to walk in a manner to bear fruit and put that fruit on display and that's the proof that we are disciples of Christ now specifically there are some behaviors that are indicated in Scripture to be fruit Hebrews 13 is one that I find very helpful the sacrifice of praise to God the fruit of your lips giving thanks to his name worship is fruit that is an activity that is fruit when you worship when you praise the Lord when you give honor to his name you are bearing fruit in Romans 15 28 Paul thanked people for the gift that they sent him they sent him a gift a financial gift to support him and the gift he said was fruit that abounds to your account so giving is fruit worship is fruit matthew 3:8 jesus said bring forth fruit connected to repentance repenting of sin is fruit romans 1:13 paul said i want to come to you that I may have some fruit among you leading someone to Christ is fruit and there are more illustrations of a singular fruit worship is fruit giving is fruit repentance is fruit bringing someone to Christ is fruit the Lord says I want you to bring forth much fruit and if you're connected to me you will bear much fruit it'll be the distinguishing mark of your life it isn't that you'll be free from sin that's not true if any man says he doesn't see any makes God a liar and the truth is not in him 1st John 1 so we are both righteous and sinful at the same time until we're glorified but we will be characterized by much fruit that fruit will be there because that's what the Holy Spirit is doing in us the fruit is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is in us the fruit is the proof of our salvation listen to the words of our Lord in Matthew chapter 7 they are very specific you will know them by their fruit 4:17 every good tree bears good fruit bad tree Bears bad fruit good tree cannot produce bad fruit the bad tree cannot produce good fruit every tree that doesn't bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire very much like we read in John 15 so then you will know them by their fruits so this is the evidence of salvation is not a pastor and it's what does your life look like is it manifestly radiating virtue as defined as fruit now one more important insight all of these nine that are mentioned in Galatians you can go back to that Galatians 5:22 and 23 there are nine that are mentioned here nine that make up this bouquet of fruit they are all produced by the Holy Spirit they are the fruit of the Spirit they're not produced by the flesh and yet paradoxically all nine of them are repeatedly commanded of us throughout Scripture we are commanded to love commanded to be joyful commanded to experience peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control they are commands to us but they are works of the Spirit if that causes you to pause for a moment keep in mind that that's true of every aspect of our salvation fact that you are regenerated born again is a work of God and yet you are commanded to be born again the fact that you believe is a work of God but you're commanded to believe the fact that you confess Christ is a work of God but you're commanded to confess Jesus as Lord the fact that you're being sanctified is a work of the Spirit of God but you're commanded to be obedient we live in the reality of these two things we are commanded to do what only the Spirit can do in us summing it up we are commanded to walk in the spirit to get in line with what the Spirit is doing and as we saw last week the model for this is the Lord Jesus right he was that illustration his life on earth of the perfect spirit controlled spirit filled spirit empowered full person now as I said there's no real order here with the exception that love comes first as it should because love is the greatest thing first Corinthians 13 says let me say a further word fruit falls into two categories what I've been describing to you has been righteous deeds good deeds worship giving those kinds of things leading someone to Christ that's all fruit you don't have any of those behaviors here in Galatians all you have here is attitudes love is an attitude joys and attitude pieces and attitude patience is an attitude all these are attitudes so we could say this is attitude fruit right this is attitude fruit what we also have seen is there is action fruit that's the fruit of behavior good deeds righteous action let me help you to understand that the acceptable action is the result of the acceptable attitude the action without the attitude is hypocrisy the action without the attitude is legalism the accident without the attitude would be something in a hypocrite could do some hypocrites like the legalists who from judaism tried to impose their legalism on the believers in Galatia you don't want to be a legalist you don't want to do the action without the attitude that's that's a fraud so attitude fruit comes first and we're these attitudes dominate through these attitudes come actions related to these attitudes you can't love without acts of love you can't have joy without expressions of joy and all the rest would be the same all of these are basically powered in us by the holy spirit collectively so if you're walking by the spirit the whole bouquet is yours this is this is the best clearest most comprehensive description of you as a believer somebody says to you how do I know you're a Christian you're answer would be well apart from the fact that I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that just that tells you that I I believe in him but it doesn't show you that I'm a Christian so if you want to know that I'm a Christian stick around me for a while and what you will see is love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control that is the evidence that I'm not operating in my flesh because all that the flesh produces is iniquity this this is how we put our salvation on display so at least for this morning let's start with love and joy love is first in the list because love is the greatest according to first Corinthians 13 it's the word agape familiar word from the verb agapao it is love to love and love at the highest level this is the supreme word for the noblest of Love's there are other words for love that speak of friendship and marital love and even a narrow skeins of love but this is the word that speaks of the noblest kind of love and this is the kind of love that is characteristic of God so I want to follow a fourfold pattern in looking at these words okay first the nature of each one then the example then the command and then the power so we'll kind of work through that so let's look at love agape love the highest noblest kind of love what is its nature how do we define it most love in our culture is defined by some kind of emotional stimulation not this so if you want the full definition of love this love you have it for for yourself and for all of us in 1st Corinthians 13 so let's go back to 1st Corinthians 13 it's often called the love chapter the more excellent way to live in the life of the church Paul's been confronting the Corinthian church with all their issues and let me show you a more way you need to live in love so he says in verse 1 of chapter 13 if I speak with the tongues of men and of angels don't have love I'm a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal if I have the gift of prophecy know all mysteries all knowledge have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love I'm nothing that that is a extremely interesting statement if you can if you can speak every language if you can speak the language of men and angels you don't have love you're just noise and if you have the gift of prophecy and you know all mysteries and all knowledge and have all faith and can move mountains but don't have love you're zero zero not halfway there zero and if you give your possessions to feed the poor and surrender your body to be burned don't have love it profits me nothing that is why love is the greatest what does love like love is patient verse for love is kind is not jealous love doesn't brag is not arrogant doesn't act unbecomingly it doesn't seek its own is not provoked doesn't take into account a wrong suffered doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth and then love bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things love never fails that's the nature of love that's the nature of love and Jesus said greater love has no one than this that a man lay down his life for his friends this is the love that is the noblest love of all loves it means you seek only the best for everyone around you you you you endure anything and everything you believe the best about everyone you speak the best about everyone you sacrifice yourself even to the point of giving up your life for others this is the essence of agape turn to first John first John three and over to verse 14 we know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers he doesn't love abides in death do you love the brothers do you love the believers then you know you've passed out of death into life if you don't love the brothers you abide in death it's that basic and it's the same love everyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him we know love by this that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren whoever has the world's goods sees his brother in need closes his heart against him how does the love of God abide in him little children let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed in truth we will know by this that we are of the truth and will assure our heart before him you want to know you're a Christian look at whether there is magnanimous generous sacrificial outpouring love in your heart for others it was characteristic of God and even while we were yet sinners Christ died for us jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount you're never more like God than when you love your enemies is your life characteristic artistically loved is that how people speak about you is that what defines you that's the nature of this love high ground high level self-sacrificing care for anyone and everyone comes in and out of your life when there's a need you meet it when it requires the sacrifice you give it and even if it causes you to take your life and offer it up you do it willingly if you're not willing to make that love the driving force in your life there's every question whether you're a Christian whatever you may believe what about the example that's the nature of this level what about the example do we have an example of this yes I mentioned it I'll look at it specifically John 15:12 this is my commandment that you love one another said Jesus just as I have loved you I want you to love the way I have just loved you how had he just loved them by washing their dirty feet he came into the upper room they were arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom nobody wanted to stoop and wash anybody else's feet so they were reclining at a table with filthy feet the roads of course of were dusty dirty roads muddy roads while the dirty feet were around the table no one would take the low road so we're all arguing about who was the greatest jesus in chapter 13 steps up takes off his outer garment puts about a towel around his waist goes around the table and washes the filthy feet of the proud disciples and Jesus is saying I want you to love one another just as I have loved you how had he just loved them by stooping to the lowest level to serve them but it even went beyond that there was something he was about to do greater love has no one than this that one laid down his life for his friends washing their feet sure but I even even go further than that love in a way that makes you willing to lay down your life for your friends that's the pattern our Lord's pattern humble self-sacrificing now the New Testament is I've been saying calls us to love it does more than that it commands us to live the same Upper Room discourse John 13 after Jesus had washed the feet of the disciples and confronted them he said this verse 34 John 13 a new commandment I give to you that you love one another here it is even as I have loved you that you also love one another love in the way that I loved you love sacrificially love humbly and then verse 35 by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another that's how you are to love a new commandment love one another agape love one another in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 1 Paul writes be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love just as Christ also loved you and gave himself himself up for us and offering and a sacrifice to God you're to love in the way that he loved he's the example you are to walk in that same sacrificial love Colossians chapter 3 verse 12 so as those who have been chosen of God holy and beloved put on a heart of compassion kindness humility gentleness and patience bearing with one another and forgiving each other whoever has a complaint against anyone just as the Lord forgave you so also should you beyond all these things put on love which is the perfect bond of unity there's not any mystery about this that's for sure none whatsoever we are to be marked by love where does this love come from we saw the nature of love we saw the example of love was Christ the command of love number of them that I read and there are more but what about the power where do we get this kind of love listen to Romans 5:5 the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us if you're walking in the spirit you will love you will love everyone you will love the people in your most intimate circle you will love strangers you will love enemies you will love Colossians 1 8 tells us again that this is a work of the Holy Spirit he says I got back in verse 6 of clauses 1 I know you're bearing fruit constantly bearing fruit you're increasing and then in verse 8 he says a paffrath has informed us of your love in the spirit your love in the spirit yes the only way we can love this way is in the spirit by the power of the Spirit at the end of his prayer in John 17 our Lord says o righteous father although the world has not known you yet I have known you and these have known you that you sent me and I have made your name known to them and will make it known so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them the reason you have divine love in you is because you have Christ in you you have the Spirit in you and if you are walking in the spirit walking in obedience to Christ you will radiate love everywhere is that what you're known for is that what people would say when they talk about you full of love he loves greatly she loves much it should be it should be if it isn't you're not walking by the spirit and by the way love will be there but not alone all the others will be there as well but love will be manifestly visible when you're walking by the spirit just a couple of comments about the second word there in Galatians 5 which is joy common word what about its nature well what is its nature it's not superficial it's not related to circumstances it's not the kind of joy that you feel when something good comes there long in your life it's not it's not that kind of joy it's joy unrelated to shifting circumstances and joy that has nothing to do with whether you're healthy or sick nothing to do with whether you're alone or in a crowd nothing to do with whether you are paid enough or not enough nothing to do with whether you have enough food or not enough food not not not related whatsoever to whether your circumstances are positive or negative not related at all to whether you have trouble in your life for for a little bit you're trouble-free know this this word is not related to that the word related to that is happy happy happy is related to the word happen which is really too happenstance happy means you like the circumstance you're in we understand that this is not that this is Cara this is deep down settled oh this is miles below the surface of the troubled sea this is in the dead calm of the depth of your soul it's it doesn't move it's unassailable it's a moveable it's the deep-seated joy that provides for you constant listen to these words constant satisfaction and contentment constant satisfaction and contentment Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord is your strength the joy that belongs to the Lord is dispensed to you just like the love of the Lord is dispensed to you so your joy doesn't rise and fall on circumstances it is immovable it is unchangeable it is as immovable and unchangeable as your Lord is it always refers carrados to that joy that is based on divine realities 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 8 says this though you have not seen Christ Jesus you love him and though you do not see him now but believe in him you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls what's this joy connected to ultimate salvation no matter what happens in my life you can't touch the eternal salvation that I have been given there is an inheritance laid up for me undefiled unfading settled in heaven waiting my arrival nothing can change that it's a settled joy based upon the unchanging promises and power of God Jesus talking to the disciples again back in the Upper Room John 16 said verse 20 truly truly I say to you you will weep and lament but the world will rejoice you know when I go to the cross you're gonna cry you're gonna weep and the world's going to going to celebrate you will grieve but your grief will be turned to joy it you'll have a lot of grief on Friday but you have joy by Sunday night it's illustrated by whenever a woman is in labor she has pain because her hour has come and when she gives birth to the child she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world therefore you too have grief now but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you did you read that last line no one will take your joy away from you because Christ is risen and he is alive and he ever lives that's what gives us ever lasting joy Christ is alive and he has purchased our Redemption and an inheritance undefiled fading not reserved in heaven for us Jesus actually said in John 15 11 my joy I give you you have my joy the very joy that the son possesses in the promise of the father we possess in the promise of the son in isaiah 53:3 but we find our example the Lord Jesus he's the example of this kind of joy it says he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief you say well that's not talking about joy no but I just want to make a contrast he's the man of sorrows acquainted with grief but Hebrews 12:2 says but he endured the cross which is what's being described in Isaiah 53 for the joy that was set before him in during the shame Christ is the model of joy he went to the cross full of joy because the suffering could never overpower the promise of God but it could only accomplish the promise of God so joy this is joy that's deep and it's connected to our eternal salvation the example of this joy is Christ who went through the depths of the wrath of God and held on to the promise of joy he's our example we'll never go through anything like he did we haven't suffered yet unto blood says the writer of Hebrews we've never endured anything like he endured and he did it for the joy of the outcome that's how we have to face life and then like love were commanded to do it Philippians 3 1 Philippians 4:4 rejoice in the Lord rejoice in the Lord and again I say rejoice we're commanded to do but only the Spirit can do which is like saying walk in the spirit keep in step with the spirit where do we get the power for this again the power comes from the Holy Spirit in Romans 14 and verse 17 the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit I love that the joy is is the work of the Holy Spirit if you walk in the spirit you're full of joy is that what people would say about you is that how you would be characterized a person who is just manifestly full of love and full of joy love for everyone who gets in your path and joy that is never ever diminished if that's not you you're either not a Christian or you're you're not walking by the spirit if you're walking in step with the spirit your life will radiate love and deep-seated joy that's what marks Christians you know you wonder sometimes it's also a Christian so it's a real believer what about my spouse or what about my kids or what about this friend of that don't look at the past look now let's see if you see love I mean dominating extensive sacrificial humble unselfish love and joy we're not victims we don't need to go around moping and groaning because things aren't going the way we think they ought to go Christians are not victims we are Victor's we're Hooper nikkei hyper conquerors in Christ we don't need to change the world we don't need to change our circumstances we just need to live out of love and joy in whatever state we're in to be content that should be you and me all the time and when it is we're walking in the spirit

Channel: Grace to You

Views: 210,394

Keywords: John MacArthur, Bible, Preaching, Christianity, Expository, Exposition, Sermon, Jesus, Christ, Holy Spirit

Id: 5J0BaD5Zhag

Length: 47min 44sec (2864 seconds)

Published: Thu May 24 2018