Recently, we’ve been learning about how to produce the good fruits of the Spirit in our lives and the freedom that comes with them!
That’s right, where the Spirit of the Lord is there is… Freedom and Fruits! Jesus taught us that these are evidence that someone is one of His disciples. Freedom and fruits should be clearly evident in the life of every believer in ever-increasing measures as we grow and mature in our faith.
Today, God is reminding us from Ecclesiastes 3 that for everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.
There is a purpose in everything that God does. Both in what He personally says and does as well as what He permits and allows. There are no surprises, no accidents, and nothing unforeseen to God.
This means that God has a purpose in the freedom that He gives to those who surrender their lives into His loving hands. This means that there is a purpose for the good fruits of the Holy Spirit that He causes to grow in our lives. So, what is that purpose?
Lisa taught us last week about the true freedom that we experience through Christ:
Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Paul goes on and reminds us the purpose for this freedom:
Galatians 5:13-15
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Yes, we benefit personally from the freedom that we experience through Jesus. However, the ultimate purpose behind our freedom from sin is not for selfish purposes, but for selfless ones.
We are set free from sin so that we might be able to choose to humbly serve others in love. We have been set free so that we might fulfill the entire law of God. Set free not to tear down others, but to build them up!
Our freedom benefits us, but like all things in God’s Kingdom, also benefits everyone around us as well!
Now that we are free, we can choose not to sin against the people around us, but to love and to bless them. Now that we are free, we can show others that there is a path to freedom for them as well through Jesus. Now that we are free, we can take that Holy Spirit pause and choose to respond instead of react.
We’re no longer captives, so don’t let yourself get pulled back into the trap!
2 Timothy 2:23-26
23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Free to serve.
Free to be kind.
Free to love.
Free to free others.
Free to truly live a life to its fullest potential!
Free to be… Well… Fruity!
Similar to freedom, the purpose that God has for the fruits of the Holy Spirit are not just for us, but for those around us.
This is easy to see with the gifts of the Spirit. We are equipped with spiritual gifts and the only way in which to use those gifts are to serve others. Gifts are given. We can develop them and be trained in how to more effectively use them, but they are ultimately gifts given by God as a form of His grace.
The fruits of the Spirit function a bit differently. Gifts are given, but fruits are grown. They take time to grow and mature before they are realized. Unlike the gifts of the Spirit, we benefit from the fruits of the Spirit and those around us do as well.
When I have peace, kindness, and gentleness instead of flying into fits of rage, both myself and those around me benefit from those fruits of the Spirit.
The fruits of the Spirit are produced as a result of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
The very first step in a fruit’s journey is a seed’s death. Jesus said:
John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
It is only when we lay our lives down, dying to self, that the Holy Spirit can resurrect us into the new life that we were always purposed to be; a brand new creation!
It is through opposition and hardship that the most change happens through and all of that change happens unseen. The seed sprouts and roots start to find their way far, wide, and deep underground before anything is seen above the surface. Like our lives, it is a transformation from the inside out. Not put-on religion, but true transformation!
From that single seed, a brand new life is birthed as it grows and matures and develops.
It isn’t until this process completes that the seed produces fruit. Good fruit full of many seeds that are each ready to fall to the ground in death and begin the process all over again.
In the same way that pressure and opposition causes a seed to burst forth into new life, pressure and opposition reveals fruit as well.
Anyone can have peace when the sun is shining from clear blue skies and the birds are chirping in the large shade tree above them. When there is peace around, it is easy to be at peace within.
What reveals the true peace that is a fruit of the Spirit in our lives is when we are taking a peaceful nap in a sinking boat far from shore in the middle of a raging storm. Obviously that peace is not being sourced from the circumstances around us! That’s the kind of peace that has the power to change the things around us!
Mark 4:35-41
35 That day when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Now that is peace that can only come from the Holy Spirit within! That’s the kind of peace that those around us not only notice, but are dramatically affected by!
Philippians 4:5-7 (NLT)
5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
A peace that surpasses all understanding because it is not a peace found anywhere but in the Presence of God! It just doesn’t make any earthly sense because it is heavenly! It’s unnatural because it’s supernatural!
It’s through pressure and opposition that anointing flows! We wouldn’t have anointing oil if it were not for the pressing and crushing of olives so that the rich oils within them flow out.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit within is most clearly revealed when we are pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed and confused, but not discouraged or in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
There is a good purpose beyond the pressure and pain!
It’s kind of like those stress ball toys that you squeeze only to find that there is another toy hidden inside it. You just can’t see it until the pressure is on and the toy inside is forced to the surface.
God isn’t trying to destroy you, He is just revealing:
His strength replacing our weakness.
His joy replacing our grief.
His gentleness replacing our rage.
His kindness replacing our irritability.
His faithfulness replacing our instability.
His goodness replacing our bitterness.
His self-control replacing our reactions.
Jesus in us is revealed through us!
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
This is the purpose of the fruits of the Spirit; to reveal Christ to those around us. They are the indisputable evidence of the infilling of Holy Spirit within us. They are the practical attributes that show that it is not us, but Jesus, who has done a great transforming work in our lives.
It is the fruits of the Spirit that Jesus said to look for to see if someone is His disciple.
It is the fruits of the Spirit what we can examine ourselves for to see if we are in the faith.
No, none of us are perfect, BUT if we are staying connected to Jesus and walking by faith in the Holy Spirit, then we will produce the fruits of the Spirit in an ever-increasing measure.
Let’s be honest, all of us enjoy spending time around people who possess the fruits of the Spirit as well.
We’d rather be around someone who genuinely loves and cares about others than someone who gossips and complains about others.
We’d rather be around a joyful person who makes us laugh than a grouch that grumbles.
We’d rather be around a peaceful person than someone always looking to stir up strife and drama.
We’d rather be around someone who is good than someone who tries to manipulate us.
We’d rather be around a faithful person than someone who you can’t trust what they say or rarely follows through with what they tell you.
The fruits of the Spirit naturally lead us into unity.
The fruits of the flesh naturally lead us into division.
We were created for the fruits of the Spirit because we were created to house God’s Presence within our lives. Sin just went and messed the whole thing up!
Praise be to Jesus for taking all of our sin upon Himself so that God can finally make things right! No longer are we separated! We’re now branches grafted back into the life-giving vine so that we finally can be resurrected and transformed into the life we were always destined to live!
We close with this reminder. God’s purpose for the freedom of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit are so that we might reveal and represent and lead others to Jesus!
1 Peter 4:7-11
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.