By Don Hyrkas
Galatians 5:22, 23
I. THE CHURCH IS A SPIRIT FILLED BODY
I Cor. 3:16 I Car. 12:13 Eph. 1:22, 23
A. The church is the mystical body of Christ.
B. She is a living organism, indwell and filled by the Holy Ghost.
C. She is a spiritual body.
D. Her life and ministry depends upon the power of the Holy Ghost within her.
E. The N. T. Church was born on the Day of Pentecost.
1. The believers were baptized into the body and Jesus Christ in the spirit came to occupy his temple.
2. The spirit not only dwells in the child of God, but also places him in the body of Christ.
F. The work of the Holy Ghost.
1. Convicts the sinner – John 16:8-13
2. Regenerates the penitent – Titus 3:5
3. Indwells the child of God. Romans 8:9
4. Baptizes into the body of Christ I Cor. 12:13
5. Seals Eph. 1:13
6. Endues with power – Acts 1:8
7. Guides and teaches – John 16:13
G. The child of God must stay spirit filled.
H. The Christian is to walk after the spirit Romans 8:1 and live and walk in the spirit Gal. 5:25
I. The church can be healthy and growing only when she is spirit-filled and fully yielded to the Holy Ghost.
II. THERE ARE NINE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.
A. The word fruit is singular – there are not 9 fruits all separate one from the other but one fruit.
B. These are nine graces, imparted to the Christian by the Holy Ghost.
C. If the spirit produces one of these graces, the other eight graces can also be ours.
D. Christian character is not mere moral or legal correctness, but the manifestations of these nine graces.
1. Love, Joy, Peace – Those inward things that make our character.
2. Longsuffering, gentleness, goodness – Our character expressed toward man.
3. Faith, meekness, temperance – character expressed toward God.
III. LET’S LOOK AT THESE NINE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
A. LOVE – Rom. 5:5 the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
1. It is love toward God and our fellow man.
2. Only thru God’s love can we love those who have wronged us – (our enemies)
3. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
B. JOY – This is not a result of the absence of trouble – it is rather a grace that is there in the midst of distress, sorrow, etc.
1. The joy of the Lord is our strength. It is difficult to be spiritually strong when you are sad and downcast.
C. PEACE – A quiet trust and confidence in God in the midst of trial and tribulation.
1. Worry and anxiety cannot stay when the Holy Ghost bears the fruit of peace – We won’t always be “uptight”
2. Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
D. Longsuffering – Patience and forbearance under adverse circumstances
1. Not murmuring, but rather submitting to God’s will for our life.
2. Bearing with someone else’s weakness, shortcoming even when they would provoke you.
3. Remember Christ is longsuffering toward us.
E. GENTLENESS – Kindness , akindly disposition, even while suffering.
1. David “Thy gentleness hath made me great.”
F. GOODNESS – A continuous desire and effort to not only abstain from the appearance of evil, but to do good to man as much as possible
1. If the tree is good – The fruit will also be good Matt 12:33
G. FAITH – Here used for faithfulness
1. Punctuality in performing promises – keeping our word.
2. Carefulness in keeping things committed to our trust.
3. Carefulness in transacting of business.
4. Never betraying the confidence of a friend or employer.
H. MEEKNESS – True humility, submission to God’s will.
1. Consideration for others
I peter 3:3, 4 Titus 3:2
I.TEMPERANCE – Self-government or moderation I Cor. 9:25 – And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.
J. Against such there is no law – Those whise lives are governed by these virtues cannot be condemned by any law.
From, “A workshop with a Biblical Perspective”/16691 Gothard street Huntington Beach, CA 92647, by Don Hyrkas
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