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The Fruits of the Spirit
love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
self-control".
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| SPIRITUAL FRUITS |
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They may be divided into three groups for purpose of study:
1) Love (charity), joy, peace: Our God ward relationship.
2) Patience, kindness, goodness: Our relationships with people.
3) Faithfulness, gentleness, self-control: Our inward relationship, the attitudes and actions of the inner self.
These fruits are puposely put in this order. Think of these as book ends holding our Christ likeness together;
the first fruit is: LOVE
and the last fruit is: SELF-CONTROL: As book-ends, these are holding up the other spirtual fruits.
Only with LOVE can any one attain any of the other fruits of the spirit;
and with SELF-CONTROL as the final fruit, because it is the hardest to attain!!
These 9 fruits are all related to each other, that's why Paul calls all of them "the fruit of the Spirit", and all should characterize our lives when we abide in Christ and Christ in us, by the power of the Spirit, for the glory of the Father, for our own good, and for the good of the Church.
Consider in contrast, Paul states in the previous verses that "the work of the flesh," with 15 works or acts, are:
Galatians 5:19-21:
v19; The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
v20; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
v21; 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. (Galatians 5:19-21).
Stop!! Wait!! There is Hope!! In John 3:17, " For God did not send His son into the world to condem the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."The Message Therefore, is this: John 3:16 God spoke, "For God so loved the world that, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever beleives in Him shall not perish, (be separted from God), (to Die), but will have everlasting life.
Acts: 2:21, "It is written, that who so ever shall call upon the name of the Lord Shall Be Saved!"
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