David Alsobrook - The fruit of the Spirit

The Fruit of the Spirit

by

David Alsobrook

CONTENTS

1 The New Nature
2 Works or Fruit
3 Gifts and Fruits (Bells and Pomegranates)
4 The Three Harvests
5 The Sealing Fruit of the Harvest
6 30-60-100
7 Spiritual Growth

The Fruit of the Spirit

This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Galatians 5:16-17

The New Nature

Notice that the letter "S" of the word "Spirit" is capitalized. Since there is no basis for this in the original language, "Spirit" could as accurately read "spirit." In this context the Apostle Paul is not referring to the third person of the Godhead. He is speaking about the new-born spirit which is a product of the Holy Spirit. This new-born spirit is born out of the Holy Spirit, "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17). Paul is writing about the old nature and the new nature. It could be worded: "This I say then, walk by the new nature."

Walk according to the nature of the recreated man, the new nature, and then you won't fulfill the desires of the old nature. The old nature fights against the new nature and the new nature against the old. The two are contrary the one to the other. The greatest battle in the life of the Christian is not his battle with Satan, but it is the battle within himself.

It is the battle of learning how to bring the flesh into subjection to the spirit, the new spirit. That spirit that has been born of God.

When God made man he was a spiritual being, that is, he lived out of his spirit. He was governed by his spirit, through his soul, in his body. When Adam sinned this spirit life died, we call it "the fall." The spirit, rather than being the first in command now became the third, or last, and the soul and the body did what they wanted because the spirit was deadened by sin.

Works or Fruit

The Apostle Paul is talking about the product of the old nature and the product of the new nature. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest" [the old nature]: I. The sexual, sensual realm:

A. adultery

B. fornication

C. uncleanness

D. lasciviousness

II. The religious realm:

A. idolatry

B. witchcraft

III. The emotional realm:

A. hatred

B. variance

C. emulations

D. wrath

E. strife

F. envy

G. murders

IV. The intemperate realm:

A. drunkenness

B. revellings, and such like

V. The doctrinal realm:

A. seditions

B. heresies

Note that wrath, strife, jealousy, envy, etc., are just as much products of the old nature and are just as much works of the flesh as adultery and murder. Many Christians who are not involved outwardly in adultery, fornication, murder or drunkenness, are inwardly steeped in strife, envy and jealousy. You can have works of the flesh in the ATTITUDE as much as you have works of the flesh in ACTIONS. This is the product of the old nature.

"... of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:21).

"... shall not inherit the kingdom of God" is frequently taken as being strictly in the eternal aspect. But we must remember that the kingdom of God does not begin in eternity. It begins when a man is born again; for at that moment one enters the kingdom of God.

Colossians 1:13 tells us that God has translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son. Not that He will translate us, but has. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). This translation is from the power of Satan to the power of God, from darkness to light, and at that moment "the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21).

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17). When we have the works of the flesh, such as strife in our life, then we don't have kingdom joy and peace. We forfeit that inheritance in the kingdom.

When I have fleshly strife I can't have kingdom peace. I lose the kingdom blessing and I'm not inheriting the kingdom of Godright now (and possibly as well as in eternity).

Note the divine alternative given in Galatians 5:22 in contrast to verse 19: "Now the works of the flesh are" that's the devil's talk. He would say, "Well, the world is that way. You have got to do that, after all, you are just human."

The works of the flesh areBUT note God's divine alternative: (When God puts in a BUT it is all right, He gives you the choice of a different life style.)

"BUT the fruit of the Spirit is ..." The fruit of the Spirit is the product of the new nature and is produced by the Holy Spirit dwelling within your human spirit. Here is a wonderful option to the works of the flesh.

Before you come to the fruit of the Spirit you cultivate the works of the flesh. When the individual is deadened by sin all his old fleshly nature does is bring forth the works of the flesh. But, when he is saved, God shows him that wonderful alternative.

All too often, the believer continues in the works of the flesh more than in the fruit of the spirit. There is that familiar battle within.

The flesh must be dealt with by the cross. It must be crucified, it must be brought into subjection so that the fruit of the spirit can be cultivated, because the works of the flesh are like weeds that choke the fruit.

When we are talking about fruit we are talking about MATURITY.

Why does one grow fruit? Fruit is grown for the purpose of a harvest. One doesn't grow fruit in orchards just to say, "Look, it is ripe and it is come to season. Are they not beautiful, all those apples, pears, apricots?"

Fruit is not grown for its ornamental qualities. It is grown to be eaten. And you don't harvest it when it is still green. If you do, it will likely make you ill.

Often new believers are full of "I love you, brother."

This is the. nauseous "green" love. One way I know if that love is still "green" is if they have "barbecued preacher" for lunch after they have "loved" me. Their love was not yet matured.

The mark of the maturing believer is the fruit of his recreated spirit. We need to come into the fruit of the reborn spirit, which is the character of Christ revealed through the new nature of the Christian's life.

When considering the fruit of the Spirit one cannot overlook the works of the flesh. When you read Galatians Chapter 5 you come to verse 19 (the works of the flesh) before you come to verse 22 (the fruit of the Spirit). The flesh must be dealt with before the fruit can be cultivated.

The subject of the works of the flesh is not very popular. People generally consider it in the negative realm, but it must be dealt with before the fruit of the Spirit can come to maturity.

Gifts and Fruits (Bells and Pomegranates)

Every fruit is listed according to divine order.

Let us look into something that is given in the Old Testament that will give us some understanding of this divine order.

When the high priest went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he went behind the veil. While there the other priests in the Holy place could not see him. If the high priest was in any way defiled, he immediately died in the presence of God. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year, in fear. The other priests had tied a rope to his foot, for if he died God didn't want him staying in the Holy of Holies; yet no one could go in to get him out, but with the rope he could be pulled out. Now they needed to know if he died, or if he lived. The only way they could know is by hearing, for they could not tell by seeing.