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Files > By Their Fruit You will Recognize Them
Evaluating You Life by The Word of God
Author : Velyn Cooper / Date : 2007-07-15 13:07
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Sunday, July 15th 2007
Fellowship Union Baptist Church
11am Service
Scripture Reading: Matthew 7: 15 -23 and Galatians 5: 19-26
Text: Matt.7:16- By Their Fruit You Will Recognize Them (NIV)
How do you normally recognize a person?
a) Physically – what they look like
b) Audibly – what they sound like
c) Spiritually –what they live like
Today, we are going to focus on recognizing people by their fruit and not by what they claim to be. We are going to look at the fruit of the Spirit versus the works of the flesh
I cannot claim to be something that I am not because whatever I am will eventually be made known to those around me.
If the fruit of the Spirit is not being manifested in my life, there is only one other manifestation that can be taking place –that of the works of the flesh.
The works of the flesh results in spiritual death.
Spiritual death keeps us from inheriting kingdom living or from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
What are the works of the flesh?
Galatians 5: 19- 21 gives us a list of some of the works of the flesh. They are as follows: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, and revellings.
Below are the definitions of each of the works of the flesh named above. (All definitions are from Webster’s dictionary, unless otherwise indicated).
Adultery -Sexual intercourse between a married man and a woman not his wife or between a married woman and a man not her husband
Fornication - Sexual intercourse between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman
Uncleanness-Unlawful sexual practices i.e. homosexuality, lesbianism
Lasciviousness –deals with sex in a negative way
1) Lust – wanting to have sex with someone you don’t love; 2) Lewdness – abnormal interest in sexual excitement;
3) Wanton – sexually indiscriminate.
Idolatry -The worship of idols, images, etc. You can also idolize a person when your admiration (for people) of them turns to adoration (for God).
Witchcraft -witchcraft (divination) is a foretelling of future events (horoscopes) or discovering things secret by the aid of superior beings or other than human means (Obeah man). It is used in scripture of false systems of ascertaining the divine will (of God) - (SBD)
Hatred -Hate – to dislike greatly
Variance -Tendency to change (can’t make up your mind)
Emulations-From the word emulate which means to strive to equal or excel. Emulation is defined as ambitious rivalry.
Wrath -Violent anger.
Strife –Contention (disagreement) with another.
Envyings of discontent and ill will because of another’s advantages or possessions.
Murders -Murder is not limited to the physical killing of another human being as it also involves the destruction of one’s character through malicious gossip (personal )
Drunkenness -A condition of being drunk.
Revellings -Revel – To make merry; to be noisily festive. (Life is one big party)
Operating in the works of the flesh will result in your spiritual death. God is a Spirit and we have to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. If you are spiritually dead, you cannot worship God. (John 4: 24)
Understanding The Works of the Flesh.
It is important to know what the works of the flesh are but it is more important to understand how they are manifested or made known, so that you will not be caught unawares when tempted to operate in them.
Does God tempt us? No!
James 1: 13 -15
13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth He any man:
How are we tempted?
14) But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.
What is lust?
1)a strong desire to have sex with someone even though you don’t love them
2)great eagerness or enthusiasm for something like the lust for power.
What does it mean to be enticed?
To be enticed means to make a person or animal do something by offering them something that they want.
What is the end result of lust?
15) Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is conceived bringeth forth death
What does it mean to conceive something?
To think up something that could be put into action
The Fruit of the Spirit
Knowing The Fruit of The Spirit
Galatians 5: 22-23
22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23) meekness and temperance.
Understanding The Fruit of the Spirit
It is important to know what the fruit of the Spirit is but it is more important to understand what they are, so that you can actively participate in their development in your life. There is one fruit of the Spirit but it is manifested in many different forms.
Below are the definitions of each manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. (All definitions are from Webster’s Dictionary)
Love -A strong affection for or attachment or devotion to a person or persons.
Joy- A very glad feeling; happiness.
Peace - Freedom from disagreements or quarrels; an undisturbed state of mind; absence of mental conflict; calm; quiet; tranquility.
Longsuffering -Patient; not easily provoked
Gentleness -Mildness, tenderness, softness
Goodness -The state or quality of being good; kindness; generosity.
Faith -Unquestioning belief in God.
Meekness - Meek – patient and mild; not inclined to anger or resentment
Temperance -Self-control in conduct, expression, indulgence of the appetite etc…
Producing the fruit of the Spirit destroys the works of the flesh and results in a healthy spiritual life
I want us all to be honest with ourselves now. If the people inside this church and those who know us outside of the four walls of this church were to get on God’s witness stand on our behalf, to state whether the fruit of the Spirit or the works of the flesh were being manifested in our lives, what would they say about you? What would they say about me? What would you say about yourself? What would I say about myself? What would God have to say about us?
Remember what Jesus said: Matthew 7:16-23)
16)Ye shall know them by their fruit
17)… every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
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SBD – Smith’s Bible Dictionary
All quotations are from the King James Version of the bible unless otherwise indicated.
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