In Lesson 2 we have talked about the character of the Holy Spirit and how He reproduces some of His character traits in us. Many times the Holy Spirit's character traits are referred to as "the fruit of the Spirit." In fact, most times, when people speak of "the fruit of the Spirit," they are talking about the list of nine character qualities Paul listed in Galatians 5:22-23.
The word "fruit" is used throughout scripture to describe something that is produced by some living entity. When the Bible speaks of the fruit of the vine, for instance, it is referring to the grapes that are produced in a healthy vineyard. When it speaks of the fruit of the womb, it is referring to a child. The Holy Spirit is certainly a living entity and I believe that the character - or, fruit - He produces in believer's lives would include ALL the character traits He produces in our lives - not just the 9 or 11 traits specifically mentioned by Paul in Galatians 5 and Eph. 5:9.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives is the OUTWARD expression of the INWARD work He does in changing our character to be more like Christ. Let's look at five specific gardening principles and see how they can help us understand how to harvest the Holy Spirit's fruit in our lives.
1. The principle of LIKE PRODUCES LIKE
In the very beginning, God created life on earth and gave that life the ability to reproduce life. But that ability is limited. A plant or animal can only reproduce "according to its kind" (see Genesis 1:12, 24). Like produces like. When a gardener plants seed in his garden, he knows that what will grow from that seed will be dictated by the kind of seed he planted because the seed can only reproduce "according to its kind." If he plants watermelon seeds, he will grow watermelons. If he plants tomato seeds, he will grow tomatoes.
The law of reproduction in nature also has application in harvesting the fruit of the Spirit. If like produces like, then ONLY the Holy Spirit can produce spiritual fruit in our lives. This means we need to yield to the controlling influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and resist the influence of the world, the flesh and the devil.
The fruit we produce in our lives will be in accord with the seed we sow. We need to ask ourselves what seed we are sowing. If we are continually yielding to the desires of our sinful flesh or the influences of the world or Satan's temptations; then the harvest we will have will not bear characteristics of the Spirit of God (see Galatians 6:7-8). ONLY yielding to the control of the Holy Spirit in our lives is going to produce spiritual fruit. Like produces like.
2. The principle of SOIL COMPOSITION
Read the parable of the sower and the seed in Matthew 13:3-8. In this parable, Jesus illustrated the relationship between the fruitbearing of the seed that is sown and the soil in which the seed is planted.
Most gardeners know that certain plants grow better in certain kinds of soil. A cactus might be planted in a soil mixture composed mostly of ashes and sand but you would not want to plant an African violet in that same soil. African violets thrive only when they are planted in rich loamy soil.
In the same way, we will produce the fruit of spiritual character when we draw what we need from Christ as we abide in Him (John 15:5-7) and from the Holy Spirit as we walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). When we fail to abide in Christ and walk in the Spirit, we become like a plant that is uprooted from its ideal soil environment. If the plant remains in that condition long, it will wither and die... and so will we - spiritually. BUT - if the plant remains in the right soil, it will blossom and produce fruit. We will only produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives if we remain planted in Him.
3. The principle of the EARLY and the LATTER RAIN
A healthy harvest of fruit is produced throughout a growing season that includes times of rain and sunshine. If if rains all the time, plants rot in the field. If it is always hot and sunny with no rain, they will dry up and die. But the balance of rain and sun at different periods in the growing season results in a fruitful plant and an abundant harvest.
The principle of the early and latter rains helps us understand how God uses various seasons in our lives - some apparently good and others apparently bad - to produce the spiritual character He is developing in our lives. If most of us had our way, we would order lives lived in the sunny seasons with everything going well. Most of us become easily frustrated during the drippy, rainy seasons of life. When the outlook is overcast, we seem to get bogged down in the muck and mire of the mundane details of life.
But the Holy Spirit knows just what seasons we need to mature and produce spiritual fruit. A greenhouse farmer may darken the greenhouse if there is too much sun, - or, he may turn on the sprinkler system to water the plants . . . in the same way, the Holy Spirit controls our environment to produce spiritual fruit in our lives.
4. The principle of WEEDING
Every successful home gardener knows that it is necessary to constantly weed the garden throughout the growing season if the harvest is to be realized. When weeds begin to dominate a garden, they rob the soil of valuable nutrients and moisture. Because the weeds have stolen what the plants need, the plants are not as strong, healthy and productive as they should be and the harvest of vegetables will not be as plentiful.
In Matt. 13:22 Jesus compared the weeds to "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches." If we desire to harvest the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must be careful to weed our lives of fear, anxiety, deceit, and any other sins that hinder the development of Christian character.
5. The principle of PRUNING
Pruning involves cutting away the parts of a plant that do not produce fruit so that the remaining plant will produce more fruit or stronger fruit. When Jesus described the relationship between Himself and the disciples in the context of a vine, He noted that the Father would prune the vine periodically to increase the productivity of its branches. (John 15:2)
God may need to prune parts of your life to help you develop the kind of character He wants you to possess. He may even need to prune away some "good" things in order for the "best" fruit to develop. Vinedressers often have to cut away leaves that are very lovely to look at in order for more sunlight to reach the grapes and bring them to their fullest bloom.
Take a few minutes to look back over these five simple principles and ask yourself a few questions.
Look at the principle of LIKE PRODUCES LIKE and ask yourself: Am I sowing the seed of the Spirit in my life or am I yielding continually to the desires of my flesh or the influences of the world or the temptations of Satan?
Look at the principle of SOIL COMPOSITION and ask yourself: Am I remaining in the right soil by abiding in Christ and walking in the Spirit, or have I become uprooted from that environment?
Look at the principle of the EARLY and the LATTER RAIN and ask yourself: Am I patient in whatever season I am to allow God to use my circumstances to mold, make and mature me into the person He wants me to be?
Look at the principle of WEEDING and ask yourself: What weeds in my life are hindering the development of the Spirit's fruit?
Look at the principle of PRUNING and ask yourself: Is there something in my life, possibly even something GOOD, that I need to allow God to prune away so that something BETTER will develop?
Keep in step with the Spirit, sweet sisters, and REAP THE HARVEST!
1 comment:
Loved the post! So happy about your new laptop!! I know you will enjoy it so much.
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