Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this need. - Acts 6:3
The Holy Spirit cultivates Christian character. That is, He produces spiritual fruit in the lives of believers. This “fruit” indicates that they are a “good tree” (Matthew 7:16-20) and provides evidence of their salvation. As Christians grow and mature in their faith, the presence and practice of these godly virtues should develop and become increasingly evident. The Fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23).
We conducted a 10-week study specifically on “The Fruit of the Spirit” back in early 2022. In that series we dedicated a full sermon to each of these 9 characteristics. This allowed us to dig a bit deeper into each of these traits. If you are interested in reviewing those messages, they are available online at our church website and on our YouTube channel. This morning, however, we are just going to briefly touch on each of them as we consider how the Holy Spirit works to cultivate Christian character.
I. LOVE, JOY, PEACE
The first and greatest commandment for Christians is to love the LORD with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is like it - to love their neighbor as themselves. Jesus taught that these 2 commands encompass all of the Law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus raised the standard when He told His disciples that they were to love one another as He loved them and further said that they’d be known by the love that they had for one other (John 13:34-35). Love is the highest virtue. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die for lost sinners (John 3:16). His love is so great that, even while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). The Holy Spirit works to produce this type of godly love within Christians, that they might love Him and each other as He does.
The Bible teaches that Christians are to be joyful at all times and in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-28). Such joy cannot be found in the things of this world, but must be rooted in the certain promises and abiding presence of God. Nehemiah proclaimed to his people that the joy of the LORD was his strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Those without joy are often desperate and weak, and Satan takes full advantage of their despair. Thus, we should be joyful even in our trials and sufferings, realizing that such things produce perseverance (James 1:2-3). The Holy Spirit works to produce this type of unquenchable joy within believers, that they might overcome the storms of this life.
My Bible dictionary defines peace as “a state of tranquility, harmony, and the absence of conflict, encompassing both spiritual peace with God and relational peace with others.” Lost sinners are at enmity with God, but through Christ can find peace and reconciliation with Him (Romans 5:1). Paul urges Christians to live at peace with other people, to the fullest extent possible (Romans 12:18). They are to have the peace of God in their hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7) so as not to live in constant turmoil. The Holy Spirit works to provide believers with an overwhelming sense of peace both inwardly and outwardly.
II. PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS
The LORD is patient and longsuffering toward sinners, not desiring that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). There are many examples of God’s patience found throughout the Bible. In the same way, God’s children should be patient with one another. Solomon advised people to be patient and to wait for the ending of matters (Ecclesiastes 7:8). The Psalms urge believers to patiently wait for the LORD (Psalm 27:14, 37:7). Christians are to bear with others patiently (Ephesians 4:2). The Holy Spirit helps believers display enduring patience in all walks of life.
Kindness is “a compassionate and generous disposition that reflects God's own nature of love, mercy, and grace.” Kindness typically involves some tangible act of care and/or sincere consideration. The Bible instructs Christians to be kind to one another, just as God has been kind to them (Ephesians 4:32). A kind person is not only a blessing to others, but also to themself (Proverbs 11:17). Kindness is an expression of love, and the Holy Spirit fosters kindness within the hearts of believers.
God is good (Psalm 100:5, 107:1, 136:1, 145:9). His goodness is declared again and again throughout the Bible. Even Jesus stated that God is good (Mark 10:18). God desires good things for His people (Matthew 7:11). He wants to show them His favor, generosity, and blessings. Following God’s example, believers should want what is best for others. They should not grow weary in doing good and should express goodness to everyone (Galatians 6:9-10). The Holy Spirit promotes goodness as a guiding virtue in all Christians.
III. FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL
Faithfulness is “a quality of both God and humans that means being reliable, steadfast, and trustworthy.” God is faithful to His people in every way, as illustrated in numerous stories throughout the Bible (2 Thessalonians 3:3). In fact, God remains faithfully committed to His people even when they are unfaithful to Him (2 Timothy 2:13). Christians are to practice godly faithfulness in their relationships, in their dealings, and in all aspects of life (1 Corinthians 4:2). The Holy Spirit works to provide Christians with an unwavering level of faithfulness.
Jesus described Himself as gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:29). He is not harsh, bitter, or overbearing. Rather He is warm, welcoming, and pleasant. This is the type of demeanor that Christians are to exhibit (Colossians 3:12). They should be ready at all times to give a defense of their faith with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). They should not slander others, but treat everyone with gentleness (Titus 3:2). This is a rough and tumble world, and gentleness is often hard to come by. The Holy Spirit assists believers in showing gentleness to those they encounter around them.
Self-control is often referred to as temperance or the ability to control one’s temper. Christians must be able to regulate their own emotions and behaviors so as not to act out impulsively or foolishly. They must exercise self-control in all things, like an athlete running a race (1 Corinthians 9:25). This requires self-discipline in order to overcome the passions and lusts of the flesh (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). Furthermore, God’s people should be able to control what they say (Proverbs 13:3). The Holy Spirit assists believers in controlling and taming their feelings, thoughts, speech, and actions.
CONCLUSION
In this morning’s message, we’ve briefly summarized the 9 different virtues included in “The Fruit of the Spirit”. Christians who exhibit these qualities in their lives present a more accurate image of Jesus. They are regarded by others as being more genuine in their faith and, therefore, have a more effective witness for the Lord. Actions speak louder than words, so it is important for believers to have a godly attitude accompanied by godly conduct. This can be difficult for us as fallen human beings, even after we’ve accepted Christ, but the Holy Spirit works to cultivate Christian character within us so that we can practice what we preach.
The Holy Spirit cultivates Christian character. That is, He produces spiritual fruit in the lives of believers. This “fruit” indicates that they are a “good tree” (Matthew 7:16-20) and provides evidence of their salvation. As Christians grow and mature in their faith, the presence and practice of these godly virtues should develop and become increasingly evident. The Fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23).
We conducted a 10-week study specifically on “The Fruit of the Spirit” back in early 2022. In that series we dedicated a full sermon to each of these 9 characteristics. This allowed us to dig a bit deeper into each of these traits. If you are interested in reviewing those messages, they are available online at our church website and on our YouTube channel. This morning, however, we are just going to briefly touch on each of them as we consider how the Holy Spirit works to cultivate Christian character.
I. LOVE, JOY, PEACE
The first and greatest commandment for Christians is to love the LORD with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is like it - to love their neighbor as themselves. Jesus taught that these 2 commands encompass all of the Law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus raised the standard when He told His disciples that they were to love one another as He loved them and further said that they’d be known by the love that they had for one other (John 13:34-35). Love is the highest virtue. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die for lost sinners (John 3:16). His love is so great that, even while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). The Holy Spirit works to produce this type of godly love within Christians, that they might love Him and each other as He does.
The Bible teaches that Christians are to be joyful at all times and in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-28). Such joy cannot be found in the things of this world, but must be rooted in the certain promises and abiding presence of God. Nehemiah proclaimed to his people that the joy of the LORD was his strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Those without joy are often desperate and weak, and Satan takes full advantage of their despair. Thus, we should be joyful even in our trials and sufferings, realizing that such things produce perseverance (James 1:2-3). The Holy Spirit works to produce this type of unquenchable joy within believers, that they might overcome the storms of this life.
My Bible dictionary defines peace as “a state of tranquility, harmony, and the absence of conflict, encompassing both spiritual peace with God and relational peace with others.” Lost sinners are at enmity with God, but through Christ can find peace and reconciliation with Him (Romans 5:1). Paul urges Christians to live at peace with other people, to the fullest extent possible (Romans 12:18). They are to have the peace of God in their hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7) so as not to live in constant turmoil. The Holy Spirit works to provide believers with an overwhelming sense of peace both inwardly and outwardly.
II. PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS
The LORD is patient and longsuffering toward sinners, not desiring that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). There are many examples of God’s patience found throughout the Bible. In the same way, God’s children should be patient with one another. Solomon advised people to be patient and to wait for the ending of matters (Ecclesiastes 7:8). The Psalms urge believers to patiently wait for the LORD (Psalm 27:14, 37:7). Christians are to bear with others patiently (Ephesians 4:2). The Holy Spirit helps believers display enduring patience in all walks of life.
Kindness is “a compassionate and generous disposition that reflects God's own nature of love, mercy, and grace.” Kindness typically involves some tangible act of care and/or sincere consideration. The Bible instructs Christians to be kind to one another, just as God has been kind to them (Ephesians 4:32). A kind person is not only a blessing to others, but also to themself (Proverbs 11:17). Kindness is an expression of love, and the Holy Spirit fosters kindness within the hearts of believers.
God is good (Psalm 100:5, 107:1, 136:1, 145:9). His goodness is declared again and again throughout the Bible. Even Jesus stated that God is good (Mark 10:18). God desires good things for His people (Matthew 7:11). He wants to show them His favor, generosity, and blessings. Following God’s example, believers should want what is best for others. They should not grow weary in doing good and should express goodness to everyone (Galatians 6:9-10). The Holy Spirit promotes goodness as a guiding virtue in all Christians.
III. FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL
Faithfulness is “a quality of both God and humans that means being reliable, steadfast, and trustworthy.” God is faithful to His people in every way, as illustrated in numerous stories throughout the Bible (2 Thessalonians 3:3). In fact, God remains faithfully committed to His people even when they are unfaithful to Him (2 Timothy 2:13). Christians are to practice godly faithfulness in their relationships, in their dealings, and in all aspects of life (1 Corinthians 4:2). The Holy Spirit works to provide Christians with an unwavering level of faithfulness.
Jesus described Himself as gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:29). He is not harsh, bitter, or overbearing. Rather He is warm, welcoming, and pleasant. This is the type of demeanor that Christians are to exhibit (Colossians 3:12). They should be ready at all times to give a defense of their faith with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). They should not slander others, but treat everyone with gentleness (Titus 3:2). This is a rough and tumble world, and gentleness is often hard to come by. The Holy Spirit assists believers in showing gentleness to those they encounter around them.
Self-control is often referred to as temperance or the ability to control one’s temper. Christians must be able to regulate their own emotions and behaviors so as not to act out impulsively or foolishly. They must exercise self-control in all things, like an athlete running a race (1 Corinthians 9:25). This requires self-discipline in order to overcome the passions and lusts of the flesh (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). Furthermore, God’s people should be able to control what they say (Proverbs 13:3). The Holy Spirit assists believers in controlling and taming their feelings, thoughts, speech, and actions.
CONCLUSION
In this morning’s message, we’ve briefly summarized the 9 different virtues included in “The Fruit of the Spirit”. Christians who exhibit these qualities in their lives present a more accurate image of Jesus. They are regarded by others as being more genuine in their faith and, therefore, have a more effective witness for the Lord. Actions speak louder than words, so it is important for believers to have a godly attitude accompanied by godly conduct. This can be difficult for us as fallen human beings, even after we’ve accepted Christ, but the Holy Spirit works to cultivate Christian character within us so that we can practice what we preach.