Fruit of Spirit, Fruit of Flesh
It seems that when God wants me to pay attention to something he repeats it over and over. Lately, the theme has been Walking by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-17
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
In an effort to live this out instead of keeping it in the arena of academia, I have written the fruit of the flesh and that of the Spirit (found in Galatians 5: 19-22) on a piece of paper that I keep with me:
FRUIT OF THE FLESH
1) sexual immorality 2) impurity 3) extreme sensuality 4) idolatry 5) witchcraft 6) hostility 7) bitter conflicts 8) jealousy 9) outbursts of anger 10) lack of unity 11) dissentions 12) cliquishness 13) envying 14) drunkenness 15) orgies, and things like these.
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
1) LOVE 2) JOY 3) PEACE 4) PATIENCE 5) KINDNESS 6) GOODNESS 7) FAITHFULNESS 8) GENTLENESS 9) SELF-CONTROL
I also noted that the fruit of the flesh is obvious (Gal 5:19), and that there is no law against the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22b). [I take it to mean no Spiritual law.]
A friend of mine pointed out to me that the fruit of the flesh are actually perversions of the fruit of the Spirit. For example, sexual immorality, impurity, extreme sensuality, jealousy, and orgies are perversions of the Spiritual Fruit of Love.
Satan does a very good job of taking what is good and twisting it. Be very careful. This is why it is important to stay in the Word and do what it says.
21 Comments:
Well said Bert. I was praying 15 minutes ago and it was impressed upon my mind to write down the two opposing "fruits" listed in Scripture. I decided to Google "fruit of the flesh" and see where it might lead. Well, your blog was the first sight and here I am. Thanks for what you wrote it was just what I was looking for. God bless, keith k.
its a great thought, and I believe you are correct. That is the most that the evil one can do is pervert and twist. I am teaching the to a group of kids 10-13 in age, about the fruit of the flesh and the fixer, the fruit of the Spirit. Teaching them to ask God for the fruit of the Spirit to combat the fruit of the flesh.
Once again, the Bible is telling me what to do, but it isn't telling me how to do it!
Pastor K.
Joann - John 15 maps it very clearly how to do it - it is not our works but the work of the spirit through us. Stay connected to the vine or "abide" which means to persevere. Let the Word of God abide in you and let your heart abide in the spirit of God and you will produce fruit. It is all a matter of what is planted into the garden of your heart that will produce the fruit of your life.
I also was doing some research on a message i am working on. I already have the heart of my message. I was just doing a little more research. I came across this and i like what was said..."It is all a matter of what is planted into the garden of your heart that will produce the fruit of your life." That was the point i was going to overall. The message is about the what fruit are we bearing. There were two trees in the garden. One which is the fruit of the flesh causing death. The other tree which is the fruit of the spirit, giving life. You just gave me my title. "What is planted in your garden?". I thought that was powerful.
I am very intrigued by this discussion, I am confused because I have evidence of good and bad fruit in my life, is this possible or am I confused about the fruits of the spirit v the flesh
i dont think your too confused frankpain, at least your started recognizing the fruits of spirit/flesh. God made us in his image our spirit desires good and our flesh wants bad, thats why theres always a day to day spiritual battle. if we practice God's word we can conquer against the flesh. we're never perfect but if u kno wats wrong then u kno wat u shudnt do its a day to day improvement not an overnight procedure. God will make u better just ask him to work on the areas u can not!
I was writing down a list of the fruits of the spirit (which I have memorized) and the fruits of the flesh (which I am endeavouring to memorize.) Came across this site and it is exciting to me to see others doing the same thing. I am focused on these opposing sets of behavior as markers of the spirit's role in our lives. I want to live a spirit-filled life. I look to these behaviors to see if I am on the right path and making the right choices throughout my day. I am no saint. It isn't easy, but I believe it will lead me to a better life and closer to God in the long run.
all the enemy has done is used the lords creation.he has mimicked and copy cat what the holy one has already done.nature in an out of order state of being.thru christ is how we return to the god intended state of being for the human being
The fruits of God's Spirit, are often found within none christians, as they behave as a law unto themselves.
When we receive the baptism with God's Holy Spirit, attested to with the God given gift of tongues, He leads us into an even closer relationship with God, and will, if we let Him, and ask Him to, open our minds to an honesty far beyond what we think we may already have, the fruits of which hone our behaviour, and our faithful walk with God - most christians are nowhere near as pious as they may think they are.
A great book on this subject is "The Walk of the Spirit,The Walk of Power" by Dave Roberson. Its free to read online. For those who are hungry for more of God and who have a hunger to want to know how to walk more in the spirit and in power this book is a great tool to help you do just that. Be Blessed!
I'm looking for a side by side list of the fruit with its perversions. I had one years ago but I can't find it. Does anyone know where to find one?
i like this a lot, some of the fruits of the flesh i didn't know existed like cliquishness, but it makes sense and i understand it. God is about total love for all people and if you "belong" to a cliche, or "exclusive" group of people you tend to set yourselves apart from "normal" people. this makes no sense since we are all the same in God's eyes.
Christ the king :)
This actually helped me out a lot. I am preparing for a bible study tomorrow night. And its absolutely true. The fruits of the flesh are perversions of the fruit of the spirit. The devil does not want us to take the word of God and grow strong from it. He will try to twist it every opportunity he gets. But God also gave me something else. The first part of my lesson for tomorrow is in Luke 8 (the traveled path, the rock, the thorns, and the good soil). I personally believe I am somewhere in the thorns and the good soil. Some days are better than others, are they not? Well the Lord put a question upon my heart. The questions was, WHAT AM I ALLOWING TO BE PLANTED IN THE GOOD SOIL? Whether its a seed from the Lord that will grow into a fruit of the Spirit, or a life killing fruit of the flesh. When the devil plants something in our lives and we give into it and ALLOW it to remain, it WILL manifest into something greater. We must guard ourselves Ephesians 6. It can get REAL deep, but simple enough, do we pray and read the word on a daily basis? if so, good. Now how about the next step, sharing our faith??? These are simple things that I sometimes fail to do. But the Lords grace and love is exactly what I need to stand back up and start over.
Praise be to our GOD who sanctifys us by the ruach hokadesch!!!! If you wish to be my disciple,deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me daily! Oh who has bewitched you? Having begun in the spirit are you now made whole by the works of the flesh?
We can't do it but he can....the flesh is so proud and deceives us into thinking we can do something or not do something and it merit us "righteousness".
By following man made traditions they make the cross of christ of no effect.
Not submitting to GODs righteousness, they go about establishing their own righteousness and are there own GODs....
If we could change or keep the law then GOD wouldn't have sent YESHU to shed his blood on the cross.
He will sanctify each of us and refine us for he is the refiner........he will remove the sins within us first and when the sins in our hearts are clean, the outward sins will be also.
THE GOD, our Father, allows things to occur,situations to come to us and as a true
believer we see ....oh wow I have an anger problem! Or jealousy problem,....confess your sins to one another and be healed!!!! Once that one is removed and replaced with His sons christ likeness, he will show us another Iniquity that's in our heart.....our only job is to confess it and say we can't but yea and amen to the.one who can remove it......this is the sanctification process and he will remove them one by one.....I had a jealousy issue in my heart and never knew it and also greed and had thought myself generous!! Hahaha GOD hammered me and I love HIM and he is just and faithful and wont ever leave nor forsake us. His sheep know his voice and will follow. This is the truth and it is the spirit saying YOU can't do good for GOD nor can you DO bad for GOD! Either we are dead and buried and resurrected and placed in the body in newness of life....or they walk around as though they are living but are dead. The body of christ is controlled by us???? No no no.....I am in the body of christ and the head/mind tells the body part what to do. Therefore there is now no guilt/condemnation for those who are in MESSIAH YESHU who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit in newness of life!!!
The world thinks they can fix themselves:
Here is proof
Insanity:do same thing and expect different results
God:MY word be true and every mans a liar
they are full of vain philosophy and deceits.
God says whatever cometh from the mouth of man cometh from his heart.
Bottom line: JESUS/YESHU crucified is foolishness to those perishing but to us who are being saved it is.the power of GOD!
We can't do it and if you attempt to door fix something out of your own strength then it is the working of the flesh........no man knows the heart for it is deceptively wicked but GOD knows it deepest thoughts and through his spirit he will winnow the iniquity from a be livers heart and refine it with characteristics MESSIAH possessed!
Praise HIM by his name!
The lord of hosts
the I AM
EL SHADDAI. The mighty one!
For those who are predestined are also called to be conformed to the image/likeness of YESHU/JESUS!!!!
You will know my people by their fruits and the flesh can't love and the flesh seeks revenge and the flesh seeks its own...me me me and I I I are the flesh...clean up the outside and your no different than the Pharisees.. white washed tombs
May our FATHER in heaven sanctify us and form his body and may peace be bestowed upon all who read his words written. May he also continually purify each of our hearts and knit us together into his perfect body led by our Messiah YESHU so that we may live by HIS spirit in truth and in deed. I love you my brothers and my sisters and will know each of you by and through the spirit for the spirit is a discerner of all things. Amen
I find it odd that the fruit of the flesh would even be called fruit. But none the less, this is a nice comparison. I am writing an e-book right now on the Fruits of the Spirit and ran across your site. I am also a nutrition student and was wondering do you have any suggestions on how to tie the eating of fruit to the fruits of the spirit and being more Christ like? Thanks!
LA
www.beauty-crave.com
Just learned this from my mom :-)
Mindy, I was looking for the same thing, and I came across a chart you can download. It's at peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org. Works of the Flesh versus Fruits of the Spirit
Daniel...nothing is a coincidence in God's economy...all things work together for good for those who are in Christ Y'shua (the hebrew name for Jesus). My wife's gift to me (one of them)...a book: OVERCOMING SIN AND TEMPTATION, John Owen, edited by Kapic and Taylor. I read through the first seven chapters of Romans until I came upon: "But if through the power of the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live." Romans 7:13b. John Ownen's entire book is devoted to HOW we are able "in the power of the Spirit" to "put to death the deeds of the flesh/sinful nature/OLD MAN! For 68 years I tried to "put to death...THE FLESH reaping cyclical and never-ending futility, frustration and defeat. Why? Wrong target! Owen proposes that the real target is THE OLD MAN, the ROOT expressing it's bad fruit in and through the "members" of THIS BODY OF FLESH. So, who is the OLD MAN? Bye the book BROTHER! God bless you all, enjoy participating in the edification of the Body of Christ! Daniel
By the way that's BUY the book...bye, bye!
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