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Good Fruit

Ephesians 5:9 “(For zthe fruit of the Spirit is in all agoodness and righteousness and truth;)” [1]

I.   Goodness

     A. Reputable

     B. Reliable

II. Righteousness

     A. Irrefutable

     B. Honorable

III.     Truth

     A. Incorruptible

     B. Undeceivable


 

Introduction:  We have been concentrating on the Holy Spirit for the past few Sundays because traditionally we are in the period of Pentecost.  In the days following Jesus’ ascension the disciples came together in the upper room in Jerusalem where the Holy Spirit ascended on them.  The first thing that happened was that all could understand the truth of Jesus in their native languages.

After God delivered Noah and his sons the people again decided to act as if they were gods in themselves.  They were attempting to build a giant tower so that they could reach heaven by their own works.  God in three persons decided to confound their language so that they could not come together as a people without God.

In that day of Pentecost The Holy Spirit came upon them.  God allowed the Holy Spirit to give discernment to the masses for the ability to understand the gospel in their own distinct languages.  God did this because it is important that we hear His truth in a way that we can understand.  He loves us that much.

Many are confused even about this thing of speaking because they would rather have something to divide rather than something to unite believers into one family and one church.  There will be things to separate us and denominate us until we are united with Him in heaven.  Until then let us learn more about God so that we will be ready when He is ready to bring us to Himself.

The apostle Paul spoke of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12.  In verse thirty he listed tongues and interpretation of tongues last.  Then he said this, “But zcovet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” [2]

The gifts that Paul spoke of to the Corinthians lastly were apparently not the best gifts according to verse thirty-one.  So what is the best gift?  We understand 1 Corinthians 13 as the “love chapter.”  Charity is another word that has been misrepresented since the KJV that we use in our pews was translated.  Charity is not a giveaway program for those who cannot provide for themselves.  The charity that the 1900 KJV mentions is actually love.  Knowing this makes this chapter way more enlightening.

God gave us the Holy Spirit because He loves us and now we have within us what we need to apply God’s love as He loves others through us.  In addition to all that, God also gives fruit of the Holy Spirit.  What does that mean?  When a tomato plant has blossoms you know that is a promise of something yet to come.  When you eat the tomato you have received the fruit.  Today we will discuss how to recognize that fruit within you.

Scripture:  The scripture today is Ephesians 5:9.  Please stand if you can for God’s written word.

Prayer:  Please be seated.

Message:  Listen as we read Ephesians chapter five verses one through fourteen.  These words from God through Paul are very controversial in society today because they smack the face of those who preach intolerance to anything that the individual wants is the only unpardonable sin.  We know from Jesus that to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is that unpardonable sin. 

How do Christians mature?  In the springtime the blooms come and we see the beauty of nature coming alive.  It is a beautiful time of year to behold but most people don’t eat blossoms.  Rachael likes her flower gardens though she is not able to care for them just now.  Personally I don’t get too excited about flowers.

Years ago when my uncle Willie was with us I broke the garden and planted it as the ground was ready and my time was available.  The vines were alive with blossoms.  It really looked like we would have a bumper crop of cucumbers.  Plenty of pickles this winter!

Uncle Willie was there with me as I talked about how many blossoms there were.  He said as a matter of fact, “Won’t be any cucumbers.  You planted them on bloom days.  You didn’t check the almanac.”  Guess what; the blooms dried up and we didn’t make a cucumber.

When the blooms come on the vines and the trees and the bushes they are so pretty.  It is as if God is giving us a promise of something to come.  To get fruit though, the blossoms have to go away.  When the fruit comes it is not a flowery thing but a substantial thing that a person can take in and digest.  It is the fruit that sustains us, not the beauty of the blossom.

The devil is such a deceptive beast.  He makes sin look so enticing.  Before you know it you are in the midst of sin defending yourself for staying there.  The fruit never comes because you can’t move past the thing that drew you into depravity.

In Ephesians 5:1- 2 Paul says we should start as children following God as we walk in love like Jesus walked and loved us.  The blossoms have a fine fragrance.  Jesus has a sweet-smelling savour.  Do not be confused by which one to follow.  In verse three through eight there is a warning and a list of things to avoid.  If we mature into saints we are intended to be we must avoid those things in verses three, four, and five.  There will be those, and they will be many, who will attempt to dissuade Christians into submission to disobedience of God.  These things will come to light and then will be seen for what it truly is.  There will be no hiding one day.  When the Lord’s Day comes all will see.

When the blooms of the Holy Spirit come to fruition it will be evident in all that the Christian does.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit is good.  There are many examples of the idea of goodness in the Bible.  One that comes to my mind is when the Rich Young Ruler referred to Jesus as good teacher.  Jesus asked why he referred to Him as good because there was only one good and that is God.  All goodness comes from God.  When you are hungry in the woods and you come upon a bush of berries do you reach out and eat them or do you decide whether they are edible?  The fruit of the Holy Spirit is good.  It is reputable and it won’t turn out to be harmful to you.  It is reliable to keep you nourished so that you can go on healthy in spirit.

Righteousness is not a word that we hear much in the news today.  It is whatever makes the individual feel good that counts.  Nobody has any right to stop anybody from doing whatever they want to.  That is the mentality towards most but if a person happens to trust God society today says that they must be silenced into submission.  What is righteousness?

Righteousness is irrefutable.  There is no argument against being right with God and there is nobody that can be right with God without God.  To look at nature and attempt to explain it without God is impossible.  People have tried so many refutable theories that have holes in them but they only convince themselves and others who have decided to ignore the obvious.  God is irrefutable because He was, is, and always will be long after those who criticize are long gone.  To be right with God is the definition of righteousness.

Righteousness is honorable.  God alone is worthy of honor.  When you come up with a way to live without breath or food or all the other things that God give us to sustain us then I will give you the honor for keeping this world going.  When you look unto the starlit sky at night and can honestly say that one of those specks is of your doing then I will give you the honor for creating light from darkness.

We can only understand how to assist in the sustainability of what is here now.  To be right with God demands that we can do that which He demands.  In John chapter one we know that all things were made because and for and by the Word of God.  Jesus is that Word. 

Jesus deserves all honor because Jesus alone is righteousness.  Through all of that, God loves us so much that because Jesus is righteous so can we be when we come into fruition.  Who brings us there?  Only the Holy Spirit!  As He guided Jesus through the wilderness and out of the tomb, so He guides us into fruition of what we are to become.  We are to be righteous.

We long for the truth today in what we hear and even see.  With the onset of computers and animation in film you can see things that are not real.  There is a need for discernment so that a person can hold on to something that they can depend on.  We hear things and we get angry when they are objectionable to us even though that may be where the truth is.  Paul explains that along with spiritual maturity comes the fruit of truth.  We find these words of Jesus in John 8:31-32,  “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, lIf ye continue in my word, then lare ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know mthe truth, and the truth nshall make you free.[3]

Social media runs on the idea that if a platform is developed that allows users to create their own version of the truth then those who manage that platform will manage the people and their ideas of what is and what is not truth.  Jesus alone is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.  His journey from heaven to earth and then back again proved that only Jesus is incorruptible. 

Though He loves us so much that He obediently followed His Father’s will even to death on the cross, He was never corrupted by personal greed.  The devil tempted Jesus to take even what was rightfully Jesus’ role as King of all kings yet Jesus remained the obedient servant.

Through The Holy Spirit we can carry that gift of discernment which will eventually mature us as spiritually undeceivable.  Try as the attackers might, truth is truth and we can know the truth and His name is Jesus.  Let us not be deceived into submission by those who hate and propagate hate.  The greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is love and we are only capable of truly loving each other when we mature into the fruit which The Holy Spirit is molding us to be.

Prayer:

Invitation:  The invitation today is to be patient as The Holy Spirit ripens the fruit within you.  When the time is ready you will most certainly know.  To pick fruit that has not ripened is to taste bitterness.  Wait for the sweet savour that tells you when the fruit is ready.  Otherwise you will become bitter and not ready for God’s consumption.

We hear truth that offends because we have listened too long to those who are offended by the truth.  Social media, the so-called news, and the entertainment industry have all been used to counterfeit truth so that when we finally hear that which God is telling us we shy away and even talk against it as we defend our right to be right within ourselves.  We cannot be!  We can only inherit righteousness from Jesus.  When we compare ourselves against others we will always be fooled into believing that we are OK because we are not as bad as those hypocrites.

To find goodness and righteousness and truth is to allow the Holy Spirit to work within you.  Please do not deny Him.  The altar is here for alterations.  Respond to His call as we sing…



z See Gal. 5:22.
a See Rom. 15:14.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Eph 5:9). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
z ch. 14:1, 39. 2 Cor. 11:2. Gal. 4:17, 18. James 4:2. Rev. 3:19 in the Gk.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Co 12:31). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
l So ch. 15:7 (Gk.), 8.
l So ch. 15:7 (Gk.), 8.
m See ch. 1:17.
n ver. 36. Rom. 6:18, 22. & 8:2. So James 1:25. & 2:12.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 8:31–32). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.