(Fruit of the Spirit)
Study Outline
Questions for various situations50
Am I a good ambassador of
Christ?51
Do I Offend or Stumble
Others?52
Does it look bad or
inappropriate?54
Leading to God, or being led
astray?56
Hiding my Light, or Hiding
My Sin?57
Are my words foolish, Idle, hurtful?58
Is this beneficial? God’s will?59
Am I motivated by God’s love?60
Am I selfish or considerate?60
Character
Transformation
(Fruit of the Spirit)
Titus 3:4-6 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior
toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and
renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through
Jesus Christ our Savior,
Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not
as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will
and to do for His good pleasure.
God strives and works with us, but we have a choice
whether we obey or reject him. God extends the invitation to whosoever will and
is not just for salvation but also for sanctification and walking in the
Spirit. It’s up to us to obey his promptings and work together with him.
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For
My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
John 7:37-38 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus
stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and
drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his
heart will flow rivers of living water."
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say,
"Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who
thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
We are blessed to
be under the new covenant, where God reveals himself to each person by writing
his law in each of our hearts and minds individually. And Jesus said his sheep
hear his voice, so each believer should know his voice for themselves without intervention
from anyone else. Each person should obey what God has written in their hearts
and the voice of the great shepherd.
Hebrews 8:10-12 This is the covenant I will make with the house of
Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my
people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother,
saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them
to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember
their sins no more."
John 10:14, 27 "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep,
and am known by My own. … My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me:
Hebrews 10:10, 14 By that will we have been sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. … For by one offering He
has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
1 Corinthians 1:27-31 But God has chosen the foolish things of the
world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of
the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base
things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen,
and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that
no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who
became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and
redemption that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the
LORD.
Romans 6:19-23 … For just as you presented your members as slaves
of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present
your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. … But now having been
set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to
holiness …
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 For this is the will of God, your sanctification:
that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know
how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion
of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; … For God did not call us to
uncleanness, but in holiness.
We have seen that God has given us free will to choose,
and we have been sanctified and perfected at the cross in Christ. As believers
in Jesus, we are responsible for separating ourselves from worldliness and sin
as we undergo character transformation and sanctification, walking in obedience
to the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 2:19-21 … "Let everyone who names the name of Christ
depart from iniquity." But in a great house there are not only vessels
of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for
dishonor. Therefore, IF anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be
a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for
every good work.
2 Corinthians 6:16-17 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord:
When we surrender
our lives to Christ, a tremendous transformation takes place, and we are so
drastically different that it is like we have a new life, and our old way of
life fades into the past. At least that’s what is supposed to happen.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
However, some people
do not exhibit any noticeable change, and others start well and then revert
back to their old ways. It’s sad to see professing Christians living like
unsaved worldly people, or even worse. Paul wrote to a congregation of people
who had returned to the old way of life. He prayed that they would start their
Christian life over again and focus on developing the character of Christ in
their lives.
Galatians 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth
again until Christ is formed in you,
If Children bear
their father’s resemblance, then spiritually speaking, we either resemble the
character of Christ or the devil. If we profess to be born-again Christians,
God the father will not allow us to keep living an ungodly sinful life, and he
will help us with a character adjustment. In the same way, a father disciplines
his children, God the Father will correct us to make us holy like he is because
he loves us. And if we receive correction and discipline from God, that is
evidence that we are his children, but those who reject his discipline are not
his children.
Hebrews 12:5-10 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement
that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's
discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the
Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a
son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what
son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and
everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true
sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we
respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our
spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought
best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his
holiness.
If you are unwilling to obey God, and accept his
correction, you are either an unsaved child of the devil or a spiritual infant
which will never mature until you are willing submit to God, his will, his
word, and his correction.
The starting point
for character formation is a change in heart. We begin with a good house
cleaning and do away with the stinking thinking. The external forces outside
our body do not make us sin, but the evil thoughts inside our hearts lead us
into sin. There is a struggle between the inner man and the outside world, and
transformation happens when the inner man takes charge and renews the mind.
Mark 7:20-23 He (Jesus) went on: "What comes out of a man is
what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil
thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice,
deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come
from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"
2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do
not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the
inward man is being renewed day by day.
Ephesians 3:16 … that He would grant you, according to the riches of
His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to
God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Jesus walked through a world full of sin, yet Satan
could not get inside his mind. Jesus saw and heard many things, but nothing
ever got inside him because he ruled in the Spirit.
Isaiah 42:18 "Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you
may see. Who is blind but My servant (Jesus), or deaf as My messenger whom I
send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the LORD'S servant?
Seeing many things, but you do not observe; opening the ears, but he does not
hear."
John 14:30 "I will no longer talk much with you, for the
ruler of this world (Satan) is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
However, when Lot
walked through the streets of Sodom, his soul was vexed and tormented by
everything he saw. Lot’s problem was that he had been compromising, and he was
like a brother to the Sodomites (Genesis 19:7), and he let Sodom get into his
head. Remember Lot’s wife, don’t look back or think back (Luke 17:32, 9:62).
2 Peter 2:6 … and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was
distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man,
living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the
lawless deeds he saw and heard) if this is so, then the Lord knows how
to rescue godly men from trials …
But God will help
us to walk the streets as Jesus did, so we can see without observing and hear
without listening. We can control what our eyes watch on the streets, in our
homes, or with our cell phones. Like a blind person, we can depend on God to be
our guide, to lead us to walk by the Spirit, and can mentally shut out the
things we don’t want to see or hear.
Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
"This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right
hand or whenever you turn to the left.
Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not
known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness
into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the
things I will do; I will not forsake them.
In the tech world,
they have a saying, garbage in, garbage out. Whenever we watch or listen to
anything that fills our minds with sex, murder, witchcraft, and godless immoral
filth, we put ourselves in a position of compromising, condoning, and mentally participating
in those acts. Voluntarily participating in filling our eyes with images and
ears with sounds of wickedness can be a form of idolatry or spiritual adultery.
And when we intentionally expose ourselves to evil and perversion, we can
defile, damage, and sear our conscience, so it becomes insensitive or dead.
Jeremiah 7:9 "Will you steal, murder, commit adultery,
swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom
you do not know, "and then come and stand before Me in this house which
is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered to do all these abominations'?
"Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in
your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the LORD.
James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that
friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a
friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the
Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns
jealously"?
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times
some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and
doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own
conscience seared with a hot iron,
An undisciplined mind is the devil's playground, and
we cannot afford to be careless and ignore the escalating dangers of the end
times. Tech and media companies are
taking our personal information (data mining) and feeding it through algorithms
with artificial intelligence to manipulate our minds to create subliminal
acceptance or outright addictions to ungodly lifestyles or agendas.
Our cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices
can be Trojan horses for the devil to get influence and manipulate our thinking,
entering through our eye and ear gates. With the advent of digital IDs, digital
vaccine passports, banking, GPS, online buying and selling, there is a phone
app for everything. All our tech devices are an essential part of modern life,
and because we can't live without them, cell phones have become enslavement
devices. These digital tracking devices that we call phones are powerful
brainwashing, social engineering, and data collection weapons. There is also a
demonic element at work and this tech explosion goes way beyond human and
artificial intelligence. The media and tech industries are tools to usher in
the new world order and the antichrist.
Yes, Christian ministries use the same devices, but
that window is rapidly closing, and anything contrary to the approved
narratives is flagged, de-platformed, destroyed, and removed from public view.
There is a remnant of believers becoming more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and
are weening themselves off the devil's media milk. The narrow path has fewer travelers
and narrows even more as the world around us gets more wicked. We need to stay
on alert because Jesus can come at any time. And what will he find us doing,
watching, and listening to when he returns?
Ephesians 2:2 … in which you once walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince (Satan) of the power of the air
(air waves, TV, internet, radio, etc.), the spirit who now works in
the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in
the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the
mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Our thought life
controls who we are, either for God or the devil. We must decide to control our
thoughts, eyes, ears, and behavior and give our time in service to God with
eternity in view. The time is short, and the spiritual battles will only
increase as we get closer to the coming of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to
those who are perishing. The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the
minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the
glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove
what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Athletes are committed to a disciplined training
routine that controls every aspect of their lives, including coaching,
exercise, practice routines, and diet. They train repetitiously, hour after
hour, day after day, to be stronger, faster, and better to defeat their
competition. They are not mere spectators or fans but are continuously active
and seek to excel above all others.
Our goal should be to have a greater mental resolve,
commitment, and discipline in serving God because we are in a competition and
are running to win the prize, which is being the bride of Christ. We compete
against ourselves as our sinful desires fight against our efforts to yield to
the Holy Spirit so we can run this race with all our hearts, minds, souls, and
strength.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone
who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a
crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a
man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after
I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
The apostle Paul had a dilemma because he said that
when he tried to do good, he would end up doing bad. He recognized something
from within that was working against him and concluded that the enemy was the
sinful desires of his fleshly body and mind. Paul experienced a perpetual war
between his flesh and the Holy Spirit. Sound familiar?
Romans 7:15-24 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to
do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do,
I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it,
but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in
my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry
it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want
to do this I keep on doing. … Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is
no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So, I find this
law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my
inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the
members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a
prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I
am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
James 4:1 Where do wars and fights come from among you?
Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your
members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot
obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask
and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your
pleasures.
Paul gives us the
solution to the war between our flesh and the Holy Spirit, which battle for
control over our lives. First, there is no condemnation to those who abide "IN" Christ Jesus, and second, the
Holy Spirit sets us free from the law of sin and death, which is the stronghold
of our old sinful life.
Romans 8:1-4 Therefore,
there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through
Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and
death. For what the law
was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God
did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.
And so, he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous
requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to
the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
The key to victory
is the Holy Spirit, who puts to death the sinful mindset and the misdeeds of
the body. He that is dead to sin is free from sin's power, so those who have
their mind controlled by the Spirit and led by the Spirit are free from sin.
Those controlled by sinful fleshly desires cannot please God. Therefore, it is
our responsibility to yield to the Holy Spirit and crucify the flesh with its
lusts and affections.
Romans 8:5-9 Those who live according to the sinful nature have
their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in
accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The
mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and
peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor
can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You,
however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the
Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of
Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation but it
is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according
to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the
misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of
God are sons of God.
Galatians 2:19-20 "For I through the law died to the law that I
might live to God. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I
who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 5:24-25 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in
the Spirit.
When we yield to
the Holy Spirit, he influences our thoughts and prompts us to put to death our
sinful desires, mentally nailing them to the cross and burying them with Christ
so Jesus can live his life through us. Let's look at the list of all our
spiritual enemies that the Holy Spirit will slay in our lives.
Galatians 5:16-21 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not
gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is
contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.
They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the
sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry
and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn
you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the
kingdom of God.
Colossians 3:3-10 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ
in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with
Him in glory. Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth:
fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is
idolatry. … But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath,
malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one
another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have
put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who
created him,
When
we yield to the Holy Spirit and die to our self-will and sinful nature, we receive
power from the Spirit that lifts us above our natural abilities and
circumstances. Walking in the Spirit will guide us to publicly manifest the
character of Christ in every situation and at all times. They say you don't
know a Christian by how they act but by how they react. Everyone can be happy
and friendly in the good times, but how do we respond under pressure when
attacked, wronged, angered, or tempted? Let's look at Paul's list of character traits that are
evidence of the Holy Spirit in someone's life.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
It is not enough
to gloss over that list, so let's look at each character trait and Biblical
examples that describe how we should represent the character of Christ to the
world.
There are multiple
words for love in the New Testament, but we will only concern ourselves with
the word "agape," which is God's love, the highest form of love that elevates
the concern for others above our self-interest. Jesus commanded us to love our
enemies, and he demonstrated his love for us by dying in our place on the cross
while we were his enemies. The Holy Spirit can give us the supernatural ability
to love someone who has caused great pain and grief to us, our family, or our
people.
1 Corinthians
13:4-8 Love is patient,
love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not
easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you;
1 John 4:19-21 We love Him because He first loved us. If someone
says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who
does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not
seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must
love his brother also.
Jesus said the
greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and
strength. Therefore, the devil's greatest goal is to separate us from the love
of God, and the greatest danger of all our trials, tests, and sufferings is
that we would walk away from God's love. But God said he would never leave or
forsake us. Loving God in the hard times and loving our enemies as ourselves,
regardless of our feelings and circumstances, can be a witness of God's
supernatural love flowing through us.
1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has
for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in
him.
Romans 8:35-39 Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake
we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet
in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For
I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor
powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any
other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hebrews 13:5
"I will never leave you nor forsake you."
There is a
difference between Joy and happiness. Happiness is dependent on what is
happening and disappears in hard times. Joy is unaffected by circumstances and
can manifest during the most severe suffering and intolerable circumstances.
Anybody can be happy in the good times, but when times get hard, it becomes
very evident who has the joy of the Holy Spirit. Another difference is that
God's joy is a source of strength and deliverance and is eternal.
Nehemiah 8:9-10 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest
and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people,
"This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep."
For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said
to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to
those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not
sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to
Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain
joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 61:3 To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them
beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the
spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The
planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
Acts 5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council,
rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
2 Corinthians 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my
boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful
in all our tribulation.
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into
various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
1 Peter 1:6-8 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the
genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes,
though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at
the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you
do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full
of glory.
Two sources of joy
for believers are the word of God and prayer, which is supernatural because unbelievers’
disdain both and are dead to God. To those alive in Christ, we find great joy
in the word, prayer, and everything about God.
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your
word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your
name, O LORD God of hosts.
Isaiah 56:7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and
make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their
sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house
of prayer for all nations."
Peace is an aspect
of God's character. He is the God of peace, king of peace, Jesus is the prince
of peace, and he dwells in the hills of peace, Jerusalem. Jesus offered his
peace to his disciples, which he said was not the same peace as the world
gives. The world's standard for peace is the absence of war, conflicts, or
noise. The peace that Jesus gives is an inner spiritual peace that is not
affected by anything happening externally in the physical world. God's peace is
only available to the righteous who are at peace with him, and there is no
spiritual peace or rest for the wicked, ever.
John 14:27 Peace I
leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be
afraid.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me
you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world."
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 26:3 You
will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
Isaiah 57:19-21 "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace
to him who is far off and to him who is near," Says the LORD,
"And I will heal him." But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when
it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. … "There is no
peace," Says my God, "for the wicked."
The word
longsuffering has to do with forbearance, patience, and restraint. Thank God he
is patient and longsuffering because he gives us time to repent and turn to him
instead of rendering immediate judgment against our sin. Otherwise, we would
have no opportunity to be saved.
2 Peter 3:5 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom
given unto him hath written unto you.
Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness,
forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you
to repentance?
Romans 9:22-24 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to
make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath
prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory
on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even
us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Lamentation
3:21-23 This I recall to
my mind; therefore, I have hope. Through the LORD'S mercies we are not
consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
It's great that
God demonstrates his longsuffering for us, but what about our longsuffering and
patience toward others? Patience and restraint are not a fruit we want to eat
because that would involve controlling ourselves while someone or something is
irritating, aggravating, abusing, creating stress, and pushing us to our
limits. In every place where there are people or difficult circumstances, there
is a need to have self-control over our emotions and actions to inwardly
dismiss and forgive abuse and afflictions while outwardly manifesting the
character of Christ. Most of us can forgive one transgression, but to forgive
490 times a day, as Jesus said, would require supernatural grace from the Holy
Spirit.
Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord,
how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to
seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but
seventy times seven.
Colossians 3:12-13 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy
and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man
have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Ephesians 4:1-3 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you
to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness
and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Colossians 1:10-11 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of
God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto
all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
God speaks about
the kindness he felt between himself and Israel that existed in Israel's youth
with love, pity, and mercy, and he reminded Israel of their espousals to him
with sentimental tones. There is a regrettable melancholy that reflects
closeness and intimacy that was lost and deeply missed by God and summarized by
the words, "I remember the kindness of your youth."
Jeremiah 2:2-3 "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying,
'Thus says the LORD: "I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the
love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land
not sown. Israel was holiness to the LORD, The firstfruits of His increase.
All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them," says the
LORD.'"
Even though Israel
went away from the Lord and consequently felt forsaken and grieved in spirit,
God always reached out to them and invited them back into the kindness of the
espousals they once had. All they had to do was repent and turn to God with all
their hearts, and God said he would gather them with everlasting kindness.
Joel 2:13-14 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return
to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will
turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him a grain offering and a
drink offering for the LORD your God?
Isaiah 54:6-10 For LORD has called you like a woman forsaken and
grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused," says
your God. "For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great
mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a
moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you," says
the LORD, your Redeemer. … For the mountains shall depart and the hills be
removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My
covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
When we were lost,
rebellious, deceived, and enslaved to sin, the kindness and love of God
appeared and saved us. Like Israel, our first love with God is the most
beautiful time of our life that we never want to lose.
Titus 3:3-5 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient,
deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in
malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness
and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous
things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the
washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
God saved us with
a purpose, as we have a calling to show the same kindness that brought us to
salvation to others as ambassadors of Christ. As the bride of Christ, we have
the "law of kindness" on our tongue to speak salvation to the lost,
begging them to reconcile with God through Christ.
Proverbs 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is
the law of kindness.
Proverbs 16:21 ¶ The wise in heart will be called prudent, and
sweetness of the lips increases learning.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to
the soul and health to the bones.
2 Corinthians
5:18-20 All this is from God,
who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of
reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were
making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled
to God.
Not everything is
sweetness and honey because sometimes we rebuke, correct, or smite someone with
kindness for their benefit. How we say something can be more important than
what we say, we should only speak operating within the boundaries of the law of
kindness. We should never correct anyone in anger because a soft answer can
break a bone and turn away wrath. In the short term, a correctly applied rebuke
may hurt, but it will be an ongoing blessing like an excellent oil or a fresh
anointing of the Holy Spirit in that person's life. Controlling the tone and
content of every word spoken while being a good ambassador of Christ is a
supernatural grace.
Psalms 141:5 Let
the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It
shall be as excellent oil; let my head not
refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.
Proverbs 25:15 By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded, and a
gentle tongue breaks a bone.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh
word stirs up anger.
God is a good God,
goodness is his character, and goodness naturally flows out from him even to
those who do not deserve it. But those who reject the goodness of God will
experience his severity. His goodness and his severity bring a balance of
justice and mercy. Notice that in God's character, good is not balanced with
evil because there is no evil in God whatsoever. God is absolutely pure and
infinitely holy and can do no evil.
Romans 11:22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of
God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you
continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
The goodness of
God contrasted with our sinfulness, hypocrisy, and self-righteousness should
bring us under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and lead to repentance.
Romans 2:3-4 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those
practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment
of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and
longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
That repentance is
part of an endless cycle because of our sinful lusts. We want to do good and do
what is right in the strength of our flesh, but we end up disappointing
ourselves and doing the opposite. We have a body with sinful cravings and a
mindset that pulls us toward sin and makes us a prisoner to sin, keeping us
from doing the good that we want.
Romans 7:18-23 I
know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have
the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not
the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer
I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So, I find this law at
work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. or in my
inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the
members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a
prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
Thank God for his
goodness and mercy because he has supernaturally equipped us to live above our fleshly
lusts. The cross of Christ sets us free from the law of sin and death, and the
Holy Spirit empowers us to live good godly, and fruitful lives.
Romans 8:1-5 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of
life set me free from the law of sin and death. … in order that the
righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live
according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live
according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature
desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds
set on what the Spirit desires.
Ephesians 5:8-11 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in
the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the
Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
expose them.
2 Thessalonians
1:11-12 Wherefore also we
pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil
all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him,
according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
God longs for his
children to glorify him for all the goodness and blessings he freely and
abundantly bestows upon us. Grateful believers should be like salt that creates
a thirst in those who are lost and challenges them to taste and see God's
goodness and mercy for themselves.
Psalms 34:8-10 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed
is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you, His saints! There is no
want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But
those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing
Peter 2:2-3 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,
so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have
tasted that the Lord is good.
Psalms 107:8-9 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His
goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He
satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.
Psalms 107:13-16 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And
He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the
shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give
thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the
children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of
iron in two.
God is faithful,
so we can fully trust that whatever he has said that he will do, he will do it,
and we can have confidence in him. The question is how that faithfulness
affects us. The following is a short list of what God has promised to do for
us.
Faithful
over temptations
1 Corinthians
10:13 There hath no
temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who
will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Faithful
to establish & guard
2 Thessalonians
3:3 But the Lord
is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
Faithful
to his word
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Faithful
to forgive
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
Faithful
to make us rapture ready
1 Thessalonians
5:23-24 And the very God
of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and
body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful
is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Faithful
in suffering
1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to
the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as
unto a faithful Creator.
Faithful
unto death
2 Timothy 2:11-13
This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with
Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are
faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
To know if we are
faithful, we must be tested and proven trustworthy. Testing may come in many
forms, such as compromise and lukewarmness, which are deceiving and can induce
spiritual slumber and backsliding. Other types of testing may come from severe
persecution and even the threat of death. Being faithful in those extremes
comes only by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the apostles they would
receive power from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses, and the Greek word for
witness is martus or martyr.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower
than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death,
so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
The book of
Revelation describes Jesus as a faithful witness. Jesus is the faithful martyr
that tasted death for every person by the grace of God. When Jesus returns at
the second coming, he is called Faithful and True and followed by an army of
saints who are called, chosen, and faithful.
Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,
and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God;
Revelation
19:11-16 And I saw heaven
opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
… On his robe and on his thigh, he has this name
written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
In these last
days, the faithfulness of the saints will be tested like never before by
deceptions, temptations, compromise, persecutions, and death. The worst is yet
to come, and believers could face severe persecution and possibly even
martyrdom before the rapture. During the great tribulation, martyrdom is the
only option for salvation. Jesus speaks to the suffering churches saying be
faithful unto death, and he will give you a crown of life. If we are not faithful
right now, what are the chances of being faithful then?
Revelation 2:10-11 "Do not fear any of those things which you are
about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison,
that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful
until death, and I will give you the crown of life. "He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes
shall not be hurt by the second death."'
Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb
shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they
that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Jesus told several
parables regarding the judgment of rewards and how rewards would get dispersed
based on faithfulness, faithful over little or much, equals ruler over little
or much. Jesus said that people who were responsible got rewarded by having
rule over cities, most likely during the millennial reign of Christ.
Luke 12:42-43 And the Lord said, who then is that faithful and
wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give
them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his
lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and
faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Luke 16:10-13 He that is faithful in that which is least is
faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also
in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous
mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that
which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
Luke 19:17-19 "And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because
you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'
"And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'
"Likewise, he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'
Jesus described
himself as meek and lowly in heart. It is hard for us to comprehend how Jesus
spoke the worlds into existence, every knee will bow before him, and he has all
power in heaven and earth, but he is meek and lowly in heart. The contrast between
being all-powerful and yet being meek and humble is beyond our comprehension
and proves that meekness is not a weakness.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Paul was also impacted
by how Jesus stepped down from his position in heaven, laid aside his power,
humbled himself more than a common man, and made himself a servant to all men,
leaving us an example to follow in his steps.
Philippians 2:3-8.
Let this mind be
in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.
God empowered
Moses to be a great leader and used him to do many spectacular miracles,
including ten plagues against Egypt, parting the Red Sea, and providing food,
water, and every necessity for two and a half million people in a dry, barren
desert. And this was no small task, and it was not a picnic for Moses, who
carried the daily needs, burdens, and egos of millions of people on his
shoulders. How did Moses do it? He was the meekest man in the whole world!
Numbers 12:3 Now
the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the
earth.
David was the
greatest King of Israel, a prophet, Christ the Messiah was from his lineage,
they called him the sweet psalmist of Israel (rock star, songwriter, and
musician), and he was the champion warrior and greatest general. David
established Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the Jews, and he gave the
construction plans for the temple and supplied the materials to build it. So,
David must have been aggressive and forceful as a leader, right? No, the secret
to his greatness was God’s gentleness.
2 Samuel 22:33-36
God is my strength
and power, And He makes
my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on
my high places. He teaches my hands to make war, So, that my arms can
bend a bow of bronze. "You have also given me the shield of Your
salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.
Psalms 18:35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up, Your
gentleness has made me great.
Our fleshly pride always seeks to exalt self, but the
Holy Spirit can mortify the pride and arrogance of our old life and empower us
to have the mind of the Spirit to serve others with humility and gentleness.
Paul encourages us to esteem others higher than ourselves with the same mindset
as Jesus in humility and gentleness.
Philippians 2:3-8 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or
conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the
interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ
Jesus,
1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 Nor did we
seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.
But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own
children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to
you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had
become dear to us.
Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who
are great exercise authority over them. "Yet it shall not be so among you;
but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
"And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave "just
as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life
a ransom for many."
Followers of Jesus
are supposed to be disciples or disciplined ones. God is a God of order, not
confusion. God designed everything in creation to function according to a set
order, orbits, gravity, seasons, cycles, and God's authority. As followers of Jesus, we should develop consistent
spiritual disciplines that control every aspect of our lives and not live a
disorganized and chaotic spiritual life. Paul compares godly discipline to
athletic training, so being filled with the Holy Spirit supernaturally lifts us
above our natural abilities and weaknesses to have victory in doing the will of
God.
1 Corinthians
9:24-27 Do you not know
that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a
way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict
training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get
a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running
aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and
make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize.
1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but
godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present
life and the life to come.
Reading the Bible,
we see that believers are supposed to wrestle, strive, and fight the good fight
of faith as good soldiers of Christ. Soldiers are taught discipline and are
trained at boot camp and conditioned to take orders and throw themselves into
the battle without hesitation or questioning. They do not get distracted by
secular activities while they engage the enemy on the battlefield. A sloppy,
undisciplined, lazy, untrained, rebellious, and independent soldier is a dead
soldier walking.
2 Timothy 2:3-5
Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets
involved in civilian affairs, he wants to please his commanding officer.
Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the
victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.
The unsaved and
half-saved worldly Christians do not want to hear about keeping the lustful
desires of the body in check and living a holy life of dedication to God. The
apostle Paul was on trial by a Roman ruler, but Paul turned the tables and
preached the gospel in his defense. Felix, the ruler, was put on the spot by
Paul's message of temperance, and he was afraid and sent Paul away.
Acts 24:24-25 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla,
who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith
in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the
judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now!
You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you."
As we mentioned
before, we are like athletes that train to run a race to win a crown, but we
run for eternal crowns with no recognition or accolades in this life. There are
five different everlasting crowns mentioned in the Bible, but that is not our
primary goal. We are motivated, and the driving force of our lives is to win Christ,
and nobody better exemplified that attitude than Paul, who was an unstoppable
gospel preaching machine.
Philippians 3:8-14 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the
excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be
found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but
that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by
faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the
fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I
may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already
attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of
that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not
count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I
press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Peter mentions a
list of different virtues and then tells us that we should intentionally and
actively incorporate those godly virtues to produce the character of Christ in
our lives. He also said that anyone not involved in this process is spiritually
blind.
2 Peter 1:5-9 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to
knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to
perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to
brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you
will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness,
and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
The Holy Spirit uses our conscience and the word of
God to guide us. If we are sensitive to him, he will guide us to do what is
right, which will change and form our character, (John 16:8, 1 Timothy 3:9).
When we combine Peter and Paul’s list of character traits, we see the fruits
that come out of obedience to the Spirit.
Diligence faith
Virtue Knowledge
Godliness Joy
Self-control Kind
Loving Gentle
Peaceful Patient
Good Faithful
Perseverance
Reading and memorizing Bible verses will train our
minds, to think according to the scriptures with God’s thoughts, instead of our
own rationale and reasoning. Notice how God links his thoughts with his ways.
Isaiah 55:7-9 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the
unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will
have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. "For
My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says
the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways
higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 and how from infancy you have known the holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of
God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through
a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be
diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may
see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them,
because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
We are told that we can bring every thought captive
to obedience to Christ, who is the word of God. To control our thoughts, we
must train our minds, and every time our thoughts go astray, we must bring them
back to the word of God. But it will never happen without a conscience effort.
2 Corinthians
10:4-5 For the weapons
of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for
pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that
exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into
captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true,
whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever
things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are
of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy meditate on these things.
Think on these,
whatsoever is …
True Noble
Just Pure
Lovely Good Report
Virtue Praiseworthy
One reason God wants us to
have the character of Christ, is so we will accurately represent Christ to a
lost and dying world. Many people will judge Christ by how we represent him,
therefore we have an obligation to live godly lives.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 Now all things are of God,
who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not
imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were
pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 . . . I write so that you may know how you ought
to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living
God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is
the mystery of godliness.
We want to do the right things, but sometimes we are
not sure about what to do. And as we mentioned from the beginning, it is God
who writes his laws on our heart and mind, so we will not suggest any laws,
rules or regulations. But we will give a sample list of questions that
demonstrate how to each person can search the word of God for answers. As we
pray and read the word of God, we will come to our own conclusions, and that
process will change and mature us.
Paul wrote to Timothy, giving instructions for
believers to live godly and to guide their behavior among the congregation of
God's people. Paul was not legalistic but gave principles to be applied in
various situations giving discernment to believers to be self-controlled.
1 Timothy 3:14-16 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to
you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought
to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God,
the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the
mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the
Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world,
received up in glory.
We list some common questions and follow them with scriptures
that answer the questions. No commentary is needed because each believer needs
to gain wisdom and discernment, so they can rightly divide the word of truth
for themselves.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God, a worker who does
not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
John 13:3-16, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all
things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,
rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.
After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples'
feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. … So, when He had washed their feet, taken His
garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have
done to you? "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I
am. "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also
ought to wash one another's feet. "For I have given you an example, that
you should do as I have done to you.
1 Peter 2:21-23, For to this you were called, because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
"Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth"; who, when
He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not
threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not
counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of
reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were
making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled
to God.
2 Corinthians 3:1-3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we
need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You
yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written
not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but
on tablets of human hearts.
Mark 9:42-43 "But whoever causes one
of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him
if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It
is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to
go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched.
1 Corinthians 8:9-13, But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours
become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who
have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who
is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of
your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when
you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin
against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never
again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
Romans 14:13-21, Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one
another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or
obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully
convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as
unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your
brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in
love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do
not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of
God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is
pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to
do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of
God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to
eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat
or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
1 Thessalonians 5:22-23, Abstain from all
appearance of evil. And the very God
of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and
body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is the background: Joseph was sold as a slave and
became the chief of staff over Potiphar's household. Potiphar's wife tried to
seduce Joseph, and Joseph rejected her advances. But one day, Joseph was
careless and was left alone in the house with Potiphar's wife, and she again
made advances toward Joseph, and he rejected her and ran outside. But because
they were alone and he had no witnesses, she accused him of attempting to rape
her, and Joseph went to prison for the appearance of evil.
Genesis 39:1-20 Thus he (Potiphar) left all that he had in Joseph's
hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph
was handsome in form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things
that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie
with me." But he refused … How then can I do this great wickedness,
and sin against God?" So it was, as she spoke to Joseph, day by day,
that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened
about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of
the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment,
saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled
and ran outside. … And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in
her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to
them, saying, "… He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a
loud voice. "And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and
cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside."
1 Timothy 2:8-10 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere,
lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that
the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation,
not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but which is
proper for women professing godliness, with good works.
1 Thessalonians 4:2-5 For you know what instructions we gave you by the
authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God's will that you should be sanctified:
that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to
control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate
lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
2 Corinthians 7:1 2 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God. Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no
one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For
what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can
light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What
does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there
between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As
God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be
their God, and they will be my people." "Therefore, come out from
them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive
you."
Ephesians 5:8-13, For you were once darkness, but now you are light
in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in
all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to
the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which
are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest
by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
1 Corinthians 15:33-34, Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts
good habits." Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some
do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that
friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a
friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Luke 12:2-3, "For there is nothing covered that will not
be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. "Therefore, whatever
you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have
spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
John 3:19-21 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has
come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil. "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does
not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. … "But he who
does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that
they have been done in God."
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put
away childish things.
I Corinthians 3:1-3, And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to
spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk
and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and
even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are
envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like
mere men?
Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God;
and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes
only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by
reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Ephesians 5:3-4, But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness,
let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness,
nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather
giving of thanks.
Matthew 12:36-37, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of
judgment. "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words
you will be condemned."
Proverbs 12:18; There is one who speaks like the piercings of a
sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.
Proverbs 15:1-4, A gentle answer turns
away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the
mouth of the fool gushes folly. The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,
keeping watch on the wicked and the good. The tongue that brings healing is
a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 16:23-24, The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds
learning to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the
soul and health to the bones.
Proverbs 18:21, Death and life are in the
power of the tongue, and those who
love it will eat its fruit.
1 Corinthians 10:23-24, "Everything is permissible" but
not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible" but not
everything is constructive.
Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
Romans 15:1-6, We who are
strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even
Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of
those who insult you have fallen on me."
James
4:13-15 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such
and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";
whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your
life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this
or that."
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do
it all for the glory of God. … Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether
Jews, Greeks or the church of God even as I try to please everybody in every
way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be
saved.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but
have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the
gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have
a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all
I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I
gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not
easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. Love never fails.
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than
yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to
the interests of others.
Romans 15:1-3 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings
of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor
for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but,
as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on
me."
Philippians 2:19-22 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon,
that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else
like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out
for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy
has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in
the work of the gospel.
Galatians 6:1-5, Brothers, if someone is
caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will
fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is
nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can
take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one
should carry his own load.
Luke 6:31-36 Do to others as you would
have them do to you. "If you love
those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who
love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that
to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect
repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting
to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to
them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be
great, and you will be sons of the Most-High, because he is kind to the
ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father
is merciful.
While we have time and freedom, we should study the
scriptures, share the gospel, and learn to live by faith. This book is part of
a series of basic teachings that all Christians should know and teach. We call
it the "toolbox series" because each study is a tool for you to share
your faith with others. For free resources and study materials, visit our
website at: Ears2Hear.online