The Holy Spirit (28)
By Abraham Eli
This study was first taught on April 16, 2013
Topic: The Essence of the Holy Spirit In Our Lives (2)
(use the audio to study)
Background
Last week, we began to look at the essence of the operation of the Holy Spirit in a believer in Christ who chooses to yield to Him. We noted from Scripture that after a person is born again, he is never compelled to live in a particular way; rather, he can exercise his freewill on whether he wants to live in the flesh (which is, allowing the old sinful nature to continue to exercise its influence in the way and manner one conducts oneself), or, in the Spirit (which is, to yield oneself to the influence of the Holy Spirit, and so be led by Him). The choice a person eventually makes, will determine whether or not he really qualifies to be called a child of God, and if he will be with God in eternity.
If a person chooses to live or walk in the flesh, he will be mindful of things that are earthly, fleshly, and carnal; and his focus will be on how to gratify himself, how he can be accepted by people, and he will not be able to obey God’s word, no matter how hard he tries. If, on the other hand, he chooses to live or walk in the Spirit, he will be mindful of things that are heavenly, godly, and spiritual; he will seek to gratify the Spirit and please God; and, he will be willing and able to obey God without reservation.
We saw that when you walk in the Spirit, you are justified by faith in Jesus, as well as by works through faith in Him; and are thus able to satisfy the demands of the Law of God, which is righteousness. And this is because the Holy Spirit will enable you to live for God, and to live as God wants. Also, the life of God will flow in you, which is the Holy Spirit in you, because you will be in a vital union with Christ, and hence, be able to please God, as Jesus did while He was in the flesh on earth. Furthermore, you will be able to bear godly fruit as you allow the Holy Spirit to govern your life. Such fruitfulness will manifest in all your prayers being answered, in your love for other believers, and in you being entrusted with the mysteries of the gospel and of the kingdom of God. Indeed, godly fruitfulness is the essence of the operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life!
We differentiated godly fruitfulness, from the kind of fruit-bearing which accompanies a person who chooses to live for himself. We saw that the fruit of the self-life is corrupt, decadent, selfish, and, leads to death. Therefore, a person who is living for himself, that is, a person who is sowing to the flesh, even though he is in church, is really not fruitful! True fruitfulness is God’s way of approving those who live for Him, that is, those who yield to the Holy Spirit.
Scripture Text(s)
Mark 11:12-14
Tonight, we shall continue with the study of fruitfulness, which is the result of the Holy Spirit’s operation in the believer in Christ. We pray that we shall indeed become fruitful after a godly sort, as we come to the full realization of what true fruitfulness is all about, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
When the Lord Jesus was hungry, and came to a fig tree which had leaves, He was so disappointed, that He cursed it. The fig tree had an appearance that fruit could be found on it, but when the Lord got there, He found nothing but leaves! And though it was not yet the season for figs, the Lord cursed the tree. One may wonder why Jesus would curse the fig tree, when it was not time for figs? In our study tonight, we shall see: why the fig tree was cursed; the significance of the curse of the fig tree as it affects the believer in Christ; and, what true fruitfulness is.
Mark 13:28; Luke 21:29-30; 1 Corinthians 9:1-10; 2 Timothy 3:5; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Matthew 13:20-21; 7:15-20; Galatians 5:16-17, 19-25; Romans 6:1-23; John 8:31-36; 2 Peter 2:19; 1 John 3:4-18; John 12:24; Romans 8:9-14.
Conclusion
Fruitfulness can be defined as abounding in fruit, being productive, or, as the showing forth of good results. Fruitfulness in the strict sense of the word applies to an abundance of good fruit, positive productivity, and, abounding in righteous acts. Hence, if a tree produces an abundance of corrupt fruits, it is not said to be fruitful; but is corrupt! A pond that is full of piranhas cannot be said to be a fruitful pond—it is a dangerous and deadly pond! Similarly, a tree which ought to bear good fruit, but only has a show of leaves, is not a fruitful tree, because it bears no fruits on it! Indeed, a tree which ought to bear fruit, but which only has leaves on it, is deceitful, because, leaves on a fruit-bearing tree is indicative of fruit beginning to appear. It was this deceptive appearance of the fig tree which made the Lord Jesus to curse the fig tree. But more significantly, is the fact that this story is relevant to those people who say that they are Christians, but do not manifest the nature of Christ! Such people are in danger of being cursed and cut off by the Lord.
To be fruitful, therefore, a believer in Christ must manifest the fruit of the Spirit, which is, love, peace, joy, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (meekness), and self-control, all rolled into one. It is not the fruit of the Spirit if one element is missing. The fruit of the Spirit is the result which manifests in the life of a person who habitually walks and lives in the Spirit, and who has yielded himself completely to the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit [The Amplified Bible]. For a person to get to the place where he is yielding to the control of the Holy Spirit, he must have crucified the old sinful nature, along with its passions and desires. Such crucifixion is possible only when we are fully devoted, dedicated, and enveloped in Christ. Hence, when a person is truly in Christ, he cannot be dominated by sin or the sinful nature, having died to and is separated from sin; he cannot be influenced by sin or the selfish nature, having yielded himself to the influence and control of the Holy Spirit; and, he cannot be enslaved by sin, having given himself over to being a slave to righteousness and indeed to God!
The crucified life is only the beginning of fruitfulness which the Holy Spirit works in the believer in Christ. Nonetheless, it is an essential part of the death, burial, and resurrection of the believer unto a newness of life in Christ Jesus (Galatians 6:14-15; 2:19-21). To be crucified is to be dead to everything you were once alive to in your sinful state; and it will manifest in your being alive unto God, and to God alone!
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