The Fruit of the Spirit

(Gal5:22-24)



God is holy (Ps22:3).

His nature is holy and His person is holy, and

He reveals His holy nature through His person.



Faith is acknowledging Him and longing for Him, and

The life of this faith is putting death to one's character

And emulating the person of God, and bearing fruit.



The person of man is shaped by his nature and education.

His character is from his nature, and

His nature is from his flesh, which is from the dust of the ground.

This makes man's character like animals', which also come from dust.

Furthermore, because of their temper, many men have been destroyed.



Though God made man from the dust of the ground,

After Adam sinned and the ground was cursed,

Man's character became even more wicked.



The Bible records about those who

Destroyed themselves as well as others because of their character:

Because Cain could not control his anger, he killed his own brother (Ge4:8);

Because Noah got drunk, he cursed his own son (Ge9:20-25);

Because Moses took a concubine, his sister criticized and became leprous (Nu12:1-10);

Because David took the wife of his loyal servant as his own, he killed the servant (2Sa11:15).

This shows no man is a perfect person.



The Law restricted and condemned

The evil nature of man (Rm7:22-24), and

The sanctuary reminded Israel that the Lord God alone is holy.



Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because

Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,

He would reveal that He is the Holy One of God, the only perfect person (Mk1:24; 1Co15:45-47), for

He is the incarnate Word who was before the creation of the world (Pr8:26).



As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:

1)     Though He knows no sin, united with sin for a moment and acknowledged that the Father alone is the eternally holy One (Rm8:3; 2Co5:21; He2:9);

2)   Condemned the devil who sinned because he could not control his heart (Is14:12-15); and

3)   Shed His blood, His holy nature, for men to be born again and to have His holy character (1Pe1:19; Eph2:1-5).



The Father raised Him and

His resurrection is the proof of His holy nature.



The Holy Spirit comes to those born again in His holy nature (1Pe1:23), and

Helps them to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Ps103:14; Gal5:22-24): Love, joy, peace, patience,

Kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.



The man of the Spirit laments and even curses his own character (Ps51) and

Thus puts every effort to reveal the holy nature within him

Through the fruit of the Spirit and

Bears the fruit of the womb (2Ti2:22-26) for

He longs to see the Lord in that day.



O Lord,

If my character had been better,

If the fragrance of Christ had been given off more,

I would have had more disciples by now¦

O Father Holy Spirit,

I can only mourn and pray!

Help me!

Amen.