GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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ABIDING FAITH
By M. Stanford


"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Col. 2:6).

One day we came to Him in utter need and reliance, and received life. Every day we are to abide in Him in utter need and reliance, that He may live that life in and through us. We are born again by faith, and we are to live anew by faith. "He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).

'There are earnest Christians who are zealous for a free Gospel, with acceptance of Christ, and justification by faith alone. But after this they think everything depends on their diligence and faithfulness. While they firmly grasp the truth, 'justified by faith,' they have hardly noticed the larger truth, 'the just shall live by faith.' They have not yet understood what a perfect Saviour the Lord Jesus is, and how He will each day do for the sinner just as much as He did the first day when they came to Him.

"They know not that the life of grace is always and only a life of faith, and that in the relationship to the Lord Jesus the one daily and unceasing duty of the disciple is to believe, because believing is the one channel through which Divine grace and strength can flow into the heart of man. The flesh  of the believer remains evil and sinful to the last; it is only as he daily comes, all empty and helpless, to his Saviour to receive of His life and strength, that he can bring forth the fruits of righteousness to the glory of God." - A.M.

"Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" (Col. 2:7).

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"THE GIFT OF CHRIST"
By Pastor Ivan Burgener


"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore He saith, 'When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.' (Now He that ascended, what is it but that He also descended first unto the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also That ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints..." (Eph. 4:7-12).

While this wording might seem strange to the modem reader, the point is simple and must not be missed! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who came into this world [the lower parts] in humiliation and was "found in fashion as a man..." He was obedient unto death out of which He was raised, ascended, and seated on high, "far above all principality and power" in order that He might "fill all things."

From that exalted position and place, He received gifts of ministry from God and in turn gave them to "the church which is His body." His "giving" is an expression of His grace with the stated purpose, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." And all this is to continue until "we all come to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [mature] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:12-13). Unity of the Spirit leads to unity of the Faith.

Rather than spiritual gifts given to individual men, these gifts are stated to be men with spiritual enablement being given to the church, the body of Christ. They must be seen as the means used by the risen Lord to continue to bless and guide this church in His absence. The apostles and prophets were men whose works were inspired and who laid the foundation by writing the scriptures. The works of evangelists and teaching pastors were not inspired but were of a continuing and subsequent nature ministering the scriptures. The latter were to continue until the stated goals are reached, evidently until this church is complete and rapture to heaven!

These apostles were not the twelve, chosen by the Lord on earth, but called from heaven and associated with Paul in His ministry. And while these have disappeared, evangelists, pastors and teachers continue "until we all come to...unto a perfect man, ...the fulness of Christ," the rapture!

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THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION
By Pastor Hume


Our era is one of power! There is hydraulic power, atomic power, nuclear power and many other types of 'power' frequently  spoken of. Many cars are made to operate with much 'horsepower'. Large jet airplanes have been constructed to carry hundreds of people and cargo at once, operating with tremendous power.

But did you know that there is power in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? Not atomic power or explosive power, but spiritual and moral power. This 'power' changes the lives of people and affects whole families, communities, and even the course of history.

Paul the Apostle speaks of his intense desire as a Christian to 'know Him (Christ) and the power of His resurrection' (Phil. 3:10). Elsewhere in his epistles, Paul spoke of 'Christ the power of God' (I Corinthians 1:24), the gospel of Christ being 'the power of God unto salvation to all that believe' (Romans 1:16), and 'the power' of true godliness (II Timothy 3:5). Christ, who once was 'crucified because of weakness' now 'lives because of the power of God' (II Corinthians 13:4).

What is this 'power'? The Greek word used suggests 'inherent energy'. It also involves 'ability' and 'might'. God has the supreme monopoly on power. We as humans can do many things. But that there is a limit to what we can do is quite obvious. With God, however, there is no limit to his ability, might, energy or power. This is why astonished Job cried out to Jehovah, 'I know that Thou canst do all things' (Job 42:2). The Psalmist also exulted, 'Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength' (Psalm 147:5).

Therefore with a God such as He is, it is a small thing for Him to raise the dead and transform the sinner into a Christ-like saint! This is why Paul inquired of the doubting Roman governor Agrippa, 'Why is it considered incredible among people if God does raise the dead?' (Acts 26:8 ). God DID raise the dead! Not only did Christ raise from the dead Lazarus (John 11), the widow of Nain's son (Luke 7:11-17), and Jairus' daughter (Luke 8:49-56), but God raised up Jesus Christ from the dead 'the third day' 'with power' (Romans 1:3-4). He, the crucified one who had suffered at the hands of sinful men, came forth 'in the power of an indestructible life' (Hebrews 7:16). No wonder we rightly may sing:

     'Up from the grave He arose
      With a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
      He arose a Victor from the dark, domain,
      And He lives forever with His saints to reign...'

Now this same power with which God raised His Son from the dead gets into all who truly are 'born again' by faith, alone in Jesus Christ. Study carefully Paul's great prayer in Ephesians 1:17-23 and note how he goes on to start Chapter 2 by saying, 'And you who were dead in trespasses and sins.....hath (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace are ye saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' The same power of the living God which --'brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus' (Hebrews 13:20) is that by which each of us is saved and seated with Christ in the heavenlies ' far above all'! This is soul-transforming power!

Are you experiencing the resurrection power of the living Christ in your daily life? Don't be content with a mere 'form of godliness' or 'religion'! Make sure today that the Lord Jesus Christ is 'in you', so that you may more and more 'know Him, and the power of His resurrection'!

Grace, Peace, Pastor P. Hume

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THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST IN HIS ASCENSION
Part 1 of 2
by Jack Trumm



The ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven is the final event of his fulfilling all righteousness on our behalf, from His:

1. Death on the cross
2. The shedding of His blood
3, His burial
4. His resurrection
5. His ascension

As we have seen what the previous four events have meant for all of mankind, let us review what our Lord's passion has done for us.

1. His death (He died our spiritual death) Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

2. His shed blood (cleanses us from all unrighteousness) Romans 5:9 says, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." In Ephesians 1:7 we read, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. And Colossians 1:14 says, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

3. His burial (our sin nature, or our old adamic nature was buried with him.) Romans 6:4 it says., "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should ~walk in newness of life." And Colossians 2:12. "··Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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."

4. His resurrection (God regards us as being just or innocent, free, or being made righteous.) Romans 4:25 says, "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

So this brings us to the final event of our Lord giving of Himself on our behalf, His ascension into heaven. Let's ask ourselves a few questions:

1. What does the word ascension mean?
2. How do we know our Lord ascended?
3. What does his ascension mean for us?

First. let's look at the word ascension or (ascend). What does the word mean, according to the Strong's Concordance? It means "to go up, arise, come up". So when we speak of our Lord's ascension, we are speaking of him ascending or going back up to heaven after his resurrection. So this brings up the second question. How do we know that our Lord ascended back into heaven? "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." (Luke 24:50-51) "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11) "Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things." (Ephesians 4:9-10)

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THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST IN HIS ASCENSION
Part 2 of 2
by Jack Trumm


So then, what does his ascension mean for us? First, we must understand that no man ascended into heaven before our Lord. "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." (John 3:13) Seeing then that our Lord has ascended back into heaven, we too know that we will take part in this same ascension. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, tells us in II Corinthians 5:1-8, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."  From this passage of scripture, we know that if our earthly house (that is our body) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; and we also know that if we are absent from our body we are present with the Lord. Now in order to be with the Lord, (and he is ascended into heaven) then we too must ascend into heaven to be with Him. We know also from this passage that Paul is speaking of our soul and our spirit. So this then brings up the question, what about our body? What will happen to our body? Will it forever remain in the grave? Or will it rise up (ascend) from the grave? I Corinthians 15 : 51-52 says, "Behold I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Also in I Thessalonians 4:13-18 it reads, " But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

So, we can see from these two passages that our bodies will rise up from the grave and ascend into heaven to be with the Lord forever. With all of this being said, this poses another question. To whom will this happen? Romans 3:22, says "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference." Also in I Timothy 4:10, "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.

This wonderful gift of salvation is offered to everyone; but, it is given only to those that believe. Believe what?

1. Believe God concerning our need. The holy, righteous standard for everlasting life is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and we all come short of that. God has concluded all in unbelief and thru Paul says: "There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher, with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. " (Romans 3:1 0-18 )

2. Believe that Jesus's death and burial paid in full the penalty for sin. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation" (Romans 3:25). "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." "having made peace through the blood of his cross" "In the body of his flesh through death, to resent you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." Colossians 1 :20, 22, 2:14)

The religious world would tell us we have to work for our salvation, but God's word says in Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Also in Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." And in Ephesians 2:8-9, it tells us, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast."

So then with all of this being said, I would ask the reader, to whom or to what are you putting your trust for salvation? If it is in your efforts that you are relying on, or your own righteousness, you will come short because in Romans 3:21-24, Paul declares that Jesus Christ is the only righteous one and we all come short of it. But His death through shedding His blood justifies us freely, today, by His Grace. "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

So this again leaves us with one option, we must put our faith (or belief) in the five events of the cross of Christ. Have you done that? What better time than now. II Corinthians 6:2 says, "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

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THE GREAT WHITE THRONE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
By the late Pastor R. Hanna




Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:11; 2 Corinthians 5:10

Many people - saved people - live in dread of death because they do not understand the kind of judgment that they will face before God. There is indeed a final judgment to come which is awesome and should strike fear in the heart of those who will face it. The Apostle John wrote, describing what was revealed to him in a vision on the Isle of Patmos: "I saw a great white throne, and Him (Christ) that sat on it...and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life ... and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20: 11-15) Those described here are the lost - those who did not accept God's proffered salvation before they died. The lost from all generations are raised from the dead to face this sentence of eternal separation from God.

But you and I, if we have been saved by the grace of God by faith, are not destined to confront the Great White Throne. Our apostle has revealed that "We must all appear before the judgment seat (BEMA) of Christ (not the great white throne); that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10) The works for which we will be judged are those accomplished in service to God during our lives after we have been saved. "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss (of reward), but he himself shall be saved ... " (I Corinthians 3:15)

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TRIUMPH IN TRIAL
By M. Stanford


"Always guarded by the power of God through faith. . .. In such a hope keep on rejoicing, although for a little while you must be sorrow-stricken with various trials" (1 Peter 1:5,6, Wms.).

There are testimonies, and there are testimonies. Some can testify as to how God cleared up adverse circumstances for the victory; but others can testify to the triumph God gave in the midst of difficult circumstances. The essential consideration is that our Father be glorified in all His dealings with and for us. How He brings it all about should be secondary to us.

"If there is a great trial in your life today, do not own it as a defeat, but continue, by faith, to claim the victory through Him who is able to make you more than conqueror, and a glorious triumph will soon be apparent. Let us learn that in all the hard places our Father brings us into, He is making opportunities for us to exercise such faith in Him as will bring about blessed results and greatly glorify His Name."

"God has put you in exactly the right crucible to burn up what He sees needs to be burnt up. Many think 'victory' means getting your circumstances put right. No! true triumph is within when in the midst of your circumstances the Spirit of God can so energize you and strengthen you in spirit, that you can stand quiet in the thick of it all, and say, 'God is God,' and know that you are held by Him - which is infinitely better than all your trying to hold things steady."

"Therefore, my brethren. . . stand fast in the Lord" (Phil. 4:1).

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WHAT ABOUT ME, AND THE FUTURE?
by C. R. Stam

Is it not amazing that men who can produce intricate electronic mechanisms, build giant sky-scrapers, fly men to the moon and back -- is it not amazing that such men often do not even know what will finally become of themselves! And what is more amazing still is that most of them do not even try seriously to find out.

They are intelligent enough to plan carefully for the future where temporal affairs are concerned, but foolish enough to neglect their eternal welfare. They make plans for themselves in case they become ill and need additional funds for surgery, medicine and hospital care. They even make plans for their loved ones in case of death and bereavement, but fail to ask themselves: "What will become of me after death?"

Daily "the wise of this world" witness the truth of Hebrews 9:27, that "it is appointed unto men once to die", and most of them know that the Bible adds: "after this the judgment". They may hope that this is but a false alarm, but they do not know. They can only wonder and worry. Hebrews 2:15 declares that "through fear of death" they are "all their lifetime subject to bondage". Like Adam, they run and hide from God instead of running to Him and asking: "What must I do to be saved?" Too cowardly to face up to their own grave, no hope beyond the tomb -- too afraid, generally, to even discuss death.

The believer in the Word of God is not left thus in the dark. He glories in the truth of the passages from which we have quoted in part above. We quote them now in full:

Hebrews 2:14,15: "Forasmuch then as the children [of Adam] are partakers of flesh and blood, He [Christ] also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

"And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

Hebrews 9:27,28: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without [lit., "apart from"] sin unto salvation."

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SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY
By Miles Stanford


"That you may be filled with a clear knowledge of His will accompanied by thorough wisdom and discernment in spiritual things" (Col. 1:9, Wey.).

Service does not come first; neither does life! The proper sequence for the believer is death to the old, from which emerges newness of life and fruitful service.

"It is a sad thing when service interferes with soul-prosperity. It is possible to be so engrossed with service that one's meditations are colored by it, one's prayers are full of it, and the Word of God becomes simply a quarry out of which material for sermons can be dug up. This is a serious loss to the soul and many are thereby hindered from making spiritual progress.

"Very often new believers who have not even peace with God are encouraged to take up service, and they become so occupied with what they are doing that they are not at leisure to learn or to take their place in the favor of the Father. Hence, so long as the service prospers, and they get on pretty well with it, they are happy. The service is their life! But when there is no success, and the whole thing seems to be a failure, their joy collapses. They have to discover how little they have really got, and in many cases to find that they are perfect strangers to the liberty and joy of acceptance." -CA.C.

"There must be a profound and genuine experience of Divine things; a cultivation of the highest possibilities of godliness if the witness is to be really effective and fruitful. There must be a man behind the message - a saint behind the service. There must be the nameless effectiveness that comes from true fellowship with the Father." -A.T.P.

"So that your lives may be worthy of the Lord and perfectly pleasing to Him while you manifest the results of right action of every sort and grow into a fuller knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10, Wey.).

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RELIANT REST
By Miles Stanford


"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" (Ps. 37:7).

Those who rest in Him are often accused of passivity. But the Lord Jesus, who is our life, never was, nor ever is, passive.

"Do you suppose that the Father ever doubts the victory that has been won by His beloved Son? Do you believe that He has a single cloud as to the result? And faith looks at things as the Father looks at them. That is the secret of all strength and courage.

"Why has the Father given us His revealed Word? That we may think the same thoughts, have the same feelings, in our measure, as Himself. There is not a thought or feeling that arises from the old man that is not false. But we have new life capable of receiving and delighting in the very thoughts of our Father."---J.C.B.

"How am I to know what is the Father's mind towards me? Is it by judging of it from what I find in myself? Surely not! Supposing that I even found good in myself, if I expected the Father to look at me on that account, would it be grace? There may be a measure of truth in this kind of reasoning; for, if there be life in my soul, fruit will be apparent; but this is not to give me peace any more than the evil that is in me is to hinder my having peace." ---J.N.D.

"The Lord Jesus 'has passed into the heavens,' 'now to appear in the presence of the Father for us.' It is the Lord Jesus who gives abiding rest to our souls, and not what our thoughts about ourselves may be. Faith never thinks about that which is in ourselves as its ground of rest; it receives, loves, and apprehends what the Father has revealed, and what are His thoughts about the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is His rest." ---J.N.D.

"Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest" (Heb. 4:11).

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FAITH AND SIGHT
By Pastor P. Hume

Where would we be without that wonderful gift of eyesight? How paramount is this sense in our unique physical make-up. Yet there are many in life who have either lost the sight of one or both eyes, or who were born blind. The power of what goes through the eyegate is greater than most of us realize. Therefore we need, as believers in Christ, to guard what we look at. For like Achan of old (who 'saw', then 'coveted', and finally 'took' of the forbidden goods in Jericho), we can be built up or broken down by what we chose to look upon (not merely 'see').

But the Word of God refers us to another 'eyegate' -- that of the heart. (I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.' (Ephesians 1:18a, New American Standard Bible) 'Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from thy law.' (Psalm 119:18, N.A.S.) 'So our eyes look to the Lord our God.' (Psalm 123:2, N.A.S.) Then the writer to the Hebrews, in concluding his great 'Hall of Faith' chapter, gave this timely word of exhortation:

'Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith .... ' (Hebrews 12:1-2a, N.A.S.)

Several truths could be commented on here, but one we want to lift out and emphasize: ' ... fixing our eyes on Jesus ..... ' Certainly this cannot mean to look physically upon 'Jesus' or a picture of Him. This is the 'sight of the heart', or to put it as Dr. A.W. Tozer so uniquely expressed, 'the gaze of the soul upon a saving God.'

Is this not true faith which God gives to those who are His? Faith is not only 'the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.' (Heb. 11:1, lit.), but it is a posture of the redeemed soul. It is turning one's heart and mind unto 'Him who ever liveth'. It is comprehending our lovely, all-sufficient Savior-God through His written Word of Truth. It is to 'acknowledge Him' in all our ways. (Prov. 3:6)

'For we walk by faith, not by sight (or appearance)' (II Cor. 5:7; Does what we have written contradict this divine declaration? Not at all. For faith is the sight of the redeemed heart. How is your internal eyesight today? Or do you have 20-20 vision? Or do you need the sight that only He who can open the eyes of the blind can impart? God grant us a 'seeing faith'.

Grace, Peace and Love

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"The Fruit of the Spirit"
Part 1 of 4
by Darlene Homoki
Galatians 5:22-23



"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. "

A tree is known by its fruit. We recognize an apple tree because it bears apples. A cherry tree bears cherries, and so on (Ps. 1:3; Mt. 12:33). Wouldn't it be wonderful if we, as Christians, would be recognized by others because of the fruit we bear?

Please note that in Galatians 5:22 the word "fruit" is singular. When we think of a basket of fruit, we picture in our minds a basket filled with various kinds of fruit - not just one kind of fruit (for example: apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, etc.). Yet, we call it a basket of fruit, not fruits. We can say the same is true of the "Fruit of the Spirit." Though there are several kinds of fruit mentioned, they are all considered one; that is the "Fruit of the Spirit." These fruit are all consistent and connected together. They are one!

This fruit presents a portrait of Christ. It suggests the character of Jesus in contrast with the "works of the flesh." The Spirit seeks to produce these by reproducing Christ in the believers (Gal. 4:19). John Gill puts it this way: "It is also the same as to be conformed to the image of Christ, which in regeneration is stamped upon the saints, and is gradually increased, and will be perfected in Heaven; and that this might more manifestly appear, over which a veil was drawn, by their departure in any degree from the truths of the Gospel, was what he earnestly sought after: once more, it is the same as to have the form of Christ; that is, of the Gospel of Christ upon them, or to be cast into the form of doctrine, and mold of the Gospel, and to receive a Gospel impression and spirit from it; which is to have a spirit of liberty, in opposition to legal bondage; to live by faith on Christ, and not on the works of the law; to derive comfort alone from him, and not from any services and duties whatever; to have repentance, and the whole course of obedience, influenced by the grace of God, and love of Christ; and to be zealous of good works, and yet have no dependence on them for justification and salvation. This is what the apostle so earnestly desired, when, instead of it, these Galatians seemed to have the form of Moses, and of the law."

In other words, the Christian life is the out-living of the in-living Christ. "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

We must recognize that living like Jesus would have us live and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit does not include adding any rituals, ceremonies or works to our salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith alone. Living like Jesus would have us live is walking "worthy of the vocation to which we have been called" (Eph. 5:1; cf Gal. 5:16). Walking in or by the Spirit means living each moment in submission to God - walking to please Him in thought, word and deed. It means letting Him guide us each step of the way bringing glory to God.

The Fruit Defined

The fruit of the Spirit has been described as "those gracious habits which the Holy Spirit produces in the Christian." A habit is that which becomes so routine in our lives we don't even realize we are doing it. We do it without thinking. It takes time, practice and work to develop a habit whether good or bad. It doesn't happen overnight. For example, let's say personal devotions ... Good intentions don't get the job done.

The fruit of the Spirit is Christian character as shown in the possession of these nine graces. These nine fruit stand together and make up our walk with God and our testimony to others. They work together to make a whole.

These nine character traits are one and the same fruit, i.e., "the fruit of the Spirit." We might give the example of a watch - it needs all the little pieces in their right and proper place to keep good time. If one little piece is out of place, the watch does not function properly. The same is true of the Christian. We need to have a balanced life displaying all the character traits mentioned here. In other words, to function as a whole we can't pick and choose those character traits that we like and not work on developing the others.

[nChrist]

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries
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"The Fruit of the Spirit"
Part 2 of 4
by Darlene Homoki
Galatians 5:22-23


How Do We Obtain the Fruit?

It is given by the Holy Spirit. When an individual is presented with the Gospel of Christ and responds positively putting his/her faith in the finished work of Christ, he/she becomes a member of the Body of Christ. At that very moment, the time of salvation, the believer is:

1. baptized by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13);
2. sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14); and
3. indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).

I believe these nine graces (nine fruit) are at that time placed in our lives in seed form. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance are the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit in our lives. They are there waiting to grow.

Just as a seed planted in the ground needs to be watered, fed, nurtured, and to have the weeds removed, so does the seed of the "Fruit of the Spirit" need to be watered, fed, nurtured, and to have the weeds removed by the Word. It is growing up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The Fruit of the Spirit is not to be confused with the "gifts of the Spirit." The Fruit of the Spirit is the result of believing the Gospel and is given to all that believe.

Let us take a moment to think about that time in our life when we trusted in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross and became a believer or a Christian. I trust everyone knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that should they die today, they would spend eternity with Jesus. If perchance there is one who has not trusted Christ as Savior, then I pray that you would do so now.


The Fruit of the Spirit Is:

1. Given to all that are saved;
2. Same fruit given to everyone; and
3. The fruit remains the same - only ripens as we grow.
In contrast, the gifts of the Spirit are given to individuals. Not everyone has the same gifts. (1 Cor. 12:4 reads, "Now, there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.") There are pastors, teachers, evangelists, gift of helps, administration, etc.


These Gifts Work Together to Make up the Body of Christ:

1. Given to all that are saved;
2. Different gifts to different individuals; and
3. Gifts may change as circumstances change.

[nChrist]

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"The Fruit of the Spirit"
Part 3 of 4
by Darlene Homoki
Galatians 5:22-23



Fruit of the Spirit Contrasted with the Works of the Flesh.


Galatians 5:22-23 starts out with the word "but." This word points us to the preceding verses where we see the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit. This conflict begins the instant we put our faith in Jesus Christ. See Galatians 5:17. The deeds or sins of the flesh are listed in Galatians 5:19-21. These are not good but are weaknesses/sins. These must be guarded against while the Fruit of the Spirit ought to be cherished and brought forth in our daily lives.

We are to "reckon [consider] ourselves dead indeed unto sin ... Let not sin reign in your body .... Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness" (Rom. 6:11-13).

Note the number of sins listed here in verses 19-21. There are seventeen in comparison to the nine fruits! They are called the works of the flesh and are mentioned in the plural because they are distinct from, and often inconsistent with, each other. These can be divided into four groups.


The first group is sensual/sexual sins (sins against the 7th Commandment).

1. Adultery - the unfaithfulness of any married person to the marriage bed.

2. Fornication - sexual sin of the unmarried.

3. Uncleanness - moral impurity, all sexual defilement and unnatural sexual practices - sodomy, etc.

4. Lasciviousness-looseness, indulgence of animal desires, lustfulness. In other words, shameless conduct!


The second group is religious sins (sins against the 1st and 2nd Commandment).

1. Idolatry - the worship of idols, images, or anything made by hands, or which is not God. It is two kinds: the worship of images, statues, pictures; and the worship of the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon and stars. It is also the excessive attachment for anything.

2. Witchcraft - the English term is "pharmacy," and means administering drugs, magical potions. It refers to the practice of magicians, sorcery, witches, enchantments, etc.

[nChrist]

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"The Fruit of the Spirit"
Part 4 of 4
by Darlene Homoki
Galatians 5:22-23



The third group are temperamental sins or sins against our neighbor (sin against Galatians 5:14, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself')

l. Hatred - enmity; deep rooted hatred or irreconcilable hostility. Feelings that are contrary to love, to abhor, to loathe, strong antagonism.

2. Variance - a state of dissension or controversy, in a state of enmity. A difference that produces dispute or controversy; disagreement, dissension, discord.

3. Emulations - a contest, contention, strife, competition, rivalry accompanied with a desire to depress another resulting from envy or jealousy.

4. Wrath - violent anger. An anger that is abiding with the purpose of revenge.

5. Strife - contention in anger or hatred. A violent effort to obtain something. Could be by words, debate, quarrel, contest, etc.

6. Seditions - divisions, dissensions causing rebellion. The inciting of rebellion against leadership/government.

7. Heresies - dissensions arising from diversity of opinions causing divisions.

8. Envyings - ill will, malice, spite, jealousy. A malignant passion that sees in another qualities that it covets of resulting in hatred.

9. Murders - to kill a human being with premeditated malice. Often the result of the above list of temperamental sins.

The fourth and final group are sins against ourselves.

1. Drunkenness - Intoxication is a state in which a person is over-powered with liquor so that his reason is disordered and he reels or staggers in walking.

2. Revelings - Boisterous merrymaking or noisy partying. Lascivious feastings (shameful conduct) with obscene songs and music.

Why does Paul give us the list? He gives us the list to emphasize the conflict between the "flesh" and the Spirit and the results of each. It is given:

l. To show that an individual that is an unbeliever and follows the "flesh" will not inherit eternal life (Gal. 2:20b).

2. To show that a believer may fall into such wrongdoing if he walks after the flesh and not after the Spirit - hence, the inclusion of this list in this letter to the Galatians where the life of the Christian is under review (Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7).

3. To contrast the "works of the flesh" with the "fruit of the Spirit."

Sin is not what keeps an individual from gaining entrance to eternal life. It is not believing that Jesus died, was buried and resurrected for my sins. It is not believing that "God so loved the world that He gave ... " It is not believing that God's wonderful redemption plan for man today is complete. The songwriter has said, "Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe .... " Just as the "works of the flesh" are categorized, so is the "Fruit of the Spirit." There are three categories with three "fruit" in each one. Dr. Scofield has this to say: "Christian character is not mere moral or legal correctness, but the possession and manifestation of nine graces: love, joy, peace - character as in an inward state: longsuffering, gentleness, goodness - character in expression toward man: faith, meekness, temperance - character in expression toward God ... " (Scofield Bible page 1247).