The Garden of the Spirit
The Garden of the Spirit
We are starting a new series on the fruit of the Holy Spirit from today.
Galatians 5:22-25 says, ‘22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.’
We’ve all heard about the fruit of the Spirit and it has been much discussed. Before we dive into the fruit of the Spirit, let’s go back a little to get more context and understand its background.
Genesis 2:9 says, ‘The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’
There were at least 2500 different types of fruit trees, and in the middle of the garden are two special trees. One is the “TREE OF LIFE” and the second was the “TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.” These trees were not botanical but theological. They were two opposing spiritual sign posts embodying two path ways in which man would live. It represented the two ways of life of mankind - it had spiritual implications.
The Tree of Life focused on choosing the path of obedience and leading a godly life by choosing to live by the Holy Spirit and through grace and fellowship with God attaining eternal life.
Anyone who consumes the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, consumes knowledge, which they then use to choose right or wrong and live a life as per their discretion and moral reasoning, through obeying rules which eventually leads to death. One leads to eternal life and the other death.
Deuteronomy 30:19 says, ‘This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.’
God has given us the choice to choose life or death. As mentioned in Galatians the fruit of the Spirit is set above any laws and regulations. This represented the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve missed out on it. Instead they chose the tree of knowledge. This misstep led to writing the destiny of the whole of mankind, where everyone must make choices without the eternal guidance of God, and live by rules, regulations, laws and religion, and work hard to live a life that is right by God.
God did not create mankind to die, but he also did not create us to be immortals either. However, if Adam and Eve chose the fruit of the Tree of Life then we wouldn’t have died either and attained mortality. This was the way of the Holy Spirit.
The fruit of the Tree of knowledge represents legalism, a life that is bound by laws. It is morality without grace. It is an effort based righteousness with independent wisdom, away from God and the work of the flesh will be revealed. If you read the portion above Galatians 5:22, you will see that there is a focus on the works of the flesh. It also talks about mortality through self. If Eve had chosen the fruit of the Tree of life, she would have experienced a close walk with God all her life, enjoyed immortality with God, and experienced the fruit of the Spirit. Then to redeem us from our sins, Jesus came to this world and his death marked the sanctification process of mankind.
Galatians 5:19-21 says, ‘19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 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.’
These verses focus on the works of the flesh. It’s an exhaustive list of 17 works of the flesh. It is only when you read these verses together do you realise the significance of the Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge. The works of the flesh can be divided into 4 categories - sexual, behavioural, occultic and addiction. Anything that comes from the flesh are acts and works. Anything that comes from the Spirit are fruits. If we live according to the way of the world, we face destruction, death and disinheritance from the heavens.
When we walk with the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit starts reflecting in us. We imbibe these fruits not because of our doing but because of the Spirit. And it’s not our fruits but the fruits of the Spirit. We must allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is grown and cultivated. And to cultivate it, takes time.
John 15:4-5 says, ‘4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’
God doesn’t say, apart from me you can’t do something, but he says, apart from me you can’t do nothing. The key is to remain or abide in the vine. Only if you remain in the vine, does the fruits of the Spirit come forth.
After the Lord placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, he said you need to look after the Garden. He told Adam you need to work at it to ensure that these cultivations last and more are reproduced. God is telling many of you today, that he has imparted his blessings upon you, but it’s upto you to cultivate it and grow it further. Hence it’s our responsibility to grow in the Spirit and allow the Spirit to work in us to cultivate its fruit. To ensure this happens,
1.Surrender daily to God
2.Feed on the Word constantly (Colossians 3.16)
3.Walk in stead with the Spirit ( Galatians 5.16)
It is only when you do this, that the fruit of the Spirit is imbibed in you. And this does not happen in just a day or two, but persistent and consistent efforts are required.
2 Peter 1:5-8 says, ‘5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control;and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
We are starting a new series on the fruit of the Holy Spirit from today.
Galatians 5:22-25 says, ‘22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.’
We’ve all heard about the fruit of the Spirit and it has been much discussed. Before we dive into the fruit of the Spirit, let’s go back a little to get more context and understand its background.
Genesis 2:9 says, ‘The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’
There were at least 2500 different types of fruit trees, and in the middle of the garden are two special trees. One is the “TREE OF LIFE” and the second was the “TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.” These trees were not botanical but theological. They were two opposing spiritual sign posts embodying two path ways in which man would live. It represented the two ways of life of mankind - it had spiritual implications.
The Tree of Life focused on choosing the path of obedience and leading a godly life by choosing to live by the Holy Spirit and through grace and fellowship with God attaining eternal life.
Anyone who consumes the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, consumes knowledge, which they then use to choose right or wrong and live a life as per their discretion and moral reasoning, through obeying rules which eventually leads to death. One leads to eternal life and the other death.
Deuteronomy 30:19 says, ‘This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.’
God has given us the choice to choose life or death. As mentioned in Galatians the fruit of the Spirit is set above any laws and regulations. This represented the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve missed out on it. Instead they chose the tree of knowledge. This misstep led to writing the destiny of the whole of mankind, where everyone must make choices without the eternal guidance of God, and live by rules, regulations, laws and religion, and work hard to live a life that is right by God.
God did not create mankind to die, but he also did not create us to be immortals either. However, if Adam and Eve chose the fruit of the Tree of Life then we wouldn’t have died either and attained mortality. This was the way of the Holy Spirit.
The fruit of the Tree of knowledge represents legalism, a life that is bound by laws. It is morality without grace. It is an effort based righteousness with independent wisdom, away from God and the work of the flesh will be revealed. If you read the portion above Galatians 5:22, you will see that there is a focus on the works of the flesh. It also talks about mortality through self. If Eve had chosen the fruit of the Tree of life, she would have experienced a close walk with God all her life, enjoyed immortality with God, and experienced the fruit of the Spirit. Then to redeem us from our sins, Jesus came to this world and his death marked the sanctification process of mankind.
Galatians 5:19-21 says, ‘19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 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.’
These verses focus on the works of the flesh. It’s an exhaustive list of 17 works of the flesh. It is only when you read these verses together do you realise the significance of the Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge. The works of the flesh can be divided into 4 categories - sexual, behavioural, occultic and addiction. Anything that comes from the flesh are acts and works. Anything that comes from the Spirit are fruits. If we live according to the way of the world, we face destruction, death and disinheritance from the heavens.
When we walk with the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit starts reflecting in us. We imbibe these fruits not because of our doing but because of the Spirit. And it’s not our fruits but the fruits of the Spirit. We must allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is grown and cultivated. And to cultivate it, takes time.
John 15:4-5 says, ‘4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’
God doesn’t say, apart from me you can’t do something, but he says, apart from me you can’t do nothing. The key is to remain or abide in the vine. Only if you remain in the vine, does the fruits of the Spirit come forth.
After the Lord placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, he said you need to look after the Garden. He told Adam you need to work at it to ensure that these cultivations last and more are reproduced. God is telling many of you today, that he has imparted his blessings upon you, but it’s upto you to cultivate it and grow it further. Hence it’s our responsibility to grow in the Spirit and allow the Spirit to work in us to cultivate its fruit. To ensure this happens,
1.Surrender daily to God
2.Feed on the Word constantly (Colossians 3.16)
3.Walk in stead with the Spirit ( Galatians 5.16)
It is only when you do this, that the fruit of the Spirit is imbibed in you. And this does not happen in just a day or two, but persistent and consistent efforts are required.
2 Peter 1:5-8 says, ‘5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control;and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
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