Sun. 30/3/2014
Quarter’s Theme: THE HOLY SPIRIT
Unit 2 Theme: The Exploits Of The Holy Spirit (Lessons 4-8)
SOUL WINNERS CROWN COMPETITION MONTHS
30/3/2014 LESSON 5
THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (PART 2)
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 16, 223
Devotional Reading: EPH. 4:25-32
Topic For Adults
DON’T BE A FRUITLESS CHRISTIAN
Topic For Youths
YOU HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE
Scripture Lesson
GALATIANS 5:22-23
Memory verse: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23) NKJV
DAILY BIBLE READING
Let The Fruit Grow
1 Tim. 6:11-16
All the various components of the fruit of the Spirit that have been discussed are deposited when we received the Holy Spirit. But it must be noted that the fruit will not grow and produce naturally. The believers must work on themselves – intellect, emotion, attitude, behaviour, relationship and ensure that they conform to Biblical standard of behaviour which are listed as the fruit of the Spirit. Paul wrote to Timothy to pursue those fruit and to fight for them if need be. You have to pray earnestly that those fruit that have manifested should continue and those ones that are latent to manifest. This is the way through which the fruit can grow and be useful and productive in one’s Christian living.
Point of Emphasis: Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and gentleness.
Prayer Point: Lord, let the fruit of the Spirit grow and produce in me and in my Church.
BACKGROUND
This week’s lesson is a continuation of last week’s lesson. Out of the nine
components of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, we saw and discussed four last week.
The remaining five will be discussed this week. However, it must be borne in mind that no one of these components is indispensable in a Christian’s life, we must strife to have all of them in our lives.
NOTES ON THE TEXT
I. THE FRUIT OF KINDNESS – GAL. 5:22
Another fruit of the Holy Spirit is kindness. Kindness is zeal toward another person in a good sense, shown in doing mutual favour, benefits, compassion for the afflicted (Gen. 21:23; 2 Sam. 10:2; Job 6:14). Kindness is acting charitably, benevolently toward others, as God did towards us. Kindness takes the initiative in responding to other people’s needs.
Kindness is commanded in the Scriptures. For example in Ephesians 4:32, the Bible commands, “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you”. The same thing in Col. 3:12 and 2 Pet. 1:5-7. Kindness is a desire to make others happy and be polite to all people. God has been so kind to us and He wants His children to be kind to other people by being sympathetic and compassionate to them. Christians who are unkind and uncaring about the needs of others are not bearing the fruit of the Spirit and they need to ask the Holy Spirit to give them His fruit of kindness.
II. THE FRUIT OF GOODNESS – GAL. 5:22
Goodness, as an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, is the desire not only to abstain from every appearance of evil but to do good to the bodies and souls of men to the utmost of our ability. Fruit of goodness is a disposition to do good to others even if they don’t deserve it. Goodness does not react to evil but absorbs the offence and respond with positive action. This is a godly attribute that every Christian should strive to have just as all the other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. The Bible says “A good man shows favour and lends… He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor, his righteousness ensures forever, his horn will be exalted with honour” (Ps. 112:5,9). A person is known to be good when he or she is willing to help others in their needs. Do you bear this fruit?
III. THE FRUIT OF FAITHFULNESS – GAL. 5:22
The word for faith in Galatians 5:22 is used in the sense of fidelity and denotes that the Christian will be a faithful man – a man faithful to his word and promises, a man who can be trusted and be confided in. Faithfulness is punctuality in performing promises, conscientious carefulness in preserving what is committed to our trust, in restoring it to its proper owner, in transacting the business confided to us, neither betraying the secret of our friend nor disappointing the confidence of our employer. The Christian is faithful as a man, faithful as a neighbour, friend, father, husband, son, daughter etc. No man can be a Christian who is not faithful and all pretence to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, when faithfulness does not exist, is deceit and vain.
IV. THE FRUIT OF GENTLENESS – GAL. 5:23
The word “gentleness” means goodness, kindness, benignity and is opposed to a harsh, crabbed, crooked temper. It is a disposition to be pleased. It is mildness of temper, calmness of spirit, an unruffed disposition and a disposition to treat all with urbanity and politeness. This is one of the regular effects of the Holy Spirit’s operations on the heart. Christianity does not make anyone to be morose and sour but sweetens the temper, corrects an irritable disposition, makes the heart kind, disposes us to making all the people around us as happy as possible. If any Christian is prone to anger and easy provocation, by the time he or she receives the Holy Spirit and with the fruit of the Holy Spirit manifesting in him or her, the anger and provocation will give way to gentleness. These are the people that were known to be troublesome before but now they are gentle. Do you bear this fruit?
V. THE FRUIT OF SELF-CONTROL – GAL. 5:23
The word temperance or self-control means continence. It is derived from the Greek word meaning strength and has reference to the power or ascendancy which we have over exciting and evil passions of all kinds. It denotes the self-rule which a man has over the evil propensities of his nature. This includes chastity, self-government, moderation in regard to all indulgences, as well as abstinence from intoxicating drinks. The sense with regard to the fruit of the Holy Spirit is that the influences of the Holy Spirit on the heart makes a man moderate in all indulgence, teach him to restrain his passions and to govern himself; to control and subdue all inordinate affection. This will make Christians to be temperate in his or her manner of living, and in the government of his temper.
Paul bore this fruit when he told the Corinthians that the fact that he was writing to them about the things that are right does not make him a super man but what he too was doing is to be bringing his body under subjection and self-control so that after he might have preached to others, he himself will not be a cast away (1 Cor. 9:27).
CONCLUSION
We have seen the conclusion of the other aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit this week. All Christians who are heaven-bound must produce this fruit in their lives with nothing left out in all the nine components. We, therefore, need to check our lives and see which one is not manifesting in our lives and you should start crying to the Holy Spirit to supply them into your life.
QUESTIONS
1. Who is a kind person?
2. Define the fruit of goodness.
3. Mention some acts that will show that a Christian is faithful.
4. Is there any difference between gentleness and temperance? If yes, state the difference, if no, give your reasons.
5. How many of the aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit will qualify a Christian to make heaven?
French
DIMANCHE 30/03/2014
QUE LE FRUIT CROISSE
1Ti. 6:11-16
Tous les divers composants du fruit de l‘Esprit dont on a discuté sont déposés en nous quand nous recevons le Saint-Esprit. Mais il doit être noté que le fruit ne croitra pas et ne produira pas naturellement. Les croyants doivent travailler sur eux-mêmes – l’intellect, l’émotion, l’attitude, le comportement, la relation et s’assurer qu’ils se conforment au modèles bibliques de comportement qui sont énumérés comme étant le fruit de l’Esprit. Paul écrivit à Timothée de poursuivre ses fruits et de lutter pour les avoir si besoin est. Tu dois prier avec ardeur pour la continuité des fruits qui se sont manifestés et pour que ceux qui sont latents se manifestent. C’est la voie par laquelle le fruit peut croître et être utile et productif dans la vie chrétienne d’une personne.
Point essentiel : Poursuis la justice, la piété, la foi, la charité, la patience et la douceur.
Axe de prière : Seigneur, que le fruit de l’Esprit croisse et se produise en moi et dans mon église.