Wednesday, 17^th August, 2016.

Scripture Reading:    Gal 5:22-24.

Memory verse for the week:   Heb 1:1-2

Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. (HCS)

INTRODUCTION

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Teen, one of the primary purposes of the Holy Spirit coming to live in us, is to change our life, habit and character into that of Christ. 2Cor.3:18.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is a biblical term that sums up nine visible attributes of a Christian life. We learn from the scriptures that these are not individual “fruits” from which we pick and choose. Rather, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is one nine-fold “fruit”. (Gal 5:22).

This is the fruit that all Christians should be producing after Salvation. The opposite of the fruit of the Spirit is the works of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21). This means that anytime a Christian does not allow the Holy Spirit produce His fruit in him, the devil, through the work of the flesh takes control that same moment. This is best exemplified in the story of Peter with Jesus in Mat. 16:13-23.

The Christian life is a battle/struggle of the sinful body fighting against the new nature given by Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). As human beings, we are still trapped in a body that desires sinful things. For example, we are tempted to steal, lie, watch pornography, read erotic magazines, masturbate, etc, as we have always done before we gave our life to Christ (Rom 7:14-25). Now that we are born again, we have the Holy Spirit producing His fruit in us and we have the Holy Spirit’s power available to conquer these acts of the sinful nature(2 Cor.5:17, Phil.4:13).

 We may not be completely free from all these evil desires, but as we progressively allow the Holy Spirit to produce more and more of His fruit in our lives- and allow the Holy Spirit conquer these sinful desires, we become more like Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is what God desires our lives to exhibit, and with the Holy Spirit’s help, it is possible.

ACTION WORD:       YOUR FLESH AND YOUR SPIRIT ARE IN A CONSTANT FIGHT.

PRAYER POINT:

1. I surrender my life to you Holy Spirit of God; deliver me completely from my old habit and way of life, in the name of Jesus.
2. Power of the Holy Ghost destroy every foundational weakness in my life, in the name of Jesus.