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Abiding Fruit :: The Great Truths of Romans 6

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I was a slave

Dominated. Defeated. Hopeless. I had no choice but to sin. It was my master.

I died

At the cross my iniquities—all of them—were placed on Jesus.  When he was tortured and crucified on calvary a part of me died too. The part of me that could do no good. The part that separated me from a holy God. It was dealt a mortal wound.

I was baptized

When I acknowledge my separation from God, and asked Him to be Lord of this sinner’s heart, I was given the Holy Spirit—God came to live inside of me. He baptized me and sealed me as His own.

I was buried

It was in His burial and resurrection that Christ displayed His power over sin. Through the baptism of the Spirit, in that first moment of grace-led faith when I entered into the Kingdom of God, I was baptized into His death and burial.

I have been given new life!

I was joined with Christ not only in His death and burial, but also in His resurrection! I have been brought from death to life. I have been enabled to walk in newness of life.

I have been set free!

I have been set free from the slavery of sin. It no longer my ruler. My chains are gone. I now have a choice to walk in obedience.

I have been given a purpose!

I am to be a tool for righteousness, to bring glory to the one who holds me in His hands. I have been made alive to God.

Applying the truth

Romans 6:1-14 is filled with deep, deep truths. But these truths were not meant for us to read and nod in approval. They are to transform our living. It is in knowing who we are in Christ, and what we’ve been through with Him (burial, death, and resurrection) that we can begin to hope for any change in our lives.

Change comes only through the work of Christ on our behalf. The work we need to focus on is in believing:

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11

It is finished

With His dying breaths Christ said, “It is finished.” Do you believe that? That your sin nature is dead? That there is nothing left to do to obtain right-standing with God? That God sees you through the perfection and obedience of Christ?

It is in abiding—remaining in Christ and resting in His completed work on our behalf—that we experience fruit in our lives. It is not in trying harder, but through pursuing Jesus and allowing Him to bear fruit in us.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised…Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 17 ESV)

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24 ESV)

 

What did you see this week in Romans 6? Have you seen the fruit of the Spirit more evident in your life over the last few months, as you’ve leaned into Him as your source?

 

Abiding Fruit: Self-Control

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I quickly get discouraged when I feel certain areas of my life become unruly. I feel it lately, as I am surrounded by sweet treats that are so hard to say no to. I experience it every morning as I try to get up early to meet with the Lord, and more often than I would like, I choose to snooze.

Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control

 

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I don’t need to teach a lesson today on what self-control is. We all know what it is, and most of us would say we lack it. Whether it be in regards to the way we eat, what we say and do, or our maybe our thought-life; there are probably at least a few areas in each our lives in which we lack self-control.

Although, I did find something very interesting in my study of self-control this week:

Enkrateia.

That’s the greek word for self-control.

It’s used four times in the New Testament. (Acts 24:25, Galatians 5:23, and repeated twice in 2 Peter 1:6)

That’s it. Four times.

So as I came to this week of study, a bit discouraged and defeated, I was comforted that I didn’t find a bigger list of things for me to control in my life.

Isn’t Self-Control Just Trying Harder?

I find it incredibly fitting that self-control comes right in the middle of our Believing Better series. This series was a bit of a last-minute leading from the Lord, and here we are studying self-control, something which can easily be mistaken with the Cycle of Try Harder.

So, is self-control just another way of saying “try harder”?

Remember what our series is all about? It is about the FRUIT of the SPIRIT. Self-control is a FRUIT. It is a PRODUCT of being a Spirit-led, healthy Christian.

And, when we get down to the nitty-gritty of 2 Peter 1:3-8, we see a similar message we’ve been learning all along.

An All-Powerful God Has Granted

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue… (2 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)

Did you catch the amazing truths of what God has given us?

  • All things that pertain to life and godliness.
  • Precious and very great promises.

And do you see why?

  • So that you may become partakers of the divine nature—to escape sinful desire .
  • To fuel our efforts towards maturing our faith.

Remember the Central Command

Most of the commands in Scripture are surrounded by the truths of what Christ has done for us. Here in 2 Peter, amidst the list of qualities that should be increasing in our lives, the commands are preceded by the reality that even our best efforts are worthless with out the power of God in our lives.

Earlier in our Abiding Fruit studies we looked at the central command of Galatians 5—the secret to experiencing fruit-filled living. The central command: walk by the Spirit. Keeping in step with the Spirit brings forth the fruit of self-control.

We aren’t to mainly pursue self-control, but to pursue Jesus. As we do, self-control will come.

Do you struggle with self-control? How do you think pursuing Jesus and yielding to the Spirit will help you live a more self-controlled life?

There is so much more to learn from this passage! What did you see this week in your studies?

Abiding Fruit :: Faithfulness :: Just stand

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It was Pompeii.
AD 79.
As the story goes, the Roman sentry heard, saw, and smelled all of life crumbling around him. Vesuvius had erupted.

Yet he hadn’t been dismissed from his post.
So he stood.
Just stood.

Should we do any less?

There’s only one way—stay near the throne. It’s there we’ll receive mercy and find grace to stand firm (Hebrews 4:16).

Jesus showed us how. He was faithful to do his Father’s will (Hebrews 3:1-2). Tempted yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Endured the worst to secure the best (Hebrews 12:2-3).

God keeps his promises.

So our confidence is in him. In his faithfulness. The only reason we can be faithful is because he is.

And our faithfulness—in big things and small things—will encourage others to stay in his presence too.

  • To be bold.
  • To love.
  • To do good works.
  • To do his will.
  • To receive rewards.

If we’ll stand.
Just stand.

What did you learn in your study of faithfulness? How can we encourage each other to be faithful?

 

Abiding Fruit :: Goodness :: Tasting the Real Thing

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I am not a big fan of sugar-free food. I cannot stomach diet soda (as much as my love-handles would love for me to make the switch.) And fat free dairy? Blech.

Give me the real thing.

Even if you do “like” diet soda or non-fat milk, you can taste a difference. Advertising companies would love us to believe otherwise, but the bottom line is: diet soda, skim milk, and fat-free snacks just do not taste like the real thing.

Good Stuff

The fruit of the Spirit is…goodness. Galatians 5:22

We looked at another portrait of the fruit-bearing life this week, through Proverbs 31:10-31. I love the picture painted in verse 12, “She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life.”

Whether married or not, I think all of us desire to be one who does good to those around us.

The greek word used in Galatians 5:22, from which goodness is translated from, is agathosyne, which means: uprightness of heart and life; goodness; kindness

There are only three other places this particular Greek word is used in the New Testament.

One is in Romans 15:14. Paul talks of the Roman believers as being “full of goodness.” Then, in Ephesians 5:9, Paul teaches that the “fruit of life” is found in all that is good, right and true.

Good. Right. True.

The fruit of the Spirit filling our hearts will result in that which is good, right and true to His character. So, as we keep in step with the Spirit, we will become just like Spirit; we will become just like the real thing.

The Taste Test

When my husband Chris and I were engaged we were invited to have dinner with Dan and Sue. Dan would be performing our wedding ceremony, and they wanted to have us over to talk through the big day. We enjoyed a yummy meal and great conversation.

Being good coffee-lovers, they brewed a pot of dark brew, to go with our dessert. I watched as Dan pulled out the cold, white cream from the fridge and a sugar bowl from the cabinet. I put some sugar in my and Chris’ coffee, added some half-in-half, and just as the warm goodness was reaching my lips, I look up to see Chris’s puzzled expression.

“It’s not sugar.” he ekes out, trying to catch me before I take by own swig of caffeinated sea water…

Too late.
17-04-10 Splash II ~ Explored :)

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It looked like sugar, but it most certainly was NOT. Dan had grabbed a bowl of SALT, and offered it to us as sweetener for our coffee!

By His Power, By His Grace

I don’t think any of us want to be like that hot, salty nastiness to those around us—repulsive. We want to bring good to those around us, so how do we obtain goodness? How can we taste like the real thing?

Psalm 34:8 declares, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” He is the only one who is good, right and true. He is the good shepherd (John 10:11). His goodness is declared all throughout the Old Testament.

So, if God is the only source of all that is good, how do we access that?

Enter 2 Thessalonians 1:11, the forth time agathosyne is used, where Paul offers a prayer for the people of God:

To this end we always pray for you,

that our God may make you worthy of his calling

and may fulfill every resolve for good

and every work of faith

by his power,

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,

and you in him,

according to the grace of our God

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I love this! God is the one who makes us worthy. He gives us the resolve for good, by His power, according to His grace! His desire is for us to be the real thing; for people to encounter us, His children, and taste a bit of Him—the all-good God. And this is all for His glory.

People can tell the difference. They can see right through our games of trying to be a good person. They know when we are faking it. But a child of God, who is walking in the power of the Holy Spirit? Fruit is dripping off of that dependent one. Good fruit—the real stuff.

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What did you learn from your study this week?

 

(As we consider the goodness of God…I am having a giveaway over at Living Devotionally. Just hop over and declare God’s goodness in the comments, for a chance to win! Giveaway ends on Tuesday!)

Where is your peace?

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Don’t we all just want a few minutes of peace?

No bickering between the kids. No stress with the husband. No to-do list left undone in a clutter-free house.

So if peace is a fruit of the Spirit, why do I often feel I lose mine? And where did mine go last week when my computer died—the very week I was studying peace?

Shalom

The Jews in the Old Testament called it shalom. They used it as a common greeting (Judges 19:20) and still do today. Deeper than our typical “How are you?” shalom was more a blessing of “May you be prosperous in all things.”

But in the New Testament, peace (eirene) took on even greater depth. (Did you know peace is mentioned in every New Testament book except 1 John?) The apostle Paul coupled it with grace in his greetings—“Grace and peace to you.” And rightly so.

Through grace, we receive the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15) from the God of peace (Philippians 4:9). Christ not only left His peace with us (John 14:27), but He is Himself our peace (Ephesians 2:14).

More than a feeling

So when our circumstances turn chaotic and our sons are sent to war and hearts are troubled from broken laptops, don’t look for your peace there. Our peace was never meant to rest in those things anyway.

Because our peace—peace the world can’t give—is more than a feeling.
It’s a person.

And in the person of Jesus Christ, our deepest peace can’t be disturbed (John 16:33). It’s secure. If we’ve come into relationship with Him, we have a wellness in our soul beyond our understanding, even when our outside is stressed.

Peace in the presence

God’s peace is above our intellect—don’t try to figure it out (Philippians 4:7). You won’t succeed.

But you can trust that it’s there. That He is there.

Because peace isn’t the absence of trouble.
Peace is the presence of God.

Even when the dog is barking and the car is overheating and the laptop is dying, God’s peace runs deeper still.

Trust Him to guard it for you. So you can worry less; worship more. Think on good things, not on figuring things out.

God’s got you covered.
He’ll keep giving you grace.
And He’ll always be your peace.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2

What did you glean from studying peace last week?
Please share any insights from Philippians 4:4-9.
How do you see the fruit of peace in your life?

Abiding Fruit :: Romans 7:15-24 :: The Reality of Our Struggle

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I identify with Paul in Romans 7. There are so many moments in which I feel completely confused and helpless.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15

I want to live a disciplined life. Yet I find myself eating way too many cookies, letting the laundry get completely out of control, and staying up hours past a decent bedtime.

It is my desire to be a good mom, but then I do the very thing I hate. I yell at my kids. I act demanding and impatient towards them.

I set out to be a better wife only to find myself creating excuses to avoid connecting with my husband. I put my desires over his needs. Instead of being his biggest helper, I become a nagging leech.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Romans 7:19

This is a completely defeating reality.

I. Am. Wretched.


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But, this is not the end of the story! Did you catch the hope Paul finds in the mess of his struggle? I see three glimpses of victory amidst the first-glance defeat.

It is no longer me.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Romans 7:20

If I am in Christ Jesus I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) I was dead in my sin, a child of disobedience, and an object of wrath. But God chose me, rescued me from my sin, adopted me as His child, lavished on me grace, given me new life, and sealed me with His Spirit. (Ephesians 1 & 2)

Before I came to Christ I had no choice but to sin. I was a slave to the passions of my flesh, a follower of the law of sin. Now, though my flesh still lingers in me, I have a choice. The Spirit has set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) By the power of the Holy Spirit in me, I can choose obedience.

I have a powerful weapon.

For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, Romans 7:22

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

The law of God, the sword of the Spirit is my offense against the flesh. (Ephesians 6:17) A sword is no good if it sits at home, lying on a shelf. We are bombarded by our flesh ever corner we turn. The word of God must be readily available for us to kill the flesh.

There is a relationship between delighting in God’s law and not walking in the way of the wicked. Our only offense against the flesh is reading, studying, knowing and delighting in the truths of the Bible.

…that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life… Philippians 2:15-16

I have already been delivered, but not yet.

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24-25

In a sermon on Galatians 5, John Piper describes our flesh like a dragon, to whom Christ has given a mortal blow. Although it is destined for death, it is still living; our flesh is thrashing it’s tail and spewing fire at us in hopes to do as much damage in it’s final days.

Christ has taken possession of our soul. Our old self has been dealt a mortal wound and stripped of its power to have dominion. The Christian life, the fruit of the Spirit, is a constant reckoning of the flesh as dead (piling stones on its tomb) and a constant relying on the present Spirit of Christ to produce love, joy, and peace within. – John Piper, Sermon: Walk by the Spirit

Though my dragon of flesh lashes out and tries to take me down as it breathes it’s last, I have hope amidst the struggle. My sin nature is dead…it is just a matter of time before I am completely delivered from it’s presence.

So, yes, you and I struggle. The Christian life is not easy. But it is important to understand why we struggle, keep a tight grip on the truth of our victorious destiny, and fight the dragon.

What did you learn from this week’s study? 

Written a post about the Abiding Fruit study in the last few weeks? Link it up below! Be sure to comment on a few other posts, and use the Abiding Fruit button so others can find us.


 

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Abiding Fruit :: Galatians 5:16-26 :: The Secret to Fruit-Filled Living

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Are you looking for the secret to fruit-filled living? Well, look no further, here’s your answer.

Walk by the Spirit.

My annoying shoes

That’s it folks. Galatians 5:16-26 does not tell us “Go, be more patient. Learn to be more self-controlled. And, would you stop those fits of anger already?”

There is just one central command. Walk by the Spirit.

In verse 16, the Greek word used here is peripateo, which is derived from the word peri (all around) and pateo (to tread). So, the meaning here is to walk around.

Everywhere, all the time, walk by the spirit.

But Paul uses a different greek word in verse 25. Stoicheo, which means to keep in step with. Like those following their military orders.

“Left, left, left, right, left.”

The Spirit of God is moving and active. We are to follow Him, listening and waiting for our marching orders, ready to conform to His plan for every moment of our days.

If we do not keep in step with the Holy Spirit, we do not just stand still. By default we walk in the flesh.

Walk by the power of the Holy Spirit, and fruit will come. 

Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

Oh how I get this backwards! I like to focus on the “to-do”s, as if I can produce patience or love through working hard for it. But trying to keep up with any sort of list is exhausting, and ultimately a futile pursuit. My “to-do” list is ultimately the way of the flesh.

I can never do all the “do”s and don’t all the “don’t”s. There is only one thing I can do that will bring any hope for change. Stay needy.

As you and I walk by the power of the Spirit, it is only then we have hope for the fruit we long for in our lives. Because, it is only then we are in step with the only One who can bring fruit.

Seeing the fruit of the Spirit in my life brings assurance of my salvation.

I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God…And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:21,24

The nastiness of the flesh comes easy. I don’t have to exert much effort to have fits of anger when my children push my buttons. The outbursts just happen. I don’t tell myself to be jealous of another’s waist size, most days it seems innate.

But there are days when I can see the fruit and I know that it came from outside of myself. When I get a paycheck, and I want to give as much of it as I can to gospel causes. When I pick up the messes in my house one more time, and find joy in serving my family. When I shut the computer down and get to bed on time, so I can wake at 5:30 to spend time with my God.

My sinful flesh wants to sleep in (and does), it constantly craves more stuff, and it certainly does not want to serve others. So it is in these moments, when I do contrary to what my flesh desires, that I see fruit. It is through seeing this fruit in my life that I can know that there is an all-powerful God who loves me and is working in me to produce this fruit, because I am His child.

Walk by the Spirit = Abide in Christ

This coming week we will be studying John 15:1-11, a passage all about abiding in the Vine. This is just another metaphor for the same thing- stay in His presence.

What did you learn this week through Galatians 5:16-26? Feel free to share any links to posts you’ve written!

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Abiding Fruit :: Introduction

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It all starts with a seed. The gospel message, planted in the hearts of His people.

From a tender shoot to a strong trunk, the faithful Gardener nurtures this precious seedling. He has a great plan for this seed in us; to grow, strengthen, and bear fruit.

For those of us who have received this good news, we have been given an incredible treasure. While the gospel-seed brings joy inexpressible and life eternal, it is not mainly for those who receive it.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news…that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. Isaiah 61:1,3

All for His Glory

God’s ultimate plan for you and I is not just to receive, through faith, this seed of the gospel. He intends for this seed to grow into a strong, fruit-bearing, God-glorifying tree.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:3

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:8

As we grow into a firmly-planted tree, fruit will come and this fruit will bring more seeds. Gospel-seeds will be planted into more hearts and these delivered disciples will bring glory to God.

Facing Reality

I don’t know about you, but there are days when I don’t feel like a strong, flourishing tree. Seasons come and the fruit on my branches is small and tasteless. There are plenty of moments where there is little proof of discipleship in my life.

God’s plan for me is to bear fruit, and I want to bear good fruit. But I can’t just resolve to be more fruitful and force the fruit to come. I’ve tried that; it doesn’t work.

So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. Matthew 7:17

I cannot bear good fruit on my own. I am diseased and, on my own, powerless to bear good fruit. Yet, God has charged us to bear good fruit. So, there must be a way!

The Secret to Bearing Fruit

Today we kick off our Abiding Fruit study series. This week, the study guide will lead us to take a deeper look at how we can bear the fruit of the Spirit. As we look at the different layers of Galatians 5:16-25 each day, let’s see if we can find the secret to becoming a healthy, fruitful tree.

…I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide… John 15:16

What are you looking forward to in our study this week?

How is your fruit-bearing lately?


Come back next Monday, when we will take a deeper look at Galatians 5:16-25 together.

 

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Abiding Fruit

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I long for my life to be one which bears the unmistakable mark of a Christian. When people interact with me, I want them to see Christ and His characteristics in me.

But when the baby is crying, my oldest is trying to tell me every detail of his very important dream, my toddler is…well, being a toddler, I’ve lost track of time and we need to be in the car, like NOW, but no one seems to carry the same urgency that I have, and, oh my gosh, I’m still in my pajamas…well, I’m not sure there is much evidence of Christ in me in those moments.

Why is it so hard to do what I desire to do?

If you know this familiar struggle then I’m glad you are reading this. Not (only) because it makes me feel less alone, but because this Fall we are going to take a journey through the Bible to find out how we can have the abiding fruit of Christ in our lives.

We’ve partnered yet again with Inspired to Action’s Maximize Your Mornings Challenge, and have hand-picked thirteen different passages of Scripture to help us understand how the fruit of the Spirit can become evident in our lives. Each Monday, beginning September 19th, we will have weekly Bible study posts for you!

If you are not already diving into a specific study in the Word, we would LOVE for you to join us in making the Abiding Fruit study part of your time with the Lord. You can download the study guide here. Anyone is welcome to join in the study, regardless of whether or not you are doing the Maximize Your Mornings challenge.

This study guide is unique in that we will be guiding you to new passages and YOU will be doing the studying! Each week we will read and study the same passage over the course of five days. Using different study questions, we will observe the passage with a new set of “glasses” each day to help us dig through another layer of Scripture.

If you will be doing the study we’d love to hear from you! Just give us a shout out in the comments and let us know what you are looking forward to as we dive into the fruit of the Spirit. And, if you haven’t already, go ahead and subscribe to Do Not Depart so you can receive the Bible Study posts straight to your inbox!

We are excited about getting to dig into the Word with you!

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P.S. Don’t forget about the AMAZING giveaways over at To Overflowing and Living Devotionally. We’re having a party to celebrate the release of our ebook Savoring Living Water: How to have an effective quiet time. Here is a list of all the greatness you can win:
Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman (a signed copy!)
A “HelloMornings” coffee mug (I LOVE that the verse on the back is Psalm 143:8!)
Parenting from the Overflow by Teri Lynne Underwood
Two “Clipsie Daisy” super-cute hair clips
ESV Study Bible
31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae
Classic Bible Commentary
Warrior Prayers, with Leader’s Guide by Brooke McGlothlin
An embroidered tote bag

The party ends Friday night, and nine winners will be chosen, so run and enter while you can!

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