These two scriptures reveal to us that we need to abide in God and to live in the Spirit in order for us to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We have the ability to walk in the Spirit and to have the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We will become more Christ-like as we work on sanctification that happens when we have a close relationship with God.
Before we accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we were separated from God spiritually. We used to allow the sin nature to dominate our lives and dictate how we live. We only cared for ourselves and did not bother if we hurt someone else. Our senses led us and our emotions dictated our actions without consideration for others. We did not have the power and strength to overcome the world.
John 3:3 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:17(NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Ephesians 4:24 (NKJV) And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
These scriptures reveal to us that something happened in our spirit man when we are born again. The born-again part of us is the spirit man where we become a new creation. The new creation that is referred to as the “new man” or “spirit-man” in Ephesians, has the nature of God and His true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, we will be able to do what we were not able to do in the “old man” or before we were saved because of the sin nature.
To illustrate this, the Holy Spirit in us should be the King to influence our decisions and reactions, while the soul is the general and the body is the soldier. The king rules and reigns in any kingdom and the job of the general is to submit and to lead the soldiers. The more we subject ourselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit, the more Christ-like we will become. We, Christians are supposed to live our lives from the inside-out because it is our “spirit-man” that is born again which has the nature of God made in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, we are to yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Trying to produce the fruit of the Spirit with our own strength is like letting the soul and body be the king of our lives! No wonder there is no fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives! Let the Holy Spirit be King and we will have fruit of the Holy Spirit in abundance.
Sermon Series: Fruit of the Holy Spirit – LOVE
我们无法靠自己的力量结出圣灵的果子
加拉太书 5:25我们若是靠圣灵得生，就当靠圣灵行事。
约翰福音 15:4-5 你们要常在我里面，我也常在你们里面。枝子若不常在葡萄树上，自己就不能结果子；你们若不常在我里面，也是这样。我是葡萄树，你们是枝子。常在我里面的，我也常在他里面，这人就多结果子；因为离了我，你们就不能作什么。
这两段经文向我们揭示，我们需要常在神里面并活在圣灵当中，才能结出圣灵的果子。我们有能力靠圣灵而行，并在生命中结出圣灵的果子。当我们与神建立亲密的关系，致力于成圣时，就变得更有基督的样式。
在接受耶稣基督作我们的救主之前，我们在灵里与神是隔绝的：曾让罪的本性主宰我们的生活、决定我们的生活方式；只关心自己，不在乎是否伤害了别人；让感官牵引、让情绪支配着自己的行为，而不考虑他人。我们没有能力和力量胜过世界。
约翰福音 3:3 耶稣回答说：“我实实在在地告诉你，人若不重生，就不能见 神的国。”
哥林多后书 5:17若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已过，都变成新的了。
以弗所书 4:24 并且穿上新人；这新人是照着 神的形像造的，有真理的仁义和圣洁。
这段经文揭示：重生时，我们的内在灵人发生了变化；我们重生的那部分即内在灵人成为新造的人。在以弗所書里被称为”新我”或”灵人”的新造的人，具有神的本质、及其真正的公义和圣洁。因此，我们就能夠做我们在“老我”时、或因罪性被救赎之前所做不到的事情。
更好地阐释此点：我们里面的圣灵应该是影响我们决定和反应的王、我们的魂是将军、身体是士兵。在任何王国中，都是国王负责管理与统治、将军是服从和领导士兵。越受圣灵的影响，我们就越有基督样式。我们基督徒应该是由内向外地生活，因为我们的”内在灵人”重生了，拥有公义和圣洁的神性；因此，我们要顺服于圣灵的影响。
试图靠自己的力量来结圣灵的果子时，就像让魂和体成为我们生命的王一样！ 难怪我们生命中没有圣灵的果子！ 让圣灵做王吧，我们就结出丰盛的圣灵之果。
讲章系列：圣灵所结的果子 — 仁爱
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