Fruit of the Spirit - - 7 Faithfulness

We are called to walk bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Because we are new creations in Christ Jesus we can abide and the fruit will be produced in our life. The fruit of the Spirit is faith.

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Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The fruit of the Spirit is … faithfulness!

Galatians 5:16  I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  17  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  18  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  19  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  20  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,  21  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  24  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

See the command in verse 16 and 25 let us walk in the Spirit.  It is the lifestyle of the believer.  Here in this passage the works of the flesh are made clear and the conclusion that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  Let no one deceive you with fancy words telling sin does not matter.  Those living a lifestyle of the flesh will not and indeed cannot inherit the kingdom of God.  Wherever the works of the flesh are listed there is an immediate admonition to the believers. Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  We are not the children of darkness; we are the children of light.  We are called to walk as children of light.  Because we have been born of the Spirit, the fruit should be brought to bear in us!

FAITHFULNESS OR KJV IS FAITH

G4102. pistis, pis'-tis; from G3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; mor. conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), espec. reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstr. constancy in such profession; by extens. the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.  244

Romans 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

I love this verse!  God has given to every man the measure of faith. There is nothing wrong with your faith believer friend.  It came from God and is all that it should be.  Yes, we need to mature in it, nurture it, and allow it to grow strong in us; however the faith that God has given us is pure.

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  17  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith.“ 

The law came through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  This covenant of grace is operated by faith.  The exclusive way to be made right with God is found only in the object of our faith being in Jesus Christ and the work He performed at the cross.  Revelation of God is revealed from faith to faith; the just shall live by faith.

Jude 1:3  Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

We have  been commanded to earnestly contend for the faith.  The greatest thing we possess as a believer is our confession of faith.  Guard it, contend for it, live in it.  God’s best can be found there!

Romans 3:26  to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  27  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

Justified is just as if we never sinned.  This only comes to those who place the object of their faith in Jesus Christ alone.  There is no other way to justification.  Note we now live by the law of faith!  The fruit of the Spirit is faith.

2 Corinthians 4:13  And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,

Whatever a man believes that is what comes from his mouth.  However in the spirit of faith we see the Word, we believe the Word, we speak the Word, we watch the Word come to pass. 

Galatians 3:1  O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?  2  This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  3  Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?  4  Have you suffered so many things in vain; if indeed it was in vain?  5  Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Everything we receive from God is by faith.  You begun with the Spirit by faith, you will finish by faith, and everything in between is by faith in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

When the object of your faith is in Jesus Christ it pleases God.  People pursue what they believe in.  Putting your faith in Jesus is the greatest place for reward.  Faith is the substance of your confident expectation of the truths of God’s word.  Faith is the evidence that you have what has not yet manifested!  Faith is the evidence of things not yet seen.  Faith is the substance and faith is the evidence; the fruit of the Spirit is faith!

1 John 5:1  Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.  2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.  3  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.  4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith.  5  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 

What a powerful word; “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”
That is whoever has put the object of their faith that Jesus is their Messiah is born of God.  Jesus said the whole kingdom of God would be built upon the rock of confession that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God.  Faith works through love; your revelation of His love moves you to loving God and loving others.  “And this is the victory that overcomes the world; our faith.”  I love saying it, what you think about Jesus Christ determines your destiny now and forever.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.  The fruit of the Spirit is faith!