The First Fruit
Notes
Transcript
The First Fruit
The First Fruit
Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Fruit grows on branches, the tree produces the fruit
The branch however does not produce fruit itself.
The identity and nature of the branch come from the vine or tree.
The tree began from a seed.
We have had God’s seed implanted in our human spirit.
Without the vine/tree the branch will survive for a while, but will eventually die.
This depicts the struggles of a Christian that neglect the Word of God.
Let’s look deeper at the love mention here in this verse.
love in the Greek for this word is (agapē).
Agapē love is unconditional love… it is a commitment to love without conditions or imitation
Think of it this way..
• it loves regardless of feelings—whether a person feels like loving or not.
• it loves a person even if the person does not deserve to be loved.
• it loves the person who is utterly unworthy of being loved.
Note four significant points about agapē love.
1. It is the love of God, the very love possessed by God Himself.
It is the love demonstrated on the cross.
It is the love of God for the ungodly.
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
It is the love of God for sinners.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
It is the love of God for enemies.
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
2.It is a gift from God.
It can be experienced only if a person knows God personally—only if a person has received the love of God, that is, Christ Jesus, into his heart and life.
Agapē love has to be shed abroad (poured out, flooded, spread about) by the Spirit of God within the heart of a person.
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
3. It is the greatest thing in all of life according to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
4. It is the greatest possession and gift in human life according to the Scripture (1 Co. 13:1-13).
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Conclusion
Conclusion