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Fruitful Living

    The Holy Spirit may be the most frequently misunderstood member of the trinity. In the analogy of the mango tree with God the Father as the roots and Jesus the Son as the shoot of the tree (the part we can see), we also have the Holy Spirit who is identified as the fruit of the tree. Today I will try to describe what that means.

    We know that God the Father sent Jesus here to teach us how to live, to show us the physical incarnation of God, and to rescue us from the death of sin. But did you know that when Jesus was leaving the earth, He promised to send someone after Him? He is known by many names. The helper, the advocate, the counselor, the comforter, the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Spirit-- to name a few.

    So what is the role of this helper in the context of the trinity? Jesus had to leave the earth to send us the Holy Spirit. Why did He have to go? The Holy Spirit couldn't be made available to us if Jesus was still here because it is His Spirit! When He was on earth, He needed His own Spirit inside of Him. But when He is in Heaven, His Spirit is not bound to Him in the same way and it is able to be released to all of us.

John 16:7-11, 13-15  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (ESV)

    When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are allowing Jesus' Spirit to come dwell inside of us. This allows Him to work His power through us. That is what it means when the New Testament tells us to walk according to the Spirit on so many occasions. We walk life out in Jesus' power instead of instead of our own.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own (ESV)

    The Holy Spirit is a gift. He guides us in righteousness and brings with Him clear communication with God, among other gifts. He teaches us the things of God and He reminds us of the things we have already learned at the times we need them. He speaks and lives through us, empowering us to have the most fruitful life we can with God in our life.

 1 Corinthians 2:13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. (NIV)
Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (NIV)
Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (NIV)

    The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus and speaks to us the words of the Father. He brings the fullness of the freedom and fruit of Jesus into our lives. It is through the Holy Spirit that we are able to live like Jesus!

John 14:15-31 “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
“You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” (NIV)



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