WHAT KIND OF FRUIT ARE YOU BEARING?? PART 2

Galatians chapter 5







Today we are walking in: What Kind Of Fruit Are You Bearing?? Part 2










Today we look to the word OBEY --H8085 - shâmaʻ, shaw-mah'; a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, attentively, call gather together, carefully, certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, make a proclaimation, publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.









The Torah testifies.........……



Exodus 23:22

But if thou shalt indeed obey H8085 his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.










The prophets proclaim..................



Joshua 24:24

And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey H8085.









The writings bear witness............



Job 36:11

If they obey H8085 and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.







"The fruit of the Spirit is ... faithfulness"




Faithfulness




The Greek word pistis can refer either to the attitude of believing (i.e., trust), the content of belief (i.e., "the faith" in the sense of doctrine), or to the trustworthiness or integrity of a person (as in a "faithful friend," "a faithful spouse," etc.). Since the list of fruits here refer to ethical qualities, it is likely that Paul had in mind faithfulness that is associated with truth, that is, reliability, trustworthiness, dependability, etc. Since Yah is faithful (i.e., can be trusted or depended upon), Yah's people are to be faithful, too, and the Ruach HaQadesh enables them to be this way... The Hebrew word bittachon is sometimes used to describe this dimension of faith, which comes from a root word that means to trust, to feel safe and secure. The Ruach HaQadesh enables the heart to be a safe source of counsel and strength for others.










"The fruit of the Spirit is ... humility"




Humility




The Hebrew word anavah implies a sense of inner poverty that can only be healed by giving and serving others. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Therefore Moses was described as "very humble, more than all men" (Num. 12:3). The translators of the Torah into ancient Greek chose the word praotes to describe Moses' humility (or "meekness"), a word that suggests moderation, gentleness, and even the inability to get angry. Likewise Yahusha described Himself as someone "gentle and lowly in heart" who offered rest for the burdened soul (Matt. 11:29). The Greek word therefore indicates "moderation" and courtesy by esteeming others as worthy of honor. Humility in this sense means being "teachable" and open-minded toward others. The humble or "meek" soul has the courage to ask the Most High, "Search me, and know my ways; test me, and know my thoughts; and see the wicked ways in me – and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24). Humility is not a "weakness," since on the contrary, it is a sign of spiritual weakness to be proud and self-serving...




"Who then is wise?" "the one who learns from every man." In the Hebrew tradition, humility is among the greatest of the virtues, as its opposite, pride, is among the worst of the vices. Indeed Yah literally hates the eyes of the proud countenance (Prov. 6:16-17). Therefore Moses is described as the most humble of men: "Now the man Moses was very humble, above all the men on the face of the earth" (Num. 12:3), and likewise the great patriarch Abraham confessed to Yah: "Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Most High, who am but dust and ashes" (Gen 18:27).










"The fruit of the Spirit is ... modesty"




Modesty




This word is often translated as "self control," especially in reference to sexual affections or desires (i.e., "chastity"). The Greek word engkratea literally means "inner strength" "strength" or "power" referring to mastery over one's desires and passions. However, since the strength to turn away from evil to serve Yah comes from the indwelling Divine Presence of the Spirit, it is clear that this word ultimately refers to the life of Yahusha within the heart, providing strength to serve and please Yah. "I can do all things through the Messiah who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13; Eph. 3:16). Perhaps this is why this virtue is given last in the list, as a sort of summation of the other virtues. Just as the love of Yah is the Source of all grace, so the life of Yah is its End…




Against these great graces of the Spirit-controlled life the law has "nothing to say," since the law (understood in its civil and judicial sense as "mishpatim") was intended to restrain and to punish evil behavior (i.e., the "works of the flesh"). As Paul wrote elsewhere, "the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the unYahly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed Yah with which I have been entrusted" (1 Tim. 1:9-11). In other words, Paul's use of the phrase, "against such there is no law," is meant for rhetorical effect, since no valid law of Yah may circumvent the greater end of the law, which is the outworking of Yah's love for people. The qualities manifested by the Ruach HaQadesh are of a different order of reality altogether: they are of the sphere of Divine Grace and Invitation, not the sphere of the judgment and law.... In other words, we no longer relate to Yah in terms of an external lawcode, but rather by an internal identity as Yah's beloved child. Just as the fruit of a natural vine comes from the vine's own life, so the qualities of the spiritual vine comes from the life of Yah. As Yahusha said, "Without me you can do nothing..." (John 15:5).




The Apostle Paul wrote, "For I through the law to the law have died; that to Yah I will live: I have been crucified with the Messiah: It is no longer I who live, but Messiah who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of Yah, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of Yah, for if righteousness came through the law, then the Messiah died for no purpose" (Gal. 2:19-21). The "deepest root of the Torah" goes back to the Tree of Life whose branches extend to the very world to come... Yahusha is our Tree of Life, just as He is forever our Living Torah.




"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life is destroying it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25)




"If there is no seed, there is no fruit;" and the type of seed always determines the type of fruit (1 Pet. 1:23; 1 John 3:9). We can sow to the flesh – and reap corruption - or we can sow to the Spirit - and reap life everlasting (Gal. 6:7-8). The formation of "Messiah-like character" is the result of discipline, a word that means to instruct or rear a child and is therefore connected with discipleship and education. Indeed, the Hebrew word for "discipline", a term that refers to moral instruction and guidance, whereas the word for "education" is a term that shares the same root as the word "dedication". Unlike the Greek view that regards education as a pragmatic process of improving one's personal power or happiness, the Hebrew idea implies dedication/direction to Yah and His concrete purposes on the earth. Disciples of Yahusha are therefore called talmidim, a word that comes from lamad meaning "to learn", a word that shares the same root). There can be no discipline apart from education..




The "heart of Scripture" is revealed the Book of Psalms, and the Psalms begin with the declaration that the one who delights in Yah's Torah and meditates upon it "day and night" will be blessed with a genuinely fruitful life:




"He is like a tree transplanted 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)










In the New Testament we read, "For the moment all discipline does not seem full of joy but of sorrow, but afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised by it" (Heb. 12:11). The Greek word used for "exercised" is often used to refer to training for competitive gymnastic events. Despite the analogy of training or "exercising" the physical body to comply with the directives of the spirit, however, it is important to remember that the life of Yah is a miracle that comes from Yah's own source of Life. It is the fruit of the Spirit, after all, and not the result of human effort or moral reformation. See John 15:1-8. Our lives are sanctified in the manner in which they were initially justified: wholly by faith in the love and grace of Yah... Just as we are unable to "crucify ourselves," so we are unable to produce fruit for Yah in ourselves. As Yahusha said, "Without me you can do nothing..."




The tough question we need to ask ourselves is whether our lives indeed give evidence to the power and agency of the Ruach HaQadesh. Strictly speaking, these nine virtues are qualities that only Yah Himself possesses, since He alone is perfectly loving, perfectly joyful, and so on. But since we are created in the image of Yah and were given the Ruach HaQadesh to help us resemble our Teacher (Luke 6:40), spiritual fruit should be seen in our own lives (John 14:12; 15:1-8; 26-7). The outgrowth of such fruit is invariably a matter of faith - trusting that Yah will help us live our lives in truthful union with Him. If our lives are devoid of fruit, perhaps we are devoid of faith, and therefore the first step is to return to the Most High for healing and life...




Nonetheless, fruit does not immediately crop up but requires time and its own season... The process of spiritual growth is ultimately mysterious and divine: "The Kingdom of Yah is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself ( "automatically") the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he comes in with his sickle because the harvest has come" (Mark 4:26-29).




In the list of the fruit of the Spirit, it is important to see what is not listed.... What is not listed are powerful signs, wonders, or the trappings of worldly success or power. Though spiritual impostors may simulate the exercise of spiritual gifts, they can never "fake" the fruit of the Ruach HaQadesh.... Yahusha did not say that you shall know them by their flash, but rather "you will know them by their fruits" (Matt. 7:16-20).




The Scriptures state twice:"Take root downward and bear fruit upward" (2 Kings 19:30; Isa. 37:31). As Yahusha said, "unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it produces a big harvest (John 12:24). We pray we might surrender ourselves to the Most High fully, being immersed in His passion, "bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of Yah" (Col. 1:10). The "fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life" "the Tree of lives" (Prov. 11:30). It is the fruit of Yahusha, the Righteous One, who bears fruits of healing for the lives of those who turn to Him in trust...




"I can do all things through the Messiah who strengthens me," not "some things," or a "few things," but ALL things (Phil. 4:13). Yahusha is the Tree of Life, the Source of all our strength. "May you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being" (Eph. 3:16). Let's remember to pray for one another and ask the Most High to help make each of us fruitful to the glory of our Heavenly Father (John 15:8).