Godly Character, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer's rule by the spirit roared in your love for the gospel. The spiritual fruit of the natural result. Spiritual fruit happens about each of the loving Jesus with the gospel.

It is as your heart developed a felt sense of the doctrines of the gospel that spiritual fruit because the pop out at you as naturally as breaks are great by night with their author and legend here. As always, I'm your host Molly benefits know at first glance, citrus trees look pretty much the same. Their leaves are the same color and their branches form similar shapes. So what's the best way to tell them apart. You look for the fruit and the same is true of people. Specifically Christian in John chapter 15 Jesus as I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit today.

Pastor JD explained how good fruit is produced by a life that's rooted in Christ.

If you've missed any part of this new teaching series, you can always catch up online. Jeannie Greer.com Pastor JD has titled today's message godly character. So grab your Bible.

Much of Galatians 560 development of godly character. But I say to you walk by the Spirit so small you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, the desires of the flesh are against the spirit of the desires of the Spirit against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things that you want to do, but if you are led by the Spirit's not under the law, or sightseeing metalwork to the flesh are evident, sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, competitiveness, or selfish ambition, dissensions, divisions in the drug fitness orgies, and things like base Bible.

It was avoid the temptation to read that list and think about them out there is not been Alberti Central Pres. our hearts is opening out there think right here in verse 22 but the fruits of the Spirit's love, joy, peace, patient, time is good and faithful to general self-control.

Against such things there is no law, and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires were going to see from these eight verses one were going to see a description of two different plants with two different fruits number two were going to see a command that we are given in the number three were going to see a warning about a lifelong struggle traversable number one description of two different plants with two different fruits first plant.

Paul calls the flesh. Paul wants to summarize the entire list December 16. Use the Greek word that is a very important word. The Greek word that summarizes the entire list is the word epic to media up if you mean you know we translate that word in English as lust. I say life-giving sex but lust doesn't mean just the sex it's a deep soul craving. It's a craving for these things that we put MB place of God and that soul craving leads to the rest of that list, hatred, strife, drunkenness, orgies, sensuality to see the wall. Paul says law or in other words, being commanded to change the law to help the problem. Your problem is that you don't love God and that you're not a right relationship to God, the law are being commanded to change your cut that out stop and will do that anymore. That can't really help because our core problem is that we don't have the right desires to God. So when you buy in the gospel, it produces a totally different set of things and that's all second list. Love. Love is the Greek word agape that just means you have a general love for people. Not because of what they can do for you before love joy as the report Kera just means that the light that you have in God is not dependent on your circumstances.

You're just overjoyed God's presence in your life or the treasury of peace recording writing a piece, it just means that you have the sense that all situations, even bad ones, that there is a loving God was in full control and his presence with you is all that you need.

These are the fruits of the gospel and Paul answers list by saying listen. Verse 23 I get such things there is no law saying by that law for that kind of person is positive, the gospel has produced that in you there's no more need for law of God because God doesn't have to make laws for people who are filled in their heart with love, joy, peace, patient kindness, self-control because the comparable they love God and love others in the ways or how they express that that's what the gospel produces see it produces godly character that your description of two different plants are two different fruits.

Here's your command number two, Galatians 516 but I say, walk by the Spirit that got us this minute with each other. What's amenable by the spirit you hear that Justin about you my joy. I'm not sure what that means is I used to think hard and although I've grown up on me so that me like every hour you stop and thanks honey. Spirit power. So I got a spirit to be powered. It's gonna blow you up like a spiritual balloon run work in the spirit. Next are you better remember do against yourself back up and is no that's always what I thought. It is not what it means. What does the Spirit do according to Jesus.

John 1614 he glorifies Jesus by the Spirit means to walk with Jesus. Lord in your hearts. The Holy Spirit makes the gospel real to you the Holy Spirit to walk by the Spirit means that you have a felt sense of the truth of the gospel in your life, and as you abide in that gospel as you're walking by the spirits when you are filled with boulders, fruits Paul in Galatians chapter 3, Paul says if you want to be filled by the spirit abide in the gospel is the doctrines of the gospel. The news of his generosity and your depressed those things feel your heart and love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, they pop out. He was naturally his grades on the grapevine that you two theological words in a deep drill. You know them.

But you're right is very important to theological justification. Justification is the act by which God declares you righteous in Christ come from the great exchange, Jesus would like to live Doug that you were condemned to die.

He gives you his righteousness as a gift of righteousness. Justification is a legal declaration theological work number one village board number two sanctification sanctification means literally to make holy is the process by which your heart begins to desire godly banks, love, joy, peace, that sanctification is the process of becoming whole that we always talk about those things like they are separate and they are yet to make sure you get this justification is a legal declaration that God declares of you in Christ. Sanctification is the process of your heart.

Actually becoming and desiring holiness so they are separate but they are profoundly related because what this growth in sanctification comes by dwelling on justification. You will grow in sanctification, you will grow in your desire to be holy. The more you reflect on your justification, which is how God made you holy in Christ. Sanctification takes place. As you become intimately aware of your justification site. That's why God Martin Luther's lectures on the book of Romans made the statement. I love this to progress is always to begin again over some progress spiritually is always to go back to the beginning. You go back to dwelling on what God has done for you in Christ progress growth in sanctification going from going deeper and justification is only as we grow in our understanding of the fact that God's acceptance of bus was not based on how good we are that we begin to desire what is good. In other words, the only ones who will get better sanctification are those who understand God's approval of them is not dependent on their getting better justification reminder blow this if you only want to ever get better spiritual others who understand that God's acceptance of them is not based on their getting better.

Don't want to ever really learn to desire holiness want to understand that God doesn't accept them because they desire holiness not accepted because he gave them holiness as a gift when you dwell in your justification, your heart begins to desire to be with that God dwelling on justification is the most essential component of your sanctification of encouraging right to think about it all week dwelling on your justification is the most essential component for your sanctification. Now I hear you Jimmy. I will wait a minute. What if that's true, if that's true, that God's approval of me is not based on how much I'm doing and how long do you think the will lose all our motivation to grow for God right but you don't truly say that I know are you like but if God is not about me waving a stick. What you better desire holiness. Ronald what you will lose all my desire will not be motivated anymore, but only Christ but make the God's approval is given to them whether they grow or not. I may answer the same way John Bunyan answered his critics, John Bunyan begun rebuilding progress put in prison by the Church of England and they said to him, John. You can't go on tell nobody that God's approval of them is not based on how they behave as if you tell them the God's approval is not based on how they pay will do whatever they want. Bunyan's reply was no. If I tell them the God's approval of them is based on a gift that is given in Christ, Bill, do whatever he wants to see it is as you become intimately aware of your justification. You grow in your sanctification. So as you all by the spirit growing in your love for the gospel. Spiritual fruit is a natural result. I've used this analogy with you before, but this is bobbing at all. I want this to spiritual fruit look like these is produce the same way that physical fruit like a child is produced. Yesterday morning I met up with my children and I made waffles. I'm not a good cook siding on the Internet get a recipe and you follow it to the U. You likely need a pinch of salt you need some baking soda you need some vanilla here. Whatever is up at all that in their that's a recipe that's how you make a waffle producing a child is not like following a recipe given right when a man and woman come together to make a child.

They're not thinking about the mechanics of the recipe for making that child the chromosomes this and this happens, and as of the DNA good for right child physical fruits is the fruits of a loving, intimate encounter between a man and a woman in the same way spiritual fruit is not producing a recipe I don't have love spiritual fruit happens by being swept up in a loving, intimate encounter with Jesus. But the gospel is as your heart developed a felt sense of the doctrines that spiritual fruit gives the pop out at you as naturally as Braves of grapevine you're listening to a message titled nightly character summit. My GE career will rejoin this teaching in just a moment that I wanted to tell you about a daily email devotional from Pastor Janie that's delivered straight to your inbox will use encouragement for her staying in the morning to remind us of God's love for as I note the busyness of life can quickly check out any joy that we feel in our walk with God as we delay each word from the Lord. The devotional even follow along with our current teaching here on the program you can stay plugged in. Regardless of your schedule. Sign up for this free resource.

Right now GE career.com/resources that's JD GR EAR.com/reset now, let's return for the conclusion of today's message. Once again, here's Pastor Janie Joseph words in this passage that fruits as if they are things that you add a whole lot of them fruit singular is when you abide in Jesus, what's this all brought. That means that when one of these things is growing but not the others.

You wonder if it's really fruit. For example, I know people who are very kind but they have no self-control. That's probably not. Spiritual growth is probably just personality. Naturally kind disposition because it was spiritual fruit. All of them would be growing to make a personal boldness is a lot of times considered to be a spiritual fruit. I've been bold since I was six years old is a personality trait often will never in doubt is what I am and a lot of times I confused personality traits like boldness, spiritual maturity, because when you look at my life, what you would notice is that yeah I was bold for Christ. But I was also very judgmental, very unkind, very self-centered and see if it will really spiritual fruit, all those things would be growing in me comes try to tell you that whatever is happening in your life you will be producing all nine of these things and if there's one growing but not the others, it might be the fact that is not spiritual fruit. But I would even say this way you're only as mature as your weakest fruit. Things will be that you're only as mature as your weakest fruit that might be an overstatement, but you get the idea.

Fruit singular is when the gospel is taken root in your life all the things were.

Believe it or not, that it stunk slumming me feel better. Believe it or not, as I see some good news and that you'll notice fruit singular.

Another analogy when I was 12 years old my head and my feet were the same size that they are right now. Okay, the recipe was total size. How do people always encourage me to say you'll grow into it right Ciardi see how big you get a be because you have started outside your finger on it outside. You'll grow into be okay so I was able to cicada you and not worry about the same way if these are all the DNA of what it means to be in Christ.

You have to be overwhelmed at how little progress you're making because the question is not am I ever can overcome this or develop this. The question civilly. When I got grow into it. Sanctification is the process of becoming what God has already made you in Christ grow into it. Just let it out last one will click a warning warning about a lifelong struggle. Paul is telling you that at every point for the rest of your life to be a war lifelong to the death struggle between your old sinful nature. New righteous one. Both of them at every point in your life. Watch her constantly calling you to plant the roots of your soul into them in the flesh or into the spirit at every point in every day.

You are making the choice whether to plant the roots of your soul in the flesh something besides God or the gospel.which is why Paul tells you that what Christianity what Christian growth is is learning to preach the gospel to all the different parts of you. It's like you don't evangelize parts of your soul and you got a simple missionaries out to them to preach the gospel into their session.

We talk about unreached people groups got a bunch of them in your heart right and Christian growth is sending missionaries to preach the gospel into those places. Paul gives you the spiritual armor. I sure did. Every piece that he gave was the gospel taking the breastplate of righteousness. What's that is quite righteousness giving you the gift of having your loins heard about the truth, what's that that's the truth of the gospel. He says take the helmet of salvation. That's obvious that the sword of the Spirit. What's the spirit and the sword about the gospel think the shield of faith, thinking what the gospel because as the various parts of your life are shrouded in the gospel, you begin to desire what God wants to preach the gospel to all the unreached people groups in your soul. I want you to preach the gospel to all parts of you all the time because as you bring those parts of your life under the dominion of the gospel. When you grow toward JC while the Puritan said that the true Christian is known by his constant and warfare. Every moment of every day you are being faced with the choice of whether or not you to put the roots of your soul into the flesh or into the gospel, for God has a part of this much and you have a part God's part.

She was 24. Galatians 5 says you crucify your flesh, God's part of this is to afflict you, God afflicts you some of you know this is a tear down an idol that you love because he knows as he tears down to pick the roots out of input in the watch on 52 Jesus said that those that he loves you Prudence told you pretty as painful, we see a bushman print.

It looks like a disaster. Pieces of the label the ground. It looks like it's shredded the gardener has just taken out of that person.

What was killing what God does. Sometimes he puts affliction in our lives to take out of us those things that are keeping us from growing in him affliction. God sometimes does the crucifying himself, he crucified your flesh.

You have a part of that part of that is you put to death your sinful nature on a daily basis and when you have simple desire should take them down over here in the gospel give you an example, rather than try to see them as examples of you identify with your guy walk the mall and buy you another way is just a really hot girl who's dressed totally inappropriately, which last time I want them all was all of the okay and as she walks by. You suddenly have this desire (check her out right that moment, he said while the law is useless to change the hard limit myself not do it so I'm not allowed to say God to change with the gospel. But right now to be varices on school turnaround will know you don't know what you what you do at that moment is using high why is it that I still desire impurity take the roots of your soul up and about and you put the belt driving down the gospel with the dog, would you show me more about a God who loved me so much and went to a cross to die for my purity, so that I desire what you desire. Things like this. There's some stands active throughout here right now, but was told he would find disgusting right child molestation, just about everybody in here but find that repulsive. You don't need the wall to command you not to molest children because you just never want to do that. The goal of the gospel is that you feel that way about all sense impurity is desirous to me. Take my roots of the flesh and put them in the gospel and not dwell on the fact that God died to make me pure and that makes me desire what you crucifying the flesh importing my roots in the gospel is that makes sense. What it means to preach the gospel to yourself every moment of every day you have that choice.

In the end just by sharing with you something a story of a girl who is here in our church went through this process. Process and permission to share this. I was right. My freshman year of college within the first couple months, but the boy that I was dating I denied that this happens to myself and for the rest of the year I spent my time in Neverland with the assistance of drugs and alcohol and even worse men talked about going to atomic question asking God why she got involved in professional counseling, therapy. She said I still woke up even after the counseling every single day with his heavy burden on my heart. It became obvious that I needed something that even counseling was not giving my friend invited me to the summit. One Sunday I remember walking up the doors and thinking about the sermon for days after that. Much to my shock yet you said the word right during the sermon with this process of discovery. She talks about the one night she said I cried out to God on my bed and I was the last night of ever spent laying in my bed crying to despair of what happened.

Something special happen.

Then I I pray to God for forgiveness for what I had done for the strength to carry on for his help to get through this. It was the most raw and desperate prayer I've ever made. I can explain what happened but immediately I felt this essence is presence inside of me. It physically came in and took the burden off my shoulder. Around all that time and I never suffered through sense remembering again. I stopped doing myself as a broken and ruin girl that nobody would ever want in giving myself away to other men to try to feel worthy.

I start feeling that way because God wanted me. He proved to me that night, I trusted him and I've left my old lifestyle behind. I dropped the drugs, alcohol, group of people and hang out with. I don't have any desire to ever live that way again because this new high spirit is much better than any drug has ever given to me.

See all the choices I made in the things that happen this couple years.

I stand amazed at God's plan wasn't working all what happened to me even in my rate because it contributed to a situation where I had to live off campus and otherwise not allowed my college that led me to my roommates that led me to counseling that led me to a friend of the summit church and then forgot that process is happening.

Some of you right now. What's happening is the flesh you're seeking. You gotta make a choice where you put the roots of your soul and the good news is that Jesus made a way for you to put him call the gospel you will receive it and you will follow the weight is open up your life will be transferred how the gospel transforms lives from pastor Jeannie Greer here on summit life pastor JD. We ate session gospel Bible study as our featured resource this month. Video-based curriculum. So tell us how it's meant to works over eight sessions. Maybe if that's eight weeks that you're doing with a small group or maybe assist you on your own videos about tended 15 minutes long so I can catch them based on that teaching you will open their study guided in your Bible and work to questions sister and prayers and ideas for how to put these things in the practice but I think this might be the most overlooked and yet one of the most important concepts of the Christian life and so you have four sessions going to the different elements of gospel prayer prayer that I've tried to teach people to pray daily that the center themselves on the gospel forget to $50 this month we will send you the DVDs and five study guides and the book gospel to get you started everything to use yourself with your family or with a group. So take a look@jdgreer.com thanks Sadie. The main objective of this Bible study is to help you, simply by Jesus when you are captivated by the love of Christ and natural result, genera all, you become more self selfish get your study guide today. When you support summit life with generous training to get call 866-335-5326 20 or give online ringer.com hi Molly benefits tomorrow.

Pastor Katie described another important aspect of spiritual growth. We're looking at the role of the church and spreading the gospel and helping us towards maturity.

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