Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

WHAT A CONTRAST!

This entry was posted on 04-18-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is..." (Gal. 5:22-a NIV).

Please notice three important words in this text with me today. First, "But." This is the bridge between the unseemly works of the flesh and the enticing fruit of the Spirit. What a contrast we are about to see. It is like night and day, cacophony and quiet, hellishness and holiness. Second, "fruit." Notice, not "fruits" (plural) but "fruit" (singular). Even though there are nine fruits cited, they are listed as a single unit. Third, "Spirit," i.e, the Holy Spirit of God. There is no contest between our flesh and God's Spirit. Just as unity is a product of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3) so this lovely fruit is produced by God's Spirit living and working within the life of the believer.

We are now ready to leave a stinking pigsty and enter a refreshing vineyard. The contrast will be great. The fruit will be rich and nourishing. The Spirit, as always, will be working in us to produce a harvest of righteousness. When you compare the spiritually healthy nine-fold fruit of the Spirit with the absolutely rotten works of the flesh you will wonder, "Why was I ever enticed to engage in such thinking and behavior when I could have yielded to the Holy Spirit of God?" The closer we live to God the more obvious the fruit will be - to us and to others. Let us determine that we will daily be "partakers of the divine nature" and thereby "escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Pet. 1:4).

Hymn/Prayer: "Holy Spirit, breathe on me, until my heart is clean; Let sunshine fill its inmost part, with not a cloud between" (Edwin Hatch).