Page 2 - Good News April 2009 paper

Living Sacrifice - A Biblical Truth

s Christians, we are called to give ourselves to That is dying to self.
God as a “living sacrifice”. The Apostle Paul When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any
Ahelps us to understand this truth in his letter to irregularity, any annoyance; when you can stand face
the believers in Rome: to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of insensibility, and endure it as Jesus did;
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, That is dying to self.
holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable When you are content with any food, and offering, any
service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you interruption by the will of God;
may prove what is that good and acceptable and That is dying to self.
perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). When you never care to refer to yourself in
Living Sacrifice - Dying to Self conversation or record your own good works or itch
So, how do we truly present ourselves to God as a after commendation, when you can truly love to be
living sacrifice? In a nutshell, we must die to our prior unknown;
selves. This concept is wonderfully presented in this That is dying to self.
anonymous written prose… When you can see your brother prosper and have his
When you are forgotten, neglected, or purposely set at needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit
naught, and you don’t sting or hurt with the oversight, and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own
but your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer needs are far greater and you are in desperate
for Christ; circumstances;
That is dying to self. That is dying to self.
When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes When you can receive correction and reproof from one
are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinion of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit,
ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or
or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving resentment rising up within your heart;
silence; That is dying to self.

Fruit of the Spirit - Visible Growth in Jesus Christ

“Fruit of the Spirit” is a Biblical term down at the right hand of the throne Faith (faithfulness) - “O Lord, thou
that sums up the nine visible of God” (Hebrews 12:2). art my God; I will exalt thee, I will
attributes of a true Christian life. Peace - “Therefore, since we have praise thy Name; for thou hast done
Using the King James Version of been justified through faith, we wonderful things; thy counsels of
Galatians 5:22-23, these attributes have peace with God through our old are faithfulness and truth”
are: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). (Isaiah 25:1).
gentleness, goodness, faith, meek- “May the God of hope fill you with “I pray that out of his glorious
ness and self-control. We learn all joy and peace as you trust in riches He may strengthen you with
from Scripture that these are not Him, so that you may overflow with power through His Spirit in your
individual “fruits” from which we hope by the power of the Holy inner being, so that Christ may
pick and choose. Rather, the fruit of Spirit” (Romans 15:13). dwell in your hearts through faith”
the Spirit is one ninefold “fruit” that Longsuffering (patience) - We are (Ephesians 3:16-17).
characterizes all who truly walk in “strengthened with all might, Meekness - “Brethren, if a man be
the Holy Spirit. Collectively, these according to His glorious power, overtaken in a fault, ye which are
are the fruits that all Christians unto all patience and longsuffering spiritual, restore such an one in the
should be producing in their new with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:11). spirit of meekness; considering
lives in Jesus Christ. “With all lowliness and meekness, thyself, lest thou also be tempted”
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - THE NINE with longsuffering, forbearing one (Galatians 6:1).
BIBLICAL ATTRIBUTES another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). “With all lowliness and meekness,
The fruit of the Spirit is a physical Gentleness (kindness) - We should with longsuffering, forbearing one
manifestation of a Christian’s live “in purity, understanding, another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).
transformed life. In order to mature patience and kindness; in the Holy Self-control - “...But also for this
as believers, we should study and Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful very reason, giving all diligence,
understand the attributes of the speech and in the power of God; add to your faith virtue, to virtue
ninefold fruit: with weapons of righteousness in knowledge, to knowledge self-
Love - “And so we know and rely on the right hand and in the left” self-
control, to
the love God has for us. God is love. (2 Corinthians 6:6-7). control per-
Whoever lives in love lives in God, Goodness - “Wherefore also we severance, to
and God in him” (1 John 4:16). pray always for you, that our God perseverance
Through Jesus Christ, our greatest would count you worthy of this godliness, to
goal is to do all things in love. “Love calling, and fulfil all the good g o d l i n e s s
is patient, love is kind. It does not pleasure of his goodness, and the b r o t h e r l y
envy, it does not boast, it is not work of faith with power” (2 Thessa- kindness, and
proud. It is not rude, it is not self- lonians 1:11). to brotherly
seeking, it is not easily angered, it “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all kindness love.”
keeps no record of wrongs. Love goodness and righteousness and (2 Peter 1:5-7).
does not delight in evil but rejoices truth” (Ephesians 5:9). - Selected
with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. Love never
fails” (1 Cor. 13:4-8).
Joy - “The joy of the Lord is your
strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). “Let us
fix our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of our faith, who for
the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat