MORE THINGS THAT ACCOMPANY SALVATION
Wednesday – November 1, 2017
Once again greetings to Adam and Eve. Very interestingly shaped tree over the horns of Adam. That particular tree was shaped by the wind in a storm. Sometimes our lives can also be shaped by a storm. Well, back to our terrific Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. First however let us review our primary text from Hebrews then I will return to the fruit of the spirit as one of the things accompanying salvation.
Hebrews 6:9-12 (KJV)
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Just before our current Scripture which we are studying the author has been warning the readers of the dangers of staying on milk and not moving to strong meat. Principally those on milk were unable to discern between good and evil. The result of this inability to discern evil (error) opens the door for the thief to steal, kill, and destroy. Our text is encouraging us to move forward from milk to strong meat, to diligence before God, discerning good and evil. Among the things that accompany salvation is a manifestation of the fruits of our spirit. The fruits produced by our spirit is no different than the fruit produced by God’s Spirit. We are God’s children, we are not a different species. I will now review the fruit of the spirit and then move into a discussion of them.
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Because these are the same as our Heavenly Father they can be developed to be just like His, just like Jesus now. I don’t know about you but I really need to get busy. We studied the spiritual fruit of love yesterday. Spiritual fruit as you will recall is useful to other people just as the apple on an apple tree. The fruit of love is produced in our obedience to the Word, our selflessness, and mindfulness of the Blood Covenant. This fruit starts in the spirit realm but has real consequences in the physical realm and those benefits for others and ourselves are eternal.
As I get ready to move to the next fruit of the Spirit I would like to point out an interesting connection between the fruit of the spirit and the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Notice that peace and joy are two of the fruits of the spirit, could it be that the remaining seven (spiritual perfection) fruits are the main constitutes of righteousness. The next fruit of the spirit to discuss is joy whose primary definition is a calm delight. I suspect we are all familiar with the joy of the Lord being our strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV)
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
As one analyses this eighth chapter Nehemiah you will see there was a hunger for the Word in so much that the people caused the leaders to teach them and make them understand the Word. This caused a great repentance. The word translated “sorry” above is usually translated as “grieve”. The leaders warned them against grieving over past sins and instead told them to rejoice and to remember that the joy of the Lord is their strength. This hunger to know His Word to know His commandments and guard them in their hearts accompanied by repentance from slothfulness and disobedience brought great joy to the heart of God. Repentance coupled with a willing heart brings joy to the Lord. This is a trigger for the release of His strength into our lives, therefore we can say that the joy of the Lord is our strength. When we turn from our wicked ways our Lord is filled with joy and is likewise released to manifest in our lives. This will take care of any thorn in our flesh, as the Lord told Paul, my grace is sufficient, just another way of saying the joy of the Lord is my strength. There is no strength from the Lord in our pity parties. By the way the word “strength” from the Nehemiah text also can mean fortress or rock. Honor the Word and His strength manifesting in our lives will bring real help to others.
How about the spiritual fruit of peace? This is the same peace that God enjoys. We have baby peace at salvation however we can have it in abundance and with diligence walk in the full spiritual and physical reality. Unfortunately, the Church has relegated the peace of God (our peace) to a feeling and not the knowledge of a spiritual reality which by faith brings the spiritual and physical reality. The knowledge of the spiritual reality brings a steadfast emotion of peace. Faith in the knowledge increases the reality of peace in our lives. The meaning of this word peace is: to join, peace (literal or figurative), prosperity, quietness, rest, and set at one again per the Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. We are joined or are one with God just as Jesus is one with the Father for we are in Christ Jesus. His peace (emotional) is ours, His prosperity is ours, His quietness is ours, His rest (total provision) is ours, and by the Blood of Christ we are again one with the Father. Selah! When we operate in this peace, lasting fruit is produced that benefits others and promotes their growth. An apple tree produces an apple and that apple has many seeds which can bring about many more apple trees and countless apples. I heard a testimony some years ago that went something like this. A certain event had occurred in the life of this Christian man. He trusted God and in the end, there was safety, there was victory. When he talked to the Lord about it all he made a comment to the Lord along these lines: “Boy that was close”. The Lord’s response was: “son it was never close”. When we are one with Him it is never close, the only way it can be close for us is to be close for Him. When will we trust Him?
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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