Friday – May 26, 2023, Sivan 6, 5783
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – GENTLENESS
Greetings dear and precious saints of God and welcome back to Friday Nuggets and the teaching of the Fruit of the Spirit, this week focusing on gentleness. Gentleness is an attractive sounding topic and we all want to be treated with gentleness but are we sowing gentleness? Please take a moment and share this teaching as widely as possible by every means available to you. Thank you so much for sharing, that is important to the Kingdom of God and to this Ministry. Be reminded of my newest book, a must read, Awake, Arise, and Triumph – Be Love. Yes, you can be love just like our Master, you just have to want too.
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Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text for this study continuing to read out loud.
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.
As I have mentioned previously these fruit of the spirit are in our spirit man not our soul. The condition of our soul, the home of our mind, will, and emotions, has a significant role in the expression of these fruit. The more we renew our mind not with information but revelation and the will to do the more fruit we will have in our lives. Our fruit when we are born again is in an infant stage. Nonetheless it is identical to Gods’ and has the potential for great growth. We are responsible for the expression of this fruit, not God. It is a waste of time to pray for more love, faith, or patience (longsuffering) for they are developed not imparted.
Our skill in the expression of each of fruit comes with the exercise of knowledge. Need I remind us again it is always by unwavering faith, in love (agapē) which is a Godly motive, and led of the Holy Spirit? I think it is useful to think of our potential for producing fruit in the spirit man as trees (nine trees). Each tree has the potential for the useful expression of fruit whether it be love, peace or our topic today, gentleness. The tree itself is of little use but the fruit of the tree is of great use to God and people. The best fruit is produced by a healthy tree spiritually. That is, one receiving the right nutrients. The one and only proper and vital nutrient is the Word of God. That must be coupled with a disciplined righteous mind, a disciplined righteous mouth, and walking in righteousness on purpose.
Now let’s look at this word gentleness in the Greek. The Greek word is transliterated to English as chrēstotēs meaning usefulness, moral excellence (in character or demeanor), gentleness, good (-ness), or kindness according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. Study also reveals the meanings of to be useful, profitable, benignity, kindness, and usefulness. It often occurs with philanthrōpía <G5363>, philanthropy which is kindness towards others and mankind according to The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament. I think we can quickly see that this gentleness is not just a soft touch, a few kind words spoken gently, and a pleasant smile. Bible gentleness must be useful, and profitable for the person or group to whom it is extended. That is a whole other level the world and our flesh know nothing about. Let’s consider the following Scripture.
Ephesians 2:6-8 (KJV)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
The word kindness in verse seven is the same word translated as gentleness in Galatians 5:22. Now, these verses explode with even more revelation. God was not just kind in our usual sense or use of the word but His actions useful beyond human words and profitable beyond measure. O what a God we serve and we are children not slaves, servants by choice.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here next Friday moving forward into the fruit of goodness.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (KJV)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
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