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Post by Giller on Oct 24, 2018 11:31:23 GMT -5
As a side note, love is actually identified as being as strong as death (Songs 8:6). Love and death met in an arena 2,000 years ago, and death lost. That's really profound. You don't hear much about it in church though because very few Christians understand agape love. This makes me think of this: Joh 15:13 (13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
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Post by Giller on Oct 24, 2018 11:36:56 GMT -5
The world may act in a certain way at times in the sense of being nice and so on, but they do not have these supernatural fruit which only comes from God, nor can they have them, only in Christ can they be begotten.
We need to decrease, he needs to increase.
Joh 15:8-16 (8) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. (9) As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (11) These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (14) Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (16) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
A true keeper of his commandments, is someone who allows God to conform them into his image, and thus allowing Christ to live through them.
Thus God which is love, living through us.
We are commanded to love, so love does require a choice.
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on Oct 24, 2018 11:53:57 GMT -5
I feel I need to add a correction of sorts to what I just posted. I was reflecting on it and realizing that I don't always have all of those fruits naturally occurring in me, so I took it to the Lord and asked that I would going forward. You have not because you ask not, so why not ask. I feel that the Lord showed me that within our flesh, we will always have struggles with the flesh fighting against the Spirit. The fruit mentioned is the characteristics of the Spirit of God on the inside, but not our natural characteristics. As such, we do have to choose to obey the Spirit or the flesh from the time we get up till the time we go to bed at night. The reason I felt it was important to immediately correct this is because it can cause false condemnation to come upon people that aren't always wanting to do the right thing on their own morning till night. It could give the false idea that we are somehow coming short of what is expected of us, even when we do right. I said that Candance made me think, and I was kind of thinking out loud.
You haven’t truly fought the Christian fight until you’ve been grieved because you wished you could want it more.
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Post by Giller on Oct 25, 2018 23:27:33 GMT -5
Gal 5:22-23 (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
I have been thinking more about and in some way rethinking just a bit, on the fruit of love.
Now of course the Strong's concordance says this:
(Strong's concordance)
(G26
ἀγάπη
agapē
ag-ah'-pay
From G25; love, that is, affection or benevolence; specifically (plural) a love feast: - (feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.
Total KJV occurrences: 116)
It does truly appear that love is a type of care, but it is a type of care that has action to it, or brings about a lifestyle of action as Candace mentioned.
It is a fruit which comes about through the Holy Spirit and flows from within.
Joh 15:4 (4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
And if we allow the fruit of love to flow out of us, it will also influence in some manner the senses we have in our souls, but in a good manner.
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Post by Giller on Oct 28, 2018 21:41:37 GMT -5
Anyhow, can someone mention a counterfeit love?
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Post by John on Oct 28, 2018 21:55:28 GMT -5
Anyhow, can someone mention a counterfeit love? You could have a person come to you that is in sin, and rather than warn them they need to repent for the sake of their soul, you would choose to spare their feelings out of a wrong kind of love and make them feel loved and accepted in their sin. You might even tell them God knows none of us are perfect, and he understands why you are doing what you are. That kind of false love heals the hurt a little, but it will mean destruction in the end.
False love can be all based on feelings. It can cause a married man or woman to feel like they have fallen in love with someone rather than their spouse, and respond by giving into emotions and leaving the person they promised to love till death do they part for the other man or woman. I would imagine there are other examples out there as well.
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Post by 2fw8212a on Oct 28, 2018 21:58:57 GMT -5
Anyhow, can someone mention a counterfeit love? Love without truth, I believe.
"...what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”" - 1 Corinthians 15:32
And we all know love rejoices in the truth (not in sin).
"for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." - Romans 14:17
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Cletus
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Post by Cletus on Oct 28, 2018 22:41:07 GMT -5
Anyhow, can someone mention a counterfeit love? My mother in law.
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on Oct 29, 2018 8:30:45 GMT -5
I think the best teaching on counterfeit love is how Paul began 1 Corinthians 13. People can give you money, do favors for you, tell you all sorts of knowledge, maybe even use the most beautiful words you’ve ever heard, and it won’t be a substitute for real love.
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Post by Giller on Nov 26, 2018 12:19:22 GMT -5
Here are other things that I find kind of neat, that I want to share as concerns the fruit of the Spirit.
Gal 5:22-23 (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Ever notice that it mentions the word fruit in singular form?
Now we all know that each fruit has it's own meaning of what it is, but at the same time it mentions the word fruit in a singular form, and also it mentions the fruit as the fruit of the Spirit "is", also in singular form.
I believe that it is like this because the fruit of the Spirit work in unison with each other, and you cannot have one without the other.
They work in harmony, in unison, and complement each other.
But now let us look at the works of the flesh.
Gal 5:19-21 (19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
It says the works of the flesh in plural form, and concerning the works of the flesh, it says that they "are" also in plural form.
See the works of the flesh do not work in unison with each other, and the works of the flesh are selfish, sin back-stabs sin, and an example of this is say someone is lying to you, well you can also lie back to them, basically back stabbing each other.
Sin looks out for number one, and does not flow in unison.
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on Nov 26, 2018 12:41:20 GMT -5
It’s also important to know the difference between fruit and work. One is a natural sort of growth that comes from what’s inside. The other is a behavior pattern. Well-intentioned people can do bad things because they were raised that way or they don’t know any better or because they’re too confused to see what they are doing. Each work is a singular event because it comes from its own motivation. A person can be a drunkard without being a sexual deviant. One does not always lead to the other. But you are correct, the fruit of the spirit is a complex overlap of things that must work together. People who are meek tend to be kind. One of these will automatically lead to the other.
I also tend to think this plays into what John meant about a sin unto death. Sinful behavior because you’re stuck in a rut is not the same as deliberate wickedness.
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Post by Giller on Nov 26, 2018 12:44:46 GMT -5
It’s also important to know the difference between fruit and work. One is a natural sort of growth that comes from what’s inside. The other is a behavior pattern. Well-intentioned people can do bad things because they were raised that way or they don’t know any better or because they’re too confused to see what they are doing. Each work is a singular event because it comes from its own motivation. A person can be a drunkard without being a sexual deviant. One does not always lead to the other. But you are correct, the fruit of the spirit is a complex overlap of things that must work together. People who are meek tend to be kind. One of these will automatically lead to the other. I also tend to think this plays into what John meant about a sin unto death. Sinful behavior because you’re stuck in a rut is not the same as deliberate wickedness. Totally agree. And of course there is a difference between struggling with sin, and practicing sin.
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Post by Giller on Jan 30, 2019 14:37:46 GMT -5
Now what I want to talk about is how does the fruit of the Spirit, work in conjunction to the leading of the Spirit?
Or is the fruit of the Spirit a type of sign that you are walking in some way, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit?
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Post by frienduff on Jan 30, 2019 15:09:10 GMT -5
Now what I want to talk about is how does the fruit of the Spirit, work in conjunction to the leading of the Spirit? Or is the fruit of the Spirit a type of sign that you are walking in some way, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit? OH this is very simple . Its as JESUS SAID , ye shall know them by their fruits . Their fruits show clearly whether they walk after the flesh or Spirit . If we follow the SPIRIT the fruits produced are fruits of RIGHTEOUSNESS . Now leap up giller and praise the LORD .
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Post by Giller on Jan 31, 2019 13:23:19 GMT -5
Now what I want to talk about is how does the fruit of the Spirit, work in conjunction to the leading of the Spirit? Or is the fruit of the Spirit a type of sign that you are walking in some way, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit? OH this is very simple . Its as JESUS SAID , ye shall know them by their fruits . Their fruits show clearly whether they walk after the flesh or Spirit . If we follow the SPIRIT the fruits produced are fruits of RIGHTEOUSNESS . Now leap up giller and praise the LORD .
I like your answer Frienduff.
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