The Wonderful Fruit of the Spirit - it's just Christ in us!

[Vine Abider]

This morning I enjoyed the lead verse in Daily Light: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control"  I was realizing that all these things are just Christ Himself!  He exemplifies each one of these attributes, and He IS each of these!

But even better is that I was realizing where scripture says Christ is - HE'S IN US! As the Spirit, Christ is joined one with us in spirit (1 Cor 6:17) and all I really need to do now is "fan into flames the gift of God  which is in [me]!" (2 Tim 1:6) By stirring up the gift of God within me, which is just Christ Himself, then all of these wonderful attributes are mine to apply in my daily life . . . WOW - NOW THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING to crow about!  

Do I need love?  Christ lives in me as awesome love! 

Do I need joy in my weary existence?  Christ lives in me as my joy!  

Do I need to experience the peace of God in a world that's turned upside down and a life filled with things I could be anxious about?  Yes I do need this peace . . . and guess what!?  Christ is the Prince of Peace and He lives right inside of me - so very deep that His Spirit is one with my spirit!!!   

Brothers and sisters, this is the new covenant in which God has made Himself so available to us that He now lives right inside of us to be our all in all, and supply us (grace) for our every need!

"I have been crucified with Christ and I live now no longer. Yet I do live.  But not I - Christ lives in me!  And the life I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the Son of God . . ."

Gal 2:20 (from the Greek)

 

 

 

[Ray12614]

21 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

This morning I enjoyed the lead verse in Daily Light: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control"  I was realizing that all these things are just Christ Himself!  He exemplifies each one of these attributes, and He IS each of these!

But even better is that I was realizing where scripture says Christ is - HE'S IN US! As the Spirit, Christ is joined one with us in spirit (1 Cor 6:17) and all I really need to do now is "fan into flames the gift of God  which is in [me]!" (2 Tim 1:6) By stirring up the gift of God within me, which is just Christ Himself, then all of these wonderful attributes are mine to apply in my daily life . . . WOW - NOW THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING to crow about!  

Do I need love?  Christ lives in me as awesome love! 

Do I need joy in my weary existence?  Christ lives in me as my joy!  

Do I need to experience the peace of God in a world that's turned upside down and a life filled with things I could be anxious about?  Yes I do need this peace . . . and guess what!?  Christ is the Prince of Peace and He lives right inside of me - so very deep that His Spirit is one with my spirit!!!   

Brothers and sisters, this is the new covenant in which God has made Himself so available to us that He now lives right inside of us to be our all in all, and supply us (grace) for our every need!

"I have been crucified with Christ and I live now no longer. Yet I do live.  But not I - Christ lives in me!  And the life I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the Son of God . . ."

Gal 2:20 (from the Greek)

 

 

 

Very good post, and so important . . . Not only do we partake of this fruit but those aspects of the fruit should be extended towards others and especially to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

[Alive]

I think it’s been said many times and is not any new revelation. Fruit is the very natural and unforced result of Christ’s working in us. It’s our practical sanctification. When He touches something in us that is not of Himself, we agree with Him and turn from it. Thereby we are changing from one degree of Glory to another. We decrease and He increases. This is Normal for a son.

[Vine Abider]

59 minutes ago, Alive said:

I think it’s been said many times and is not any new revelation. Fruit is the very natural and unforced result of Christ’s working in us. It’s our practical sanctification. When He touches something in us that is not of Himself, we agree with Him and turn from it. Thereby we are changing from one degree of Glory to another. We decrease and He increases. This is Normal for a son.

Yes, it is "normal" for a son!  That is, the normal growth in life that is just part of any child's development.  With the proper eating and drinking - good nourishment - they will grow according to the nature their parents have provided for them.  The child really doesn't need to concern itself with growing or be anxious about anything.  They are just there, and they can rest in that they are being completely cared for in the love of their parents, who provide for all they need.

How much more then, for those of us who are partakers of the divine nature!

Chew more - think less! 

[Vine Abider]

@Alive @Ray12614 @PATrobas This morning I read this in the Supplied Life devotional, which spoke to this same topic.  Our job is to just let this wonderful life and Person in us operate!

The new covenant operating

"Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." 2 Corinthians 3:6

The new covenant is based on the divine operation of the Lord's life in us related to everything in our living. We are enjoying Him--His very life and nature, His soul-life with His thoughts. As we merge with Him, we find that our spontaneous reactions become just Himself. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and long-suffering. This is not something you are trying to be. It is something that has grown and manifested itself because you are dealing with the Spirit. Christ is operating and becoming the very content of the church in every member by our participation in His life--by eating His flesh, drinking His blood, staying before the tree of life. As we participate in Him, He operates. Apparently we are just common, ordinary people. Yet hidden within us is the divine life operating and the church becoming the expression of Christ Himself. This all happens by our participating in this Person.

[Alive]

Amen! "We have this treasure in an earthen vessel". This is a remarkable thing to study on.

[Vine Abider]

1 hour ago, Alive said:

Amen! "We have this treasure in an earthen vessel". This is a remarkable thing to study on.

Indeed, it is!  Christ is our life, and He's in us to supply us with all we need!  He, as the one unique Son of God, is now living and operating in us to transform us into His amazing image, and mature us fully into the many glorified  sons of God!

As a brother used to say, "Our future's so bright we hafta wear shades!"  

[Vine Abider]

22 hours ago, cma said:

This is just a question…Do you study the teachings of witness Lee and watchman nee? All that you said sounds a lot like what they teach in books and their study bible. I know what they teach..

When I was younger I did read their things a good deal, as did the group I was in. In the 80s/early 90s it became apparent to me that things were off with some of the teachings and practices Lee promoted, and that this group was quite elitist in their thinking. So I stopped meeting with them and reading Lee's things and got rid of his books. (However, I did keep one of his books, that taught how we should hold the core essentials of our faith tightly and the nonessentials loosely, when it comes to fellowshipping in the body of Christ.)  The Lord really spoke to me through this book about our oneness in Spirit with all believers - it's a shame that Lee, and those who still follow him (i.e., "Local Churches"), didn't take those principles to heart in what they practice!

As for watchman Nee, I didn't see the errors in his writings/practices, although I know some do have issues with some things by him (and certain things he supposedly did).  A few things by Nee I'm not sure if I fully agree on, and have been chewing on for decades . . . . But a few writings of Nee, like the classic "The Normal Christian Life" have been gone through repeatedly over the years, in the group I've been meeting with for over 25 years.  BTW - this current group I fellowship in was part of the "Local Church" movement, but was basically shown the door back in the mid 1980s, because they wouldn't come under the central authority of Lee's ministry and adhere to his writings exclusively.

Bottom line is if one wanted to apply a known label to what I believe the Lord is showing me these days, it might be called "inner life."  What I see in the bible as the new covenant, is Christ coming to live in us to be our source of life.  What are your views of "this treasure in earthen vessels"?

Hopefully I didn't go into too much detail to answer your simple question . . .

[Alive]

50 plus years ago when Christ revealed Himself to me He led me to Watchman Nee and the Lord used his writings to lay a solid foundation in me before ever joining a congregation. After some time the pastor where I found myself asked me to teach a study based on what I had consumed. I very much to this day thank the Lord for WN. Much time has passed and the core of that remains and has been strengthened...Christ is my Life. I died and yet I live. I don't think I agree with anybody in total.

Witness Lee is a very, very different fella. I never read his stuff--but I recall the little I did many years ago--caused me to run.

Along with the Normal Christian Life I suggest Sit, Walk and Stand and Changed into His Likeness and What Shall This Man Do.

T. Austin Sparks can be very helpful as well.

[Sower]

                  John 15
  
      "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine,
         neither can you, unless you abide in me"

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit,
         for apart from me you can do nothing"