Holy Ghost Baptism: Lesson-6

by A.A. Allen

PREMINISTERIAL AND CHRISTIAN WORKERS’
BIBLE COLLEGE CORRESPON DENCE COURSES
PREPARED BY A. A. ALLEN
COURSE NO. 2. THE HOLY GHOST BAPTISM--AND THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
LESSON 6
AND THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

THE GIFTS OF THE WORD OF WISDOM, THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE AND DISCERNING OF SPIRITS

Over and over in these lessons it has been pointed out that the GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST ARE SUPERNATURAL. None of them have to do with man’s wisdom, knowledge, or natural talents. They are given to us for POWER to WITNESS FOR CHRIST, whether in the pulpit, pew, or just in everyday life. THEY ARE FOR ALL. ALL THE GIFTS ARE FOR ALL THE SAINTS. Just as the Holy Ghost himself is for all the saints:

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and he baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye SHALL receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto YOU, and to your children, and to ALL that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall CALL.” Acts 2:38, 39.

Furthermore, these are the days that God is restoring the baptism and the gifts of the Spirit to the Church, even the Episcopalians and Presbyterians are receiving Him by the hundreds. If you ever intend to do anything for God NOW IS YOUR LAST CHANCE. This is the last Revival -- RESTORATION REVIVAL WORLDWIDE. Because you are reading this lesson NOW, today, YOU are in on the ground floor of RESTORATION REVIVAL. Tell the Lord YOU WILL SERVE HIM! ASK HIM TO ENDUE YOU WITH POWER, NOW!

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST ARE NOT FOR THE PULPIT ONLY. THEY ARE FOR THE PEW AS WELL. THEY SHOULD BE IN EVERY LOCAL CHURCH, IN EVERY KITCHEN AND ON EVERY STREET CORNER. EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD BE GLORIFYING GOD BY USE OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST ADMINISTERED IN LOVE. NIGHT IS FALLING, THE SAVIOUR S CALLING. ARISE AND AWAKE! BESTIR YOURSELF AND STIR UP THE GIFT THAT IS IN YOU.

MY CO-WORKERS AND I ARE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN AND ARE PUSHING TO WIDEN OUR HORIZONS ALL THE TIME. BUT ALL THE OTHER EVANGELISTS AND I ON THE FIELD, ARE MAKING ONLY A VERY SMALL DENT IN THE PROBLEM. WHOLE NATIONS DO NOT EVEN HAVE ONE COPY OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN.

What about you? Don’t tell me, “Now Brother Allen, I am just an office worker, or a carpenter, or a housewife, or a farmer.” No matter what you are or where you live, there are people all around you who are starving for the Bread of Life. There are lonely, misunderstood, weary, sick and dying persons in every hamlet and town in this country today.

Don’t tell me, “Well, Brother Allen you have a big tent and a fine car, and lots of money, and many doors open where you can minister, hut nobody wants to hear me.” That excuse will never stand in the judgment. Brother, Sister, there are people everywhere who are desperate for God and they don’t care whether you are young or old, black or white, ignorant or educated. Do you have God? That is the burning question in their minds! Can you pray the prayer of FAITH? Can you cast out the devil? Can you bring comfort, exhortation or even rebuke, through the gifts of the Word of Knowledge or the Word of Wisdom or prophecy? These are the burning questions. The desperate, hungry soul does not care who you are. Can you minister the love of God to a lost and dying world?

Get prepared, for without HIM you can do nothing, but through Him you can do all things for HE WILL STRENGTHEN YOU FOR THE TASK. The grain is falling, the master’s calling! WILL YOU ANSWER TODAY? The place to start is at Jerusalem! Jerusalem for this purpose is wherever you are! First, pray and consecrate yourself, and if that doesn’t bring the anointing you need, fast and pray and seek the face of the Lord! YOU CALL! HE WILL ANSWER!

The gift of the discerning of spirits is to give supernatural understanding of the nature and activity of spirits. It is to enable us to know when God is working and when Satan is trying to deceive us, as he constantly tries to appear as an angel of light.

“And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up into heaven, he sighed, and saith . . . Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.”

Here was plainly a case of healing. There is no mention that any “Spirit” was binding the deaf man.

“ . . . He rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him.”

This illustrates how the gift of discerning of spirits assists in delivering sick and suffering people. It enables the person ministering to know how to deal with the sufferer, and when to cast out a devil or when to pray for a healing.

“The gift of discernment” is a common expression among Pentecostals. There is no such gift, and the thing that they are talking about would come through the gift of the word of wisdom or the gift of the word of knowledge. As in the spiritual realm, so in the natural realm. Most middle-aged people have had experiences from which they gained knowledge, and in some cases wisdom. If they trade on the stock market and take money, can you watch them and tell where their knowledge leaves off and their wisdom takes over? No, certainly not. So it is with the gifts of the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. It is difficult to tell where God’s knowledge leaves off and His wisdom takes over, since He is both all -- knowing and all wise!

I saw a saint praying with a little woman in the deep South. The seeker was praying in her heart and seemed to be deeply repentant. Suddenly the Spirit moved on the saint, who spoke forth what the Spirit said to her: “I fusses and I fights” said the saint. Afterward, the seeker testified that this increased her faith in God. She had just asked God to forgive her for her bad attitude toward her husband. Those very words were what she had said in her heart to God. “I fusses and I fights.” She knew that the saint didn’t hear her, but instantly God repeated through the voice of the saint what she had just said to Him. Was this knowledge or wisdom? Perhaps it was both as it enabled the seeker to have a burst of FAITH for her salvation.

We are living in the midst of a world of spirits. Perhaps the gift of discerning of spirits is as important as anything else can be when it comes to serving God. For, how can we deliver any person until we are sure of their condition? This comes through the gift of discerning of spirits, plus the gift of the word of knowledge, plus the gift of the word of wisdom, plus the POWER gifts of FAITH, MIRACLES and the gifts of HEALING. Is it any wonder that Paul said, “I press toward the mark of the HIGH CALLING” - there is no place to relax, much less to stop PRESSING.

God is “all-knowing.” His knowledge is complete. The word of knowledge is the revelation by the Spirit of God of a small portion of that knowledge. Perhaps that is why Paul called it a ‘Word of Knowledge.” Had he called it a “Gift of Knowledge” the assumption would have been that it was ALL knowledge, because God knows all things, past, present and future. But the gift under consideration is only a scrap of information from a vast storehouse of God’s knowledge.

Again, I stress this gift, as we are all the balance SUPERNATURAL. It is not an increase of carnal, human knowledge. But everything that comes through the Holy Ghost is something that could not have been found out any other way. Everything that comes through the Spirit is just as supernatural as speaking in tongues. And the knowledge itself is a supernatural something, that could not have been known through study or education, but is distinctly supernatural.

There are many instances in the Bible where the word of knowledge came unto different people (mostly through prophets), as in I Samuel 3:10-18 when Samuel received a Word of Knowledge regarding Eli’s house. He did not speak it forth, but told it to Eli sometime later.

Revelation 2 and 3 tell about John being on the Isle of Patmos and receiving a Word of Knowledge regarding the seven churches of Asia at this time (the time of the end).

In 1 Kings 6:8-12 Elisha was told the location of the Syrian camp by the Word of Knowledge. The King of Syria thought that he had a traitor in his staff and asked them which one was for the King of Israel. Yet, another spoke up and said as recorded in the 12th verse: “None, my lord, O King,” but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

Naaman, a Captain in the Syrian Army had leprosy. A little servant girl had talked to Naaman’s wife and convinced her that there was a prophet in Israel who could pray the prayer of faith for her husband. When Naaman decided to come to Elisha to seek his healing, he became angry because of Elisha’s method. Eventually, however, Namaan obeyed Elisha, and he was cleansed of his leprosy. He returned and tried to give Elisha an offering, which Elisha refused.

However, Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, decided he would accept the offering. God revealed his conduct to Elisha. This story is told in II Kings 5:20-26.

In I Kings 19:14-18 you will find a very interesting story about Elijah, how he was complaining to God that everybody had forsaken God but Elijah, and God told Elijah through the Word of Knowledge that indeed he still had 7, 000 who had not bowed unto Baal.

St. John 1:47-50 tells how Jesus received the revelation of Nathanael under the fig tree and the condition of his heart.

Through the Word of Knowledge God said to Ananias, “Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth.” Acts 9:11.

You will recall that Ananias offered his objections, as he did not wish to come into contact with Saul. Yet, the Lord continued: “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” Acts 9:15, 16.

In the first 11 verses of Acts 5 you will find the often told story of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, who sold a possession and kept back a part of the price. Through the Word of Knowledge the entire transaction was revealed to Peter. May God keep our hearts, souls and spirits spotless before Him in Love!

Through the knowledge of God Cornelius was told: “Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.” Acts 10:4b-6.

The next day Peter had a vision and while he was pondering the meaning thereof, the men whom Cornelius sent arrived at the same house. Peter was told by the Spirit: “Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.” Acts 10:19b, 20.

You know the balance of the story, how Peter went with the men and expounded the way of life unto the house of Cornelius and how, as a result, the precious Holy Ghost fell on all who heard him. These were the first Gentiles whom we have a record of receiving the Spirit.

In Acts 23:11 we are told “ . . . the Lord stood by him (Paul), and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.”

As regards the same journey to Rome in Acts 27:24 Paul was told: “ . . . Paul thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all

Read I Samuel 9:15-17 for the story of how Samuel was enabled to find the man whom God wanted to be King by the Word of Knowledge and it was done. God is all-knowing and all wise.

The woman at the well, whose story is told in St. John 4:7-30, was convinced of her need of a Saviour when the Lord told her all things that ever she did. By her efforts many were brought to see Jesus as she went about saying to the town’s people

Nearly everyone who attends the great healing campaigns of the past twenty years have heard any number of such words spoken forth by the present day prophets of God. God is just the same today. He is still revealing the secrets of men’s hearts for the purpose of bringing them unto himself. Of course, this gift should not be used unscripturally (for gossip) and bring reproach upon the person whose secrets were revealed. However, no real true prophet would do such a thing.

The gift of the word of knowledge will be much more in evidence when the sons of God come into manifestation in greater numbers, as the prophecies say: “that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” Luke 12:3b. Also, every secret thing shall come to light. “The thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.” Job 28:11b.

Like the other gifts, this one operates in an atmosphere of worship, awe, respect and where God’s word is obeyed. The gifts of the Holy Ghost are for the perfecting of the saints and not to amuse or even inform lightly in a carnal atmosphere. When the saints are perfected they naturally will glorify God.

We have discussed the gift of the word of knowledge first because, usually, it precedes the gift of the word of wisdom for the very simple reason that wisdom is the correct application of knowledge. When God makes you to know that a certain thing is true that is knowledge but when he tells you when and how to apply this knowledge, that is wisdom.

This is the same manner in which men use natural knowledge and wisdom. Bankers and other businessmen often know that some firm has been awarded a big contract. They know when corporations are formed and what the plans are for the future. Often, by buying their stock, or real estate near their plant, or by opening a business that can serve them, the person who knew about the new contract gets in on the ground floor, so to speak and makes a fortune for himself. No doubt, many times people have had such knowledge and did nothing. They were either slothful, indifferent, or lacked the wisdom to see the significance of the knowledge they had. Therefore, it did not benefit them financially. They did not make a fortune.

As in the natural, so in the spiritual. God often says in these last days: “I am coming SOON.” “Flee the approaching STORM.” And many other such admonitions, but the Church seemingly is asleep, tired, indifferent, and she is not applying herself toward seeking the face of the Lord for the “word of wisdom.”

Let us not be in that category, but let us ARISE, AWAKE and SEEK God! Let us also work while it is yet DAY for the Night Cometh when no man can work.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. “Charity suffereth long, and is kind: charity envieth not: charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

“Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; “Rejoiceth not in iniquity; but rejoiceth in the truth;

“Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail: whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

“For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is

“If I (can) speak in the tongues of men and (even) of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

“And if I have prophetic powers - that is, the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose; and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have (sufficient) faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing - a useless nobody.

“Even if I dole out all that I have (to the poor in providing) food, and if I surrender my body to be burned (or in order that I may glory), but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.

“Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy; is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

“It is not conceited - arrogant and inflated with pride; it is not rude (unmannerly), and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self—seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it — pays no attention to a suffered wrong.

“It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, its ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything (without weakening).

“Love never fails - never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end. As for prophecy, (that is, the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away (that is, it will lose its value and be superseded by the truth).

“For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

“But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away - become antiquated, void and superseded. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

“For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection (of reality as in a riddle or enigma), but then (when perfection comes) we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly); but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood (by God).

“And so faith, hope, love abide; (faith, conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope, joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love, true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us); these three, but the greatest of these is love.”

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no LAW. ~‘ Gal. 5:22, 23.

Inasmuch as you have seen what Paul said in I Cor. 12, about the proper operation of the gifts of the Holy Ghost and their importance in the Church. Yet he ends that same chapter with a flat statement which would seem to depreciate everything he has said in the preceding chapter; “And yet shew I unto you a more Then he goes into Chapter 13 which you have just read in two different translations. This is Paul’s famous discourse on charity, DIVINE LOVE.

At this point, I suggest that you read Galatians 5 - the entire chapter. Here Paul is contrasting the bondage of living under the Law as opposed to the freedom of living under Grace. In the 6th verse he says, “but faith which worketh by love.”

Next, follows his admonition in verses 13 and 14; “but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” I am reminded once that someone asked Jesus which was the first and great commandment and he replied: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, . . . And the second is like,

. . . Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,”. In these are briefly comprehended the LAW and the PROPHETS.

In short, the KEYNOTE OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE IS LOVE; “LOVE IS OUR BANNER,” as someone else has said. Please understand that I am speaking of DIVINE LOVE - not human love. Not the love a parent has for a child, or husbands and wives have for each other, which is sweet and precious when it is sincere, pure and good as well as selfless — but in no sense can compare with the great, great, incomprehensible LOVE of GOD toward his creation.

Most Christians can repeat John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, hut have everlasting life.” Many feel that embodies what they should know about LOVE. Far from it! Especially in view of the fact that we are living in the time described by Matthew 24:11-13. “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND, THE LOVE OF MANY SHALL WAX COLD. But he that shall endure unto the end, THE SAME SHALL BE SAVED.

It is easy to see that John 3:16 is only the beginning of what the Bible has to say about love. I do not believe that Paul was offering Love as a substitute for the gifts of the Spirit which we are told in another place are for the perfecting of the Saints; but, I believe he is stressing that the gifts must he operated through “faith that worketh by Love is so all-sufficient in regulating our actions that if we are filled with it, we do not particularly need “rules and regulations.” No one, whose life is continually governed by divine love, would ever need to be “set down” for incorrect conduct in church.

Love is the first and most important of the “fruit of the Spirit.” It actually embodies them all. Therefore, we find that the fruit of the Spirit is very important in the operation of the gifts.

Following are some verses containing references to LOVE as it is mentioned over and over again in the pages of the New Testament.

“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” I John 3:10.

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” I John 3:11.

“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” I John 3:14.

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” I John 3:16, 17.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

“ . . . If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” I John 5:1-4.

The fruit of the Spirit is listed in Galatians 5:22, 23. It is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

The fruit of the Spirit, like natural fruit, is grown, cultivated, and developed in our lives.

It is a natural development by the process of steady growth of the life of Christ within us.

“That they might he called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might he glorified.” Isa. 61:3b.

Hence, the Bible teaches that we are trees of the Lord’s planting. Like any tree, we take time to produce fruit. It does not develop without a great deal of assistance. It takes sunshine, rain, good soil, pruning, etc., to raise good fruit.

This is equally true of spiritual fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is not bestowed upon the Christian. It does not automatically appear in his life at conversion.

It is painstakingly developed and grown in his life as he submits to the leading of the Spirit, and the will of God for his life.

The growth and development of this fruit of the Spirit form his Christian character.

The “fruit” therefore, comes gradually from within, while the “gifts” come immediately from without.

Sometimes gifts are received at conversion. For instance, the household of Cornelius, as soon as they accepted Peter’s teaching about Jesus, was saved AND filled with the Spirit.

“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them which heard the word.

“And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

(Of course, tongues is an evidence, and not necessarily a gift, but the gift of tongues is so general among Spirit-filled people that there is some display of it wherever tongues are in evidence to any extent.)

If you are a Spirit - baptized person you know that the first time the Holy Spirit operated through you for a gift, it was sudden and unexpected by you. It was given to you. It was not a result of a particular effort on your part.

That is the reason they are called “gifts.” They are bestowed by the Spirit upon individuals. Timothy apparently received a “gift” of the Spirit at some particular time, probably when he was set apart for the ministry.

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of hands of the presbytery.” I Timothy 4:14.

Contrast this with the manner in which the fruit of the Spirit grows and develops in a person’s life.

Sometimes, unfortunately, the fruit is little in evidence. Longsuffering is hidden by impatience. A critical spirit displaces love. Disobedience is the opposite of meekness; hatred and malice choke out goodness. Fear robs you of peace, and unbelief destroys faith and joy. Over-indulging self, either physically or spiritually, is intemperate.

All these faults, and many more, hinder the growth of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. They destroy the fruit just as surely as worms, blight, and drought will destroy a crop of natural fruit!

To grow spiritual fruit we must learn to overcome. This is usually a gradual process, and it may take many lessons from our loving and patient Father. Only by yielding to His teaching and obeying His Word can we ever grow much of this precious fruit in our lives.

The fruit of the Spirit is necessary for our own spiritual welfare. It is evidence that we are going on with God. If we have been saved for any length of time and have not at least started to grow some of these fruits, we may be backsliding!

The fruit of the Spirit is necessary in order that we may attract others to the One who helps us to develop this beautiful Christian character.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - joy, peace, patience, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

We felt that the lesson on LOVE would send any sincere student to their knees in fasting and prayer, begging God to pour out His wonderful LOVE through them. I want you to consider with me a scripture.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:’ Galatians 5:22, 23a.

Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary says that “joy” is the emotion of love, evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune of success, or good fortune of possessing what one desires, delight or bliss.

In the spiritual realm, joy could be said to be the delight, or gladness over blessings received or expected. There are many examples in the Bible where joy is shown to be abounding. Both Mary and Elizabeth exhibited great joy when they were found to be with child, which is understandable when it is understood that the sons they bore were Jesus and John the Baptist - great benefactors of mankind. Read St. Luke 1:39-56 covering the events that transpired when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth.

One of the best loved verses about joy is found in Nehemiah 8:10: “For the joy Another beautiful verse is Psalms 16:11: “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”

And in connection with the second coming of the Lord there is one very lovely description found in Isaiah 61:3. “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.”

Because the word for fruit in Galatians 5:22,23 is singular, “fruit” and not “fruits”, we can only assume that these attributes are each a facet of the total one “fruit”, LOVE, rather than a dish of “fruits”, that is, several species such as lemons, apples, grapes and bananas would describe. This view is corroborated by the description in Psalms 1:3 of a godly man: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Since Jesus said that “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: . . ..” Mark 12:30, is the first and greatest, commandment, it is certain that every true Christian desires to please God in this matter. One would think that since He is the “altogether lovely ONE” it would be easy to measure up to this commandment. However, it is very difficult to love anyone until we KNOW that person well and intimately.

Be diligent to seek his face in prayer, praise and meditation, and be faithful to pray much everyday. Spend wonderful hours at His feet, searching the Scriptures prayerfully for the descriptions of Himself that He has planted there to encourage us to want to KNOW HIM!

Peace, according to Webster, is a state of tranquility or quiet, freedom from civil disturbances, and harmony in personal relations. According to the Dake notes, Peace, in the Bible means: the state of quietness, rest, repose, harmony, order, and security in the midst of turmoil, strife, and temptations.

The Bible is full of scripture substantiating this. Not the least of these is “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” St. John 14:27.

More than half a century ago the doctors said that the average American woman had 117 fears that could be carefully catalogued. Babies are born with two fears - the fear of a loud noise and the fear of falling. A baby feels insecure and afraid if it cannot see that it is fenced in. Placed on an ironing board facing the wall a baby will sleep for hours in perfect peace and a sense of security. However when the baby is turned over and faces out into the room, it loses all sense of security and is afraid because it is looking out into an open space. In spite of this beginning, by the time the female baby is grown she has developed 117 fears that can be identified and catalogued by the psychiatrist. Among these is the fear of losing her husband, the fear that she won’t be able to send her children to college, even though they are not yet born. Other fears include the fear of being an inadequate wife and mother, the fear of - you name it, and the American women have it. How precious is the peace of God which passeth all understanding to a converted young woman who has long suffered from such a spirit of fear. (Phil. 4:7).

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” Psalms 122:6.

Longsuffering: patient endurance, to bear long with the frailties, offences, injuries, and provocations of others, without murmuring, repining, or resentment.

Always the flesh recoils from any unpleasantness, especially suffering in the body and mental anguish. We should immediately look behind the scenes when we begin to suffer to see that lesson or virtue the Lord is working out in our life. For He surely intends us “to be conformed to the image of his dear Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren.” Romans 8:29.

Another says, “let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:4.

Perhaps one of the best passages on maturing sufficiently for the fruit of the Spirit to be born in abundance is found in II Peter 1:3-8.

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature., having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; “And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; “And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Gentleness: (rendered KINDNESS in some versions) Webster defines as mildness of manners or disposition. The Dake notes say it is a disposition to be gentle, soft-spoken, kind, even-tempered, cultured, and refined in character and conduct.

The following well-known scripture verses will help you to see how the quality of gentleness fit Into the Christian concept:

“The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all, apt to teach,

“But the wisdom which is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” James 3:17

“Be ye kind, one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Eph. 4:32.

There are many verses in the Bible, which teach us that God expects this of us. We also all know that the world is looking for this fruit in us, and must see it if they are ever to be made hungry for Him, and for the life which is His will for Christians.

We are trying to convey the idea that what God demands of us, He stands ready to supply. Our self-efforts will surety breakdown somewhere along the line and fail, but “JESUS NEVER FAILS.” Again we must treat every failure to do the known will of God as SIN, and ask His forgiveness for it, just as we would for any other sin. When we do we have his promise that, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.

We must humbly surrender to Him that area of our lives wherein we have failed. In the process of doing that, we turn the humanly hopeless job over to Him of helping us to LIVE His wonderful, loving, patient, gentleness and kindness through us. He is eager to take on this task, and you can count on His faithfulness.

Goodness: the state of being good, kind, virtuous, benevolent, generous and God - like in life and conduct. It is a collective term that embraces all the other attributes in the “fruit of the Spirit.” It is the summing up of all the godly traits of character our Lord is patiently working out in us. How could there be true “goodness” without love? Or how could there be the joy of the Lord, or the peace that passeth all understanding? Goodness being the sum total of them all, how could we expect to have it, except it be divinely imparted?

Faith: the living, divinely implanted, acquired, and created principle of inward and wholehearted confidence, assurance, trust, and reliance in God and all that He says.

Faith has many facets. It means to be persuaded of or to place confidence in. It is the substance or conviction of things hoped for and the assurance of things not seen. It also means absolute dependence upon and reliance in the Word of God and obedience to all known truth. Faith in Christ means full surrender, the total yielding of yourself to Him.

It also means to trust wholly and unreservedly in the faithfulness of God and to give one’s self over to a new way of life. It is the attribute of God and restored faculty of man whereby both can bring into evidence things that are unseen. It is the whole body of revealed truth.

God is operative by FAITH and without it is impossible to obtain anything from Him or to please Him in anyway. As you learned in the study of FAITH, faith is both a gift and a fruit of the Spirit. It is the only attribute that is on both lists.

Meekness: This attribute is the quality of or the disposition to be gentle, kind, indulgent, even balanced in tempers and passions, and patient in suffering injuries without feeling a spirit of revenge.

“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.” Psa. 25:9.

Temperance: self-control, moderation in the indulgence of the appetites and passions.

“Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:13, 14.

“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:5-7.

“That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.” Titus 2:2, 3.

The gifts of the Spirit cannot do this. They are an attraction and they have their place. But only the fruit of the Spirit can make an unbeliever wish to have what the fruit-bearing Christian has.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is very helpful in the development of a Christian character. But no “experience” or “blessing” can take the place of a continual walking day by day in the Spirit.

The Baptism of the Spirit does not in itself make a believer holy, and the Bible does not teach that the gifts of the Spirit are a sign of holiness. They can be a sign that the One who sanctifies has come into your life; but the sanctifying process may be proceeding very slowly, especially if the Word is not being obeyed.

Another mistaken idea that some have is that the Holy Spirit will not operate except through a perfect channel.

In the Corinthian church there were divisions, disorders, selfishness, even immorality and heresies, yet all the gifts were present in the church. (I Cor. 1:7) And some of these imperfect believers were manifesting them. If they had been perfect, Paul would not have found it necessary to write chapters 12-14 of I Corinthians to straighten them out!

The plain fact is that the gifts are supernaturally inspired, but inspiration does not sanctify. That does not make it any less precious and real, however.

One thing the scriptures make very plain — the Christian who has most of the fruits of the Spirit will be the Christian who will most profitably exercise the gifts of the Spirit.

Your Christian character may be complete with only one gift, but it cannot be complete with only one fruit. It cannot be complete without all the fruit.