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YIELDING THE
PEACEABLE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
James 2:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
BEARING MUCH FRUIT
Good fruit hangs on the branch, bad fruit falls to the ground and withers away.
Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
BEARING MUCH FRUIT
JOHN 15
The gardener tending the garden is God the father that sows the word of God.
Jesus is the vine that gives life to all the branches that connect to the vine.
We are the connected branches that must bear fruit.
BY
Pastor Joel
Copyright 2024 by Open Heaven Christian Church – All Rights Reserved.
It is not legal to edit or change any part of this document without prior written consent from the author and publisher of this bible study book.
You may freely reproduce exact copies of this book to share with your friends and family, but you may not sell this book for personal or business gain, this prohibited by copyright international law.
This book is dedicated to: The Body of Christ for Edification, Exhortation and Spiritual growth.
This booklet is a free biblical study that anyone in the body of Christ can use for their own spiritual growth and to share with others to enrich their lives with the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You may freely use this booklet to disciple fellow believers in your homes, churches, and your social media to help Brothers and Sisters gain spiritual knowledge that will help them to overcome and be victorious in their Christian life and walk with the Lord as they bear peaceable fruit of righteousness!
John 15:8 “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
Matthew 28: 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………….1
The Gardener……………………………………………………………………………………2
Chapter One: The Vine……………………………………………………………………….8
Chapter Two: The Good Ground…………………………………………………………13
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………..16
Introduction
I would like to thank all who will take the time to read and follow the bible study outline of this book.
This book is a biblical study of what the Lord taught in scripture concerning the fruit of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life.
The contents of this book will give insight on the importance of bearing spiritual fruit that will transform your life.
This book explores teachings found in scripture of how to bear the necessary fruit of the Holy Spirit and remove any curses that are hindering your prayer. Jesus taught that if we abide in Him, we will ask what we will, and it will be done for us. Bearing much fruit is not only important but necessary if we want all our prayers answered by God.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Let us get started.
The Gardener
In the gospel of John, we learn that Jesus called himself the true vine, and he also said that God the father is the husbandman.
John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
The word vine that Jesus used to describe himself is a word that describes a plant stem. Strongs concordance #288 gives us a picture of a vine, or grape-vine that shoots up from the ground and produces many branches.
In that same verse Jesus calls the Father the husbandman which means gardener or “keeper of the vineyard.” When we think of a gardener, we can picture God the father who is tending a field. Strongs #1092-word definition of husbandman means a worker of the soil, husbandman, farmer, farm-laborer, vine-dresser.
The Lord in scripture refers to the world being a field, and the seed is the word of God and the children of the kingdom of God. This world that we all live in is the field that God is tending and working much like a farmer does in his field to produce the best crop of fruit. People today including people in the body of Christ do not realize that God the father is working his field to produce the best harvest of fruit much like the owner of a farm.
Matthew 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Jesus taught that every branch which does not produce any fruit is taken away, and the branches, or people that produce good fruit will go through a pruning process. This purging process comes from the gardener who is God the father who begins pruning the branch so that the fruit on the branch produces a good crop of fruit.
John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Jesus goes on to tell us that we are clean through the word he speaks to us. This cleansing takes place in the branch that hears and receives his “WORD” and bears fruit by the Holy Spirit who is like a river of water flowing to the branches that stay connected to the vine.
Jesus is the vine that sends clean water – [ THE HOLY SPIRIT ] to the branches and provides all the spiritual nutrients needed for the branch to survive and receive life to produce an abundance of good fruit.
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Jesus also taught that we, His people are like a branch connected to the vine that must abide in Him or we will not be able to produce any fruit.
John 15:4 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. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Jesus tells us what happens if we do not abide in him. By not abiding in Christ, we wither spiritually because a branch that does not stay connected to the vine cannot receive the necessary water and nutrients needed to bring forth any fruit. What happens is that after the branch dries up it withers much like a natural branch on a vine and after it becomes deficient of the necessary nutrients it falls to the ground and men trample upon it and use it for starting fires because a dry withered branch cannot produce any fruit of itself, it is impossible for a dry withered branch to produce a good fruit without being connected to the vine.
When the life of a believer does not receive the word of God in their life, God begins “the pruning process” and they are cast into the fire because the Lord loves them, and God does not want them to be deceived by teachings of men or of Satan.
When they are cast into the fire they may even feel “disconnected” from the vine and begin to follow men’s doctrines instead of the teachings of Jesus because they are not abiding in Jesus, and they begin to regress instead of progressing in their spiritual life. They begin to experience unnecessary fiery trials until they become broken and humbled in spirit before God who oversees his entire garden.
During the times that God allows the fiery trials is when God will get his children’s attention so that they can realize that they were not abiding in the vine. God waits for them to repent and begin to abide in Christ to bear the necessary fruit of the Holy Spirit so they can begin living the life that God has for them, this is why so many people are going through so many unnecessary things in life, God is pruning his vineyard.
The fiery trials that happen in a believer’s life is the “pruning processes” that God allows so that all evil deeds and behaviors that are not of God is cut out of one’s lives and cast into the fire to burn.
Sin is not a topic that many like to hear about, but sin is the cause of all bad fruit and God deals with all our sins by allowing unpleasant things to happen in every believer’s life. The discomfort of any trials any of us experience is the beginning of pruning that God allows so we can obey his word.
The things that hinder us from hearing the Holy Spirit speaking to us and bearing much fruit in the kingdom of God are done away with as we learn to abide in Christ in all patience. As we walk with the Lord in our everyday life, we begin to realize that everything that offends God in His kingdom is cast into the fire. The trials are by design and the pruning begins so what is left after all our evil thoughts and deeds are burned away so the fruit of the Holy Spirit will manifest in us all.
God who sees and knows all things would rather deal with all our sin right now because it is better than one day to stand before God in iniquity when Christ returns for his church, and better than ending up in fires of hell because we have not turned away of all our evil deeds.
Jesus Christ will one day return to give every man according to their works. The Lord loves all his creation and deals with our sin now by convicting us of iniquities so we can stand before him without fault, guilt, or shame.
Philippians 1: 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
We all know that God has given his Holy Spirit to every believer so that they can begin doing good and not evil. The good that the Holy Spirit produces in a believer as they yield their will to God the father are what Jesus called fruit.
Matthew 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
We also know where evil thoughts and evil deeds come from, they come from the devil and from the very beginning of creation when Satan was in the garden of Eden. It is up to every believer in Christ to decide which voice to hear and follow, God or Satan. When Christ returns all that do evil and have not repented are cast into hell fire.
Matthew 13: 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The scripture clearly teaches that we should hold the word of life and be blameless before the Lord without rebuke. All our labors must not be in vain.
Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Before Christ became the Lord of our life, we were all alienated from God in our minds and doing evil deeds that displeased the Lord. But now that we have given our life to the Lord God begins the reconciling process to bring us back in right standing before the Lord!
Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus, look at what he said about bringing fruit that leads us to repentance. What John was preaching is that people should bring forth “fruit” or works worthy of repentance before God.
Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees:
therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Let’s go back to John chapter fifteen and continue with what Jesus said about bearing much fruit.
John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
We know that the ultimate fire is when Christ returns and cast people in hell because their works were full of iniquity.
Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The word iniquity means lawlessness, iniquity, disobedience, and sin in the Strongs concordance #458 Greek definition.
There is also another type of fire that the bible describes as trials.
1 Corinthians 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
The only trial a Christian should experience in life is the reproach for bearing the name of Christ in this world because they have turned away from evil and obey the Lord, the word of God tells us to rejoice when you experience the reproach from the word because the “Spirit of glory” rest upon you and God will reward you because of your obedience by faith to abide even in Christ even when you receive persecution in this world for obeying and following Jesus.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator .
Jesus addresses the first century church of Philadelphia in the book of Revelation and applauds them for enduring by keeping his word in all patience which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells the church of Philadelphia that they will be exempt from the hour of trial that shall come upon the whole world because they were faithful in keeping his word in all patience.
Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
No believer of Christ likes it when God corrects them, but after receiving any correction from the God we come into right standing with God and we begin to yield “peaceable fruit of righteousness” that please the Lord who has paid for the penalty of all our sins on the cross. This pruning process is both necessary and important because our final destiny is determined by the fruit produced in us by God.
Hebrews 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
How is it that God will reward us after we have been corrected by God who addresses all our rebellion and sin that hinders the fruit of the Holy Spirit in all our lives? Jesus tells us that as we abide in him, God the father will open the heavens above us and answer all our prayers when we bear fruit of the Holy Spirit because we are abiding and bearing much fruit.
God has set conditions to having “ALL” our prayers answered, the condition is “IF WE ABIDE” in Jesus Christ who is the sustainer of all life to every branch that abides in Christ.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Jesus tells us that God the father is pleased with you because you are abiding in Christ, and you have become one of his disciples who believe God and his word and begin to bear fruit!
Jesus attributes bearing fruit to being a disciple of Christ.
John 15:8 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.
Jesus taught that if we continue in his word, we are disciples implying that if we do not continue in his word, we are not his disciples.
Only those who abide and continue in the word of God are the disciples of Jesus.
John 8:31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed ; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Congratulations to you if you have chosen to become a true disciple of Jesus by abiding in the word of God and because you believe all the words that Jesus taught. In keeping his word, you are keeping his commandments and are walking in his love and abiding in the truth.
As you allow the word of God to prune away all evil from your life, you will begin to experience the will of God for your life and experience the life Jesus promised. The Joy and peace of the Lord will be part of your character and nature. Peace and Joy is two of the nine fruits of the holy Spirit.
John 15:10 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. 11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full .
The love of the Father will also become part of your character and nature, you will be able to love even your enemies that hate you. Love is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit because God is love!
12This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.
As you abide in Jesus and his word you are becoming one with God the father, his character and nature becomes a part of your life!
While Jesus was on earth, He prayed that his disciples become one with him and God the father. As we bear fruit of the Holy Spirit, we are becoming one as Jesus prayed we would!
John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee , that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
The Lord wants us to experience his glory and love as we continue abiding in Jesus.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
The Vine
Jesus who is the vine clearly taught the importance of bearing fruit. This fruit is not self-produced so no can boast in themselves. This fruit is a work that God who is tending the garden is doing in every believer’s life as they stay connected to Jesus Christ the true vine.
All the fruit that the Lord was teaching about is clearly the fruit of the Holy Spirit found in scripture in the book of Galatians chapter five.
There are nine characteristics of this “one fruit” of the Holy Spirit. There is only one vine and much fruit in the singular sense because it all comes from the one vine Jesus Christ.
We must never forget that it is the fruit of the Spirit is not our fruit but it is the fruit that the Holy Spriit produces in us as we continue in his word and in Christ the living word, this is why it is the bible calls it “The Fruit of the Spirit.”
Let us look at all the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in a believer that abides in Christ Jesus.
The Nine Fruit (singular) of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
God is waiting patiently for every believer to crucify or put to death their evil deeds. God may allow trials to get our attention, but it is up to us to do the dying to our fleshly desires and evil deeds. Notice the next verse says “THEY” have crucified the flesh with affections and lusts. Many do not realize this truth, so they go on living a life of sin and because no immediate correction from God comes, they continue in a life of sin thinking it is okay to continue a lifestyle in sin. But what actually is happening to them is they are sowing bad fruit, and the seed of that fruit will grow and when it does, they reap a harvest of unnecessary hardships and trials. They have to take the initiative and crucify their flesh and their evil deeds.
Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Bad seeds produce bad fruit and when harvest time comes, they reap what they have sown. This is why repentance is needed in every believer’s life.
Hosea 8:7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.
Galatians 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men , especially unto them who are of the household of faith .
The first fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us is love because God is love for the Lord and for other people.
God the father begins the pruning process by the Holy Spirit as we crucify the flesh and the desires of the flesh and begins to cut away all hatred towards any persons anyone may have.
No man can say they love God and hate his brother according to God. We are all commanded by God to love one another. This is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 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? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Once we allow the Spirit of God to help us overcome our own desires of the flesh, fruit will begin to bud and appear in our life as we obey the Lord and his word! As the fruit appears in our life we will begin to be change from inside our heart, and because of the inward man is change, our works which are visible to others will begin to change as well. This is what Jesus was speaking about when he said let your light so shine!
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
The things we once did in our flesh become no longer important to us as we are changed when we bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit because we learn that everything, we do in our flesh was not really pleasing to God, only the fruit we bear pleases the Lord.
Parable of the Sower
Mark 4:2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a Sower to sow: 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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There went out a Sower to sow. – Verse 3
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Some fell by the wayside. – Verse 4
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Some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth. – Verse 5
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Some fell among thorns. – Verse 7
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Other fell on good ground. Verse 8
The Sower is God the father the gardener that is planting his word in the field, the earth. Some seed fell by the wayside and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up, some seed fell on stoney ground but because it did not have depth to the ground it did spring up but when the heat of the sun scorched it because it did not take root, some seed fell among thorns and when the seed grew it was choked by the thorns and did not yield any fruit and withered away.
The first three places where the seed had been planted never grew to produce any fruit. This is exactly what is happening to many today because they do not understand that the seed planted by God is only going to grow on “good ground” where it can produce a harvest of much fruit!
The [ SEED ] that fell on good ground was the heart of a person who will obey the Lord and grow in his knowledge. Seed on good ground yields fruit that spring up and increase. Some brought forth thirty fold, some sixty fold, and some an hundred fold. Jesus tells us all to take heed. Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
What was Jesus teaching us in this parable of the Sower? What can we all learn from in the parable of the Sower? The first thing we learn about the parable of the Sower is that those living by the wayside, and those on stony ground, and the ones among thorns never get to the point of bearing any fruit.
Jesus Explains the Parable
In this same chapter for of Mark Jesus explains the parable of the Sower. Jesus gives us clear understanding of the things that hinder us from ever having any fruit of the Holy Spirit appearing in us.
This parable that Jesus taught is the most important parable to understand in all of scripture because Jesus said if we do not understand this parable, how will we be able to understand any of the other parables. We won’t understand until we learn about how fruit from the Holy Spirit appears in us and hos Satan comes to steal the seed that was sown by God.
Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
The first thing Jesus taught about in this parable is that when the seed which is the word of God is sown in our hearts, Satan comes “immediately” to take away the word of God out of the heart. Those by the wayside who hear the word don’t even have a chance to bear any fruit because the seed that produces fruit is stolen and taken away from them by Satan.
Seed by the Wayside
Mark 4:14 The Sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the wayside, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
Seed on Stony Ground
Next, we see those who live life on stony ground. This are where most Christians live their life and never bear any real fruit of the Holy Spirit. These receive the word gladly, but no fruit is evident in their lives.
Six things happen and the word becomes “chocked.” Out of their life so they go on singing songs, can quote scriptures, and even saying Lord, Lord but the word which is the seed of God has no root in them, so they also wither and die spiritually.
The ground is the heart of man where the God Sows the seed, but because their heart is like stone the word is chocked.
Mark 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
Here are the six things that happen to a person with a stony heart.
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They hear and receive the (seed), the word gladly and Satan takes the seed.
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They have no root because the ground of their heart is like stone.
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They endure for a while, but when…
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Affliction and …
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Persecutions arises, they are …
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Offended.
Seed among Thorns
Now the third type of persons are those where the seed is sown by God among thorns hear the word of God, but the cares of this world ensnare them, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in hinder any possibility of any fruit of the Holy Spirit to spring up in them so they too wither.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
The result of a wayside person, stoney heart person, and where thorns choke the word in a person is where the seed fell but could not produce any fruit. All three types of persons hear but no fruit cannot be yielded for various reasons as we’ve just read.
Good Ground Seed
Finally, the fourth type of persons where the seed is sown are on good ground. This fourth type of person is the only one who can bear fruit, some bare thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, and someone hundred-fold of fruit produced by the Holy Spirit. Their heart is the good ground.
These do three things…
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They Hear the word.
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They Receive the word.
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Fruit grows.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
In this next chapter you will learn more about the good ground!
The Good Ground
The good ground is where God sows the word into the heart of man and the ground is ready to receive the seed when they hear the word. Even if the seed only produces a 30-fold return of fruit God is pleased because the branch is still connected to Jesus and producing some fruit. This type of person may only be able to spring forth one or two fruits of all the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit, but they are still connected to the vine. For instance, they may walk in love and have the joy of the Lord in their life but lack the fruit of patience or self-control in other areas of their life. This is a good start and as they continue in the word of God, they will bear more fruit!
The same is true for the sixty-fold person, they may only have sixty percent of all the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit in their life, but still lack forty percent of all the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit working in them and more fruit will appear as they continue in the word.
God who is the gardener that is planting the good seed of his word in our life wants all of us to produce one hundred-fold meaning all the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit working in our lives as we study and grow in the Lord and his word.
This planting of seed is from God, and as we grow in the knowledge of God through his word fruit will begin to appear in our life! This two-step process of hearing and receiving the planted word of God in us brings forth first the blade, then the ear, then the actual fruit.
Mark 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
There is a process that the bible calls the ministry of reconciliation that takes place in all of our lives because God is working in us to produce the good fruit of the Spirit in all of us.
Even in the natural world we know that fruit does not appear overnight when a gardener plants a vineyard. The vineyard needs to be worked on every day by the gardener, this is the work of God by His Spirit. This work will include uprooting any weeds, thorns, and thistles that may choke and take over the field.
The same is true with us, God in his patience is working in all our lives to prune away the things that might hinder any fruit from springing forth. This is what the bible calls “The Ministry of Reconciliation” where God through Jesus Christ reconciled us back to himself so the new creation that we are in Christ can begin to live his or her new abundant life in Christ Jesus the Lord.
All the old things that have passed away, these are the things that God is pruning from our old nature called the carnal man so we can enjoy the life we have in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
You True Identity is in Christ.
The life we live now is not our own, we were all purchased and ransomed by God the Father through the redemptive work of Christ Jesus our Lord dying on the cross. The blood of Jesus redeemed us so that we being reconciled back to God in right standing before God.
2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Our righteousness stands only in the blood of Jesus that he shed and our willingness to be reconciled back to God by the working and leading of the Holy Spirit in us.
As we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and bear fruit in us, we become righteousness in the eyes of God through sanctification. Sanctification means to be set apart. For anyone to say that they are righteous without partaking in the ministry of reconciliation is like cisterns without water, or wells that have dried up.
All have sin and God wants to take it away by destroying the works of the flesh. Jesus came to help us live a holy and righteous life before God.
1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1 John 2: 28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him.
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
God Answers the Prayers of Righteous
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Conclusion
When a believer applies to their life what has been said and taught in this book, they will begin to see their lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit as they bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their life.
Please take the time to look at the image of fruit on the cover of this book. You will notice that some of the fruits are healthy fruit hanging on the branches that are connected to the vine, and some fruits are lying on the ground and not eatable and worthless.
I pray that your life is bringing forth the good fruit of the Holy Spirit so that your life is overflowing with the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit.
God bless you,
Pastor Joel
Open Heaven Christian Church
PO Box 187
Fisher, Arkansas 72429
#fruit-of-the-Spirit #fruit-of-the-Holy-Spirit #righteousness
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