“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” Ephesians 2:1
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;” Col 2:13
Scripture teaches an important fact. Before a person accepts Jesus as their savior a person’s spirit was dead, trapped in the web and cycle of sin and trespasses. Let’s look at the definition of the word trespass.
As a verb:
- “enter the owner’s land or property without permission..”there is no excuse for trespassing on railroad property”
- synonyms: – intrude on, encroach on, enter without permission, invade. Example: “there is no excuse for trespassing on railroad property.”
- archaic (ancient meaning) commit an offense against (a person or a set of rules). “a man who had trespassed against Judaic law”
- synonyms: sin, transgress, offend, do wrong, err, go astray, fall from grace, stray from the straight and narrow. “he would be the last among us to trespass”
Looking at this word as a verb we can say as a sinner, man intrudes and trespasses into the arena of sin and commits sinful acts that God had deemed one should not do. Without Christ man has little ability to refrain himself. He is literally a pawn of Satan. However, once we accept Christ as our savior that old nature passes away and we are born again of incorruptible seed.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Co 5:17
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” – 1 Pe 1:23
As we begin to renew our minds in the Word of God and mature we are encouraged to put off the old man and walk in the newness of the word of God.
“to put off your old self,[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:22-24
As we begin to walk in the Spirit of God we will be led by his Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit (a Biblical term listing nine attributes of the Born Again Spirit), will begin to grow out of that new incorruptible seed we have in Christ. The development of this fruit is a springboard for all Christian maturity.
“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
Love “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Joy – “The joy of the Lord is your strength” – Nehemiah 8:10
Peace – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” – Romans 5:1
Longsuffering – (patience) We are “strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” Colossians 1:11
Gentleness -(kindness) “We should live “in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left” 2 Corinthians 6:6-7.
Goodness – “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth” – Ephesians 5:9.
Faith (Faithfulness) – “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” – Ephesians 3:16-17.
Meekness “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” Ephesians 4:2.
Temperance (Self-control) “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” – 2 Peter 1:5-7.
As we grow in grace and in the development of the Fruit of the Spirit, it serves as a stable springboard for our release and growth in the nine gifts of The Spirit –(1 Cor. 12) and other graces God has intended for us to walk in.
Our fruit and character are grown in Christ. Little fruit, little growth. Much fruit, much growth. Let’s take on the mind-set that we will submit ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit and become rooted and grounded in the Word and have a heart to the yielding of the Spirit and towards the development of this fruit. In time, as we become established in God, He will be able to promote us to the next level.
In the meantime, don’t run ahead of God but rather, be willing to allow him to settle and establish you.
“Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” – Romans 12:7-9
God wants to grow our fruit. God wants us to establish a Godly character.
“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,” – 2 Corinthians 1:21
“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” – 1 Peter 5:10
“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,” – Romans 16:25
Remember, He wants us to establish our character, so we will not be a character!
May God’s Grace Abundantly Reign In Your Life!
-Apostle Ric & Prophetess Kathy Steele
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“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
According to the Scripture, Romans 8:28 says- “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” The questions is, how do all these things work out to our benefit? God is a “God that declares “The End” from “The Beginning”. However, we must understand that He is also a God of process. There is a process that takes from the beginning unto the end.
By Dr. Ric Steele
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