THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS Lesson 12 for the 20th of March, 2010

Father GOD OF TRUTH Truth is intrinsic to God’s character. “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4) “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth” (Psalms, 31: 5)

Son GOD OF TRUTH “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me” (John, 14: 6) “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war” (Revelation, 19: 11) Absolute TRUTH is a person: JESUS. If we want to find truth and live in it, we can do it only if we have a relationship with Jesus and we surrender Him.

Holy Spirit GOD OF TRUTH “This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth” (1 John, 5: 6) “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John, 16: 13) As the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit IS the truth, and there is no truth without Him.

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1st Leading us to Jesus. “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you” (John, 16: 14) “When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (John, 15: 26)

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 2nd Producing the fruit of truth in us. “The Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John, 14: 17) “I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit” (Romans, 9: 1) “(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)” (Ephesians, 5: 9) “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter, 1: 22)

RECEIVING THE TRUTH WITH A SINCERE HEART WITH AN FLAWED HEART “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah, 29: 13) “He did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart” (2 Chronicles, 25: 2) The Holy Spirit will produce the fruit of truth in us, leading us to all the truth and modelling our live according to the truth we receive. But He will only do that if we surrender all our heart. Knowing the truth and obeying it, without having a close relationship with the One that IS the truth, is worthless. “The Lord said to Samuel: … Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel, 16: 7)

GROWING IN THE TRUTH “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews, 5: 14) If we don’t have our senses exercised to discern according to the truth the Spirit has shown us, we will take the risk of cauterizing our consciences and losing our faculty of discerning both good and evil. If we have our senses exercised to discern according to the truth the Spirit has shown us, we will grow more and more in knowing the truth. Our lives will be converted into the image of Christ.

Truth, as the fruit of the Holy Spirit, means to know God’s will, which is shown in His Word. Jesus is the Truth Truth, as the fruit of the Holy Spirit, means to practice that knowledge, showing it when treating others.