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Issue link: http://magazine.kcm.org/i/1370884
“How exactly do we go about walking consistently in the power of the fruit of the spirit?” you might ask. The first thing we do is go to the Bible to see what God has to say about the subject. One passage I’ve studied quite a bit is 2 Peter 1:3-11. It says that God: “[By] 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 [we] might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (verses 3-4). These verses help us understand the process by telling us that godliness (which is another way to describe the fruit) comes through the knowledge of the Lord. The better we get to know Him, the greater revelation we’ll have of His divine nature that’s already inside us. The better we understand His nature, the more we can partake of it, and the freer of this world’s corruption we become. The passage goes on to say: "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…. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (verses 5-8, 10-11). If you ever need inspiration to walk in the fruit of the spirit, reread those verses often. They list many wonderful benefits. When you abound in the fruit, you enter into the best God has planned for you. Operating in them empowers you to fulfill your divine call. You’ll remain spiritually sure-footed and avoid destructive falls. Best of all, according to these verses, when you’ve finished your earthly assignment, you’ll enjoy an abundant entrance into God’s everlasting kingdom! What does it mean to have an abundant entrance into His kingdom? For one thing, it means you won’t just barely make it into heaven by the skin of your teeth. And you won’t get there empty-handed with nothing to show for the life you lived here. When you step out of this natural realm into the glory realm, because you cultivated and walked in the fruit of the spirit here on earth, you’ll have eternal rewards awaiting you. You’ll have a big welcoming party gathered there to greet you. The Fruit + the Gifts = Maximum Power The gifts of the Spirit are exciting and spectacular, and the Church definitely needs them. They’re extremely valuable. But unlike the fruit, the gifts don’t manifest whenever you want them to. You can’t get up every morning and say, “I believe I’ll walk in the word of wisdom and the gift of miracles today.” No, the gifts manifest only as the Holy Spirit wills (1 Corinthians 12:11). They function only in certain situations. You can’t live on the gifts. People who try end up getting into trouble. We’ve all heard the stories. We’ve heard about tongue-talking Christians who regularly prophesied in church on Sundays and yet, somehow, ended up falling into a lifestyle of sin. We’ve even heard, on occasion, about a truly anointed minister of God who had great healings and miracles taking place in his or her meetings, and then got involved in some kind of illicit affair. BVOV : 27