The Holy Spirit

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all. . . And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him" 1 John 2:20,27

Devotion #11 of 14

THE MINISTERING SPIRIT, #7 Divine attributes

"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). I have often heard the "fruit of the Spirit" declared as though it were a Sinaitic law. This is not the case. The "fruit of the Spirit" is evidence of His work and influence. Without Him, these things could not be realized, regardless of the degree of human effort expended to that end. The fruit of the Spirit is the personal realization of divine qualities while we are in this world. It is the life of Christ lived out in us. This is another view of Christ dwelling in our heart "by faith" (Eph 3:16-17). It is the result of being made "partakers of Christ" (Heb 3:14). In effect, when the Spirit is not grieved or quenched, He molds us into Christ's likeness. The outgrowth of divine qualities within us is "the fruit of the Spirit" -- the result of His work. Those possessing these characteristics in any measure have, in those very qualities, evidence of the Spirit's work within. Reaping life everlasting "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" (Gal 6:8). Sowing "to the Spirit" is being sensitive to Him, as contrasted with grieving, quenching, or resisting Him. It is investing your heart and mind in eternal things by setting your affection "on things above, and not on things on the earth" (Col 3:2-3). You are sowing to the Spirit when you allow yourself to be oriented for glory. Your appetites are cultured for heaven. Your goal is to obtain the prize of the high calling of God in Christ. The "one thing" you desire above all else is to "dwell in the house of the Lord forever, to behold His beauty, and to enquire within His temple" (Psa 27:4). When we choose to forfeit earthly interests in favor of heavenly ones, we are sowing "to the Spirit." The abandonment of heavenly interests in favor of earthly ones is sowing "to the flesh." Reading the Word of God with a hungry heart, letting your requests be made known to God, and giving heed to the word of exhortation are sowing to the Spirit--investing in eternity. No one will reap a spiritual harvest that has not sown to the Spirit. No one will be in heaven that has not made preparations to be there. The Holy Spirit shall bring "life everlasting" to us; we will reap it from Him! What a refreshing perspective! The very Spirit of God yielding the harvest of eternal life to us. He will induct the personal harvest of all that we have planted in faith. It is on the part of wisdom to sow bountifully to the Spirit now. Invest your time and resources in areas dominated by the Holy Spirit of God. Withdraw them from areas dominated by the flesh. God will not retract this word! "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"