Bearing The Fruits Of The Holyspirit

HOMILY FOR PENTECOST SUNDAY (SOLEMNITY)-YEAR A

SCRIPTURAL READING:

1. Acts 2:1-11

Ps 104:1ab.24ac.29bc-30.31.34 (R. 30).

1. 1 Cor. 12:3b-7.12-13
2. Jn. 20:19-23

Preamble:

Dear friends please repeat these words after me;

Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my mind, may your word never depart from me.

Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my ears, help me listen and obey your voice.

Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my heart, help me welcome you always.

Holy Spirit, rekindle in me the fire of your love. Amen.

THEME: BEARING THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

As we come to a close of journey in the life in the spirit seminar, we continue to pray that the Lord may enlighten our minds that we may be free from obstacles of misunderstanding that have grown up within our community because of the influence of the evil one, the father of lies, because of our personal ignorance, because of our desire for the things of the flesh. Whatever the reason for darkness, we pray as we celebrate this mass of Pentecost this day, may the powerful light of Christ expose of power of evil hovering within this chaplaincy, demote evil position occupied by satanic and marine agents in this chaplaincy, unseat every position that have been erected in the past and present and forever frighten them from coming near us, our homes, marriages, vocation, business, destiny and life in the name of Jesus. May every backup, replacement of demons hovering around, every network of the marine kingdom be broken and may they forever be confused in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear friends, brothers and sisters, it is very necessary that we know that God wants us to bear right fruits and the person that will enable us bear this right fruit is the Holy Spirit. We can only bear right fruits when we open up to the Holy Spirit through constant intimate prayer, attentiveness at prayers and daily meditations with a cultivation of silence.

The person of the Holy Spirit affords us an opportunity to live new lives that the father has long wished for us if we truly cooperate with him. This new life is a real life. A life filled with great goodness and deep satisfaction. God wants us to live new and good lives made possible through the life, passion, death, resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

We must note it is not given because we have kept the best laws enough to win the approval of God. It is given on the premise and fact that we as children of the Lord called believers have been accepted by God because of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for man’s transgressions of the Law. He died to free men from the law, from its judgment and condemnation.

Therefore standing before God, the believer is not there because he has kept laws and has earned the right to stand there. He is there because of his faith in Jesus Christ. He has a new life because of his faith in Jesus Christ. He is satisfied and content because of Jesus Christ.

The faith of the believer honors God’s Son, and God loves His Son so much that he honors anyone who believes in His Son. He honors the person by doing exactly what the person believes. Therefore, the man who believes that Jesus Christ makes him acceptable to God becomes acceptable to God.

The point is this-since the believer has to approach God through Jesus Christ and not through the law, he is freed from the law. He is under Jesus Christ, not the law. The question then is; does this mean then that the believer has no restraint upon his life and behaviour-that he is free to live like he wants? Is he free to follow the desires and lusts of his flesh, sinful nature-to seek the things of the world and give in to the urges to look, think, touch, taste, and do?

The answer is No! A thousand times No! For the believer has been given God’s nature; he walks through life bearing God’s nature. God has absolutely nothing to do with sin, not within His nature. Therefore, the believer is not to cave in to the desires of the sinful nature; he is to walk bearing the fruit of God’s nature, that is, the fruit of God’s Spirit.

We are called to walk bearing God’s nature, that is, the fruit of God’s Spirit. The word “fruit” is singular, not plural. The Holy Spirit has only one fruit. It is broken down into a list of traits in order to help us understand His nature. However, the Spirit has only one nature, one fruit. Therefore, when He lives within a person, all these traits are present. The genuine believer does not experience and bear just some of them: the Spirit of God produces them all in the life of the believer.

We shall however discuss three or four of them- There is the fruit of love (agape). Agape love is the love of the mind, of the reason, of the will. It is the love that goes so far that it loves regardless of feelings-whether a person feels like loving or not. Agape love leads one to love a person even if the person does not deserve to be loved. Agape love leads one to actually love the person who is utterly unworthy of being loved.

Agape love has four significant points namely:

1. It is the love of God for the ungodly-Rom. 5:6- you see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
2. It is the love of God for unworthy sinners-Rom. 5:8-But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
3. It is the love of God for undeserving enemies-Rom. 5:10- for if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Selfless love or agape love is a gift of God. It can be experienced only if a person knows God personally-only if a person has received the love of God, that is, Christ Jesus, into his heart and life.

Agape love is not a restricted love but a love that has to be shared abroad-it must be poured out, flooded, spread about by the spirit of God within the heart of a person.

Romans 5:5 says- and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Selfless or agape love is both the greatest thing and the greatest possession and gift in human life according to the scripture 1 Cor. 13:1-13.

1 Cor. 13:13- And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

2. There is the fruit of joy (Chara):- an inner gladness; a deep seated pleasure. It is a depth of assurance and confidence that ignites a cheerful heart. It is a cheerful heart that leads to cheerful behaviour.

3. There is the fruit of peace (Eirene):- it means to bind together, to join, to weave together. It means that a person is bound, woven and joined together with himself and with God and others.

The Hebrew word is Shalom. It means freedom from trouble and much more. It means experiencing the highest good, enjoying the very best possible, possessing all the inner good possible. It means wholeness and soundness. It means prosperity in the widest sense, especially prosperity in the spiritual sense of having a soul that blossoms and flourishes.

The peace of the world involves escapism, of avoiding trouble, of refusing to face things, of unreality. It is a peace that is sought through pleasure, satisfaction, contentment, and the absence of trouble, positive thinking, or the denial of problems.

Whereas the peace of God is, first, a bosom peace, a peace deep within. It is a tranquility of mind, a composure, and a restfulness that is undisturbed by circumstances and situations. It is more than feelings-even more than attitude and thought.

The peace of God is, second, the peace of conquest-John 16:33-“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. It is the peace of victory. It is the peace that is independent of conditions and environment; the peace which no sorrow, danger, suffering, or experience can take away.

The peace of God is, third, the peace of assurance-Romans 8:28-“and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” It is the peace of unquestionable confidence; the peace with a sure knowledge that one’s life is in the hands of God and that all things will work out for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

The peace of God is intimacy with God. Phil. 4:6-7. It is the peace of highest good. It is the peace that settles the mind, strengthens the will, and establishes the heart.

The source of this peace is always born out of reconciliation brought about by Jesus Christ. Peace always has to do with personal relationships; a man’s relationship to himself, to God, and to his fellow men.

A man must be bound, woven, and joined together with himself in order to have peace.

A man must be bound, woven, and joined together with God in order to have peace.

A man must be bound, woven and joined together with his fellow man to have peace.

Beloved we must surrender to the Lord so that we may gain and bear constantly these fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Amen.

PRAYERS

Lord root out of me everything that is not in agreement with my faith in you.

Lord unhealthy relationships that have been draining me, covering me, distracting me from living my life as a living sacrifice pleasing to you, dear Lord severe it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Jesus, I want to be all yours-take me and use me as you please in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Lord give me courage to focus only on you and draw my daily strength from you always in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Lord as I prepare for the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, please make my life a fertile ground to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and bear forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Lord open my eyes to where you want me to work for you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Lord I cover my decisions, my mind, my focus, my being with the precious blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.