West Park Baptist Church

Fruit of the Spirit

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Abide: Self-Control

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Proverbs 25:28)

Walls around the cities of old provided protection from invaders without and freedoms for the people within. Many cities today still have some of those ancient walls and provide a stunning visual reminder of that protection. Lugo, Spain, Xi’an, China, and Jerusalem, Israel are some of the few beautiful walled cities remaining in the world.

What do city walls have to do with us today? I can’t help but think of the disorder we continue to see play out in our country and what Proverbs 25:28 has to say about it. Walls around New York City, Minneapolis or Houston won’t stop the looting and violence happening there, but self-control by God’s Spirit could. Just like walls around a city provide protection from without, self-control provides a man or woman protection from within.

Self-control is the last aspect of the Spirit’s fruit that we’ll examine. Let’s meditate today on how to cultivate self-control in our daily lives.

The Apostle Paul wrote the most about self-control in the New Testament. Peter mentioned it twice (1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 1:6), but Paul either wrote about it or is mentioned talking about it 15 times. When he was on trial before Felix, Paul’s message was about “righteousness, self-control and the coming judgment” (Acts 24:25). Paul mentioned self-control as crucial for single and married believers (1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Corinthians 7:9), essential for older men (Titus 2:2), younger men (Titus 2:6) elders (1 Timothy 3:2), women (1 Timothy 2:9) and every believer (Galatians 5:23)! Self-control is crucial for Christian growth and helps to enhance every other aspect of the Spirit’s fruit.

But how hard it is to exercise self-control! When someone comes to you with the same problem for the tenth time it’s hard to have self-control when you know they won’t listen to sound advice. It’s hard when you see a sweet dessert and take an extra piece… or two. Some are in crucial need of self-control so they don’t use drugs, look at pornography or turn to drunkenness for false support. You know and I know that we need self-control. But sometimes our inner lives feel like the riots we see happening on the streets: our desires running amok, causing trouble, and fighting against our better desires. What can we do to grow in self-control?

1) Remember that self-control is a gift; a Fruit of the Spirit. God purposed when He saved you to make you a self-controlled person. But He has not left you alone to become that. Jesus our Lord was self-controlled always. He won the battle against all temptation. When He said “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,” He didn’t give in to the weakness of the flesh. But for all the lack of self-control you are guilty of, Jesus died. For the weaknesses of your flesh, Jesus suffered and died. This is our ground of hope, and we can only cultivate self-control when we come to Jesus in faith, recognizing that in Him and by His strength we will grow in self-control.

2) Self-control is also a fight. The fight is not against other people but against our own wrong desires. Take this encouragement to get in the fight! Long ago a post by John Piper called A.N.T.H.E.M. encouraged me when I had seemingly no control over my feelings of anxiety and depression. Looking up the article you’ll see that it’s about combating lust, but the solutions Piper mentions are helpful no matter what your lack of self-control. Above all, get in the fight.

3) Self-control is a community project. I’m struck by Paul’s continued appeal for self-control from everyone in the church – every age group, each gender, regardless of marital status. It is crucial that we bring areas where we are out of bounds and have no self-control into the light. One of the indispensable ways to do this is to open up to a trusted friend who will hold you accountable and point you to the hope of Jesus Christ. Remember that article I shared above? I first got that from a friend that I had confided in about my battle with depression and anxiety. He was always faithful to pray for me and urge me to keep fighting. Where are you walking in the dark with no self-control? Who should you talk to about that today?

Friends, above all, seek the Lord for self-control. It is His desire that you learn to rule your spirit, and He will produce the fruit of self-control in you.

A song in closing? How about Give Me Self-Control. This is a kids song from Sovereign Grace Ministries that we’ve listened to as a family on car rides. “Lord, I’m needy, so I’m pleading: Come and fill me; help me to be self-controlled.”

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

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Abide: Gentleness

Our nation watched with sad hearts this past weekend as peaceful protests turned to violent riots.

While many this morning are trying to sort out the peaceful from the riotous, writing about possible motives behind the violence, my aim is to focus on the spiritual fruit of gentleness.

The timing for this post works well in light of the troubled times we’re living in. If violence and injustice were replaced with meekness and gentleness, think of the progress we’d make in safety as a country! And while I am grateful to live in a country where the ability to gather and peacefully protest is still possible, I know the problems in our country won’t be healed by protest alone. We need leadership that is meek and gentle. We need the Lord Jesus.

Matthew 11:28–30

[28] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (ESV)

Matthew 11 begins the record of opposition against Jesus. The beginning of the chapter is the mild opposition that comes from the troubled questions of John the Baptist. Then comes the rebuke to the unrepentant Capernaum cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida which had rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

How does Jesus respond to the doubts of His followers and the outright rejection by whole towns? He explains who He is and extends a gracious invitation.

Jesus is gentle and lowly in heart. That’s our Fruit of the Spirit word: gentle. It is synonymous with humility, and it’s specifically self-forgetfulness, prioritizing others and responding calmly even when they are aggressive. This describes Jesus. He invites all to come to Him who labor and are heavy laden. This describes us.

This is the pastor who’s burdened by the needs of God’s people.

This is the dad or mom in the daily grind of shepherding their kids.

This is the protester that seeks to right some wrong.

This is all of us weighed down by our sin in this broken world.

I so wish this whole world would look up to see Jesus and turn to Him in repentance and faith! When we wrestle with our failures and sins and are weary and weighed down, oh that we would always see Christ. Isaiah prophesied that “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young” (40:11).

What’s ironic is that we don’t expect gentleness to get us far in this world. We feel keenly the message that tough skin is required and outspoken boldness is necessary for others to hear us. Tough skin is helpful, but, if we’re truly going to be changed by Jesus, the skin underneath must be soft.

King David was a powerful leader. The Israelites sang he killed tens of thousands of Israel’s enemies. He wrangled with lions and bears and cut off the head of a giant. So how did he review his kingship towards the end of his life? Twice the Bible records David’s words as he praised God. Here are the words that apply:

Psalm 18:35 – You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. (see also 2 Samuel 22:36).

I was amazed by David’s meditation on his rule as Israel’s mighty king. He said to God, “Your gentleness made me great.” Can you imagine that? It seems counter-intuitive to our way of thinking. How can gentleness, humility and meekness lead to greatness? Yet that is the way of God, it’s the character of our Lord Jesus, and it is the way of sanctification for us (see Matthew 20:25-28).

Friends, seek the Lord for this quality of gentleness. I’m convicted by the need for this fruit, and I am led to ask some assessment questions:

  • Am I marked by humility and a gentle spirit toward others?
  • What would those closest to me say? Do they feel safe to share their opinions and concerns with me? Or do my words and attitudes shut them down?
  • Do I often cut people off while they try to speak, roll my eyes with frustration or raise my voice slightly to indicate they need to be quiet? These are signs of self-absorption.

The Lord knows your need of gentleness. Accept His invitation today. Learn from Him. See Him as gentle and lowly in heart, and you will continually find rest for your souls. And you will extend that rest to others.

 

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

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Abide: Faithfulness

…to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith.”

Exchanging vows facing your husband or your wife, who ever thinks “This is a waste of time, I can’t wait to cheat on this person!”? Oh, maybe some think evil like that, but those vows said face-to-face and in front of a pastor and witnesses are binding to God. Faithfulness pleases the Lord God because He is faithful.

Faithfulness is so central to our God’s character that He promises to grow it in our lives. By His Spirit God puts this in the fruit in Galatians 5:22. Faithfulness is to be absolutely trustworthy and always true to your word.

How can we grow in faithfulness when so many around us are not trustworthy or true? How can we demonstrate faithfulness when we have so often not kept our word to others?

Thankfully God records His faithfulness in His Word, and it’s precisely because God is faithful that we can grow in faithfulness. Consider the display of God’s faithfulness in Hosea 2:16–20

[16] “And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ [17] For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. [18] And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. [19] And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. [20] I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD. (ESV)

The background to this passage is the sad tale of Hosea’s own marriage. God had commanded Hosea to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him, turning to other lovers (chapter 1). Hosea marries Gomer, and she is as unfaithful as God promises. In chapter 2 God explains in the context of Hosea’s broken marriage His complaint against His bride Israel. In chapter 2:16 God says a time will come when Israel will no longer call the LORD “my Baal.” Linguists say that in this time period “my husband” and “my Baal” sounded so similar that those in Israel fused the two words together. God said this would end. How? By the allure and intoxicating fragrance of His own faithfulness.

Seven times the LORD says, “I will,” pledging Himself to His people. He promises that He will reverse the damage of the curse, that He will end the threats of war, that He will provide safety for them. But best of all He pledges that He will show them righteousness, justice, steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness. This has been God’s consistent theme throughout history. Do you trust Him?

Exodus 34:6 – The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,

Deuteronomy 32:4 – “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Psalm 25:10 – All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For every remembrance of your unfaithfulness, meditate deeply on the faithfulness of your God.

Soon your heart will begin to exhibit the same faithfulness toward Him and others. You will say like Jacob in Genesis 32:10, “I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.” You will be doing what the Prophet Samuel urged Israel to do in 1 Samuel 12:24 – “Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.”

You will so experience the Lord’s faithfulness that you will say with Psalm 115:1 – “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”

God will produce this fruit in you, my believing friend. However unfaithful you have been, He promises to make you into a faithful person, reflecting His great faithfulness.

 

A song for today (of course!): Great is Thy Faithfulness

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

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Abide: Goodness

Have you ever been called a “Goody Two-Shoes”?

That name comes from a children’s book published in 1765 called “The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes.”

The story tells the tale of Margery Meanwell, a poor girl who only has one shoe. When a wealthy gentleman learns of her situation, he in pity buys her a second shoe which fills Margery with gratitude. She proceeds to tell everyone “I’ve got two shoes!” In the course of the story she pays that gift forward later in life, using the wealth she gains to be good to others.

Nowadays it’s not a compliment to be called “Goody Two-Shoes.” If someone has ever said that of you or called you a “goody-goody” or something like that, it was probably critical. We don’t navigate the cynical domain of this world long before we realize the badness of it, the corrupt nature of even our best motives, and the risk associated with pushing against those realities. Why do I say “risk?” As soon as you posit that there’s good in this world and try to live in that reality, someone will try to put you down.

King David understood that cynical reality, for his time period was not really so different from today. I’m thankful that David put devotional thoughts and prayer into the bad world and how to cultivate a heart of goodness.

Psalm 4:6–8

[6] There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”
[7] You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
[8] In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (ESV)

David begins Psalm 4 by remembering a time in the past when God helped him. He’s in another hard situation now, this time reflecting on the abuse God’s people get by those who “love vain words and seek after lies” (2). He’s in a situation where bad guys have figured out that goody goodies get nowhere and flattery and lying are the way to survive this world. David says, “not so fast, men. Consider the LORD.” Verse 4 says, “Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself.” Godly is synonymous with “good,” for God alone is good. The bad guys look at this world only, and the conclusion they draw is “goodness gets you nowhere. Look out for yourself.” That worldview completely leaves God out of the picture.

David says that believers should not live cynical lives, angry at the abuse of others and seeking revenge (4). Instead we should not abandon goodness; we must seek its source out in God Himself. David paraphrases what many in his generation and many in our generation ask, “Who will show us some good?” He answers by looking to God: “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!” (6). David says that seeing the LORD in His goodness will transform the godly into the good people this world needs. When we are satisfied with the goodness of God, the uniquely unfathomable goodness of God, we will overflow with goodness toward others.

How do we cultivate this goodness in our lives?

  • Really take time to think about the goodness of God to you. When has God shown good to you? How have you been surprised by His help when you knew you did not deserve it? Praise God for those displays of His goodness. Spend time worshipping Him.
  • Read a gospel and focus on the goodness of Jesus. See His goodness to the leper when He says, “I am willing, be clean” (Matt. 8:3), His goodness to the woman at the well when He says, “I who speak to you am He” (John 4:26), and His goodness on the cross when He answered “This day you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Worship Christ who shows us the goodness of the Father.
  • Show the goodness of God to others. Paul the apostle wrote to the Roman church “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another” (15:14). Paul knew that the believers there were full of goodness because they had been saved and set apart by the only good God. He urged them to join him in his mission to see others saved, churches started, and people introduced to the goodness of God.

Friends, while it may not feel good to be called a Goody Two-Shoes, I think it’s actually a great opportunity, like Margery Meanwell had, to run around proclaiming to everyone “I’ve got good news! I’ve got good news!” When God graces this world with His goodness, no cynicism or evil can put it down. Let’s be people filled with the goodness of God.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

 

 

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Abide: Kindness

Many times as a dad I’ve played the role of mediator in a spat between siblings. When it becomes impossible to figure out who started it or who the true victim is, I recall reaching the end of my resources in that moment and settle on the counsel, “Just be kind to each other!”

I wish that actually worked – just to give a command and see my kids walk in loving-kindness. It would be wonderful if all of us who quarrel and fight would end up like that 1971 Coca-cola commercial, on some hilltop singing together, “I’d like to buy the world a Coke.” A simple act of kindness has great potential.

Of course life doesn’t happen that way. Telling someone to stop arguing and to be kind instead doesn’t work. At least not in my experience. Fighting, quarreling, coldness and bitterness, to name just a few of the relational sins, can’t be cracked or thawed merely by one kind act. A bottle of Coke hasn’t yet ended wars on Earth. Each of us who wish to walk in the Spirit and show the kindness of Christ need the power of our Lord in us, motivated by the loving-kindness He showed us.

How can we become the kind people that God wills us to be? Let me suggest a few things to think through.

  • Think about the kindness of God toward you. Romans 2:4 asks us, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (ESV).  After arguing in Romans 1 that all the Gentile world is lost in sin and deserving hell, Paul reminds the Roman church that the reason they escaped this judgment was the fact of God’s kindness toward them. God did not give any believers what we deserve, for that would be hell. He instead, in kindness and compassion, called us to be His chosen children, holy and beloved (Col. 3:12). Think long about what you deserve, and think now of what by God’s kindness you have. That is the motivator to compel your kindness toward others. It won’t happen merely by fulfilling a command. You can’t be kind enough to please God. He is pleased when we rest on His kindness to us in Christ. That abiding in Him begins the work of making us kind like He is kind.

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  • Consider who you can show kindness to right now. I love the story of King David remembering his covenant with Jonathan, son of King Saul. David asks, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” (2 Sam 9:1;3). He tracked down Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth and gave him a portion of the king’s own wealth. The story in 2 Samuel 9 ends with “So Mephibosheth… ate always at the king’s table.” I think of how earth-shattering the kindness of David was to Mephibosheth. He expected death but received the “kindness of God.” Who do you know that right now could be surprised by kindness? To whom can you show the kindness of God?

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  • Measure kindness not by random acts but by abiding acts. The series theme for these articles is “abide” and comes from John 15. When Jesus called on us to abide in Him and bear much fruit, He intended for us to abide in kindness toward one another. Our culture celebrates random acts of kindness: leaving 5 bucks in an envelope on a park bench, giving an unusually large tip, or mowing a neighbor’s yard by surprise. For the Christian such acts should not be random (“Where did that come from: that’s uncharacteristic of him/her!”) but abiding (“Wow! How can he/she be like that so often?”). Hopefully an abiding presence of kindness can turn our society around by pointing people beyond ourselves and to the Lord.

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  • Exercise kindness in all of its manifestations. One “kindness” passage really surprises me. It doesn’t seem like the others. Especially when “kindness” gets muddled in my brain with just being “nice.”  David says in Psalm 141:5 “Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.” Kindness shows up when we give, when we serve, when we forgive, but also when we enter a person’s messy life and speak a hard truth lovingly for that person’s healing and spiritual good. May the Lord give us all grace to grow in this area: expressing the kindness of open rebuke and receiving it humbly as a gift of the Lord.

I conclude today with Micah 6:8 –

He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (ESV)

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control