Christian Living

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Six part series on focusing on the fruit of the spirit!
By Sandra Cowan

The fruit of the spirit – Longsuffering, meekness & Temperance
Impacting our environment through supernatural character!

In the series titled ‘Walking, Talking, Living Fruit’ Sandra Cowan observes and writes wholeheartedly about the 9 components of the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, by which Christ demonstrated that we shall be marked and recognised as the people of God, and Jesus Christ himself will be represented and be a living witness through his people to the whole world

Introduction

Many non-Christians often view Christians as soft, weak, simpleminded people, incapable of standing on their own two feet without the crutch of an ‘unseen’ God to help them. The ridicule Christians have faced from the outset of Anno Domino is well documented in the cannons of history. Perhaps more than any other group Christians are tested by unbelievers to see if they ‘practice what they preach’! They have been slapped in the face to see if they will turn the other cheek, they have been scrutinized in their financial giving to see if they are helping the needy enough, they have been accused of bigotry if they proclaim to love the sinner but hate the sin. They have been encouraged to do well yet are attacked for being overindulgent. So to the average agnostic, the Christian is a spineless bigot and probably much worse.

But for Christians, who believe in a Sovereign God, the question is not about being soft, defenceless and fickle or any of the misleading descriptive terms that have become an occupational hazard as far as Christians are concerned. But it is about their trust in all things, and everything being grounded and rooted in Gods will for their lives. To true believers, God alone is the way the truth and the life. They know it s better to fear God than it is to fear man, as it is God who see’s everything, both the beginning and end. If God says ‘bless those who despitefully use you and curse you’ then Christians bless, even if the Christian is in some disagreement with another, for by blessing you are putting your trust in God to work out the situation, give you divine revelation, to do the impossible, to open the door, where it was otherwise shut, and sometimes that door is the heart of another human being. If any of the fruit typifies more than any other what it means to walk in supernatural character, then longsuffering and meekness and temperance are the extraordinary set that exemplify this greatly.

Longsuffering

It would be fair to say that there wouldn’t be many people who actually profess to enjoy suffering and going through times of extreme difficulty. Who enjoys living in painful circumstances? Pain and discomfort are as much emotional as they are physical states and symptoms are manifested in the body for both kinds. But human nature is such that with adversity there comes an ability to overcome. Whether faced with obstinate challenges at best or life threatening persecution at worse, it is mans innate ability to overcome that has written and rewritten the history books time and again. History is literally packed with countless stories of heroic stories of triumph and prevailing against all odds. In 18th century Jamaica an African slave woman called Nanny of the Maroons led the famous Maroon slave revolt that resulted in a vast group of enslaved Jamaicans receiving their freedom decades before the emancipation proclamation was official. To the average person, this among others, are great examples that make us feel as humans we can achieve anything if we put our minds to it, and to a degree we can. But what also is true and certain is that without God those successes are limited and without God, in the end, from an eternal perspective are pretty much hopeless.

You see as Christians, by explicit instruction we are told to endure hardship, endure persecution and to be at peace in spite of the affliction. We are told that the ‘battles’ we face are not ours but they belong to the Lord. We are taught to hold our peace and let the lord fight our ‘battles’. It is only then we can truly say that victory is ours. That does not mean we should not do something physically and take some kind of action in various circumstances, but that action should line up with what God says we should do. If after we have done all that we can and a negative situation remains the same, it is completely possible that God requires us to suffer long, hence longsuffering, for His name sake. But take heart, It will not be in vain, and it will not be unjust, for with God there is a purpose behind everything.

But why would God ask this of His people? Why would He require us to suffer so much embarrassment, ridicule and sometimes even shame? Well God it appears does not and will not share His glory with any other. You see God deserves all the glory because, even as free moral agents, though we are free to make our own choices, those choices must be made in Christ, if we are to experience His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

And there is an even more profound and reason as to why we are to cultivate the fruit of longsuffing – the bible tells us in 1 Peter 2:21 that:

“For hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps”

Jesus, the Son of God, in obedience to the father laid down His life for all mankind, that we may have the opportunity to receive salvation and everlasting life.
Christ suffered for you and me. He was mocked and scorned, He was tempted beyond imagination (yet he did not sin for he was perfect!)He was betrayed and offered up for public execution, he was unfairly tried in the courts of (mis)justice, he was whipped and flogged, battered and beaten, He had vinegar rubbed into His wounds and upon his head was placed a piercing crown of thorns. Blood rushed from His body without respect. And in the ultimate act of rebellion by the people, Jesus Christ was crucified by those who hated him. He had become a stumbling block to those who refused to accept his deity. He was to them as the bible put it ‘their rock of offence’. Yet today, for anyone who has ever been forgiven and is truly grateful for His or Her salvation, Jesus is the ultimate example of longsuffering; He did no wrong, yet He suffered for righteousness sake.

Enduring Hardship

We too are called to endure trial and tribulation. That does not mean a woman should stay in an abusive relationship if her life is at risk, - that would be foolish. Or, are we to stay in any situation that can be resolved by making some new choices either. But what is somebody to do who has been falsely accused and is unaware of the accusation yet cannot seem to progress in life because of, shall we say a conspiracy or what the bible calls the spirit of Anti Christ? What is a Christian to do who faces years and years of discouragement from unbelieving family or friends, who have ridiculed the faith, and persecuted every step taken? Worn down day after day year after year, with no respite? We are taught to turn the other cheek, to rejoice and give thanks in all things and to count it as joy. Easier said than done? Perhaps. But God desires us to live this way, so that our witness may be strong among the unbelievers. We cannot do it in out our strength and in the Christian journey, for certain, their will be many ups and downs but we are taught that Gods grace is sufficient, for when we are weak then we are strong. 1 Peter 5:10 tells us:

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you”

You see to everything there is a season, and sometimes it seems as though the longsuffering is too long, without end even. But this verse tells us that after you have been through, and for some the suffering may not be as acute as it is for others, God will perfect you, and establish and settle you. So there may be a rocky period in life where everything is unsettled, including the mind, after all for many Christians they are still in bondage to whatever held them before they were born again. Some are still alcoholics; some are still addicted to whatever lifestyle they had before, for many it is a struggle. Not everybody experiences instant deliverance, which is why when outreach missions pray with the homeless, many of whom do sincerely give there lives to Jesus, they still stay on the bottle or abusive substance thereafter. The strongholds sometimes take years of praying for and wslking in individual discipleship to be destroyed. But that doesn’t make them any less of a person, the bible tells us that the strong believers are to support the weak, (acts 20:35) even the weak ones dressed in a suit an tie! Again Romans 14:1 tells us we are not to judge our brothers in Christ but;

“Him that is weak in the faith, receive ye…”

V4 continues;

“Who art thou that judges another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand”

This is why we ought to pray for our fellow brothers and sisters. Many Christians Achilles heel is their place of longsuffering. In their dilemma perhaps we ought to share in there long suffering until they are delivered. Our fruit of the spirit should be an inspiration to both the saved and unsaved. Who knows when any one of us may need the help of another? For sure, we must make the choice to stay strong and to trust and obey Christ and to walk in our authority as a believer but, the reality is who knows what will affect us tomorrow? God forbid may God keep every one of His children until his glorious return. We thank God for Jesus, who came to set the captives free.

So in our suffering God is saying to you whether you are a mature Christian or one who still desires the sincere milk of the word, God is right there with you, He is not a respecter of persons. He is looking for one whose heart is not hardened to His Lordship. He wants to be with you when you go through what the bible calls fiery trials (this obviously denotes that your trials probably won’t be a walk in the park!) Just as He was with those three Hebrew boys Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, he desires to be the fourth person in the fiery furnace with you so that when the enemy looks on He is astonished that you can endure such intense, ferocious and impossible heat.
The book of Isaiah tells us that God himself chooses our affliction. Verse 10 states:

“Behold I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction, for my own sake…will I do it: for how should my name be polluted and I will not give my glory unto another”

Your trial is set to make you stronger, to refine your faith and strengthen your relationship with your heavenly father. Often times we seek solace in things that are not pleasing to God, But God will not allow His own children to compromise the work that He started in them, and allow any other life and style to tarnish His reputation, to that end he will take us through the mill. It may be painful, but to bring us out as pure Gold on the other side.


Meekness & Temperance

The dictionary definitions given for meekness are to be gentle, quiet, and not willing to argue or state your opinion in a forceful way. Temperance is to control ones own behaviour, such as not drinking or eating to much. There is much to be said of these two fruit. If we sincerely desire to be Christ like, we are to seek the attributes of His character which include these two. Now we know that Christ got angry, He did after all turn over the tables of the merchants who were selling goods in His father’s house. He became angry (the bible says he upbraided – which means to rail at) with certain unrepentant cities in Matthew 11:20 -24. Yet we know he sinned not. He was known to be meek and mild. How does one capable of being angry become personified as humble, modest and gentle? Clearly Jesus understood the Word better than any of us ever could. The bible tells us to be angry and sin not (Ephesians 4:26). Jesus would have understood this. His anger would have been what is described as righteousness indignation. He was about His fathers business, and he judged no man but rather spoke the truth. He did not condemn but rather walked in the authority of Heaven and put things in order. Jesus knew what it meant to have dominion authority. Yet he was totally self-effacing. He exercised total restraint and self control.

The Separated Standard

Jesus has set the standard, and we are called to follow His example. We cannot do so in our own strength. The entire fruit of the spirit can only ever be successfully manifested in our lives by trusting in the Lord, In the name of Jesus and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Jesus will empower us to walk supernaturally. And make no mistake this walk is not natural, so it is no use comparing oneself to non Christians, or agreeing with Christians for apart from worldly facts which everybody can agree on, the Christian must separate their conversation from the non Christian for we seek after Jesus who is the ONLY way and truth and life. No man can come to the Father but by Him. The Christian life whether we like it or not is a life of spiritual warfare, for we wrestle not again flesh and blood, but principalities and powers (Eph 6:12). It is imperative that we do all we can do walk in the life transforming fruit of the spirit. God will not give up on us if we don’t but our lives as Christians will be less effective and we will walk in perpetual state of nominal Christianity, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof! The power we seek is born of the spirit of God; the fruit of the spirit is our goal. We are all called to be effective ministers of the Most High God Jehovah. We are His children, His servants, His, Sheep, His friends. He knows our frailty yet he does not condemn. He has the whole world in His hands, and He will be your helper and deliverer so that you may run the course, so that when the Good Shepherd himself appears, (and we know that God is coming back for His people, the bible says the dead in Christ shall rise first 1Thess 4:16) we shall receive a crown that will never fade away.

This is not a fairy tale. It is counted as gain to them whom having not seen God, love him and desire to live by His commandments. To them who enquire after Him and who seek His wisdom and understanding, and anointing (outpouring) of the Holy Spirit may their lives be rich in this world. Indeed, in this world but not of this world, that their Fruit may mature and be a sweet savour taste to God in Heaven and to the whole wide world.

References

The Holy Bible – King James Version

The Oxford Dictionary

Floyd, Barry, ‘JA: An Island Microcosm’ Macmillan, ISBN, 0333 32640 7


Written by Sandra Cowan. Copyright 2006. Not to be reproduced without the authors consent.

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