HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT...

Thanksgiving for the LORD's Favor

Psalms 138 (A Psalm of David)
1/ I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2/ I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3/ In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
4/ All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5/ Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
6/ Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
7/ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8/ The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:
thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands... AMEN!!!

One CANNOT earn GRACE, it is HIS own ESSENCE; a gift, still, IF one claims to be IN HIS GRACE, we ARE to, or, OUGHT to, be reflections of that GRACE! 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1, tells us not to take HIS GRACE in vain! This means, living in LOVE, morality, ethics, virtue, righteousness, and, spiritual improvement, TOWARDS, spiritual maturity, WHILE, visibly BEING as LIGHTS, beaming OF *GOD*, beckoning the world, TO THE LIGHT! Righteousness MEANS, conduct in conformity with *GOD'S* WILL, and, "Be HOLY because I AM HOLY!", therefore, indicating that knowledge, wisdom, and, effort, DO, apply TO the righteous!!! NEVER forget, we were grafted in, and, if we do not bear fruit, as a dead branch, we will be pruned out, just as were, the natural branches!!!

We are not saved by works, instead, works PROVE HIM in us: they identify HIS own...

IF I claim ONENESS with *GOD*, through CHRIST JESUS, I am DEAD TO THE WORLD, THUS, LIVING as HIM, which is, hopefully, witnessed IN, and, THROUGH, my every thought, action, and, reaction; MEANING, I am, THROUGH CONSCIOUS application OF THE WORD, HIS COMMANDS, HIS WILL, REFLECTING righteousness, not, merely, FAITH! I become, the TRULY FRUITFUL branch, of THE VINE, the TRUE member of THE BODY/THE CHURCH, CHRIST JESUS, and, TESTIFY, then, GLORIFY, BOLDLY, BY my thoughts, actions, and, reactions, HIS name, because, HE IS WORTHY, and, IN HIS LOVE, has SHOWN me, how I OUGHT to exist, to which, I eagerly, adapt, and, comply!!!

MATTHEW 5:48...
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect

1 PETER 1:14-16...
14/ Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15/ but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16/ for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."

ROMANS 12:2...
Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Conduct, in conformity to *GOD'S* WILL, marks the righteous; it is NOT because of guilt, or, ancient Laws, but, because of LOVE; LOVE for *GOD*, self, then, others! CHRIST JESUS gave us Commandments to live by, of which, the first is to LOVE *GOD*, with all of your mind, heart, and, soul; the second is, to LOVE one another!

LOVE COMPELS us to LIVE IN HIM, through conduct which conforms to *GOD*; in other words, morality, ethics, doing good, and, being good, and, ever striving to improve the spirit! It is about REFLECTING THE TRUTH, for ALL to bear witness to, FOR, and, TO HIS GLORY, RADIANTLY SHINING OF HIS POWER, GRACE, and, MERCIES!!!

It IS ALL ABOUT LOVE, baby, all about LOVE!!!

MATTHEW 4: 17...From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

JOHN 14:15..."If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

NOTE: I do not intend to preach, rather to reach; to stir up, awaken, to inspire, and, bring forth, in discussion, that which is, perhaps, dormantly existing in the heart of hearts, thus, little, or, no, sugar coatings, just THE WORD of *GOD*, the TRUTH, along with some of my thoughts. And truth is, I am reminding myself always, as I practice these reminders, in the best of my abilities, and capacities, while RELYING on THE LORD to lead me on that narrow PATH---> MATTHEW 7: 14: "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it... TO *GOD* BE ALL GLORY...

THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT...

GALATIANS 5: 22-23...

22/ In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,

23/ gentleness, self-control.

1 CORINTHIANS 13: 4-8...

4/ Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated,

5/ it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,

6/ it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

7/ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8/ Love never fails.

THE 7 HEAVENLY VIRTUES ARE:
CHASTITY, TEMPERANCE, CHARITY, DILIGENCE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, OR, IN PLACE OF PATIENCE, FORGIVENESS...

In addition to the list of virtues provided elsewhere in the Bible, there are many recurring virtues that receive attention throughout the Bible and its various anecdotes. These virtues are love, honesty, integrity, self-control, justice, mercy, faithfulness, courage, purity, generosity, joy, perseverance, compassion, responsibility, passion and gratitude. Most of these virtues are not explicitly stated, but biblical scholars derive these values from reading the text and studying the teachings and experiences of characters in the Bible...

Now, let's take a look at all which OPPOSES the spirit:

GALATIANS 5: 19-21...

19/ Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,

20/ idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions,

21/ occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

THE 7 DEADLY SINS ARE:
LUST, GLUTTONY, GREED, SLOTH, WRATH, ENVY, PRIDE...

So, WHERE is the permission to remain in behaviours unworthy of *GOD*? And, WHERE is there room for flexibility IN HIS WORD? And, HOW can we expect to BE CHRIST-like, IF we do not learn, understand, and, act in accordance TO HIS WILL? EFFORT to conform in conduct TO HIS WILL, IS imperative! HOW could we be reflections of HIM, IF no effort was involved? We would never know, understand, or, embrace HIS COMMANDS, in order to perfect the spirit, and, bear fruit worthy OF HIS GIFT!!!

1 CORINTHIANS 13: 13...

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

LOVE IS THE LAW; THE COMMAND, which *GOD*/CHRIST has decreed! 'THE GREATEST OF THESE THREE IS LOVE', BECAUSE LOVE, IS WHAT INSPIRES US TO WALK IN *GOD'S* WILL, and, ADHERE TO HIS WAYS, WHILE, KEEPING US IN the CORRECT frame of mind, and, SELF-CONTROL, TOWARDS IMPROVING the spirit, TO HONOUR HIM, FOR, and, TO HIS GLORY!!!

BIBLICAL, and/or, other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS

3 comments:

Lynda said...: We ARE allowed margin for err, yet, this sort of margin is not for habitual err; it is for the slip-up, the unconscious err, and, the err of ignorance, for which, we repent, and, turn to *GOD*/CHRIST for aid in correcting, and, improvement!!!; August 21, 2012 at 11:05 AM
Lynda said...: There are ENDLESS Christians, who are active in Church, even very visible, who are acting away from *GOD*/CHRIST! Such as those Married people who are using online Christian dating sites, and, meeting strangers to fulfill their uncontrolled desires, then, there are those who are becoming enmeshed, and, lost in the world of porn, and then, those who are using alcohol, and, drugs like there is no tomorrow, and, so forth! I KNOW some of these people, and so, I will NOT relent in sharing THE TRUTH! The egocentric mind, MUST be trained in righteousness, otherwise, HOW could we KNOW HOW to control it???*GOD* BLESS, and, BE with us all, and may we DILIGENTLY take on the TRUE self, FOR, and, TO HIS GLORY!!!; August 21, 2012 at 11:15 AM
Lynda said...: I live in the HOPE of HIS PROMISE that IF we TURN, or, RETURN TO HIM, with our WHOLE beings, HE will return to us, not only for myself, but, for everyone, because like HIM, I also, do not want anyone to perish! This TURNING, or RETURNING TO HIM, cannot be complete without understanding, and, there can be no understanding without knowledge, and, knowledge does NOT just fall out of the Heavens, it involves diligent effort....; August 21, 2012 at 11:37 AM