Josh Benner

Blog

  • Fruit of the Spirit – something we can’t produce

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    BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS,23 GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL; AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW.

    -GALATIANS 5:22-23

    In the Book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit.

    It’s a section that fascinates me. Because the fruit is produced by the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.

    There are certain areas in our lives we can control.

    Think about it.

    Honesty. You can force yourself to be honest. I’ll just choose to not lie. You can decide

    that for yourself. Honesty isn’t a fruit of the Spirit.

    Generosity isn’t a fruit of the spirit. You can choose to give more or to serve more to others.

    Those are things you can control.

    But the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

    These are things we don’t control in ourselves.

    They’re…the fruit of the Spirit. Not the fruit of our effort.

    Nine graces that God produces in believers.

    Love is a fruit of the Spirit.

    So what this passage is saying is that if you’re wain gin the Spirit, it will manifest itself in love.

    Now there are commands to love given in many places throughout the Bible. We should love people. We should demonstrate love towards others by actions.

    And that we can control.

    But it’s not just external actions, but in the depths of our soul, are we doing things out of love out of obligation or because we actually love people?

    Some people say that love is a choice, that it’s not about a feeling…

    That would be wrong. That’s JV love.

    Of course love is a feeling too. We are supposed to actually love people, to have affection in our hearts for people. To actually have a desire for what’s best for them and their own salvation and joy and grace.

    And there are people in our lives who are hard to love.

    And so to love those people is not something we have in ourselves. It must come from God.

    Another example: joy. You can’t create joy in your own heart. You can’t make yourself joyful.

    You can’t say “I didn’t have enough joy yesterday, but today, I’m going to make myself joyful.”

    You can’t do it.

    No matter how glad half full you try to look at things, no matter how much you try to force yourself to ignore the little inconveniences, you cannot make your own joy.

    You can pretend. You can bury emotions. You can try whatever the self-help gurus are saying to do. Just like love you can outwardly convey joy. But what about internally?

    True joy is something that you can’t produce. Joy comes from the Spirit.

    Joy is a supernatural delight in God brought about  by the Spirit. It’s because joy is supernatural that joy can exist even in difficult circumstances. We have joy from seeing the glory and goodness of Christ.

    The Spirit illuminates us to the good things of God. Jesus talks of this in John 16:14: “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

    Let’s look at another piece of fruit.

    Peace.

    Peace is not merely the absence of war. But peace is safety, harmony, wholeness and unity.

    The peace that Jesus brings is a restoration of a relationship that had been lost due to sin.

    You cannot give yourself internal peace. You cannot make yourself feel peace with God.

    It’s a fruit of the Spirit.

    Romans 14:17 says: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

    The fruit of the Spirit is supernatural.

    It’s fruit.

    You don’t cause fruit to grow.

    Quoting Tim Keller: “A gardener doesn’t make the things grow. The gardener just creates the conditions through which the power of the seed is released.”

    Another idea Keller brings up. What doe she contact the fruit of the Spirit with?

    It’s not the weeds of the flesh. It’s the works of the flesh. We commit our own sins. We choose to sin. We are responsible for our own sins.

    And again, there’s both an internal and an external aspect to the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. So with something like kindness or patience, yes you can behave at work and act nice to someone.

    But are you thinking nasty things about them while you’re doing it?

    Then you’re not really kind are you? True kindness is because you desire to be kind not because you feel you have to be. And you can’t make yourself kind.

    We should know the fruit of the Spirit.

    We should desire to grow in all of these areas.

    And yes, there are times where our outward actions might outpace our inward desires.

    We should be loving, or kind, or good to people, because we know it’s what God desires. But as we walk in step with the Spirit, as we walk with the Lord, more and more, we will do these things because it’s what we also want.

    It’s the new life God produces in believers.

    Originally published January 8, 2019

    Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you think, and don’t forget to subscribe! 

     

  • When we want the savior but not the Lord: the great disciple mistake

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    Our society likes to emphasize God’s love and forget that he is also just and that he has wrath towards sin. We like the easy message. We like the easy gospel of “yeah you’re not perfect but neither is anyone else and God is a God of love and he forgives you.” 

    We make faith about a vague ascent with Christ, a loose agreement, hearing “you can be forgiven,” and then saying “sure, I’ll have that,” like it’s someone asking if you want to share an order of mozzarella sticks at a restaurant. 

    But the danger of an easy gospel is losing sight of Jesus and his call to discipleship, his call to live life in the light of what he has done.  (more…)

  • Sermon: That all may honor the Son – John 5:19-24

    Audio only:

    Transcript:

    19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 

    22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 

    Prayer
    Our heavenly Father,

    We praise you that you invite us into a relationship and that you have made yourself known. The heavens declare your glory, and you have revealed yourself through your son.

    Lord, may we be growing in this time as your followers and disciples.

    Lord, as we discuss matters today relating to your divine nature and the relationship with your Son who came into our world, I pray that you guard the words I say as being faithful to your scripture and honoring to you, O Lord.

    Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart 

    be acceptable in your sight, 

    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 

    Lord, on Mother’s Day, I want to pray for the mother’s in the church.

    We pray for the young mothers who still have children at home and I pray for you to lead and guide them in the monumental task that they have of raising children. (more…)

  • Couldn’t God just forgive us? Why was the cross necessary?

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    A person might look at the crucifixion, look at what the Lord did on the cross, and wonder “Why was that the only way? Why was that necessary? Couldn’t God simply forgive us?”
    No.
    This is an idea I’ve heard from Tim Keller before, and it’s an important idea on having a theology of forgiveness.

    (more…)

  • Coronavirus concerns cause sweeping cancellations

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    Things are getting real. Tonight, President Trump announced the suspension of incoming flights from Europe and the NBA suspended the season. Earlier today, the NCAA announced that the tournament is going to be played without spectators (although at this point, I would not be shocked if they end up cancelling it). Tom Hanks has it. More and more colleges are extending spring breaks or switching to online formats for courses. 

    This is all going to get worse. Few weeks ago, everything was golden in Italy. Now the country is shut down. I’m not saying that exact thing is going to happen in America. But more and more people are going to get sick, are going to die, and life will be increasingly disrupted.  (more…)