Like Jesus - Living in the Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit of the Spirit - 9 character qualities

• fruit = καρπός

Love is the overarching quality

Patience

patience / μακροθυμία = endurance, steadfastness, perseverance, forbearance, long-suffering

• James 1:2-4

Patience leads to maturity:

• allows us to wait for God
• trusting in God’s timing
• trusting in God’s provision
• trusting in God’s plan
• Isaiah 55:8
• “If the Lord makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for.” - Charles Spurgeon

• allow us to endure through trials
• Hebrews 10:32 + 36-37
• Genesis 37-50 - story of Joseph
• Genesis 50:20

• allows us to forgive each other
• forbearance = the practice of patiently enduring others' faults, forgiving offenses and extending kindness instead of judgment
• Colossians 3:13
• “Forgiveness, then, is a form of voluntary suffering. In forgiving, rather than retaliating, you make a choice to bear the cost.” - Timothy J. Keller, Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I?

How does this work? - Hebrews 12:1-2

As we fix our eyes on Jesus we:

• focus on who He is
• Hebrews 10:23

• focus on what He said
• Psalm 130:1-6

• focus on what He has done
• not just the big things
• Hebrews - Jesus is our High Priest
• Psalm 86:15

Being Like Jesus means living in patience