I No Longer Live

Last night, we had another great bible study session focusing on the fruit of the Spirit. I am calling this class, "Juicy Fruit" because it's a gum we need to chew on and swallow everyday. Yes, it's not a typical American habit to chew on a gum then swallow it. But this is God's gum, a different kind of gum that requires "swallowing". Sadly, many Christians chew on God's fruit of the Spirit and spit it out thinking it doesn't apply to them. You may say, "Well, I have love, of course! But I am often a person with no control (lack of self-control). I may be a bit gentle (gentleness) but I am not always kind (kindness)." Can we say that? Or perhaps, they are thinking of God's 9 fruit of the Spirit in a worldly view: we try and be a good person (self-effort).

During class, last night, we talked about how deaf Christians behave toward one another. They behave just like what the "deaf world" behaves: blunt, arrogant, self-centered, rash, rude, prideful, gossip, backstabbing, and favoritism.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.." Romans 12:2

Christians are to be the "opposite" of the world (both deaf and hearing). God desires those in the "world" to see His children by their fruit. "By their fruit you will recognize them." Matthew 7:16

We are to be "SALTY PEOPLE". "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Matthew 5:13 (niv)

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." Mark 9:50 (niv)

For thousands of years, prophets, Jesus, Peter, Paul, James, John, preachers, teachers have taught countless lessons on fruitfulness to those who "believe" in Jesus. And since then, many people have spit out the "Juicy Fruit" gum from their lives which eventually loses the strength of saltiness. And the world doesn't recognize Jesus in them.

Many of us have "used" to live the world's ways, "..in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world.." Ephesians 2:2 (niv) but now no longer live yourselves but Jesus in you. Remember, the world is watching you. They will know you by your fruit, "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" Matthew 7:16 (niv) I remember a time when I played kickball with a group of friends. Many times, a ball would be kicked into thornbushes near my home. I ran to the bushes and noticed long, sharp thorns primed and ready for a poking. My eyes are on the kickball. I would have to, carefully, weave my way into the thornbushes in order to retrieve the ball. Did the thorns poke me? Sure! It did and I hated it. Ouch here. Ouch there. If the ball goes into the thornbushes again, I would use a stick to get the ball. And other times, I couldn't find any object to use to retrieve the ball so we simply gave up and found other things to play with.

This is the same when it comes to a relationship with others. Thornbushes gets along with other thornbushes. But there should be no "thorns coming out of a Christian". We're the opposite from them. We try to weave our way into their lives and help them see God and change. Often times, they go poking around hurting us with their unfruitfulness. Then we keep ourselves in a distance hoping and praying through our Christ-like example, we'll change them because we love them. But they look extremely sharp (difficult, arrogant, bitter) from a distance that we begin to move on and find other people who desires to allow the fruit of the Spirit to grow in them.

In order for a person to grow with the fruit of the Spirit, the person need to die themselves:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 (niv)

You're not part of the "deaf world", your life is God's! So stop being like those in the world: their ways, their attitudes, their talk, and their walk! Do the God way: walk like Jesus, love like Jesus, talk like Jesus, listen like Jesus, be compassionate, be a person of prayer, a heart like Jesus, and attitude like Jesus. When you do the God way, you're proclaiming to the world that, "I No Longer Live... (but Christ lives in me!)!