Growing The Kingdom Culture
What are some of the qualities of our Governor—the Holy Spirit?
Ambassador Paul desired to instill the nature of the Heavenly Kingdom in the lives of the first century citizens of the Kingdom. They were learning what it meant to be aligned with the King. In his letter to the Kingdom citizens of Galatia, he laid out some characteristics of our King that should be manifest in us. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-25 Any true manifestation of the Kingdom of the Lord God on this earth will definitely have those characteristics.
Ambassador Paul referred to those qualities as “the fruit of the Spirit”. Wherever our Governor—Holy Spirit—resides, those qualities should be operating indicating the culture of our King and His Kingdom is present. Ambassador Paul used the analogy of fruit because he knew that it doesn’t appear overnight. It must grow in fertile soil. Remember, we live in a fallen world. Fruit develops over time. He wanted us to know we would have to cultivate the culture of the King in our lives by the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Keep in mind, the Governor teaches us the nature of the original government in Heaven. After that, He shows us that because He lives within us, we have the original nature of our Lord and King and need to manifest it in our lives.
When you receive the Holy Spirit—our Governor—you also receive the seed of the Kingdom nature. Note that I said “seed”. You must develop this seed by putting into your daily life elements of the Kingdom—the Lord God’s Word and a fertile prayer life.
Here is an example of what I mean: An orange tree does not need to work to produce its fruit. The seeds of the fruit are within it and eventually, through a process of maturity, it is enabled by elements such as the nutrients in the earth and sunlight to grow nourishing fruit. What is on the inside of the orange becomes manifested on the branches. The seed brings forth the tree, branches and blossoms which grows the fruit. Without the proper nourishment and water the seed would die in the ground, never bringing forth the fruit!
It is the spiritual nutrients that enable our fruit to grow in our lives, maintaining a continued connection with our King. As I have mentioned in previous articles, it is by studying the Constitution of the Kingdom, which the world calls the Bible, which nourishes us. It is our life source in the Kingdom! Without it, our fruit will never grow and manifest in our lives and benefit those in our lives.
Also, you must yield to the leading and guidance of our Governor if you are to change. Remember, just as oranges are the natural product of an orange tree, so the fruit of the Spirit become a natural development in the life of citizens of the Lord God’s Kingdom because we are reflecting the nature of our King. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. Galatians 5:4-5
Your fruit isn’t only for your benefit, but for the benefit of those around you. It is the only way to truly represent the Kingdom to the world!
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.
Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:16-21
Remember, your greatest asset is the faith you have in King Jesus.
All NLT unless noted.
~~W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
Ambassador Paul desired to instill the nature of the Heavenly Kingdom in the lives of the first century citizens of the Kingdom. They were learning what it meant to be aligned with the King. In his letter to the Kingdom citizens of Galatia, he laid out some characteristics of our King that should be manifest in us. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-25 Any true manifestation of the Kingdom of the Lord God on this earth will definitely have those characteristics.
Ambassador Paul referred to those qualities as “the fruit of the Spirit”. Wherever our Governor—Holy Spirit—resides, those qualities should be operating indicating the culture of our King and His Kingdom is present. Ambassador Paul used the analogy of fruit because he knew that it doesn’t appear overnight. It must grow in fertile soil. Remember, we live in a fallen world. Fruit develops over time. He wanted us to know we would have to cultivate the culture of the King in our lives by the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Keep in mind, the Governor teaches us the nature of the original government in Heaven. After that, He shows us that because He lives within us, we have the original nature of our Lord and King and need to manifest it in our lives.
When you receive the Holy Spirit—our Governor—you also receive the seed of the Kingdom nature. Note that I said “seed”. You must develop this seed by putting into your daily life elements of the Kingdom—the Lord God’s Word and a fertile prayer life.
Here is an example of what I mean: An orange tree does not need to work to produce its fruit. The seeds of the fruit are within it and eventually, through a process of maturity, it is enabled by elements such as the nutrients in the earth and sunlight to grow nourishing fruit. What is on the inside of the orange becomes manifested on the branches. The seed brings forth the tree, branches and blossoms which grows the fruit. Without the proper nourishment and water the seed would die in the ground, never bringing forth the fruit!
It is the spiritual nutrients that enable our fruit to grow in our lives, maintaining a continued connection with our King. As I have mentioned in previous articles, it is by studying the Constitution of the Kingdom, which the world calls the Bible, which nourishes us. It is our life source in the Kingdom! Without it, our fruit will never grow and manifest in our lives and benefit those in our lives.
Also, you must yield to the leading and guidance of our Governor if you are to change. Remember, just as oranges are the natural product of an orange tree, so the fruit of the Spirit become a natural development in the life of citizens of the Lord God’s Kingdom because we are reflecting the nature of our King. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. Galatians 5:4-5
Your fruit isn’t only for your benefit, but for the benefit of those around you. It is the only way to truly represent the Kingdom to the world!
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.
Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:16-21
Remember, your greatest asset is the faith you have in King Jesus.
All NLT unless noted.
~~W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
