Fried Green Tomatoes -- Love and Joy

Fried Green Tomatoes is another favorite movie of mine.

Slice tomatoes about ¼ inch thick, season with salt and pepper and then coat both sides with cornmeal. In a large skillet, heat enough bacon drippings to coat the bottom of a pan and fry tomatoes until lightly browned on both sides.  You’ll think you died and gone to heaven!  Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café pg 403

In the recent Facebook post, we made a comparison between the fruit of the Spirit and tomatoes. If you didn’t read that one, you might think it a far stretch, but in truth, it really isn’t. Check out last Saturday's Facebook post for clarification.

In the fruit of the Spirit, tomatoes 1 and 2 would be love and joy. I have to say these are some of my favorite words. As a matter of fact, in my Bible any time I see the word love or heart I draw a heart on top of the word, and when I read the word joy I write joy in my margin. So how about we slice up these 2 tomatoes and see what we can learn?

TOMATO 1 - LOVE

Agape’ love first makes its appearance in the Bible in Song of Solomon. I love this book. It is the best love story you will ever read. It’s a love story between a man and a woman, and it is a picture of how Christ loves the church. So agape’ should be present in Song of Solomon.

“Agape’ love is not emotional love but love that springs from character. God loves us with His character even in the face of our sin.” John 15:12-13, Romans 5:8, 1 John 3:16-17 (Versebyversecommentary.com). When you think of agape, think about this verse, John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

How did Jesus prove His love for you? He died for you on a rugged cross in a humiliating criminal death. That is how far and how wide and how deep our love should be for one another. And 1 John 4:8 says clearly He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Are you loving the people God puts in your life? Are you loving people with the love Christ has shown you?

And just for the record, the fruit of the Spirit isn’t like the gifts of the Spirit where the Spirit assigns certain gifts to people. The fruit of the Spirit is something all Spirit-filled Christians have. The Spirit gives all of them to believers, so if you aren’t loving like Christ, then you probably aren’t living in the Spirit or you aren’t saved. Spirit-filled Christians can love others regardless of issues, regardless of life choices, regardless of different beliefs. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things – 1 Corinthians 13:7. If you have a hang up about loving someone, better take it to the cross and nail it up because there’s not room for it in the fruit. That kind of thing will be pruned.

Loving people in this sinful, fallen world is hard, and it’s easy to get hurt. That is why it’s important to walk in the Spirit.

TOMATO 2 - JOY!

JOY! Did you know joy has a sound? It’s the only fruit I found to have sound. Shout for joy! Isaiah 49:13, Psalms 5:11. Woohoo! When I think of joy, this is what I want to experience, but this joy is not based on external things. Nooooo.

As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us to count it all joy when you fall into various trials – James 1:2-6. Who wants to endure trials? Nobody. And yet as Christians we are to endure trials with joy. WHY ON EARTH SHOULD WE HAVE JOY IN TRIALS?

Joy is a character quality produced by the Holy Spirit that has a sense of wellbeing knowing that all is well in God’s sovereign purpose in our lives. Versebyversecommentary.com

We can know whatever trial we are going through God is going to handle it. He’s gone ahead of us. He hems us in from the front and back, and whatever trial comes our way has passed through His hands. Nothing can happen to us as His children unless He allows.

Scripture tells us trials will test our faith (another fruit of the Spirit) and will produce patience. Patience enduring a season of testing is called longsuffering.

Let’s look at it another way. If you have hatred in your heart for anyone, you really can’t have joy. The sin of hate, the energy it take to despise someone does not produce joy. You can’t experience the fruit of the Spirit if you are working in the flesh.

Remember the fruit of the Spirit comes from one Vine, and what is dead or non-producing will be pruned or cut off and burned. You either have the fruit, or you are walking in the flesh. Might I recommend slicing up and partaking of the fruit of the Spirit, it’s much sweeter.

An Extraordinary Walk

My daughter did not walk until she was about 14 months old. People kept telling me to stop carrying her everywhere. Truth was, I didn’t. I could put her on a blanket in a room, and she was perfectly content to stay there. At the nursery one day, I watched her through the window because she was my little peek into heaven, and I saw her point to a toy and grunt, and another baby went and brought it to her. Kid you not! The babies in her room would bring her toys!

She did eventually decided to learn to walk. I wish I could describe her walk to you but it defies description. When she was little, her right arm would swing widely back and forth as her chubby little legs toddled to the next location. As she grew, her walk was still very distinctive and her running!? Oh my word. The way she ran cracked me up. My sister says it looks like she is always running up hill even when she isn’t.

My daughter is very vertically challenged. She’s fun size. She’s short, but we can still spot her in a moving crowd because how distinctive her walk is.

Do you know anyone like this?

There is nothing ordinary about her walk. There’s also nothing ordinary about her.

A friend I graduated high school with has a teenage daughter who is a model. She goes to Asia, Europe and New York for jobs. She has a model walk. Have you ever seen a model walk the catwalk? It’s very unique. Personally, I could NOT do it.

This weekend there’s a group of women at the Girlfriend Getaway. If you didn’t get to make this one, I am so sorry. I pray you will make it a priority for the next one, but I’m going to be teaching on having an extraordinary walk.

You would think those who have two working legs and two working feet would all walk the same, and yet we don’t. Some walk on their heels. Some walk on the inside of their feet or outside of their feet. Some drag a foot due to injury or disability. Some have unique walks, and some have model walks. The same applies to our spiritual walk. Whatever you walk through in your spiritual life, shapes your spiritual walk.

There are three things that shape a Christian’s walk, and they are all connected.

1.     LOVE – 1 Peter 1:22, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.”

Obedience is conduct, how you behave. If your faith doesn’t produce obedience, then you don’t have true faith. Obeying the truth through the Spirit means the obedience produces change. Obeying leads to purification of your soul, so if you aren’t obeying God, what does that say about the condition of your heart?

Fruit of the Spirit is LOVE. There are some people you can only love if you are filled with the Spirit because they are hard to love, and yet we are called to love fervently with a pure heart.

I love 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” The love we can have and give to others only covers the sin. Only Jesus, the Father and the Spirit has loved greater so as to actually remove the sin.

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us because if we love those who love us, isn’t that what the unrighteous do? So if you love only as they love, are you doing anything extraordinary?

How you love tells others if your walk with God is extraordinary.

2.     Forgive – Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

God doesn’t ask us if we want to forgive. We are told to forgive. It is a command because God forgave us in Christ.

You must choose to forgive.

Forgiveness doesn’t excuse the person who committed the wrong.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation or restoration.

Forgiveness means trusting God to deal with the one who did the hurtful thing (Exodus 34:6-7).

Forgiveness doesn’t have to lead to foolishness by repeatedly submitting yourself in the same relationship over and over again to be hurt.

Forgiveness is ongoing. The deeper the wound the more frequently you have to forgive the offense.

Forgiveness is not easy, but there is freedom in forgiveness.

Failing to forgive means you are living in sin.

Failing to obey God and trust God with your pain will lead to living a life of victimization instead of a life of victory, resentment instead of restoration in God, depression instead of deep growth, and bitterness instead of betterment.

Is your walk ordinary or extraordinary?

3. BLESS – How do you know when you have forgiven someone? When you can bless them and mean it. Luke 6:27-28, Romans 12:20-21 and Proverbs 25:21-22.

Blessing them may mean you pray for their salvation and healing. Blessing them means you don’t rejoice when something bad happens to them. Blessing them may mean meeting a need.

When people look at your life, see the struggles and hurt you have walked through, do they identify your walk as ordinary, or do they see an extraordinary walk full of love, forgiveness and blessing others?

Love, Joy and Peace - get you some

Love – Joy – Peace

As I studied these spiritual fruit, I realized these are not only characteristics of a maturing Christian but gifts to enrich our lives.  Fruit of the Spirit are actions prompted, directed and produced by the Holy Spirit. They bring glory to God.  Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (NIV).

God is Love

Did you know love is in the Bible over 700 times? Something God included that many times has to be important.

The first fruit listed in the Galatians 5 passage is love.  It is not an accident it is listed first because without love none of the other fruit can grow.  Love is an action, not a feeling. Our world gets this confused. 1 John 3:18 states, “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth" (NIV).

Love produces love. 

Did you know Biblical love doesn’t take two? It only takes one with character.  What is character? It is doing something even when we don’t feel like it.  God loved us before we loved Him (Romans 5:8).

Rejoice in the Lord Always 

Did you know joy is mentioned in the Bible over 400 times?  Again, if God put it in there that many times, we need to take notice.

Joy is love’s strength.  Nehemiah 8:12 tells us “the joy of the Lord is my strength.”  Our strength comes from Jesus. 

Are you a glass-half-full person or a glass-half-empty person? How you see the world around you affects others. 

Joy is holy optimism.  Joy is NOT happiness or pleasure.  We can have joy “in spite” of our circumstances like James 1:2-4 tells us.  Joy comes from knowing God is in control.

We must pursue Joy to honor the one who has given us life.

Peace that passes all understanding 

Did you know peace is mentioned over 500 times in scriptures?  Bet you know what that means.

Peace is love’s security.  Peace is the tranquil state of an assured, redeemed, believing, obeying Christian.

We have peace in God because Jesus binds us to Him.  Real peace is knowing nothing can separate us from God. He promises to "keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in [Him]" (Isaiah 26:3 NIV).

Peace with others can be difficult.  I often tell my kids it takes two to argue as a way to remind them that they have control over themselves. 

What do you do if you find your love, joy or peace tanks running low?

1, Get into the presence of God.

2, Talk to the One who can refill your tanks.

2. Get into God’s Word and recharge.

I Passed Smooth Out. I Didn't Have the Endurance

2 Peter 1:5-8

5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement (present) your faith (conviction of truth, belief, requires trust, cannot have salvation without faith) with goodness, goodness with knowledge (general understanding of Christian religion), 6 knowledge with self-control (master desires and passions), self-control with endurance (steadfastness, passionate patience), endurance with godliness (God-likeness, image bearer of Christ), 7 godliness with brotherly affection (phileo – cherish each other, found easily in commonality), and brotherly affection with love (agape – loves despite differences). 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The first step in walking the Christian life is making a profession of faith. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (HCSB) Once that confession is made, your relationship with God begins building, growing, maturing. Remember, in the prior blog, 2 Peter 1:3 tells us God provides us everything we need to live a godly life once we make that confession of faith. Now, it’s just a matter of maturing those areas in our lives, and there seems to be a progression that maturity takes. After all, your babies don’t start off eating steak with a knife and fork, do they?

So after the confession of faith comes goodness. Goodness is a virtue. But how does a Christian’s goodness differ from a non-Christian’s goodness? Because let’s face, there are a lot of good people in the world. There are a lot of good people in hell too, for that matter. A Christian’s goodness has a basis on and in faith in Christ. If Christ is working through you to do His will for the benefit of others and the kingdom, then it will be done. A Christian’s goodness is rooted in Christ who is the Author of goodness.

After goodness comes knowledge or spiritual understanding. This is learning what the Bible has to say, learning to read the Scripture, to meditate on Scripture, and to pray. There isn’t just one way to do any of these things. There are so many ways to learn and read the Bible, and just as many different ways to pray. The important thing is that you begin, that you try. Don’t you know your heavenly Father is thrilled to hear from you when you speak to him? He is!

With knowledge, one should be in a better position to learn self-control or discipline. This is mastering your desires. How do you manage the good things in your life? Knowledge is a key element to self-control because you need to be able to see what the Word of God says about your desires and cravings. There’s a lot of false doctrine that says if you name it and claim it, you’ll have it, but that’s just not Scriptural. Self-control requires you to read and study the Word in order to mature in this area.

And the flip side of the same coin of self-control is endurance. In the Bible translation called the Message the words “passionate patience” is used instead of “endurance.” I quite like that. How do you manage the hard things in life? If you cannot control your mind or body, how can you possibly endure? Doesn’t endurance require you to maintain self-control in order not to quit? When I was in high school, I ran track. I was a sprinter. I ran 100 and 200 yards. The relay team needed to compete and place in one more race in order to earn a trophy. The next race would require that I run 400 yards – 1 full lap. I had never trained to run a full lap. As a sprinter, as soon as I start running, I am full open speed. I don’t slow down until I cross the line and pass the baton. No one told me how to run a 400 yard leg, and I found out the hard way one does NOT sprint 400 yards. Well, I sprinted 400 yards, and I was sucking wind by the time I passed the baton and passed smooth out. You see, not only had I sprinted the whole way but my breathing was for a sprinter which was short pants. It was not a pretty sight. Endurance requires training. Endurance is something that is exercised in order to grow. Just like muscles that atrophy when they are not used, this list of qualities will atrophy. Continue working on your faith exercising the qualities and characteristics of Christ, and your walk and maturity as a Christian will grow.

After endurance or passionate patience, comes godliness or God-likeness. Can we be perfect? NO! But we are to be image-bearers of Christ. If you were to look at my parents, listen to my parent, and then watch and listen my sister and I, you would see that we favor both of them. We have our dad’s very warped sense of humor much to our mother’s chagrin. My sister is built like my mom and has her coloring. I’m built like the Timmons side of the family. We bear a resemblance to our parents. In verse 3 and 4, we discussed the divine power and divine nature in us which is the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual birth gave us a new nature to take on, a divine nature to emulate, to model. Will we succeed? Not always, but people should be able to see our lives, hear our speech, and know who our Father is.

And once we know who our Father is, and we become His image-bearer, then we mature to brotherly affection. This type of brotherly love is the kind of love when you can find something in common with a person. Truth is, commonalities can be found with everyone on the face of the planet because we all have the same Creator. The reason godliness must come before brother love is because some people are harder to love than others. There are mean people in the world. There are wounded people in the world, and if God burdens your heart to minister and to serve a particular person who is difficult to love, you will need godliness in your back pocket.

Progressing from brotherly type of love, we move to agape type of love. This is a love that loves no matter the differences. It’s the love that is found in Romans 5: 8,  But God proves His own (agape) love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! It’s also found in 1 Corinthians 13 which is known as the “love” chapter. This chapter concludes with, “these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love.”(agape)

So how are you progressing through this list? How would God say you are progressing?

Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t where you want to be. Be encouraged knowing “He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:6. We are all a work in progress.