by Randy Folliard
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Fruits of the Spirit – Gentleness
ut the fruit of the Spirit i s l o v e , j o y, p e a c e , longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law,” Galatians 5:22-23. These nine attributes form the foundation or bedrock of what it is to be a believer in Messiah. If we desire to emulate and follow in the footsteps of our Savior, then we must adopt and live by the characteristics we find here. It’s not enough to simply keep the Sabbath and other commandments, but we must go beyond this and change who we are on in the inside. In Matthew 23, Yahshua refers to what He calls the weightier matters – judgment, mercy, and faith. I believe the attributes we see in Galatians 5 would also be considered the weightier matters that we should pursue. Does this mean, then, that commandments like the Sabbath are not important? The answer is obviously not; Yahweh’s commandments are critically important. We know that Yahshua and the apostles, including Paul, faithfully observed the commandments including the Sabbath and Feast days. Is it possible to obey these commandments and yet NOT be found worthy of the first resurrection? Based on the examples of the scribes and Pharisees, I believe this is a very real possibility. And for this reason we must not only focus on the commandments
Gentleness is one of the nine attributes of Yahshua and a necessary trait we must have if we seek to join in His coming Kingdom rulership. outwardly but also on how we’re to change inwardly.
Gentleness – Moral Excellence As we continue with the Fruits of the Spirit series, we focus on “gentleness,” which is described by the Greek word chrestotes. According to Strong’s Dictionary, this word means “usefulness; i.e. moral excellence (in character or demeanor).” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines it as “moral goodness, integrity” and “benignity, kindness.” This word conveys moral excellence, a concept not seen in any of the other fruits of the spirit. There’s something special about gentleness that conveys the idea of a person who is morally upright. This characteristic also exemplifies Yahweh, our Father in Heaven, and Yahshua the Messiah. We see many examples where Yahweh showed kindness to Israel of Old, one of which is portrayed in Isaiah 40:9-11. “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it
up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your Elohim! Behold, my Sovereign Yahweh will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” This is a prophecy of hope that Isaiah the prophet delivered to the people of Judah. Isaiah prophesied that Yahweh would gather His people as a shepherd gathers his flocks and the lambs within his arms. The imagery we see here shows the closeness Yahweh has with His people. It also shows His loving and gentle nature. Even though Israel and Judah continually rebelled against Yahweh, He never gave up on them. While He punished them and at times pushed them away, He never removed all hope. As we know from prophecy, Yahweh will again restore the people of Israel back to the land at the return of Yahshua the Messiah. One other passage showing Yahweh’s kindness and gentleness is Psalm 103:8-13, where we see a description of His mercy. “Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded Restoration Times Magazine September-December 2020
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