85 聖靈的果子The Fruit of The Spirit
作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul)
譯者: 姚錦榮
摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the
Christian Faith》229頁, 更新傳道會出版
聖靈的果子聖靈的果子是在教導成聖時，最被人忽略的部分，原因如下：
1 .我們受外在衡量標準的影響。雖然作學生的在面對考試時，總免不了要埋怨，但事實上我們仍會希望被測驗；今天連書刊雜誌也經常提供衡量技巧、成就和知識的各種測驗。人都喜歡知道自己的水平，究竟我在某些事上是否勝人一籌？還是中庸之資？
基督徒也不例外，我們會用一些外在的標準來衡量自己成聖的程度。我說粗話咒餌人嗎？我喝酒嗎？ 我看電影嗎？這些往往被當作度量靈性的標準，而真正的衡量標準—聖靈的果子一反被人忽略。這就是法利賽人所墮進的陷阱。
我們退避那真正的測驗，因為聖靈的果子不易察認，而且它對個人品格的要求遠比表面的外在衡量標準嚴格；不咒詛人比存著敬虔的耐心度日容易得多。
2. 我們傾向於只追求恩賜。聖靈不但引導我們成聖和結出屬靈的果子，祂也賜屬靈恩賜給信徒。雖然聖經清楚指明，擁有屬靈恩賜的人，可能在靈性上是十分 膚淺的，可是我們 對追求屬靈恩賜的興趣仍遠較追求聖靈果子為大。保羅寫給哥林多人的書信很清楚地說明了這一點。
3 . 我們看到不少非信徒也有美德。當我們用聖靈果子的標準去衡量自己的成聖生活時，會發現聖靈果子中所列出的德行，有時非基督徒比基督徒還多，這真是令我們沮喪。我們都認識一些比基督徒更溫柔、更忍耐的非信徒。如果他們不靠聖靈也可結出「聖靈的果子」，那麼我們怎能用此衡量屬靈的長進呢？
其實在我們身上所結的聖靈果子，和在非信徒身上所見到的仁愛、喜樂 、和平 、忍耐等德行 ，在本質 上是有分別的。非信徒的德行在動機上最終是自私的，但信徒所結的聖靈果子，在本質上最終是為著神和別人。所謂被聖靈充滿，其意為一個人的生命被聖靈管理，而非信徒表現出的屬靈美德，只能達到人能力所及的程度而已。
保羅在加拉太書列出聖靈的果子，「就是仁愛、喜樂、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信實、溫柔、節制。」（加 5 : 22〜2 3 ) 這些德行都應該是基督徒生命的特質。如果我們真的被聖靈充滿，就一定會結出這個聖靈的果子來。當然結果子是需要時間的，這不是在一 夜之間就能發生的事，也不是表面上的轉變，而是聖靈在人心深處所造成的改變，是需一生之久的成聖工作。
總結
1.我們常忽略研討聖靈的果子，因為 ：⑴ 我們受外在衡量標準的影響；⑵ 我們傾向於只追求屬靈的恩賜；⑶我們看見不少非信徒的德行比基督徒還好。
2 . 用外在標準去衡量屬靈的程度，比用聖靈的果子來衡量容易得多。
3.我可能擁有屬靈恩賜，但靈性卻十分膚淺。
4. 信徒與非信徒身上的屬靈美德，在本質上是有分別的。非信徒的德行全靠人的努力，但基督徒的美德則是有神位格的聖靈所產生的，遠超過人能力所及的程度。
思考經文：
羅 12 ：1-21
；林前12: 1--14 ：-40；加5 ：19-26 ；弗4 ： 1--6 ： 20
85. The Fruit of The Spirit
The
fruit of the Holy Spirit is one of the most neglected aspects of the biblical
teaching on sanctification. There are various reasons for this:
1.
Preoccupation with externals. Though students often murmur and grumble when
facing tests in the classroom, there is a sense in which we really want to have
them. Tests that measure skill, achievement, and knowledge are even standard
fare in magazines. People like to know how they rate. Have I achieved
excellence in a certain endeavor, or am I mired in mediocrity?
Christians
are no different. We tend to measure our progress in sanctification by
examining our performance against external standards. Do we curse? Do we drink?
Do we go to movies? These standards are often used to measure spirituality. The
real test—evidence of the fruit of the Spirit—is often ignored or minimized.
This is the trap the Pharisees fell into.
We
recoil from the real test because the fruit of the Spirit is too nebulous. It
is far more demanding of personal character than superficial externals are. It
is a lot easier to refrain from cursing than it is to acquire a habit of godly
patience.
2.
Preoccupation with gifts. The same Holy Spirit who leads us into holiness and
bears fruit in us also gives spiritual gifts to believers. We seem to be far
more interested in the gifts of the Spirit than the fruit, despite the clear
biblical teaching that one may possess gifts while being immature in spiritual
progress. Paul’s letters to the Corinthians make that abundantly clear.
3.
The problem of righteous unbelievers. It is frustrating to measure our progress
in sanctification by the fruit of the Spirit when the virtues listed among the
fruit are sometimes exhibited to a greater degree by nonChristians. We all know
nonbelievers who exhibit more gentleness or
patience
than many Christians. If people can have the “fruit of the Spirit” apart from
the Spirit, how can we determine our spiritual growth in this manner?
There
is a qualitative difference between the virtues of love, joy, peace, patience,
etc., engendered in us by the Holy Spirit and those exhibited by nonbelievers.
Nonbelievers operate from motives that are ultimately selfish. But when
believers exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, they are exhibiting characteristics
that are ultimately directed toward God and others. Being filled with the
Spirit means that one’s life is controlled by the Holy Spirit; nonbelievers can
only exhibit these spiritual virtues to the extent of human ability.
Paul
lists the fruit of the Spirit in his letter to the Galatians: “The fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). These virtues are to
characterize the Christian life. If we are filled with the Spirit, we will
exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. But, of course, this takes time. These are not
superficial character adjustments that happen overnight. They involve a
reshaping of the innermost dispositions of the heart, which is a lifelong
process of sanctification by the Spirit.
Summary
1. We tend to neglect the study of the fruit of the Spirit because: (1) we are
preoccupied with externals; (2) we are preoccupied with spiritual gifts; and
(3) we recognize that many nonbelievers exhibit the spiritual virtues better
than Christians. 2. It is easier to measure spirituality by externals than by
the fruit of the Spirit. 3. We can have spiritual gifts and still be immature.
4. There is a qualitative difference between the presence of the spiritual
virtues in nonbelievers and believers. With nonbelievers, it is merely human
effort. With Christians, it is God the Holy Spirit producing spiritual fruit in
measure beyond mere human ability.
Biblical
passages for reflection: Romans 12:1-21 1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40 Galatians
5:19-26 Ephesians 4:1-6:20
