Effie Darlene Barba

 

The ever-transforming work of the Holy Spirit within us is to transform us into the likeness of Christ.  Jesus Christ represents the perfect dichotomy of the Lion of Judah who willingly became the sacrificial lamb.  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory (Matthew 12:18-20).  Jesus Christ was both bold as a lion and meek as a lamb.  Furthermore, He won the victory over death and sin. However, this He did by becoming the humble servant.

When the pharisees in Matthew 12 plotted to kill Him, Jesus withdrew Himself and continued His mission.  He healed people and cast out demons.  Yet, He did not raise up an army of followers to fight against the Pharisee.  Fearlessly, boldly He continued His journey on earth to the cross where He would humbly take upon His righteous shoulders the sin of all.  We see the perfect blend of boldness and meekness in one.  He was never a victim; because,  He chose to go to the cross in our place.  Meek as a lamb; yet, powerfully bold as a lion.  If this is to be our example as to how to live; then, we need the Holy Spirit within us to perform this in us.  Because by nature we are reactionary; always seeking to hold our “self” as number 1 in all we do.

Meek and Bold Intertwined into One

We have trouble seeing how meekness and boldness intertwine; because, we believe meekness is weakness.  Yet, we see this dichotomy perfected in Jesus Christ.  Yes, He was meek and gentle; yet, He marched forward with purpose and strength.  Meek, humble and gentle while at the same time bold and fearless.  The Lion of Judah is the slain lamb.

Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain (Revelations 5:5-6)

Then they all fell before Him in worship, singing.

Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth (Revelations 5:9-10).

All the redeemed humbly, boldly sing.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever (Revelations 5:12-13).

In Jesus Christ, we are made courageous to stand for the truth of the gospel.  At the same time, we are meek servants, recognizing that without Him “I am nothing”.

Meek Boldness, a Fruit of the Spirit

Unafraid we are to proclaim the truth of the gospel.  We are to stand firm on truth and justice.  Yet we are to do so with a meek and humble spirit, knowing that we, our selves are saved by His Grace alone and not by our own hands.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:3-11).

Concluding Thought

[bctt tweet=”Because I know I am nothing without Him and my salvation is by grace alone, I am Humble.” username=”effiedarlene”]

[bctt tweet=”Knowing that in Christ I am God’s Redeemed Beloved Chosen Child, then, I am bold, fearless when facing trials.” username=”effiedarlene”]

[bctt tweet=”The Holy Spirit’s fruit of meekness comes with strength and boldness for the journey; because, I know this is not my final destination. ” username=”effiedarlene”]

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link.  There is nothing more important than this; because,  He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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Previous Posts In this series:

One Fruit of the Spirit: Faith to Overcome Fear

What Really is the Goodness of God?

A Gentle Spirit in the Face of Contempt. How? 

What is Patience Really in the Face of Conflict?

One Failed Peacemaker and a Gracious God

In a World Divided How Can One Find Peace?

The Fruit of the Spirit is Joy

Displaying the Fruit of the Spirit Love. How?

Perfect in Love Oh How Can it Be?

Is Your Fruit of Love Sweet or Bitter?

How Does God Prepare the Soil for Growth?

What Fruit is the Garden of Your Heart Producing?

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2018
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Footnote and Credits

Picture courtesy of RoninRon Custom Art

When I left Orlando in 2013 to come to Columbia, it was with a leap of faith.  And now, as I return to Florida it is again a huge leap of faith.  At my going away party in Florida, I cannot help but remember Dr. Bajaj’s words, “Effie has a faith that makes her fearless.”  Perhaps it would appear that way whenever I step out into the unknown because I have been assured by God that He has called me to do so.  However, the truth is faith is stepping boldly forward into what God has commanded surrounded by all the fears, the unknowns.  Knowing full well that if God does not hold you up and sustain you, you will crash.  It is clinging tight to the truth “God IS and He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Faith is seeking Him, obeying Him and pressing forward when all the circumstances around you look impossible; because, you have been assured that this is His will.  It is knowing the depth of His love for you and never forgetting He is Sovereignly in control of all things.  Some would say, there is no way to know His will.  But I have written before on that subject many times.  For me it comes with diligent prayer, patiently waiting for His answer.  Often, it does involve fleece like Gideon.  Yet, I caution you to ascertain the fleece is such as cannot be manipulated by you.  Remember too that God never will tell you to do that which goes against scripture. He will never condone sin.  So, you must diligently study His word exegetically and not manipulate scripture by taking it out of context.

Faith as the Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Continue reading “One Fruit of the Spirit: Faith to Overcome Fear”

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:6-7).  What really is goodness?  Is it as some would say, complete tolerance and acceptance of all things?  Others would mock goodness, calling someone a “goody two shoes” because they choose to follow God.  Desiring to strictly guide one’s life by God’s moral laws, is at times demeaned by society.  Goodness, as defined by Merriam Webster is the nutritious, flavorful or beneficial part of something or the quality of being good.  Therefore, goodness must be, as in the scripture tempered with truth.  It must include justice and righteousness; alongside forgiveness and mercy.

God’s goodness is His Mercy, His Grace providing a way for forgiveness while at the same time standing firm upon His Justice, His righteousness and Truth.  Although He does provide mercy, forgiveness, and grace to all who come to Him with hearts broken by their own guilt and shame.  Those who desire Him, accepting His gift of salvation.  Yet, it is not clearing the guilty.  The guilty being those who reject His gift of salvation, marching forward with their own selfish agenda to do things their way.  Those who may even appear on the surface good; but, deny God as the only true source of goodness.  Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:4,5).  Goodness is forgiving the repentant sinner, while standing firm against sin.

God is Goodness

Continue reading “What Really is the Goodness of God?”

 

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (Galatians 5:22).  Over the past few weeks we have studied the fruits of the Spirit.  Thus far, we have looked at love, joy, peace, and longsuffering (Patience). Now we will look at gentleness.  Most of the newer translations place kindness in the place of gentleness.  However, the two oldest English translations—both the Geneva Bible and the King James Version use gentleness. A gentle spirit would certainly display kindness; but it would go further.  For kindness can be displayed outwardly, even by those who do not have a gentle spirit.  Whereas those with a gentle spirit radiating from the depth of their soul, can remain calm and kind even in the face of contempt.  The difference being the depth of the gentle spirit and its source.

A gentle spirit does not seek revenge.  Nor does it respond to the critical arrows being slung at it by others.  Instead, it that calm, gentle spirit which can turn the other cheek when slapped.  Certainly, this is not a natural response.  Our own human spirit desires to rise in defense when others criticize and belittle us.  We want to clear our name.  Therefore, a truly gentle Spirit in the Face of Contempt can only come by the workings of the Holy Spirit within us. Jesus Christ displayed this throughout His life; even during His trial and death on the cross.  The Holy Spirit within me is constantly transforming me into the image of Jesus Christ as we read in Romans 8:29.

For you or me to maintain a gentle spirit in the face of contempt, we must learn to see things through God’s eyes.  Only the Holy Spirit can accomplish this in us; because, we cannot without Him.

A Gentle Spirit in the Face of Contempt

Continue reading “A Gentle Spirit in The Face of Contempt. How?”

What really is long suffering patience in the face of conflict?  When the road gets tough or conflict arises, a part of me wants to run, to hide, or to avoid the person.  Yet, that is not the fruit of the spirit referred to in Galatians 5:23.  After all, if God had justly turned His back upon me in my rebellion, I could never know His Grace.  It has been with everlasting patience that He persisted forward in the face of Conflict.  Patience in the face of conflict presses forward much like the oxen ploughing the rough and stony field.  Tethered with a yoke upon his back, he presses forward until the work is done.

When I refuse to face the trials or conflict, they grow within me until frustration overtakes my heart.  Thusly, it destroys true love, joy, and peace.  The task must be completed—pressing steadily patiently forward.  Never looking to the right or left, the oxen must press forward.  And so, do we.  Not taking our eyes off the goal, we press steadily forward.  Nor are we to allow anger or selfish desires to enter in.  We must allows be reminded of God’s patient steady love that deals with our rebellious hearts and emulate that kind of patience.

Isaiah 50:4-9

Continue reading “What is Patience Really in the Face of Conflict?”