The Gifts And Fruits Of The Spirit: High Priest’s Garment Series Part 7

1 Corinthians 12:4-7
“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

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Our Heavenly Father is such a great Dad!  He has provided everything we need to successfully walk out our Christian life!
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As you know, at one time there was no New Testament.  It should come as no surprise that the New Testament came out of the Old.  Paul, who wrote 3/4 of it, taught from the only written word available, which was obviously The Old Covenant. His letters were direct revelations given to him specifically by the Holy Spirit illuminating truths and principles hidden in the Old.
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So how does the opening scripture fit in with the High Priest’s Garments?  Come and see!
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The Gifts Of The Spirit.
The 9 gifts and 9 fruits of the Spirit are recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and Galatians 5:22-23, respectively.  The gifts fall into three categories: Three you “Say or Speak out,” three you “Know,” and three you “Do (Perform).”  They are listed in order of the way they occur in the text:
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Gifts You Say/Speak.
1. WORD OF WISDOM
2. WORD OF KNOWLEDGE
3. PROPHECY
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Gifts of Knowledge.
4. DISCERNING OF SPIRITS
5. TONGUES
6. INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES.
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Gifts You Do (Perform).
7. GIFTS {plural} OF HEALING(S) {plural}
8. WORKING OF MIRACLES
9. FAITH
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Fruits Of The Spirit.
The 9 Fruits of the Spirit also fall into three categories. Three are for the believer personally, three help us in relating to others, and three are concerned with relating to God.
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Personal Fruits:
1. LOVE
2. JOY
3. PEACE
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Relational Fruits:
4. LONG SUFFERING
5. KINDNESS
6. GOODNESS
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Fruits For Relating to God:
7. FAITHFULNESS
8. GENTLENESS

9. SELF CONTROL

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The gifts and fruits are meant to be used together in a complementary fashion.

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Typologies In The Old Testament.

It should also come as no surprise that everything in the New is hidden somewhere in the Old.  Hidden throughout are beautiful pictures of Jesus, Israel, the Church.  Among other things is the answer as to how to properly use the Gifts and Fruits in complementary fashion.  This information is hidden in the most surprising and unexpected place: The garments of the High Priest!

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Bells And Pomegranates.
Exodus 28:33-35
And upon its hem (of the High Priest’s garment) you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around:  a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around.  And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die.”
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From the colors of his garments, to the types of clothing he wore, to the decorations on his hem, the Holy Spirit is teaching us about Jesus and the proper workings of His Church.  Amazing!
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Why Pomegranates?

Why did God choose pomegranates?  The Song of Solomon in chapter 6 verse 7 gives us a clue:  “Like a piece of pomegranate Are your temples behind your veil.”

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No, the Shulamite did not have giant bruises the size of a pomegranate on her temples. Pomegranates have many seeds. Seeds are a typology of our thoughts. Many seeds: Many thoughts.  The juice of the pomegranate seed is a deep red color which demonstrates that, for those who are in Christ, every one of our thoughts are bathed in and redeemed by the blood of our precious Jesus!  HALLELUJAH!
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Why Bells?
So what’s the deal with the bells?
Bells are a herald of news which can be good or bad. In this case, these golden bells ring out the GOOD NEWS that we have a High Priest who advocates for us to the Father.  Again, HALLELUJAH!
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At the hem of the high priest’s garment the bells and pomegranates were placed in alternating fashion:  Bell, fruit, bell, fruit, bell, fruit, etc.  They are a depiction of the gifts and fruits working together in harmony.
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“Why are they on the hem and not somewhere else, you ask?”
What is nearest the hem of his garment?  His feet!  And what do you do with your feet?  WALK OR STAND. They were near his feet so that, as he walked, the bells would make a joyful, gentle, pleasant sound.
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As high priest, he was a shadow representation of our Lord Jesus.  After He came and shed His blood, the veil that separated us from God was torn giving us who believe full and unrestricted access to God.
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Why are they only on the High Priests Garments?  Because He is a picture of Jesus!  Jesus is the one Who sent the Holy Spirit to dispense the gifts and fruits.  The gifts and fruits help us appropriate what Jesus paid so dearly to give us!
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(Bells and Pomegranates on the hem of the garment.)
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Spiritual Israel.
You and I, Church, as spiritual Israel, are His priests in the world.  As we walk through life, we need to have the gifts and fruits operating in sweet, pleasant harmony, making a JOYFUL NOISE wherever we go.  As we walk, we share the gospel with people as well as minister to one another in His Name using those gifts and fruits. God gave us the gifts and fruits to aide us in our Christian walk. We walk them out wherever we go.
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That’s why it says in Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains, Are the FEETof him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
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Using Our Gifts And Fruits In Harmony.
Here are the Gifts/Bells as recorded in 1 Corinthians. 12:8-10
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1. Word of wisdom; 2. Word of knowledge; 3. Faith; 4. Gift”s” of healing”s” (plural); 5. Working of miracles; 6. Prophecy; 7. Discerning of spirits; 8. Tongues; 9. Interpretation of tongues.
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Now, here are the Fruits/Pomegranates in the order in which they are recorded in Galatians 5:22-23
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1. love 2. joy 3. peace 4. Long suffering 5. Kindness 6. Goodness 7. Faithfulness 8. Gentleness 9. Self-control
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Gift #1 goes with fruit #1, i.e. word of wisdom with love. 
A word of wisdom is foreknowledge of a future event.  Here’s an example:
Suppose someone gets a word about a financial downturn. The people will feel loved and protected when it is given in such a way that they know that, in spite of what is happening in the world, our Daddy always takes care of us.  We are His own so we need not fear.  The people will know and understand that they are loved by God.  The word is not given in order to frighten but to inform, and encourage, and protect.  That is how a word of wisdom given in love.
Notice, it’s “A WORD,” NOT “A PARAGRAPH.” Any more than that is none our business.
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#2 Gift goes with 2# Fruit, i.e. “Word of knowledge” with “Joy.” 
A word of knowledge, unlike wisdom, is of a present situation or current event.
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For example:  Suppose someone needed to be reconciled to another person who had wronged him and, in so doing, the person would be able to get the breakthrough for which he had been praying.  That would be joyfully received!
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Notice it’s a “Word,” NOT a “paragraph,” because any more than that is TMI.  God is not running a gossip mill.

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Jesus sent the Holy Spirit

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#3 The Gift of Faith goes with #3 The Fruit of Peace. 

When you step out in faith on anything, you will feel God’s leading because you have a sense of peace about it. Where there is no peace, you know not to go that way.  Isaiah 55:12 tells us “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”

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(To read more about the trees of the Bible and what they represent, you may follow the link below:

https://emmausroadministries.international/2016/04/20/the-cypress-and-the-myrtle-tree-series-part-5-of-7/

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Mountains and trees are pictures of people and places in the world.  Wherever we go, believers are a blessing going somewhere to happen.  Others around us feel better just because we are there, not because we’re so great, but because we carry inside us the very life of the Living God!  Out of our belly flows living water, something for which everyone around us is thirsty.

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walls of Jericho fall

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#4. Gift(s) of healing(s) (plural) goes with #4, The Fruit of Long-suffering (patience)
Not surprisingly, you may have to be patient when praying for either your own healing or someone else’s.  How do you manifest the fruit of long suffering?  By knowing the heart of our loving Heavenly Father and trusting in His love for us.
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Healing often doesn’t happen overnight. You may have to exercise long suffering (patience) and “March around the walls” of your “Jericho.”  But as you “walk” around and around your problem or situation, lifting up Jesus, singing praise to the Lord, the walls will come crashing down!
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(For more on that topic, you may follow the link below:
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Notice that there are Gifts (plural) of healings (plural).  In the Church, there will be some who may have more success with touching those who have back problems; others with lengthening of legs; others with cancer, etc.  Many gift-s of healing-s.
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The point is, healing isn’t isolated to your church leadership or a select few:  It is family-wide.
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#5: The Gift of Working of Miracles goes with #5, the Fruit of Kindness (Hesed: Grace)
Wherever you find the word, “Kindness,” in the Bible, you’ll find that the word in Hebrew is the word, “Hesed.” Hesed means “Grace!” Miracles happen by Grace. What, or more to the point, Who is grace? Jesus! The more we focus on Him and what He DID (past tense) for us, the more we realize it isn’t by anything we are but the One Who died to give us what we don’t deserve. He is the Miracle Worker. He is the Faithful and True. By His stripes we are healed.
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#6 The Gift of Prophecy goes with #6 The Fruit of Goodness.
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Once again, any prophetic utterances are to be given to edify and encourage the Body of Christ, not tear down and condemn. There is therefore NOW…..present tense…..NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
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#7 The Gift of Discerning of Spirits goes with the Fruit of Faithfulness.
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Obviously, if we are discerning spirits we would want to get it right. To what are we supposed to be faithful? The word of God. Is there a guideline for us in scripture? Yes!
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Both Paul and John told us we must “Test the spirits.”  Some may misunderstand that “Testing” means, “Condemning, punishing, or sentencing unbelievers.  That is not accurate.
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The only “Testing” we are to do is found in two places in Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 5:21 tells us to “Test all THINGS; hold fast what is good.”
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1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believer every spirit, but TEST THE SPIRITS, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
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Why do we test these things?
Because there are “Spiritual forces of wickedness in high places that exalt themselves against the knowledge of.  God…”
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stop emoju
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Notice, it does NOT say, “The knowledge of sin” and IT DOES NOT SAY TO TEST PEOPLE.
People are not the problem, though they may be unwitting pawns.  After all, outside of Christ, SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT IS NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD.  It is the spirits BEHIND the scenes that are the real culprits.  THOSE ARE WHAT WE TEST.
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#8 The Gift of Tongues goes with the #8 The Fruit of Gentleness.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:4-5, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church May receive edification.”

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Tongues of fire at Pentecost
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The man who speaks or prays in tongues edifies, or builds up, himself. This is both spiritually AND for you physical body.  But when employed in a corporate setting, it must come with an interpretation so that the whole body of believers may be edified. This edification must be delivered with gentleness, or meekness. It is never harsh or condemnatory. It must inspire, encourage, and strengthen the hearers.

Gentleness or meekness is power under control. It is an exhibition of God’s power but it is not to be used to berate or tear down, rather to build up in every way.

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#9 The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues goes with The Fruit of Self-Control.

Now here’s a picture for you. Ever been in a charismatic church where your hair was practically singed from someone’s “Interpretation of tongues?” I have.

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surprised emoji

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It’s not pretty or pleasant and it is also not from God. He does not cajole, berate, chide, or condemn His people. That’s the devil’s M.O.  Some folks with a hard, or law-centric, view of God can get a little carried away and start spewing out all kinds of filth. As you read above, the gift of tongues must EDIFY the hearers.  There is nothing that grieves the Holy Spirit more than someone beating His flock with condemnation.

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A little self-control here, which I remind you is a FRUIT, would stop the fiery rhetoric in its tracks. How to we bear this fruit? By having a BIG REVELATION of Who Jesus is. We are transformed by beholding (Him), not scolding.

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(If you follow the link below, you can read all about what really grieves the Holy Spirit:

https://emmausroadministries.international/2016/03/23/grieve-not-the-holy-spirit/)

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The Dove.

Ever wonder why the Holy Spirit always appears like a Dove?  Our Master Storyteller, is painting pictures for us again!  Doves have 9 primary feathers on each wing. When all the gifts and fruits are working together in harmony, there is perfect balance.

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You see, if there is only the gifts operating in the Church, it’s like the Dove trying to fly straight with only one wing.  The same applies if only the fruits are operating.  The Church flies straight when both are used in HARMONY. A bird with one wing can only fly in circles, going nowhere and accomplishing nothing.

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Likewise, if you have only the gifts operating, it is like a “Noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” Conversely, fruit without the gifts things are too soft and “mushy.”  The Fruit harmonizes the sound of the Bells, making one’s ministry palatable, acceptable, melodious, and harmonious.
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What a wonderful Daddy!  Thank you, Abba, for giving us the Holy Spirit and His amazing Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit!

5 thoughts on “The Gifts And Fruits Of The Spirit: High Priest’s Garment Series Part 7”

  1. Pingback: The Dove And The Olive Branch: Flood Series Part 4 of 8 – emmausroadministries
  2. Pingback: Why Did Caiaphas Tear His Robes? – emmausroadministries
  5. Pingback: The Urim [אוּרִים֙] And Thummim [תֻּמִּ֔ים]: Part 6 of 7 – High Priest’s Garment Series – emmausroadministries

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