THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

     For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. (1 Corinthians 15:9-11)

    And now, I'm sure that in this we have found lots of impersonations. And an impersonation, friend... A person that would impersonate something is the most miserable person that I would know of. Isn't it much better just to be yourself? As Congressman Upshaw used to say, "Don't try to be nothing that you hain't." Well, that's pretty good. Don't try to be nothing that you are not. Just be yourself. And then, if you want to be a Christian, just ask Christ. He will take your old nature out, put a new nature in; then you don't have to impersonate anything; it's just your normal life that you're living.

    And as long as you got malice, envy, strife, all these things of the world, then you know Christ isn't in there. The Bible said, "If you love the world, or the things of the world, the love of God's not even in you." See, 'cause the Life of God isn't in you. The Life is in there, it just produces itself; it just lives its way out. Don't try to say, "I'm a Christian because I joined church." That's one way. "I'm a Christian because I sing in the choir." That's something else. "I'm a Christian because I preach the Gospel." That doesn't make you a Christian. "I'm a Christian because I spoke with tongues." That don't make you a Christian. "I'm a Christian because I danced in the Spirit." That don't make you a Christian. "I'm a Christian because I shouted." That don't make you a Christian. "I'm a Christian because that I quit smoking; I quit drinking." If you did it within yourself, there's something wrong yet. That's right. We mustn't do these things in ourself. If there's something in us that just simply takes the world out of us, then it begins to bear fruit of itself.

     And now, the fruit of the Spirit is not joining church. The fruit of the Spirit is not quit smoking cigarettes. The fruit of the Spirit is not to speak with tongues. The fruit of the Spirit is not to pray for the sick and they be healed. The fruit of the Spirit is not to prophesy or preach. But the fruit of the Spirit is found in Galatians 5:22: Love, joy, peace, goodness, longsuffering, faith, meekness, gentleness, that's the fruit of the Spirit.

      Now, no matter how much you preach, you got a real ill-temper, don't do you much good to preach. See? No matter how much you join church and try to impersonate, if you're crabbing and nasty with your neighbor, you'll never win him to Christ then. See? It's the fruit of the Spirit. As my wife used to tell me, "Actions speak louder than words." That's right. Live me a sermon instead of preaching me one; that's a good thing; live me a sermon.