Being Conformed into the Image of Christ

Being Conformed into the Image of Christ

by Brad Baker

January 12th 2022

1 Most Christians assume that someday after Christ returns they will not have to struggle with sinful ways and trying to be perfect like Jesus is. 2 Many think that someday they will be conformed into the image of Christ by the snap of God’s finger and some kind of magical miracle will happen and they will live in a perfect world. 3 It takes discipline in our lives to conform because God gives us free will and if you want to get squared away like a servant in God army you will want to put on the full armour of God first before you get started.

Ephesians 6:10-18

The Whole Armour of God

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

4 To be Conformed into the Image of Christ means that Jesus is our identity, and He lives His life through us, so our chief purpose in this life is to be like Him. 5 In our daily walk with Jesus we learn from Him and His spirit is helping us do His will over our own will. 6 While we are in this produce throughout our lifetime we can be assured that we have a helper who is the Holy Spirit. 7 The power of Pentecost in our lives is much more than performing miracles like what happened in the wilderness with Moses and during the first century wilderness experience. 8 God will show and enable us to become Christ like with the help from the power of the Holy Spirit that will help guide us into the truth and fire to mold us like the potter does to the clay and like the refining fire does to precious medals.

9 In order to understand where this topic takes us to lets first take a look back to where creation started so that know why we are to conform to the image of Christ. 10 In the beginning of creation God made Adam the first man from the dust of the Earth. 11 Then God created Eve from Adam’s rib and He created them in His image. 12 God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil and if they ever did they would die the day they ate from it but it. 13 As the story goes they gave in to Satan tempting them and ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. 14 When they did that they lost out on being in God’s image and then became gods and were like God. 15 They forfeited a Spiritual connection with God as well as a Spiritual body after they would have physically died as well and became a disembodied soul in Hades. 16 They were cut off from the Tree of Life which reflected God’s character which gave them eternal life which was knowing God.


17 The image as being a god because of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil was all they had after that and the rest of mankind inherited that state of condition. 18 It wasn’t until the Messiah Jesus Christ would come and set those who were the first fruits free who believed, and later restored humanity back to the image of God through Jesus Christ. 19 After the Holy Convocation Day of Atonement was fulfilled Jesus Christ married the first century Church and made all of mankind alive and the offspring of His new creation. 20 We have had Jesus Christ as our Everlasting Father instead of Adam and along with it the New Covenant and all it’s promises that were inherited from Christ. 21 Most people’s lives reflect the parable of the Prodigal Son which explains why just because we are all the Manifested Sons of God at birth does not mean we are reflecting the image of Christ. 22 Many people reflect the image of Satan or the False Prophet who choose to dwell in the Kingdom of darkness instead of the Kingdom of Light. 23 This also may explain why nations rise and fall and why there is still evil on the Earth and why there is a Kingdom of Darkness as well as the Kingdom of Heaven in God’s Kingdom where Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords:


Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

24 The first century saints were waiting for the Manifestation of the Sons of God as the old King James version puts it but most Bible translations say Revealed Sons of God. 25 This event was fulfilled in AD70 in a Spiritual way after the Marriage of the Bride “first century Church” and the Groom “Jesus Christ”.


26 I believe the Manifestation of the Sons of God could have been the antitype to what God may have created other humans in the same way He did with Adam and Eve, from the dust of the Earth and they were called the Sons of God in:

Genesis 6: 1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. 3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. 5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

27 Notice the distinction where these Sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. 28 I think within the evolution of God creating people from the dust of the Earth eventually that came to an end so those who were created eventually produced offspring as we have been doing ever since then.  29 God eventual destroyed that creation of mankind except for Noah and his family. 30 Eventual Christ would come and restore mankind and become our Spiritual Everlasting Father, similar to what Adam was in type as the physical father of mankind.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

31 So here we are in the New Heaven and Earth as Manifested Sons or Children of God. 32 It should be children of God but for the sake of how the scriptures were wrote when I write Sons of God but I mean children of God. 33 Now does that mean that we have to be 100 % in the image of Christ or else we fail to meet the so-called expectation within our minds or what other will hold us up to be accountable for. 34 No we do not have to be perfect as the futurist expect in their expectations of a super utopia with resurrected physical bodies that never die or get sick after being raptured up into the sky etc.

Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

35 Right within this parable within Matthew 13 which I recommend reading the whole chapter is an allowance of bearing a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 36 Everyone is different and everyone has different situations to deal with in life. 37 Many have been born in countries that have other beliefs and they need a little more grace so that they will not be become overwhelmed with what the Kingdom of God has for them. 38 Each one of us has things that may or may not cause us to stumble or fall short of God’s glory. 39 Either way if all we can do is produce a thirty percent fruitfulness in our life it is still better than none and be in Outer Darkness. 40 So don’t let that stop you from getting squared away like a Marine. 41 Just look at the concept for bearing fruit in God’s Kingdom and give them your best shot.

Matthew 13: 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

42 We have the Holy Spirit to help us.

Romans 8: 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 43 God could not bring His people back into the image of Himself through the Old Covenant laws which were from the Tree of Knowledge. 44 They foreshadowing the things that would come through the New Covenant and the Tree of Life with His laws written into the hearts and minds of His followers.  45 That was because they only had the Tree of Knowledge to partake in and eventually God would be able to through His Son Jesus Christ, open the gates to the Tree of Life mold us like clay into the image of His Son.

Jeremiah 18:6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!


46 After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost 3000 souls were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit which enabled them to partake in the Tree of Life. 47 Later when the end of the Age of Corruption had come to past in AD70 after the Holy Convocation Day of Atonement was fulfilled with the Great White Throne Judgment the gates to the Tree of Life were open for everyone in the world to enter into the Garden of Eden and eat from it. 48 This was when the Feast of Tabernacles had been fulfilled for the New Spiritual Glorious Creation of the New Heaven and Earth where all things were made new.

49 On the Tree of Life figuratively speaking has twelve fruits of the Spirit which will help conform us into the process of the image of Jesus Christ. 50 The Tree of Life also had leaves which were for the healing of the Nations which once Jesus had become the King of kings and Lord of lords would rule over the nations with a rod of iron. 51 There was also a pure river of water of life that John the Apostle wrote about in the book of Revelation. 52 Notice below in the scriptures that John said the time for that to happen must shortly take place. 53 So John wrote the book of Revelation shortly before Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in AD70. 54 Futurist will tell you otherwise because they believe in a physical fulfillment of scripture but it is either a Spiritual fulfillment or a lie because it had to happen within the first century’s generation. 55 It had to shortly take place for it not to be a lie so we have no other choice but to believe it was Spiritually fulfilled if we are to be a Believer in God’s word.


Revelation 22And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

The Time Is Near

6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the [b]holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

The Twelve Fruits of the Spirit

56 The New Covenant that God promised to Israel was that He would write His laws into their hearts and minds. 57 The two greatest laws were to love God with all your heart and mind and to love your neighbour as yourself. 58 Of all the things in the Bible that define what love is there is nothing that comes closer to define it better than the fruits of the Spirit. 59 It is by the Fruits of the Spirit what will conform us into the image of Christ.

60 There a few places in the New Testament that mention the Fruits of the Spirit that I see as coming from the Tree of Life. 61 Because the Tree of Life has twelves fruits mentioned but only nine are mentioned in Galatians 5:22 there has to be another three so in 2 Peter 1:5 there are three that are mentioned that are not in Galatians 5:22. 62 They are the last three mentioned here while brotherly love is not mentioned because Galatians 5:22 has Love in it as one of the twelve. 63 There are a few places that connect these other three fruits to other fruits mentioned in the Bible as well.

Galatians 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

2 Peter 1: 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

64 Here is the list of the twelve fruits of the Spirit defined that the Tree of Life has. 

1. Love – Love is defined as been the Fruits of the Spirit. It covers many things as seen in: 

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

65 Love is what the New Covenant is all about with God’s promise that He would write His laws into the heart and mind of His people. 66 These laws are called the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

67 The Old Covenant was a type of what real love is and love is within the Fruits of the Spirit. 68 When we have the Fruits of the Spirit there is no law that can be against them. 69 The Old Covenant laws and laws that mankind had that were unto ourselves merely define what is and what is not acceptable for the society we live in. 70 We still need the rule of law in our society so that those who do not have the Fruits of the Spirit can be held accountable for things which they do that would be against those laws. 71 The higher standard is to have the Fruits of the Spirit which is love.

2. Joy – 72 A good example of someone who had joy in spite of going through tough times was King David. 73 His joy was founded in his relationship that he had with God. 74 King David seemed to know how to set all things aside and do the right things even after going troubled times that would allow him to rejoice in the Lord. 75 He had confidence that God loved him even when he did not deserve its at times. 76 Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. 77 You may wonder how could anyone find joy in being stripped down take in front of the whole world to see that were there at the time and be tortured and then put to death. 78 Jesus obviously knew something those who killed Him did not know. 79 Jesus knew God’s plan of redemption and that He was being sacrificed as the Passover lamb so that all of the things that would follow would lead to full redemption at the end of the Age in AD70. 80 Then the Feast of Tabernacles would be fulfilled as the final and joyful event that would last forever and be a blessing for all of mankind except those who prefer the second death which is the Lake of Fire. 

Hebrews 12:2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

81 Can you imagine how the people felt after Jesus rose from the dead and stayed there with them for 40 days before He ascended into Heaven as a Life-giving Spirit. 82 Where they would reign with Him while they were alive on the Earth after they were filled with the Holy Spirit so that their Spirit could also be seated in Heavenly places in Christ.

Matthew 28:7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

Matthew 13:44“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

3. Peace – 83 One of the greatest human desires is for peace: peace between nations, peace between neighbours and peace within our own minds. 84 The Kingdom of Heaven is love, peace and joy and if we are to be a part of it, we must demonstrate this reality. 85 Christ explained this in His Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

86 The best that the world can come up with peace is the utopia found in John Lennon’s song Image. 87 Wouldn’t that be nice but being at peace in your life requires trust. 88 When you trust God to be your helper in times of need that will put you at peace that will surpasses all understanding.

Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

89 It is easy to find peace when times are going good but when they get tough on us that is when we really need peace. Peace can cut through the mix when we trust in God.

John 16:32Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

4. Long-suffering – 90 The first three fruits define what the Kingdom of Heaven is. 91  I like to group the Fruits of the Spirit into a set of three so the next three define outward character of a person starting with Long- suffering which means being patient. 92 Just think of how patient or Long-suffering God has been with us. 93 He waits until the end of our lives to give us enough times to understand and realize that we are not perfect and therefore should not expect anyone else to be. 94 Perhaps the best example of this is in raising a family that does it right. 95 We allow the young one to grow up first before they can do things for themselves. 96 In the meantime we show them how things can be done in a safe way. 97 The other two Fruits of Kindness and Goodness will also help so that hopefully the child will grow up being a person without the conflicts we see in our society with so much crime and physiological problems. 98 However being patient does not mean that you allow someone to walk all over you especially most the time. 99 You might go easy on them at first showing some patience with them before you have to step in and stop them from doing you or anyones else harm. 100 The Apostle Peter reminds us that God was long-suffering during Noah’s time in:

 1 Peter 3:19by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.


101 So the lesson learnt here is to not let another person patients grow thin or you might see a flood coming your way. Long-suffering does have it’s limits and will reap what we sow.

5. Kindness – 102 The world we live in is filled with cruelty and hatred, and is bent towards selfishness. 103 When we are in disagreement with someone we have a tendency to treat them as a lower class human being. 104 Nothing can be more frustrating than talking to someone who refuses to listen to the other side of a story while they are trying to convince you to just their side of it while gaslighting then other side of the story. 105 Matters can get worst if people begin to ridicule each other and before you know it they become enemies with each other. 106 It is better to take the approach that you can agree to disagree without getting hostile with each other and respect each others freedom of speech while trying to understand what they believe. 107 In most cases I’d say that is a wise thing to do and will help keep a relationship in good standing especially with those who you are closest to. 108 The saying “kindness begets kindness” is true because what goes around comes around. 109 We reap what we sow and it depends on the person that you’re dealing with whether the outcome will be minor or disastrous. 110 Try being kind while someone cuts you off while driving down the road when it seems to be a justified reason instead of letting the wild man out of his cage to show some rage. 111 Try being kind to someone on the internet in a debate when you know they don’t know who you really are, nor someone that you will probably never know or get to meet. 112 If you succeed in being kind to them it will really set you free and help you to avoid a Spirit that would only seek to destroy you from within. 113 Only by yielding yourself to the Holy Spirit will make you stronger and able to retain the character you have that has been created in the image of God. 114 Sometimes kindness has to take a side in right or wrong and come to the defence of someone else who is not as strong. 115 One fine example of this is where Jesus was talking to the Pharisees in Matthew 23. 116 You might call that righteous indignation but Jesus was coming to the defence of those who the Pharisees were dealing treacherous with so that they would not fall for what the Pharisees did. 117 True kindness is generous and it flows freely and impartially to those we disagree with, those we hardly know, and those who cannot thank us or reward us in return.

6. Goodness – 118 The first thought that came to my mind on goodness was the good and evil that came from the Tree of Knowledge. 119 This is a fruit of the Spirit so it is the kind of goodness is what is pure and comes from God without our version of it would be. 120 Kindness is more focused on our attitude and generosity, but goodness is more focused on the things we do for others and in doingthe right thing according to God’s will. 

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Doing good works will glorify God and shines like a light.


121 No matter how bad a person can be they will not get to far in life without doing what is good. 122 Even Outlaws know this all too well because if they are not good to other members in their crew they might just get booted out if they are lucky to get out alive.


123 When people get treated unfairly or have personal harm done to them it can turn the insides of them rotten just like what happens when fruit gets bruised. 124 Just like fruit needs time to grow, the fruit of the Spirit will not ripen in our lives overnight. 125 As we mature in our faith, all the characteristics of our spiritual fruits should be growing as well. 126 We can not under estimate how much good we benefit from law and order and be thankful for the guys that to serve through the Military to defend our country from abroad or from tyranny within, and our Law Enforcement agencies who have Policeman who are trained to stop the bad guys who do not have your best interest in mind. 127 Without them there would be anarchy or dictatorship everywhere and that is a fact as history has proved it to be so.

7. Faithfulness – 128 These next three Fruits of the Spirit appear to me as being rather than being outward works that can be seen, are inward instead which are hidden. 129 They are an attitude of the heart which are a part of the nature of God that He gives to us through the Tree of Life. 130 Faithfulness comes from a place of trust and loyalty in God. 131 He is the only one who is truly faithful without wavering but our faith goes through testing in the fire. 132 Once faith and trust has been broken it is very hard to get back. 133 Some people feel betrayed by God or that God as let them down without looking at themselves and wonder what really happened and why somethings happen then blame God for it. 134 There are many things that others do to other people and God sometimes gets either the glory or the blame for it. 135 Being faithful to someone else creates a bond much stronger than not being faithful. 136 A three cord rope has more strength in it than a singe strand. 137 If you want to be part of a group that can accomplish great things there has to be trust and loyalty there or else there will be betrayal. 138 Ask any member of the armed forces and they will tell you so. 139 When we are bonded to each other in Christ we can set an example to others of what life can be when bonded with each other. 140 Most people want a sense of belonging and to be a part of a group or family while others are lone wolves but even they can be faithful.

141 Abraham went on to being obedient to do what God was testing him out to do by sacrificing his Son Issac. 142 This was in type of what God would do for the world through His Son Jesus Christ. 143 God stopped Abraham just before he was about to sacrifice Issac. 144 This was the beginning of the Covenant of Faith which all mankind could seek the Lord and be blessed by after Christ rose from the dead and the Tabernacle of David was set up in the Heavenly realm so that all Gentiles could be saved. 145 This speaks of no greater faithfulness than what Jesus Christ had in order to fulfill God’s will on the Cross. 146 Here is a great story of a gentile who was not considered worth of God’s grace because she was a gentile but Jesus blessed her anyways and complimented her for having such great faith. 147 She believe even though she was not one of the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

A Gentile Shows Her Faith

21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

148 By that example many have followed in it and just to mention another great one is in the Patriots of the free world especially those who served in the Armed Forces to fight for the oath they took to the Magna Carta or US Constitution or others like it to assure us of our freedoms. 149 Semper Fi which mean always or forever faithful, Oorah is a battle cry common in the United States Marine Corps since the mid-20th century. 150 It is comparable to hooah in the US Army and hooyah in the US Navy and US Coast Guard. It is most commonly used to respond to a verbal greeting or as an expression of enthusiasm. 151 I like the parallels I find with the military compared to Christ. 152 Christ died for Spiritual freedom from the bondage of Adam’s sin and death, while military personal fight for our freedoms in daily life. 153 All gave some and some gave all. 154 Some are first to the battle and last to leave and many of them do so because of their faith in what they do will benefit their country and family to keep them free and alive. 155 Faithfulness to God and country carries a lot of weight and is honourable and many of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom are worthy of double honour. 

156 Here is a link to a great song that I joy playing on the guitar by Red Steagall called My America; that says it all and more to what I’ve said:

8. Gentleness – 157 A common misconception is that gentleness is weakness or passivity. True gentleness, however, is just the opposite. 158 Gentleness requires great strength and self-control that comes from a state of humility. 159 Therefore, someone who lacks gentleness is often prideful and easily angered, or feels the need for revenge. 160 In order to be gentle, we must not view ourselves as better than someone else. 162 Rather than asserting superiority, someone who is gentle wants to help others, even when they have been done wrong. 163 It is important to acknowledge the ways in which God is gentle with us. 164 A gentle heart comes from having love for others. This is shown in our thoughts and in the way we interact with those around us. 165 Being gentle usually comes naturally when they buy a new puppy or after a child has been born. 166 Another good example of gentleness is where a woman was caught in adultery and some people were going to stone her to death for it until Jesus stepped in and said let the one without sin cast the first stone. 167 Then after everyone left, Jesus did not condemn the woman, and said to her, “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11).

9. Self-control – 167 In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve a command  “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. 168 The command was clear, but Satan came along and tempted Eve. 169 She reached out her hand and ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge that God forbid them to eat from. 170 This lack of self control had doomed mankind until Jesus came to restore back that which was lost so that we are not enslaved to the Tree of Knowledge but empowered by the Tree of Life. 171 Self Control enables us to have all the other fruits of the Spirit because it is an inner strength that enables us to. 

172 Simply put, willpower or self control is our ability to delay gratification and is our self-control that helps us resist distracting impulses and persevere. 173 Commonly referred to as “self-discipline,” willpower is what helps us create lasting positive changes in our lives.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” With the Holy Spirit inside of us, we are able to possess self-control and demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit. … While it may seem challenging to demonstrate self-control, the rewards will be great.

10. Virtue – 174 The last three Fruits of the Spirit are the added Fruits of the Spirit that are not in Gal. 5:22 and taken from 2 Peter 1:5. 175 They are the values of character we are to have in addition to the other nine to make up twelve Fruits from the Tree of Life. 176 Virtue is defined as conformity to a standard of right and what is a particular moral excellence. 177 It is a beneficial quality or power of great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle is a virtue. 178 Virtue a commendable quality or trait that can be conforming yourself into the image of Christ.


179 We live in a world that has so much corruption in it that it can seem to be overwhelming at times. 180 Then add peer pressure to that we might chose to go with the flow and find ourselves heading in a direction that is going the wrong way. 181 What we allow into our minds does effect what we do, so here is some good advice to put into practice that will help to overcome the negative things that will drag us down if we allow them to.

Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

11. Knowledge – 182 The fruit of knowledge is not the kind that comes from the Tree of Knowledge which puffs up. 183 Knowledge as a good fruit seeks out for the truth because God is Spirit and truth. 184 Knowledge as a Fruit of the Spirit is knowledge from God and not of our own which can puff up the ego.



185 Here you can see how many times the word  Knowledge is connected to other Fruits of the Spirit yet there is also a false Knowledge to beware of as seen first here below.

1 Corinthians 8: 1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.

2 Corinthians 6:5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in sleeplessness, in fasting; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

Ephesians 4: 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

Colossians 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

1 Timothy 6:19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Guard the Faith

20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge – 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

12. Godliness – 186 The word ‘godliness’ has more to do with the direction of a person’s life and his connection to God. 187 It is possible to be holy set apart yet not be godly; that is, not focused on God and deeply connected to Him. 188 When this is the case, a person’s holiness tends to come off as shallow, insincere, or even self-righteous. 189 God’s plan is that those He calls and sets apart to Himself would focus their attention toward Him and abide in Him.


190 Probably the best way to describe Godliness is when Jesus was praying for those who He was about to leave behind before He was crucified:

 John 17: 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

191 The Fruits of the Spirit are essential to being in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Revelation 21:26And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it. 27But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

192 Ancient Israel as a whole nation missed out on the kingdom of God and were destroyed as a nation in AD70 because they did not bear the fruits of the Kingdom of Heaven. 248 Though a remnant of believers were taken to be the Bride of Christ for the New Heaven and Earth because they had the fruits of the Kingdom.

Matthew 21:43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

John 11:25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”